09 November - Tic

The cats always follow me around the gardens, interested in everything I do. One afternoon, while I was trying to photograph flowers, Tic decided it was time I pet him.

09 November - Hollyhocks

For the last month or so, the shortening days have been sunny and warm. I think this is why these two hollyhocks went into the bloom. The dark red one is where the echium used to be at the top, right of the staircase. It came up and bloomed as fast as it could. The lighter red one is one of the oldest plants in the gardens and has always bloomed in the spring and again in the fall.

091011 - Delphinium

The purple delphinium started blooming in the middle of October, its flower stocks nearly three feet long. This color of purple make this delphinium my favorite of the year.

The cosmos to the right of the delphinium was the first to bloom, putting on a spectacular show, and has now almost completely faded. I am going to gather its seeds for next summer.

09 Summer - Anemone

The perennial anemone went into bloom during late summer and continues to produce white, three-inch flowers on eighteen-inch stocks. The plant itself is about a foot tall and eighteen inches wide.

It has been difficult finding something that can live in the shadow of the hot tub fence at the bottom, left of the staircase. This anemone has thrived there, and Phil and I even think it began blooming this summer sooner than it did last year.

09 Summer - Canterbury Bell

Earlier this year, Phil and I bought a rare, perennial canterbury bell and planted it in the garden bed, where we had recently pulled up an echium that had taken over the trail at the top, left of the staircase up the hillside.

I must admit this canterbury bell has exceeded all of my expectations. It grows and grows and weekly sends up gorgeous whitish purple flowers faster than I can count them.

091010 - Tic, Tac and Toe

I was asleep in the chair next to this one when Phil came home Saturday afternoon. Tic, Tac and Toe did their best "to stay up with me" while I gardened earlier that day in the backyard, but they apparently had had a busy night and were ready for a nap at the same time as me.

09 Summer - Queen Cleomes

Here are photos of the two queen cleomes we planted late last year. They are likely four feet by four feet and are clearly covered in blooms. Phil and I were surprised that they not only over-wintered so well, but have bloomed for months now.

09 Summer - Jasmine

We bought a small jasmine vine three or so years ago and installed it in full shade in a large pot against the fence separating our backyard from the fride (FRont sIDE) garden. It is now over six feet tall and about half as wide, growing faster every summer now that it has made it over the fence into sunlight.

091011 - Aster

This is the first and maybe only aster to bloom this year.

To read how difficult it was this late summer to grow these as well as the amaranth and cosmos, jump to this post on the blog:

090927-Cosmos

09 Summer - White Love-in-the-Mist

The love-in-the-mist were spectacular this year. Just one plant from last year provided enough seeds to scatter several dozen love-in-the-mists across the backyard. Most of the larger plants came up as seedlings in November and December, 2008, and bloomed in early summer.

I found only two with white flowers, both plants smaller than the others and blooming several weeks after most had started to go to seed.