Wow Ladies, such gorgeous beds! I can only hope I'll have such wonderful plantings someday!

I LOVE all the terracing! It makes 100% use of the land you have, and shows everything off beautifully.

Being that this house sits on top of a hill, I've got the multi level thing going on too. The slopes are gradual and soft, so I haven't had need to install any terraces yet, although as I expand I have been plotting a few.

You can tell in this pic how I was looking uphill, and the various level of same height plants show. I'm not even half way through spring clean up, so please forgive all the dead stems still hanging around. We just got the first mowing of the year done, and it had gotten so high I've got piles of thatch everywhere too. Our riding mower had a couple of issues to deal with before we could get it done in time.

Hilly terrain might sometimes be a challenge but it is a great opportunity to create even better gardens than can be done on all level ground. I love the way your land slopes upward. One can see a lot more of the plantings all from one spot.

I do lots of terraces because I had tried to do gardens in many of my steeper spots without them and it just did not work. So I have been putting in lots of hardscape for the past three years. Very expensive but it will all outlast me!

One of the gardens we saw at the iris convention had a white flowered evening primrose in different beds which tied them together.

Oh my gosh Rita. Your gardens are fabulous. I'm excited to see the backyard as it progresses.

I too am watching for an update

Oh brother, I haven't gotten enough done in the back. So far I have double row of daylilies way at the back and I have the front daylily section done and planted. I am struggling to put in the middle beds to make it more cottage garden. While I was not working on that middle part all these big major weeds came up. Seems like they came out of no where. So now its more work to get rif of them. I was actually pulling them the past two days.

Rita, what is the temp's up there. I can work in my garden until around 11 am now. And that is pushing it. It is so hot and humid down here. I still have so much left to do. Next year I will try to have everything finished by May.

Its actually very nice around here. Lovely weather fo gardening. Wouldn't matter if it wasn't. I work out in the garden all summer, even when its hot and humid. Only don't get as much done when the weather is too hot and humid.

I worked on all those weeds up there and got them out. Then I set the edger pavers exactly were I wanted them to be to make the new tall bearded iris bed. This involved lots of moving of the edges and finially putting a string line down with lots of measuring to follow. Now I am working on putting a smaller section to run along using bricks as edgng. Will have to get pictures so you can see what I mean.

I have the TB iris ordered and coming in July so I have to get that part done. The smaller section planned for eventual lilies and cottage garden flowers will most likely not be finished this year. But I am working on it.

I have no plan except tall in the back and shorter in the front. I am in such a hurry (because of my age) that I figure I can replant
some of the perennials if they make problems.

Those are great photos. I can't even aspire to those, but they
are wonderful.

I have more seedlings germinating or very small under the light
in my laundry room. I have Governor Blue Lupine and Gallery Blue lupine soaking in hot water for the second day. But guess
what? I found a Blue Lupine on Ebay that grows ten feet tall. I just love tall. I am going to get it and start it this year. Of course, it will go behind the tall borders and be as tall as the Olympia Verbascum. I can't wait to see it in bloom.

Because my heart is weak and my health is iffy, I have help in the garden. Today, Jean, who is also a friend, helped me plant
more hollyhocks and lavender in beds. Cheri, my friend and neighbor will help on Friday.

I am hoping white snapdragons and feverfew and shastas will tie all of the plants together. Also I will use blue campanula Tellham Beauty as a tie together too, not only because it is lovely but also because it floats above the other flowers and is on a very thin stem.

But your gardens are <u>real cottage gardens</i> like in the books and which I just love!!

It sounds like you have a beautiful garden.
I have never heard of 10 ft tall lupine Wow if you grow some you must find a way to get a photo they sound amazing.