Thanks for the pretty pictures. I knew about Encore azaleas but not pink ruffles. I have seen the big pot of Mexican petunia at Diamond, but the man keeps it in the green house in winter. I didn't know it would reseed. Will the seedlings get big enough to be pretty in a season? Do you keep the big plant in your greenhouse all winter? I like the dark look of the plant, but didn't buy one because I wouldn't have a place for it in winter.

Helen, I buy (3) Mexican Petunias at Jenk's near Diamond every year for that big pot. I'm just mad about them -- they are absolutely no trouble. In the spring Jenk's have lots of that plant in small pots -- the thing is just too big for the GH. I do make cuttings every fall of various things for the GH and use those in the pots the next spring. You only have to buy them once for beds, because they do reseed. I'm hoping the cat's whiskers (the flowers look just like them) will overwinter. I think I'll take a few cuttings just in case. Flower is white.
Sunny

Never saw Mexican petunias before but I think I'll have to check them out come spring. I haven't been to Jenks for a while.....time to go to Shanks' farm pretty soon for pumpkins and stuff, guess I'll have to stop when I go by.

I love how things perk up and often rebloom when fall is approaching. Of course, the rains helped too.

My kerria japonica shrub looks better now than spring.

The Mexican petunia looks a little like our native ruellia strepens, wild petunia. It is supposed to get up to 3 feet tall but I just mow the ones in the ditch and have never seen it that tall. I should move some to a more cultivated area and see what happens. It is a pale lavender and is a perennial.

Mosswitch, same location -- Jenk's in the spring/summer and Shank's in the fall for pumpkins. Jenk's is my favorite flower source in the spring. They have such interesting plants.

Glenda, that perinneal petunia-like plant in your ditch sounds like something worthwhile to try in beds. The version I have is an annual, is also 3 ft tall (I never have to stake it) and the flower is a medium purple. Instead of yanking them out in the fall, maybe this year I'll just cut them down to the top of the pot and mulch with leaves -- can't hurt to try.

Found the tag on the 3 ft. Cat's Whiskers. It's name is Orthosiphon Stameneus White and is hardy to upper 20's F. It is supposed to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. (Hmmm--that sounds like you all would like it for sure). If it blooms again before frost, I'll post a picture (close-up).
Sunny

We can't see the whiskers on the cat. Could you get a close up? I was thinking this morning that if I were you, I would somehow get that M petunia plant through the winter. The big pot at Jenk's looks super fertilized and different. I think it is ruellia but the foliage and stems are dark which gives it an interesting look. My first question for the man there at Jenk's was what are you feeding it? Last spring fairly early his was a vigorous, striking exotic looking plant. Could you cut it back and fit it under a bench?

You have some interesting plants Sunny - I'm especially jealous of that azalea.
I'd never heard of Cat's Whiskers and looked up some photos on Google. Let us know if it's a good butterfly/hummingbird plant.
I came across a website that said Mexican Petunia can be grown as a houseplant.
I like to try to save some of my "annuals" over winter. I bought some lantana late in the season that I'm going to dig up and put in my garage. I don't know if it will work but I thought it would be nice to start next season with bigger plants. Maybe pentas too if I can find a enough room in my garage.

Okay -- before I forget, when Helen said "Encore" a teeny bell went off, so I searched through the 2009 plant tags I kept and the reblooming azalea is actually an Encore, and it is Autumn Royalty. Don't buy Pink Ruffles because you'll wait at least forever for it to rebloom. Sorry.

To confuse you further, photo #1 of 4 is a close-up of the tall Mexican Petunia, Ruellia Brittoniana, Katie's Blue. Seems it's a perinneal after all, so no worries about cutting it back. Helen, I'm just not strong enough to pull that big ceramic pot in and out of the greenhouse. Maybe I'll take a few tip cuttings.

Photo #2 is a close-up of another type of Mexican Petunia I keep in the greenhouse because it blooms all year and also reseeds. It is Ruella Blue Shades. I bought this at Jenk's and have used them in sunny hanging baskets because they trail. I believe Jenk's had this in pink and in white blooms.

Photo #3 is another photo of Blue Shades in the greenhouse. It's with the aloes and kalanchoes.

Photo #4 is Cat's' Whiskers close-up. Indeed it does attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Sunny

I'll bet you could get that dark plant to root in your green house. Thanks for the pictures. I can see the cat's whiskers now. I know what you mean about ceramic pots. I don't buy them because I can't lift them, but sometimes I tempted by the mexican clay ones on sale pretty cheap. It doesn't take a very big pot of soil to be too heavy for me. I have a method for the plastic pots using a garden cart, but I would break a clay one.