November 25, 2012 by Born To Organize

Gardens of Santana Row

A decade ago, a sleepy San Jose shopping center called Town and Country Village morphed into a mixed-use, upscale complex known as Santana Row. In this era of indoor malls, it’s a treat to walk “The Row” where European-influenced architecture compliments the beautiful greens. Gorgeous pots brimming with blooms line the sidewalks year round. Several outdoor restaurants sit under graceful trees. Even the sidewalk strips brim with life. Santana Row earned two major design awards including:

“the CELSOC Engineering Excellence Award in 2004, and Builder Magazine’s Project of the Year in 2003.

Judges from Builder Magazine noted the street’s European atmosphere that was achieved by employing a variety of architectural designs for the structures as well as sophisticated landscaping details. These details focused on the use of mature oak and palm trees, shaded grassy plazas, courtyards, and fountains, intimate public seating areas, extra-wide sidewalks and street medians, and mixed-use destinations such as Park Valencia, which hosts live music, a farmer’s market, and other public gatherings.” (Sources: Wikipedia and Builder Magazine)

I lunched with my sister today at Santana Row’s The Left Bank. The grounds were newly planted for the holidays. I love the liberal use of whites and purples throughout, along with the more traditional reds. I’m dying to go back to see more. Here’s what’s in bloom at The Row.

Tree branches painted red look like birds nest ornaments

November 24, 2012 by Born To Organize

Decorating the Tree: Garden-Themed Favorites

Growing up, my sister and I loved decorating the tree. We arranged and rearranged the ornaments over and over again. It was a game for us, and one Mom didn’t seem to mind.

In my single years, I didn’t have the space or I wasn’t interested in the fuss. One of my favorite memories from my first year of marriage was reviving that tradition. Together we bought a small tree and a few ornaments, then posed for a dozen pictures in front of the decorated tree.

Adding Traditions

When our boys came along, we added to that tradition: they each choose one ornament a year. I document them in a journal; what they choose and why. It’s interesting to mark the passage of time each year, as we unwrap all our little treasures.

Our assortment of baubles is an eclectic one. Hanging from the branches you’ll find a Star Trek Phaser, Batman, Tweety Bird and an articulated metal seahorse. My hope is to pass on their collection of ornaments when they start life as adults away from home.

Garden Meets Tree

In the meantime, we’ve amassed our own collection through gifts, travel and events. Here are my garden-themed favorites:

Watering Can Ornaments, a gift from my sister-in-law

Birch and Maple autumn leaves dipped in gold, a gift from Mom

Teacup with flowers from a dear friend (tea and flowers in one)!

The newest addition: A miniature button Christmas Tree (from a talented, kindred soul)

Do you celebrate Christmas? If so, what do you hang on your tree?

November 23, 2012 by Born To Organize

Black Friday: The Garden Edition

Welcome to Black Friday, the garden edition. We stayed away from shopping centers today, and enjoyed life near home. I walked with a friend on one of our local trails, where we spotted mallards, geese and a stunning beautiful swan.

Our tree is up and decorated, the lights are hung and after a relaxing dinner at home, I lit Bayberry and Cinnamon scented candles. I love cozy evenings with family.

Petals and Blossum are a pair of lucky black cats, staying cozy in their home in Canada. Those kitties assumed, with the legendary confidence of a cat, that they named Black Friday after them. Aren’t they clever?

You can see a picture of the sweet little twosome at Boomdeeada. They work their way in to several posts. Thanks for the inspiration girls.

Black and White Camellia

Black and White Pansy

Black and White Bud

Black and White Allium

Slinky, Unfiltered

Slinky Scratches and Itch

Slinky Stretching

Slinky Walks

November 23, 2012 by Born To Organize

Dressing The Table on Thanksgiving Day

New Zealand Flax with Grasses

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrated today. Our day flew by. We spent the morning in a flurry of cooking (Chef Mike) and cleaning (that would be me) but took a few moments to toast each other with a glass of champagne. It was a gorgeous fall day, with bright skies and moderate temps. We couldn’t have asked for better.

I promised to share a photo of my tall arrangement (if it turned out). Though the New Zealand Flax has brilliant shades of orange and peach, it seemed a bit bland. I added tall grasses for movement and shape, but it still lacked color. I was okay with it, but when my husband went out for olive oil, he brought back a bunch of deep red chrysanthemums. Their brilliant color really made the arrangement pop. I had enough leftover to make two small groupings for the table.

New Zealand Flax with and mums

The smaller mums, mixed with the last of the dried Allium and a few greens worked well together. The dried Allium has an almost silver look. I’m glad I saved so many seeds. I’m looking forward to growing more of it next spring.

