May 27, 2026 by Born To Organize

Bobbing for Apricots and Craving Strawberries

We’re not really going to bob for apricots, but we could.

A close-up view of a tree branch laden with green fruits surrounded by various green plants and foliage.

Apricots hang inches from the ground.

Last year, we hired an arborist to prune our grafted plum and apricot tree. They shaped it beautifully, and it produced lots of fruit, most of it plucked clean by the neighborhood squirrels. No matter. The arborist thought the tree would hold its shape for a few years.

Instead, our grafted fruit tree has sent out long branches, heavy with fruit and dangling close to the ground. I had to prune several branches last month to make the path walkable. When I returned from holiday, the weight of the fruit had pulled most of the apricot branches to within inches of the ground,. The plum graft was standing tall.

This morning, I thinned the branches, removing the ones that were once again draped over the walkway, hoping that the substantial weight doesn’t snap limbs from the tree. Not for the first time, I may have left a few strands of my hair and a bit of scalp on a low-lying limb. Ouch.

The cherry tomato plant is producing lots of green tomatoes, and the beefsteak has formed at least 2 large fruits.

To our delight, a volunteer strawberry plant appeared under a shrub in the front garden, then sent out runners for a second and perhaps a third plant. So far we’ve had two berries.

Close-up of strawberry plant leaves and flowers in a garden setting.

Before the advent of tech and the birth of “Silicon Valley,” Santa Clara County was known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight. We were once the largest fruit producer in the United States.

“Overall, California produces roughly 90%of all strawberries grown in the United States, with cultivation occurring year-round across approximately 37,000 acres of the state’s central and southern coastal regions.”

All this is to say that if we want delicious, fresh strawberries, there is no need to grow our own. As we move closer to June, I’m looking forward to smoothies, blueberries with frozen yogurt, strawberries, either alone or on cereal, or blended into fruity drinks.

Do you have a summer favorite?

May 19, 2026 by Born To Organize

Celebrating Mike’s Birthday: A Cozy Getaway in Carmel

We celebrated Mike’s birthday with a brief, mid-week holiday to Monterey and Carmel.

A man smiling while standing on a wooden deck by the shore, with rocky coastline and blue ocean in the background under a clear sky. — Mike near Canary Row

Leaving daily life behind for Carmel’s cool, coastal weather and quiet streets felt restorative.

Carmel, California, is a quiet, quaint oceanside town that’s worked hard to keep things that way, and who could blame them?

We had brunch at The Village Corner when we first arrived, and when they brought our bill, it was slipped into a paperback book rather than the usual vinyl folder. Enlarged black-and-white photos of famous people who live or lived in Carmel decorated the walls. Pulitzer Prize winner John Steinbeck is perhaps the most famous.

After brunch, we continued to the center of town and browsed shops and scouted places for dinner. Narrow alleyways and equally narrow stairways are prominent, adding charm to our meandering.

We had a fabulous meal on our first night at Pepi’s Little Napoli Bistro Italiano. The cozy ambiance felt like a warm hug with great service and tasty food. Instead of a large meal, we ordered four dishes to share. I should have skipped dessert, but where is the fun in that? At least we had a twenty-minute walk back to our hotel.

Carmel doesn’t have street lights at night, which proved a bit challenging as we traveled back up the gentle hill to our accommodations. I wore low-heeled shoes, but heels nonetheless, since we were dressing for dinner. We traversed brick sidewalks, sandy step-downs, and in some places, no walkway at all. Mike was at my side and steadied me a few times, but it was the ultimate test of my new hips. It is fair to say they passed.

The following day, we drove to Cannery Row, immortalized by John Steinbeck in 1945. It wasn’t as I remembered from many years ago, and it is now a bit cheesy, though facades of many buildings still remain. We hung out on the beach at the base of a hotel and took in the vast view of the bay.

Since we were on holiday, we enjoyed ice cream for lunch on the patio at Ghirardelli Chocolate, then took the scenic drive along the Monterey coast. McAbee Beach and Pacific Grove Beach are pictured below

I found a nice linen shirt for Mike’s birthday, and I picked up a small selection of postcards at my favorite pharmacy. We laughed out loud at a display of muslin tea-towels on the back patio of a small shop called Ami Carmel. I quipped to the shop owner that she could charge admission. I bought my son, who is setting up house, the one that says “Stove is for display purposes only.”

