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.