Bahia, You are right it is a broom, Spartium junceum, a plant that would fit right in with your mediteranean theme. It is an accident where it is, we wanted a fountain there but couldn't find one we liked so we put this in 'temporarily'. I love the upward verticalness of it contrasting with the fountain like flow of the deer and pampas grass behind it and it is there to stay. And of course it has wonderful yellow flowers in the spring. You are right about this winter, anything marginal is gone or severly damaged. The cassias normally overflowing with bloom this time of year look half dead. The myoporium which looks ten times as good as any lawn as a ground cover was killed to the base but the salvias and penstemons are fine. Clevlandii had a little tip dieback but nothing bad and the Parrys Penstemon and P. triflorus are blooming with superbus close behind. I can't feel sorry for what you can't grow in San Fransisco as there is so much you can grow. You have a far broader plant palette to choose from than we do here. I grew up in Santa Rosa and often passed through and sometimes visited S.F. It's a beautiful city with immense character but I sure wouldn't want to have to get around by bicycle in it:) Your retama monosperma sounds wonderful but I'm sure if our furnace of a summer didn't do it in here, our frosty winter would. Maria

I would love to try any of the following. The only thing I have from your want list is Cobaea scandens alba. I don't have a lot of those, but can split my pack of seeds with you. Salvia microphylla x greggii, Maraschino Salvia viridus, Blue Monday Salvia sclarea, Vatican White Salvia subrotunda Salvia splendens, Lighthouse Salvia apiana Salvia roemeriana, Hot Trumpets

Unless you count a "sagelike" smell from the foliage as a fragrance, perennial salvias with fragrance are uncommon! When I lived in TX a beekeeper near me had dozens of perennial Salvia species for his bees. Only 10 of them had significant fragrance. Here they are: Salvia elegans (strong pineapple scent from entire plant. Very difficult to grow from seed!) Salvia sclarea- Clary sage (sweet, woody/ herbal scent, used in perfumes) Salvia lyrata- slight woody/herbal scent Salvia clevelandii (STRONG sage and musk scent) Salvia apiana (STRONG sagelike scent. Used as an incense or "smudge stick" plant, and grown by beekeepers as it keeps bees happy. Very difficult to grow from seed.) Salvia officinalis- Culinary sage; sagelike scent. Salvia glutinosa (herbal scent) Salvia greggii (mintlike scent from foliage. Hard to find viable seeds. Usually grown from cuttings.) Salvia dolichantha (sagelike scent from foliage) Salvia farinacea 'Blue bedder' (herbal/floral scent, similar to some spike lavenders). This is probably the tall blue & white salvia you already have. There may well be a few other fragrant salvias out there, which I haven't listed. Hopefully this will help you add some specific Salvias to your want list! :)

Just to make it clear-the seeds in the list are my own seeds and I am only looking for Lagurus ovatus and Amaranthus tricolor seeds. Thanks :o) Robbi