Silvia loribee2: Thank you for your kind comments! Pnbrown: That is definitely a benefit, although we can get huge aphid and cabbage looper populations as well as hornworms come spring. Glib: I haven't noticed a significant difference in the soil temperature inside the brick raised beds as opposed to the outside beds...especially with heavy mulch and shade cloth. It probably is a little hotter which is why I chose to do the other beds outside much shorter and with river rock - I wanted to do sunken beds but digging out all that dirt didn't appeal to me. Franktank: I wish! Although they grow pretty well here, they do take a little bit of extra care because of our frosts/freezes. We had a 3 days straight of 28 degrees (low) this winter...and it stayed that temp for 4 hours. We have 6 citrus trees and a pomegranate but I'd LOVE some tropicals. Borderbarb: I started this garden in October 2009 - only had 5 beds in the cage and grew a small winter garden. Spring 2010 I developed the 90ft planter outside the cage and added one more bed inside the cage. Then October 2010 I added the 5 beds outside the cage - The soil outside the cage where I'm using all native soil amended with TONS of compost is just now starting to get excellent...dark, rich and surprisingly fluffy for clay. Everything is on automatic drip systems so watering is easy and extremely efficient. I hope he gets inspired - Phoenix is a great place to garden..something can be seeded, grown, and harvested year round. Brookw: haha, a snow cone maybe..

Thanks for the lovely comments. :-) I love sharing with people who appreciate gardening and I know I love to see other's pictures. Token - That little dragon came from LTD but I got it about three years ago. I've never seen it anywhere again. It's one of my favorites. The bamboo fence just attaches to my regular chain link fence. My mom and I attached it all with wire then realized we didn't have enough. (Proabably should have measured. haha.) So now it all has to come down and be moved over for the new part. Looking forward to seeing everyone's gardens this year. I always get excited when I see someone has posting new pictures. :-)

Marti, I didn't know you had a blog. People should be made aware of it, perhaps by putting a link on your "My Page". The Japanese Garden tour is wonderful. Also I love the fake store front YOU built!!! Wow -- what a creative project. There are many other things I want to explore on your blog. Thank you for writing it.

I don't have a video but here are some pictures. Snow in summer around the fountain. Doggy exiting Ajuga. Very please with how the Ajuga has spread along the front of this bed. Phlox is fading while the ice plants and helianthemum (orange rock rose) are coming into bloom. I am loving the orange granita and raspberry granita (far right) ice plants. I put those in last year and both have done well. In the center is white nugget ice plant (first to bloom so on it's way out) and on the left if fire spinner (just starting to bloom). The purple broom always attracts loads of bumble bees and honey bees. It is also starting to decline but the ice plants around it are starting to bloom. So much is on the way. Our yard used to not have color all season long but I think we have remedied that. I feel like we have a riot of color early spring through late fall.