Good morning everyone and thank you for all of your responses. I will take a picture later of my little plant. Like I said in my second post, I did think it could be anise hyssop, and after reading all of your posts, really think it is, by the shape of the leaves and I'll have to go out and pinch some of them for the smell. I read that it only does well in zones up to 9, I'm in 10, so I hope I will get to see some of those wonderful blooms, and take some pictures of butterflies and bees among them as well. nckvilledudes ~ From that picture it does look like Anise Hyssop. I could have even read the label wrong myself. I have to go back into my seeds to see for sure. At any rate, I wrote it as Annie Hyssop on the plant tag in pot. Thanks for the link. gldno ~ I did check out Sweet Annie while googling and knew it wasn't wormwood. I've grown that before. CMK ~ I checked the Hyssopus officinalis and it isn't it, the leaves are more like Anise Hyssop. I wouldn't mind growing the officinalis, it's more for my zone. Nell ~ Cute story. I will pinch the leaves when I get outside later. Nancy ~ I sure hope this will grow for me down here. This plant sounds wonderful. Tom ~ I saw the Golden Jubilee online and it is gorgeous. such a lovely contrast between foliage and flowers. gonativegal ~ I hope it survives long enough to get some heads so that I can collect more seeds. I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Annie ~ Thanks for tip of using the leaves for a hot tea. I will definitely look into that, as we take herbs for our health. What a lovely vision the Sweet Annie wreaths around candles must have been for your daughter's wedding, and the added bonus of filling the air with it's fragrance. Thanks again everyone for your great responses and taking the time out of your days to do so. I appreciate that. We had some much needed rain last night, and more this morning. More is expected through the day and we are thankful. Hope you all have a great day ~ FlowerLady

We're under the same district Robyn. In beds, I use ground coconut husk...I've only watered my veggies TWICE since November. That stuff is worth it's weight in gold! (I get a case of grow bricks from Spray N Grow...not a fan of the fertilizer, it's every 2 weeks, but those bricks are fabulous!)

Beautiful pics Lellie! I planted some last year, and they came back on their own this year and are doing well. They ARE a magnet for butterflies, and just the other day, I saw them all and decided to always have anise hyssop! Thanks for sharing your pics. Elaine.....mine are in a dry spot too, and really seem to like it there.

What is the soil there like? What is the soils pH? how much organic matter is in that soil? How well does that soil drain? How well does that soil retain moisture? What kind of life (earthworms, etc.) are in that soil? The University of Delaware does a soil test for homeowners for $15.00 that includes soil pH, major nutrient levels, and other necessary information that is a start to solving that problem. In addition these simple soil tests may be of some help. 1) Soil test for organic material. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell, to a point. Too much organic matter can be bad as well. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. kimmq is kimmsr