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.