A decorative display featuring a sign that says 'STOVE FOR DISPLAY ONLY.' Below it, there is a humorous quote about coffee and wine, emphasizing their importance in life. — Witty tea towels

Highlights included time spent reading and putting our feet up by the gas fireplace, afternoon naps, and snacking from the bag of taffy we picked up at the old-fashioned candy store.

A quaint storefront with a moss-covered, thatched roof, featuring a window display filled with sweets and colorful flowers. The entrance shows a glimpse of a cozy interior, surrounded by greenery and stone pathways. — Cottage of Sweets

Then, just like that, it was time to drive home as we considered our next getaway together.

May 1, 2026 by Born To Organize

And Now It’s May

An extended heat wave in March, followed by a mix of high temperatures and rain, has left my garden confused.

After days of temperatures reaching 15 to 25 degrees above normal, our orange tree started dropping leaves. The pittosporum did the same. I hooked up a hose to our rainwater tanks and gave both trees a long soak, grateful for the stored water.

My self-seeded sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) didn’t like the heat either. They normally do well into June as summer temperatures set in, but the prolonged, excessive March heat sent them to seed before April’s end. I pulled them out over the weekend. I have one sweet pea vine hanging on under the Magnolias’ shade, but it, too, is fading.

Under the Acer, Four o’clock plants(Mirabilis jalapa) are up two months early and already blooming. It’s all a bit unsettling.

Temperatures have climbed again this week, as our dry season approaches. San Jose’s semi-arid climate is typically rain-free from May through October.

I’m trying to reset my expectations and remind myself that all the native plants in my garden continue to thrive, and several of the succulents are flowering.

We shopped for a pair of tomato plants a few weeks ago and dug holes between rainy days. Fresh garden tomatoes are a summer highlight.

I stumbled across a few sunflower plants at a local nursery while shopping for mulch and scooped up three. In recent years, I planted sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) from seeds, but foraging squirrels unearthed them just as quickly. The new plants have already doubled in size, and now the squirrels will have to wait for the bounty. They’re welcome to eat the seeds after I’ve enjoyed the cheerful flowers. (Photo below of California Grey squirrel, 2014)

Elsewhere in the garden, I’ve manifested good fairy energy by turning a redish root into a garden swing, with a former soap dish serving as a ladder to reach it should the fairies choose to rest their wings. More garden debris forms a hanging post for an abutilon bud lantern. The playground resides under the hydrangeas.

I planted two cellpacs of sweet alyssum (Lobularia hybrid) in pots on the back garden steps. The honey scent teases the nostrils, pleasant but not overbearing, and it’s a fan favorite of butterflies and bees. It tolerates the heat better than most annuals.

I spotted a gorgeous orange butterfly this afternoon from our kitchen window, but I was too far away to capture a decent photo. I need to practice my “be like a tree” skills, where I hold still long enough for the butterflies to land and stay awhile. I’ll let you know how I get on.

April 22, 2026 by Born To Organize

Loving Our Planet

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”

~Native Proverb

I’ve always liked this quote, and as we honor Earth Day, it continues to resonate.

I’m grateful to live in a state with strong environmental laws, beautiful lakes and streams, access to clean drinking water, and a commitment to combating the climate crisis. I hope we’re not too late.

A serene stream flowing through rocky terrain, surrounded by trees and sparse vegetation. — Alum Rock Park, San Jose

A coastal view framed by tree branches, showcasing waves crashing on the shore under overcast skies. — Carmel by the Sea, Carmel

A woman wearing a gray sweater and blue jeans stands on a sandy beach with a seal resting in the background, overlooking a serene ocean view. — Año Nuevo State Park, Elephant Seal in background

Scenic view of a suburban area with palm trees, greenery, and cloudy skies in the background. — View of Silicon Valley from Harwood Hill, San Jose

A serene garden landscape featuring well-manicured lawns, a reflecting pond, and neatly trimmed hedges. In the background, hills are visible under a clear blue sky, with a prominent yellow tree adding a splash of color. — Filoli National Trust, Woodside

