1312 - Vertical Gardens

I recently created these vertical gardens out of suet bird feeders about nine by seven by two inches big.

All of the succulents came from the gardens.

1311 - Rose

One of the great successes of this year was a rose we moved from the back of the house to the first level of the terraces. It immediately doubled in size to three feet tall and produced more and more blooms.

This is the first time five flowers bloomed in unison.

The nursery where I bought it says it will grow to eight feet tall.

1311 - Hollyhock

Here's another photograph of the hollyhocks that did so well this summer and fall.

1310 - Larkspur

Only a few larkspurs thrived during our long, foggy summer to bloom this year.

1310 - Dahlias

Our very dry spring meant the dahlias sent up smaller-than-average flowers, which were beautiful, nonetheless.

1310 - Butterfly and Camomile

This butterfly waited long enough for me to take its photograph as he sunbathed next to camomile in bloom.

1309 - Amaryllis

I suspect our very dry winter and spring led to the best display of amaryllis in the gardens since we moved into the house.

1307 - Hollyhocks

I was surprised when several pale hollyhocks came up, as I don't remember planting this color last year.

The fall was mild last year, so I was able to gather lots of seeds to plant close together in the terrace near the top, left of the gardens.

I hope to have even more seeds for next year.

1306 - Poppies

These poppies volunteered in the front gardens next to the garage doors.

130504 - Sweet Peas

Late last winter, I purchased two of these in small containers from a nursery that not only promised this was the first year these sort of sweet peas were made available for purchase, but that they would be amazing.

They are spectacular in the fride (FRont sIDE) garden.

130410 - Anemones

After several days of rain, cold and fog, the sun has returned.

Anemones are blooming in the terraces to the right of the staircase.

310331 - Sweet Peas

The first of the sweet peas are blooming in a front garden.

The vines are nearly four feet tall and climbing up a trellis I made from garden twine.

130303 - Hyacinth

Dozens of hyacinths are blooming in the gardens.

They are one of my favorite cut flowers.

130303 - Candy Tuft

Candy tufts have begun blooming in the gardens.

130303 - Anemones

This winter, I planted dozens of anemones. The purple and red ones are the first to bloom.

130302 - Stock

With last year's seeds, I planted a row of stock in the narrow garden near the top of the left of the staircase. They are already a foot tall and in bloom.

130302 - Love-in-the-Mist

White love-in-the-mist has become one of my favorite flowers.

130302 - Bachelor's Buttons

None -  or nearly none - of the bachelor's buttons I planted by seed have come up in the terraces to the left of the staircase.

This one is among a dozen or so that volunteered late last fall and have overwintered quite well. Most have not yet bloomed, but are instead growing quite massive.

Last weekend, I seeded hundreds of larkspur in the vacant gardens and hope to have much better success with them.

130303 - Crassula and Echeveria

Crassulas and echeverias have thrived in the gardens this cool, rather dry winter.

These are in a bed half way up and to the right of the staircase. They bask in full sun in the afternoon, and their color has changed from green to orange and red.

130224 - Cala Lilies

Cala lilies are in full bloom around the base of the fountain and under the lemon tree.

130223 - New Stairs

Since we moved into the house, we've used tree stumps as steps from the patio to the terraces.

The last batch of stumps rotted at the end of January. Instead of finding and installing new ones, Phil decided to build a staircase this weekend.

The brand stamped into one of the boards says it all.

130215 - Lemons

It has been a warm, dry winter.

The lemon tree is cover with fruit and new blossoms.

130115 - Sempervivum

More than a year ago, a raccoon threw a tiny sempervivum across the gardens. Phil or I rescued it, wedging it into a hole in a terrace where it meets the staircase.

The succulent has done so well, we're going to pluck its pups and distribute them around the gardens.

121228 - Imperial Dahlia

Two years ago, Phil planted several imperial dahlias in the side garden, which gets late afternoon sun in the summer and fall.

They were rather disappointing their first year.

This winter, after growing taller than sixteen feet, they went into bloom, their flowers bigger than my hand.

121210 - Snapdragons and Candy Tuft

The snapdragons we planted in March continue to amaze. I especially like them with the purple candy tuft.

121220 - Columbine

This columbine volunteered at the top of the gardens and went into bloom when almost nothing else was flowering.