(From upper L-R across & down: Lantana, Gentian, Buddleia, Echinacea 'Harvest Moon', Clematis 'Niobe', Salvia 'Black & Blue' (large center), Coleus 'Watermelon', Canna and Toadlily)
Over my 3 week absence many other things happened like my youngest son got his driver’s license. Oh man am I a bundle of nerves everytime he leaves the house now. 
And he also dropped my point and shoot camera with the lens open. Oops! So needless to say I decided it was time to invest in something a bit better. I upgraded from my bottom of the line Nikon L11 to a Nikon S570. It’s still a point and shoot but it has more features and a much better zoom for the closeups. Plus it captures the elusive colors of Black & Blue Salvia and other shades of purple perfectly. Here’s some of my latest shots. I love how you can see all the detail inside the petals of the Gentian blooms. It’s as if someone took a fine tipped paintbrush and dabbed those dots there by hand.
Salvia elegans 'Pineapple Sage'
Not only do I love the fragrant foliage & stems of this herb but the blooms this fall are spectacular. I planted two small 3″ pots in late spring and they are both over 3′ tall now and in full flower. After doing some research online I’m going to experiment to see if these survive our winter. They are hardy in zones 8a-11 and I’m zone 7b. Some gardeners on davesgarden have had it survive in their zone 7 gardens if slightly protected. These are nestled up near the privacy fence in the back corner of my Arbor Garden. I’ll give them a nice blanket of fall leaves to keep their roots warm this winter. So I’ll let you know if they make it come next spring. Too bad they weren’t blooming while the hummingbirds were still visiting my garden.