A group of sea lions resting on wooden docks above green water. — Beneath the Santa Cruz Wharf
Sea Lions

Three horses grazing in a lush green field with rolling hills in the background under a cloudy sky. — Open Space, San Jose Foothills

A close-up of green and yellow flowering plants among various types of lush foliage in a garden setting, featuring distinct succulents and vibrant orange flowers. — My Humble Garden

“The earth is what we all have in common.” — Wendell Berry

April 15, 2026 by Born To Organize

A Pair of Scrappy Cards

I’m sharing two cards for this month’s challenge to create with scraps, hosted by Kate at Tall Tales of Chiconia. The idea is to use up your stash, be it paper, fabric, or any other crafty medium, by creating something new.

The first card uses a pair of patterned paper scraps. The green print is subtle once it’s die-cut into the leafy background, but it still adds variation in tone. The blue mixed-media styled paper is the last bit of one of my favorite paper packs from 49 and Market. I used it to cut three circles. For dimension, I brushed the outline of each circle with a dark blue distress oxide ink, then added a greeting using vellum. I brushed a light amount of ink on the white card background to soften it, and that’s one scrappy card done.

A decorative card featuring intricate die-cut floral and leaf patterns, layered with circles in shades of blue and a translucent overlay with the text 'for a great friend'. A small blue bird is depicted on one of the circles.

I had a lot of fun with this second card, using a variety of my seemingly endless green scraps to cut multiple pieces of foliage to create a birthday card.

Various pieces of textured green craft paper and metal leaf die cuts arranged on a grid cutting mat. — Green scraps and dies

My friend has recently started collecting and nurturing house plants. She told me about a shop called Leaf & Vine that sells houseplants and indoor plant accessories created by local artisans.

Business card for Leaf & Vine Urban Plant Shop featuring a wooden design.

I bought her a gift card to the store and incorporated it into her birthday card as a faux planter for my scrappy foliage. The gift card is adhered with foam squares, but it can be removed easily when she decides to redeem it.

An open greeting card featuring botanical illustrations, with a cut-out design on the left and a layered green foliage composition on the right, along with a wooden label for 'Leaf & Vine Urban Plant Shop'.

A decorative card displaying greenery patterns and the text 'Leaf & Vine Urban Plant Shop' on a wooden background.

Thank you, as always, Kate, for inspiring this monthly challenge.

You can see what other bloggers are up to at the following links.

Kate, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Tracy, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,
Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Viv, Karrin, Alissa, Tierney,
Hannah and Maggie

April 10, 2026 by Born To Organize

WordPress Housekeeping (Spring Garden Pics)

I changed the settings in my comment section today. Please let me know if it becomes cumbersome in any way.

More and more, I see “someone” or “anonymous” comments from regular readers. WordPress has settings to avoid spam, but if not logged in, it apparently allows the comment without identifying the user.

Another puzzle, as yet unresolved, showed up earlier this week. My spam folder contained several comments, all from long-time followers. I usually ignore the spam folder, assuming it’s doing its job, so it was a shock to see these lovely comments land there.

I’ve used some of the forums in the past, but without much success, or frankly, patience, trying to get through the weeds. In my world, weeds are tamed from a kneeling pad, garden fork at hand.

If you’re a WordPress user, commenting while logged in lets me know it’s you.

If you’re a friend popping in from Facebook, you can leave your name and email address (the email is never published), so I know it’s you.

And finally, as my mother used to say: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Alas, that’s what the spam filter is for, yet here we are.

My garden:

April 6, 2026 by Born To Organize

Two-Ingredient Flower Vases

The lovely Cathy at Rambling in the Garden encourages her followers to share a vase of flowers from our garden each Monday. It’s also a fun way to explore the creative side of flower arranging. She calls it In a Vase on Monday or IAVOM.

It’s April, so the options are plentiful.

I’ve cut flowers for three vases today, using two garden components in each.

