1011 - Coreopsis

A nursery off Ocean Beach in San Francisco offered this new coreopsis earlier this fall, and it has done very well at the top of the terraces.

I took this photograph in the middle of November. The plant is now covered in blooms and seems to enjoy our long, cool nights.

The flowers are about two inches across.

101123 - Cosmos

Between two days of winter rains and before a sudden drop in temperature more typical of our winter, I took these images of the cosmos I'd planted in one of the front gardens late last spring.

Three feet and taller, they have exceeded my expectations. I have cut and brought indoors dozens of flowers over the last several weeks.

I hope to have this sort of success next year, when I plan on seeding much of the front gardens with cosmos for an even greater display next fall.

1011 - Hollyhocks

As I'd hoped, the hollyhocks went into bloom throughout the gardens only a few weeks before Thanksgiving.

These photos show just a few of the plants in bloom in the fride (FRont sIDE), side and upper terrace gardens.

Last weekend, I harvested seeds from many of the plants and hope to have several more hollyhocks in the gardens in 2011.

101013 - Hollyhocks

The hollyhocks did rather well this summer, though there have certainly been more blooms in prior years.

As our fall warmed up, the plants sent up new growth, especially at the top of the terraces. I hope they bloom again before the winter rains come.

101013 - Lemon Blossoms

The lemon tree was covered in blossoms mid-October. It hasn't put out much fruit during our cool, foggy summer, but on warm, still nights, the blossoms smelled spectacular.

101013 - Chimney Bell Flower

This chimney bell flower was seeded by the spectacular one we planted two years ago. That one grew to twelve feet tall before it lay down over the garden.

This one reached about eight feet tall before the wind and rain sent it drooping over cacti and delphiniums in the nearby gardens.

It is now covered in blooms.

101013 - Hybrid Asiatic Poppy

About six inches across on a two-foot stem, this hybrid Asiatic poppy was the largest and most long lasting in the gardens this year.

The dismal summer stifled the others before they could bloom, though two managed to send up smaller flowers on delicate stems and looked very nice for several days.

101013 - Amaranth

Because the amaranth in past years grew quite massive, I only seeded one six pack this summer and transplanted the seedlings while it was still quite cool and foggy.

Despite the miserable summer, all did quite well.

I like this one because its flowers drape over a board like a crab's claws.

101013 - California Primrose

The California or desert evening primrose was a surprise.

It has thrived everywhere I transplanted it into the gardens, though it seems to prefer the base of the fountain, which overflows when we want to freshen its water.

101013 - Clarkia

A native to the West Coast and all of its varying climates, the clarkia was outstanding this year.

Over the last year or so, I managed to isolate a pale white with pink stripes and had these growing en masse at the base of the terraces to the right of the staircase.