Today's horticultural vocabulary word

... is torenia. I'll have to check the little plastic spike w/ the full name, but this might prove to be the ideal flower for the north side of the house, which gets no direct sunlight once the trees get their leaves. It reportedly likes part sun to full shade, spreads to about 12", tolerates less-than-ideal soil - all conditions that pertain on the north side of our house. I planted 16 (4 each of 4 colors) of the little darlings this afternoon, half of them in a patch near the side of the house, the rest along the fence. If they turn out to like that spot, I'll definitely be buying more. The flowers look to me like something between a snapdragon and a viola, so I used a few to fill a few holes in the pansy bed, too. Check this space in a month or two to see how they're doing.