The tall glass jar has been patiently waiting for long stems. My friend Jasmin filled it with sunflowers and brought it to a dinner party earlier this year. I’m happy to have three lovely Calla Lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica) stems to show off the glass shape. I’ve clipped twining green fern (asparagus setaceus) for a walk on the wild side.

A clear vase holding three white calla lilies and green fern leaves, placed on a textured table outdoors.

My second vase, also a gift, came from a friend’s kitchen. I’ve been helping her declutter, and when I spotted this pretty pitcher, I mentioned how much I loved the pattern. Portmieren debuted this collection in 1972 when I was 12. She said it had belonged to her mother, and she was getting rid of it, so lucky me.

It’s not intended for flowers, but that’s never stopped me. My research indicates it’s a “Garden Drum Jug Pitcher from their Portmieren Botanical Garden collection,” but around here it will now be known as a flower vase. I’ve filled it with sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) and sprigs of Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa), a soft-leafed beauty from the garden.

The final vase for the day is a tiny treasure I picked up in nearby Campbell from a shop that sells items made in California. It’s no taller than a deck of cards, but perfect for these sprigs of Silver Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’), along with more of the green fern.

A small blue vase holding a few green leaves and delicate blue flowers, placed on a black table in a garden setting with blurred greenery in the background.

A vase containing greenery and delicate blue flowers, placed on a table outdoors.

I’ve placed the first vase on our dining table,

A wooden dining table set with a floral centerpiece featuring white calla lilies in a glass vase. The table is adorned with a decorative cloth, and wooden chairs are positioned around it.

the sweet peas in our living room,

A black clock displaying the time on a wooden table next to a white pitcher filled with vibrant purple and pink flowers, accompanied by a small green bowl containing decorative cards.

and the wee vase on a shelf in my crafting room.

Two framed illustrations hanging on a wall, featuring architectural sketches. Below them is a decorative table with various items, including a colorful pot, a small painting, and a vase with greenery.

It’s sitting on my “homage to Canada” shelf, along with a photo of my mom, and other Canada treasures. The framed art above are a pair of garden designs from one of my dad’s horticulture studies. The mixed media tag with the nigella is a gift from artist and blogger Wilma Millette nd the postage card is from my friend Donna.

Please visit Cathy, our In a Vase on Monday host, at Rambling in the Garden to see what others are sharing. I promise an uplifting experience.

April 4, 2026 by Born To Organize

Garden Imprints for Cards

I’ve been enjoying the process of creating imprints from some of our vibrant garden greens. In turn, I’ve cut those prints into panels or used dies to cut sentiments, before making them into cards.

I experimented with this technique nearly ten years ago. At the time, I tried different papers, including an old file folder, watercolor paper, craft paper, and vellum. I learned that not all paper is created equal, and the same goes for flowers and leaves. Some transferred beautifully, while others looked more like mud.

A greeting card featuring green fern leaves with the text 'for a great friend' in a circular cutout, embellished with small pearls.

It was a pleasant surprise going through my sample booklet, seeing plumosa fern (Asparagus setaceus) and the catmint or catnip (Nepeta) prints still retained a lovely shade of green.

A metallic silver leaf branch cutout positioned on a textured green leaf background, with a piece of light blue paper partially covering it. — Using a die to cut from Nepeta imprint

The subtle, earthy scent remains on the watercolor paper, at least initially. In some of the images, you can see the impression of the stems.

A handmade greeting card featuring a purple tag and floral design with the text 'you brighten my day' set against a background of green foliage and purple flowers. — Poor lighting, but if you look closely you can see the green imprint cut into a leafy shape.

When I first tried this technique, our cat Mouse jumped on the desk, enticed by the lovely Nepeta, also known as catmint. I miss this sweet boy.

A close-up of a white and orange cat licking its lips while sitting on a green leaf illustration on paper.

The fern in these prints has been with me since 1988, when I bought it for seventy-nine cents at a now-defunct nursery. I rented an apartment in those days, where the fern lived on my nightstand next to the bed. The plant followed me everywhere, and by the time we bought this house, it was huge. We finally planted it in the ground, and it’s done well in that spot for nearly thirty years.

Close-up of vibrant green fern leaves with intricate textures.

Lush green ferns growing near a wooden fence, with additional leafy plants in the foreground.

