DreamGardener

these are not the leaves of Dame's Rocket - those are coarsely toothed and rough/fuzzy, with a point at the end. Definitely in the Mustard/Brassica family tho - it could even be something as crazy as a bolted Turnip. I suggest bringing a sample to the local Master Gardener's office for them to ID - and no more nibbling unidentified plants! ;-)

definitely a violet of one sort or another - there are only about sixty gazillion. I love 'em too!

Looks like a type of wildflower - "Speedwell" is one of the common names (MIGHT be "Corn Speedwell"). And yes, it's a Veronica.

It's a fleabane. Aster family, wildflower in New England. There are several varieties - MIGHT be "Daisy Fleabane". They're fun until they get annoying, then you just yank 'em out!

looks like a brassica of some sort - maybe a Soapwort?

I dunno - both Confederate Rose and Hollyhock have much more Palmately Lobed leaves. I'm voting for sunflower also, but the jury is Definitely out 'til we see some blooms!

I'm thinkin' petasites...

if in fact it Is Mullein (sure looks like it!), and you like the plant, you can leave the dead flower stalk up for the winter to feed the Finches - they love the seeds. It will sow more for you as well.

will be easier to tell when it blooms (isn't it always?!), but it looks a lot like the leaves of Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis). Invasive weed, or lovely garden flower? The debate rages on. Not native to US, and a very exuberant seeder...

definitely Not a bamboo! Euphorbia sounds right...

Alstroemeria

well, there's invasive, and there's Invasive. http://www.hort.uconn.edu/cipwg/ is the home page for the CT Invasive Plants Working Group (I expect each state has their version of this list), and it contains detailed definitions about what a plant needs to accomplish in order to make the Bad Guys list. One of the requirements - it has to produce lots of Seeds. While true Bamboo will Run like nobody's business, and create impenetrable masses, it Doesn't produce bunches of seed - unlike "Mexican Bamboo" aka "Japanese Knotweed" (Polygonum cuspidatum). Now, That's an invasive!
And Yes, true bamboo is Quite rampant in spots where it's happy - I suggest not just Sinking a barrier Significantly deeper than the recommended planting depth, but also diligently watching for runners that will climb Over said barrier. Tho frankly, I've had good luck just Mowing the runners that show their sprouts in the lawn...

Plant natives in the garden with an eye toward providing for the birds! Mourning doves need White Pine in order to nest; Chickadees Love Hemlock cones; native Viburnums (too numerous to list!) provide berries and cover; Echinacea seed heads, left intact or cut & put in a 'bunch' where you can see 'em from the house, will make Many of the little birds happy... National Wildlife Federation and Audubon are two good info sources. Enjoy!

Lovely! You can practically Hear them moving!

Nasturtiums also work well in such an unforgiving spot... Love it!

dang...

My experience has been that if the soil is too rich and/or acidic, that's the death knell for these beauties. I'm going to try 'em again, this time at the far side of the driveway in the unrelenting sun and - er - Lean soil. Wish me luck!

definitely Impatiens repens - Google Images has some Fabulous pics in bloom!

I thought possibly Arctostaphylos as well, but the stems look too thick - almost succulent. Leaf shape isn't right for the wild Purslane, but could it be a relative of some sort? Those chubby red stems really pop! Gorgeous!

Awesome pics!

@grayjohnson -
what size is this plant with ruffled leaves & blue flower, and what zone are you that it's evergreen? IF it were CT, and IF the leaves were ~1" across, and not evergreen, I might think of Glechoma hederacea - aka "Ground Ivy" "Creeping Charlie" or "Gill-Over-the-Ground", a highly invasive creeper in the Mint family. Look at pics on Google Images & see if that's the culprit. If so, my condolences. At my house, we call it "the lawn"... ;-(

Love the Snake!

I can personally attest to the Wonderfulness of the European Wild Ginger when planted with Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa aurea). Beautiful, subtle counterpoint for a shade area - I especially love it planted amongst Rocks. And the European stuff is a lovely, Slow spreader. Very gentle...

"half of the whole piture" - and the "smaller half" at that! The rule of thumb that a tree's root system extends as far out as the leaf canopy is a somewhat minimalist approach - so many trees have roots that travel Yards beyond the reach of the canopy. And the 'feeder roots' - the fine, hair-like ones - are usually within a very few INCHES of the soil surface!
Trees are such amazing people...

brilliant!

yes - what does this look like under all that glorious plant matter?!

yes. Yes, that's Definitely GIANT! Dang!

so, is this not as yummy as regular basil?

AMEN!

how Giant is this, exactly?

well, I'm a zone-6 Southern New England gardener, so I suggest trying Solidago sempervirens (Seaside Goldenrod). Native - to my area anyway - and gorgeous. And remember that Goldenrod is NOT ragweed! Another true beauty, tho I don't know how well it tolerates salt spray: Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower). Incredible, true-red flowers. Just heart-stopping.
I'm a big proponent of Natives, especially in areas near water, as they're less likely to need chemicals. The CT Botanical Society has a great Native Plants website to peruse for suggestions - perhaps Maryland has something similar. Also, try contacting your local Master Gardener's office. They're an invaluable resource!

CT gardeners should be made aware that Lysimachia nummularia is on the Invasive Species list (http://nbii-nin.ciesin.columbia.edu/ipane/ctcouncil/CT_Invasive_Plant_List.htm). As is usually the case, the various cultivars have not all been evaluated for their seed-production tendencies, so I don't know about 'Aurea', but as responsible gardeners, it's incumbent upon us to take into account the invasive tendencies of the parent species before we decide to add a new plant to the garden.
That said, I think this stuff is BEAUTIFUL! It planted itself in spots in my lawn (!) where I couldn't get Anything to grow, and, well, there it remains! I'm a sucker for such Perkiness!