October in My Garden

Beautyberry and fuchsia are close friends in my garden.

Lemon verbena.  This is my second year with this perennial herb, and it has now come into its own. Except for lemons themselves, lemon verbena has the strongest lemony taste of any plant. It’s wonderful to have in your garden, for adding to lemonade, for brewed tea, for anyplace you need a hint of lemon but don’t have the fresh fruit on hand. I love to pick off a leaf and give it to visitors, asking them to smell. Inevitably, they swoon.