Gardeners can certainly understand your dilemma and many of them on this forum will be happy to help you ID the good plants and offer suggestions to their care.

I'm not sure about the first plant; others can probably ID it, but the second is a grassy weed. I can hardly keep myself from reaching into the screen and pulling it ... LOL. So do it for me -- pull it.

Thanks roselee. I will pull it out soon :) Here are another couple pics for the first plant (in different spots).

I think is a type of ruellia, but not the regular pink or purple. It has light purple flowers. I've never grown it but I think I have seen it in nurseries.

Omar

Thanks Omar. Here are couple pics of the flower. From what I understand, they can be invasive. I might get rid of them.

Like Omar said, ruellia--I was thinking ruellia tuberosa--but the leaves seem just a bit more pointy than any I've seen or had.

I think that's it! Now I want some. And if they misbehave, well, they're in good company around here. :D

(See? I never learn. It's just, "Ooo, shiny!")

I have some of that ruellia at work that was there when I moved in and while it doesn't stay in the bard, it hasn't been super invasive either. But I also don't water it regularly.

Thank You all. I removed most of it, cleared the bed, laid some mulch.

On to the next problem, I have these shrubs by the foundation ..about 3 ft tall. Can you identify what this is ? It is changing colors and I see black spots on the colorful leaves. Is this fungi ? Any possible solution to fix this ?

Pittosporum "tobira"?

Omar

I think it is Indian Hawthorn. Yes, leaf spot is caused by a fungal infection.

Carol in Jacksonville

The ruellia looks nice and well-behaved. It's just as fun here on this forum but in case you want additional help, there is a "name that plant" forum for plant ID.

I hope you left the hosta in the second photo that was behind the grassy weed.

The top picture looks to me like a Mexican petunia.

Thank you all for your inputs. I think it is Indian Hawthorn so I am looking into applying a fungicide.

wantonamara Z8 CenTex - Yes, I left the hosta for sure. The whole point of cleaning up this bed is to showcase the hostas. Have a few that I inherited and I also planted a new hosta called Minuteman.

Next question - Can you identify this potted plant ? The flowers attract hummingbirds.

Salvia something, maybe Salvia blepharophylla. Is the blossom fuzzy. Maybe a Salvia microphylla.

That is one of a million different red salvias... perhaps "Red Jewel" or "Scarlet Sage" or "Lady in Red"?

Carol in Jacksonville

Take the photo top the salvia forum. There are some really good salvia guys on there. It its a sleepy forum, but they do check in so be patient.

Looks the same as my Scarlet sage..or tropical sage.

Leaves are all wrong for S. coccinea AKA "Tropical Sage". The leaves on tropical sage are more pointy with a heart shaped spade, but there are other Tropical sages that it could be but they are not called "Tropical sage".