111226 - Larkspur and Sweet Peas

Today I photographed the sweet peas and larkspur in bloom at the top left of the terraces.

Despite this being the last week of December, the burgundy sweet peas show no sign of fading, their vines at least six feet long and now blocking the staircase running alongside the fountain.

The purple larkspur has just bloomed beside other larkspur and a cabbage poppy on the verge of flowering, too.

1112 - Kalanchoe

Several years ago, a friend gave us a kalanchoe from Hawaii.

He suggested we put it in a pot, but we unwisely ignored his advice.

The kalanchoe quickly spread across one of the lower terraces, so we were forced to put black plastic and heavy rocks around it in an effort to slow its growth.

Every fall, it goes into bloom.

I took this photograph yesterday of its flowers, which last a few weeks, are about the size of your thumbnail and smell like honeysuckle.

1109 - Dahlias

Even while much of the gardens underperformed this summer and fall, these dahlias put on quite a show.

1109 - Candy Tuft

I was disappointed when only a few of the candy tufts came into bloom this summer and fall.

I took this photograph in September in the fride (FRont sIDE) garden.

1110 - Echeveria

A section at the top, left of the terraced gardens was purposely left at a steep angle, and it was here that Phil planted mostly succulents, which require excellent drainage.

These echeveria have all grown from one cutting stuck into the ground near the brick used to slow down soil erosion from the terraces above.

1110 - Larkspur

A few larkspurs, dwarfed by our cool, foggy spring and summer, have bloomed in the gardens.

I found this one by accident, spotting it beneath the mass of sweet peas at the top, left of the staircase, at first thinking it was a butterfly.

1109 - Sweet Peas

When our summer arrived at last in mid-September, these sweet peas at the top of the terraces went into bloom.

Though I've grown used to plants flourishing out of season atop our hill, it is certainly spectacular to have bouquets of sweet peas to harvest and bring indoors as Halloween approaches.

1109 - Jasmine

Last year, a winter storm tore down the trellis the jasmine was growing on.

After Phil rebuilt the trellis with metal supports, water pooled in the container, so Phil was forced to rebuild the entire pot from bottom to top.

The jasmine looked quite dead for some time, but now, several months later, it has bloomed.

1108 - Pink Lupine

Under a very shady tree decorated year round with Christmas lights, this pink lupine surprised us by blooming this summer, its flower stalk over a foot tall.

I vaguely remember planting here late last summer a seed from the one lupine in the gardens not purple.

I am keeping an eye on its seed pods and will harvest as many as I can.

1108 - Shirley Poppy

August has been cool and very foggy.

Though only a few shirley poppies bloomed in the fride (FRont sIDE) garden, they were quite spectacular.

This is a rare, blue variety that reseeded from last year.

1107 - Carnation

Late last fall, Phil and I planted this hybrid carnation at the top, left of the terraces.

It bloomed in late June, its pink and purple swirls quite a surprise.

110708 - Arrangement

After several sunny days in a row, the summer flowers are putting on a show in the gardens.

Yesterday afternoon, I made this arrangement of orange coreopsis, pink and red cosmos, and purple and pink candy tuft, which I have found do best in bouquets on the dining room table or the mantel where their unpleasant, "rotting cheese" odor is less likely to overwhelm visitors.

1106 - Terraced Gardens

June, 2011 turned out to have strange weather: a few drizzly days at the start of the month followed by a week or so of record heat, which was in turn put out by a sudden drop in temperature and a full day and night of steady rain.

I took this photograph a few days before the record heat transformed the gardens. I especially like the foxgloves and bachelor's buttons in bloom.

Last year, we planted the pink-and-white penstemon near the top of the terraces, and it has grown more than ten times in size.

110516 - Vertical Garden

Last week at a class at Succulence on Bernal Heights, I made this vertical garden.

Phil suspended a slate shard under the skylight in one of the bathrooms and mounted the vertical garden to its front.

As the young succulents grow into their structure, they must be thoroughly watered once a week.

110419 - Columbine

This columbine bloomed in the middle of April and, almost a month later, continues to look amazing.

It is the only one of its kind in the gardens, its tightly wrapped flowers a hybrid of the dahlia-like flowers and the others with spurs.

110419 - Roses

I took these images of the roses in the gardens earlier this week.

Phil and I are constantly amazed they do so well, considering we never fuss over them.

The rose with the tiny bud was planted a year or so ago and steadily grows taller every few months. A nursery's catalog promises it will be well over eight feet tall.

110419 - Aeonium in Bloom

Earlier this week, after several cool, misty days in row, the sky cleared, and I took several photographs in the gardens.

This aeonium has gone into bloom for the first time since we planted it as a cutting three years ago. It is now about two feet tall by two feet wide, its flower stock nearly a foot long.

1103 - Poppy

In early March, between downpours that seemed to last for days, I photographed this poppy blooming at the top of the gardens.

It is a hardy perennial that has been in the gardens since we were first able to reach this area after terracing the hillside five or so years ago.

1102 - Camellia

The two camellias at the bottom, left of the gardens are going into bloom. I suspect our warm January and February have encouraged their early flowering.

1102 - Tac

In late February, I was photographing the gardens when Tac insisted I pet her, instead.

Here, she waits impatiently for me to put down the camera and give her attention on "the petting wall," a section of the retaining wall they have learned I come to whenever I want to pet them.

In the early mornings and evenings, I frequently stand here, hearing them crashing through the gardens before I spot them running up to be petted.

Today is Tac and Toe's birthday.

1102 - Cala Lily

At the end of January, the first cala lily bloomed at the base of the fountain, which frequently floods, as we overfill the fountain to freshen the water for the cats, raccoons and birds that drink from it.

1102 - Anemones

Until last week, when the nights reached record cold in San Francisco, January and February were unusually sunny and warm.

The first anemones have come up, looking a bit anemic.

I hope the winter cold and rains encourage more anemones to come up with larger and more profuse blooms.

1012 - Amaryllis

The amaryllis did not bloom as profusely in 2010 as they had over the last few years, most likely due to the unusually cool, foggy summer.

However, in December, 2010, just at the top of the staircase, these put on a spectacular show, their perfume filling the air around the steps.

1101 - Bachelor Buttons

Most of the bachelor buttons I seeded throughout the gardens late last summer were eaten by birds, snails and slugs.

However, the few survivors overwintered nicely, growing to almost one-and-a-half feet tall and producing spectacular flowers in shades of blue, pink and purple as January warmed up.

1102 - Nasturtiums

Earlier this month, I took this photograph of nasturtiums already in bloom at the base of the fountain.

Phil loves any nasturtium in bloom, but I like best these dark red flowers.

110214 - Heart of Hearts

On Valentine's Day, Phil arrived home from work after the sun had set, so I gave him a flashlight when I led him into the backyard.

I also gave him a little heart on a stick, telling him it was a clue. He was confused in the dark for a moment or two, then shined the flashlight around and spotted the trail of hearts leading up the terraces.

At the top, he found a little box inside the heart of hearts.

In the box was the hanging vase that we've since put up in the kitchen window.

Phil says he likes the hanging vase and was surprised by the treasure hunt.

On the other hand, as you can see in one of the photographs, Tac was clearly underwhelmed.