It’s fun blending two hobbies into one.

Mirrored images: one fern frond pressed between two pieces of watercolor paper.

March 20, 2026 by Born To Organize

A Version of Spring is Upon Us

Spring officially arrived in the Northern Hemisphere today, but you wouldn’t know it by the weather. An insufferable heat wave landed in San Jose on Monday, with temperatures all week ranging from 89 to 92F, nearly 25 degrees above seasonal norms. I’m looking forward to cooler days starting tomorrow.

10-day weather forecast showing daily temperatures with highs reaching 91°F, 89°F, 90°F, 79°F, and 77°F over the week, with varying sun and cloud symbols. — Screenshot

It’s hard to gauge how the garden will react long-term. The majority of our garden is native or drought-tolerant, but heat waves in March are new. We’re constantly adapting.

Gardens are a thing of beauty this time of year, and a treat for all the senses. I’m grateful for this patch of earth.

Freesias are growing along the walkway to the front deck, en masse, with others dotting the path to our garden bench and tucked here and there. One of the bulbs planted itself under the Russian sage, and now stands taller than any I’ve seen. I wish you could see it at dusk with the last of the sun streaming through. The photo doesn’t do it justice.

Sweet peas have painted the garden in gorgeous pastels, while the nasturtiums add pops of bright red, orange, and yellow. It’s always hard to thin some of the interlopers, but I needed to make room for things to come.

Mike helped me place netting and garden stakes along the curb to keep the sweet peas off the sidewalk. The vines rapid growth ads to the wafting scents in the air. Of all the flowers I’ve grown over the years, those lovely, fragrant, soft-petaled sweet peas charm passers-by. They evoke a gentle nostalgia.

When I walked up the driveway this morning, I noticed the red carnation already in bloom, with the other two plants soon to follow. I had never seen carnations, officially known as Dianthus caryophyllus, for sale at a nursery before, so these additions two seasons ago to the front garden are a delight.

I forget how spectacular this candy-cane azalea is this time of year. You have to walk around the side of the house to see it, nestled against the wall of our garage. I trim the azalea once a year after it blooms to keep it from over-taking the space. It remains healthy, but instead of a round shape, it’s wide and flat.

I gave the lemon tree a hard prune last year as it was overdue. My research indicated that the tree would skip a year before bearing fruit again, but it otherwise looks healthy.

Next week we’re having a new roof installed, so fingers crossed that the demolition of the current one goes well. They should be tossing the debris off the front of the roof into a bin in the driveway, and not sending old shingles into the garden. I might be “holding my breath” for a week.

A charming garden pathway lined with colorful flowers leads to two unique book-sharing structures—the left one is a small blue library box, and the right is a wooden book house decorated with a birdhouse, surrounded by lush greenery.

I hope you and yours are doing well, and finding some light and joy.

March 17, 2026 by Born To Organize

Feathered Visitors Brighten My Days

While working in the garden in early February, I started hearing a light tapping sound along the back fence. A few years ago, I hung mirrors there to break up the space and to reflect the garden. Now the mirrors are attracting a pair of birds.

This little darling, an American female Bushtit, fell in love with her reflection.

Eventually, a second bird joined her, and between them they remained enamored with their reflections. I tried to capture video, but not wanting to scare them away, I couldn’t get close enough. I did take a number of photos, though, by hiding behind a nearby tree.

After a few days, they began flying between two of the mirrors and later ventured into the garden to gather seeds. Sated, they soon returned to the mirrors.

While I rested on the back steps, a stunning California scrub jay came to the water fountain for a long drink. This photo isn’t as clear as the others, but it makes me happy, so I’m sharing it with you. I watched the jay bob up and down in the water, and willed him to stay, but alas, just as quickly, he was off.

I’m making a point of looking for and documenting feathered visitors to the garden, with two water fountains as an added draw. We had heavy rain in January and an average amount the month following, but now we’re at the start of a heat wave, in March if you can believe it, with a heat advisory beginning Monday and lasting for six days. It seems that winter has come to a screeching halt, bypassing spring and heading straight for our too-hot summer. It’s concerning and disorienting.

Other visitors include this California Towhee,