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.