It looks like Syletta to me. Here is a link that might be useful: Google image results

Kippy, the plant in your photo is a whole other beast, the Kenilworth ivy (Cymbalaria muralis), which is in the Scrophulariaceae, or snapdragon, family and not a violet. They don't get very out of hand here in Livermore due to the heat, adverse soil conditions, and dryness and have to content themselves with trying to appropriate watered flower pots. I remember a stone or cement wall at the train station in Irvington, New York (on the Hudson River), that was beautifully covered with this species -- it is a classic wall plant and totally adapted to growing in crevices. I was glad for this posting last year as it alerted me that the innocuous-looking little blue violet that arrived with a pot of iris was probably not so innocent after all. I removed a good-sized patch that had already sprung up, finding, as Molineaux says, that its root system is scary-huge and tenacious. Another close call.

I totally understand! All of what you mentioned is certainly doable (and, yes, i'd ask permission, but if you don't feel like it you don't have to- most people won't care). No, you really don't have to spend much money at all. Grass clippings work fine- though i'd let it dry first. Straw would work well, too if you have a source for that. The more layers and differing stuff the better it's going to be. Yes, the soil will be wonderful by spring. then you just keep adding a layer of mulch over it a few times a year and the soil gets better & better. If you do collect leaves, at least for your first bed, i'd chop them up well with your mower first- they'll break down lots faster. You can do whole leaves for the other beds that have more time to break down. You can also hit coffee shops for used grounds. You can thinly spread in non composted veggie scraps in between the layers and it'll rot down, just like in a compost pile (it's actually called line composting). Just make sure it's a layer or 2 down and well covered so as not to attract vermin. In lieu or addition you should definitely start your own compost pile! You can NEVER have too much compost and it breaks down by an incredible ratio. As for picking up compost from the yard waste center without a truck- it's doable. Buy or borrow a couple of big trashcans or tubs, or line your back seat/trunk of your car with a tarp, and they can fill those. It's not as cheap as buying a truckload per cubic yard or scoop (which really is cheap- i think it's $25/load, and they often run buy one get one free if you can come back the same day specials). Also, some of the landscaping cos around have mulch & compost nearly that cheap ($30) that is much more reliable as to the quality. Yard waste center depends on what they make it out of, which is whatever they are getting in, and can have bits of plastic bags you have to pick out. A truckload will go a long way. Ask around- you may find you have a friend or coworker who'd loan or go in with you for a truckload. They load the truck with a backhoe & you have to take it off at home. A way to get free or nearly free wood chips is to watch for a tree pruning co at work, and offer to take the materials from them. They sometimes have to pay to drop that off at landfills and are happy to dump it for free. Just be aware you won't be 100% sure of what you're getting- you could get briers and poison ivy mixed in, for instance. I've had great luck with that method, though. You do need to pick a spot and let it age and rot down a bit, esp if you plan to plant fast. Newly chipped wood uses lots of nitrogen in the process of aging, so you actually deplete your beds in the short term, which is why you don't use fresh wood chips or sawdust. You could watch craig's list or freecycle for opportunities like that- or even post. Just be aware that you shouldn't build a bed with a lot of wood materials in it right next to your hose foundation if it's wood frame, b/c of termites. I like to give a foot - 18" wide swatch of 8" deep gravel along my house- it keeps dirt from splashing back up on the house when it rains and it also give you easy access to windows or the backs of your beds. Also is a nice place to put potted stuff that needs a few degrees of protection. Another cheap trick is to watch craig's list for people giving away horse manure for free or not much. There's a lady in southeast wake co who does it spring & fall and when i get the notice she's doing it, i normally make a post on here. Email me and i can give you her email and she'll add you to her list. Her manure is very well rotted down- a neighbor turns it regularly with a bobcat, and loads it the same way, so it's a pretty fast process. There are people who just do the trash can thing there, too. All in all, you can spend as little or as much as you want. The more you spend, the more finished it is to start with, and normally you have to do a little less work, but a little time diminishes any difference. Start thinking outside the box and screw up your courage and you'll see opportunities everywhere! Good luck!!

That sounds like a good plan. I really wanted the antique shades pansies to put in my boxes for this fall/winter/spring, but it seems only Burpee has them. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) they are the only things I want from Burpee, which makes them less attractive to order for me when I could dump that $$ into something where it goes further (like Well Sweep). By the way, I meant to say that Lianne had a small flower when she arrived. It had no scent though, which makes me wonder a bit. I've never had odoratas, but I was hoping for good things.