Flower and Herb bed... a belated update

Could this be only the second year for our herb and flower bed? It looks dramatically different from 2009.... My strapping sage plant and a smaller Bells of Ireland are holdovers. This time we put in basil (?! not sure which variety). She looks great.

Put in some dill and a purple basil plant [picture] purchased from one of the box stores. She's actually doing okay! We transplanted a volunteer echinacea--she seem to have really liked her new home. And tempting fate, put in 2 zinnias just before that blazing heat spell in June when I was suddenly in charge of watering while G was away. I can't really take any credit, but they are enormous! Does something always have to dwarf everything else? G put in a delphinium... she is peeking quietly out from under her huge neighbors. Also noteworthy, but not pictured: a variegated sage. Very pretty. In my experience, not very hearty. A small rosemary plant. She's growing very slowly: hope she'll overwinter. The silly xeric cascade of color pot I got on sale--a purple salvia and two maroon blanket flowers are holding down the north end of the bed. Still blooming. Looking quite handsome. Also [not pictured] a couple of graceful lacy things I'm not familiar with--ask G. Summer savory?

The graceful, petite white spikes (below) are either garlic chives or society garlic. I have this dim sense that I asked the flower and bush lady at UNM if I could have a start from the thriving patch that adorn one of the fountains near my office. Gloria thinks she spread garlic chive seeds... So once again, erring on the side of being informal and experimental and surprising ourselves, we really don't know what it is. grin. PRETTY. Very pretty.