Interspersed with the flowers, are small pumpkins. We had a few small ones left over from Halloween. I added my new velvet pumpkins to the display, and a cherished clay pumpkin, handcrafted by my twelve-year-old son.

Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.

-William Shakespeare

Mums, Allium and Greens

Napkins ringed with raffia and tulle

I put the finishing touches on the napkin rings, made from left over pieces of raffia and tulle. I punched and decorated tags in lieu of place cards, adding them to the rings. Inspiration for the final detail came from Kelly over at Boomdeeada. Earlier this month I “built” tiny chairs for my fairy garden using miniature spools. Kelly suggested wrapping the spools with a tiny greeting. They were easy to make and a fun conversation starter. I wrapped the saying around the spool, then sealed it with a tiny sticker.

Thanksgiving Table

In the end, it was an eclectic table, just like me!

November 21, 2012 by Born To Organize

Decorating the Table: It’s the Little Things

I love decking out the table for the holidays. It’s also fun challenging myself to use bits of this and a little of that from around the house. Add in some fall color from the garden and you have the makings of a centerpiece. In the past I’ve used leftover crafting paper, fallen leaves, candles and ribbon. It’s a fun way to get crafty.

Three Velvet Pumpkins

This year I made one small splurge: three tiny velvet pumpkins. I found them at a local craft fair last month and instantly fell in love. The plush and weighted pumpkins are about the size of an apple. What makes them so special is the stem: the artist used real ones! Aren’t they clever?

Velvet Pumpkins, Natural Stems

Velvet pumpkin’s stem

I wish I had her name but I tossed my receipt and now can’t give her proper credit. Hopefully she’ll read this one day and will know how delighted I am to have them.

Ringing The Napkins

This year’s napkins get a little dress up via raffia and tulle. The tulle is leftover from an earlier project. The raffia used to be a bow. Instead of place cards, I’ll attach tags to each napkin, using my all-time favorite tag maker. I even hauled out the old iron to press those napkins into smooth squares. I’m not sure what came over me?

Standing Tall

The New Zealand Flax is several shades of lovely, but I’ve never used it in a bouquet. I’m going to challenge myself to use the tall leaves, along with the Japanese Silver Grass and the Japanese Forest Grass, both standing tall in the garden. The grasses made cute little trees in last month’s fairy garden. I can see them from my window as I write this, blowing in the breeze. If the arrangement turns out, I’ll post a few pictures tomorrow.

Do you enjoy decorating for your holidays? If so, what do you have in store?

November 20, 2012 by Born To Organize

Creating Your Own Traditions: The Un-Thanksgiving

Last year’s center piece: Home grown pumpkin, store-bought flowers.

Thanksgiving in the US is the fourth Thursday of November. In the well-known Norman Rockwell painting,an idyllic family gathers around the table anticipating a hearty meal of Turkey and all the trimmings. As a child, I wanted to crawl into that painting. It seemed warm and inviting and “normal,” whatever that means.

I’ve lived a storied history around T-Day. Our family arrived in the US from Canada on Thanksgiving day in 1966. Our own Thanksgiving was a month earlier, catching us unaware. My father moved the family to California so my parents could afford to put three girls through college. We sold our Canadian home in June, but delayed visas landed us in the States months later than planned. We arrived to changed circumstances.

A California nursery hired Dad to manage the business, but in the interim months, the owner filed for bankruptcy. We were on foreign soil, savings depleted with no paycheck in the foreseeable future.

Dad eventually got on his feet, but within three years, he died from lung cancer. My dad was a horticulturist by trade, a man who loved children and animals. He was creative, caring and kind. His death drove a freight train through my heart and left a black spot on the holiday season for the long-foreseeable future.

What have I learned all these years later? It’s okay to be different. Traditions aren’t carved in stone. No one lives in a Norman Rockwell painting (and if they did they would probably be insufferable)! Hosting Thanksgiving in my home, with a new set of traditions is liberating. We take the democratic approach to meal-planning. Three of us are vegetarians, so turkey is off the table. Our guests have a number of food sensitivities, so gluten and dairy factor in as well. I want everyone to enjoy themselves, which means a free-floating, easy-going day without expectations.

For that, I give thanks.

Thanksgiving Day Menu, Prepared by Chef Mike

Manicotti
Pasta with Marinara Sauce
Green salad
Steamed broccoli
Mashed potatoes
Garlic Bread
Sourdough Bread
Apple Pie, a la mode
Pumpkin pie with whipped topping

Sparkling cider, apple cider, apple juice and wine

What do you know?

The Normal Rockwell painting I envision this time of year was actually published in the spring! It’s one of four paintings, inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt entitled Freedom from Want. Read on…

November 19, 2012 by Born To Organize

Watering Cans: A Sprinkle a Day, Keeps the Dead Plants at Bay

One can never have too many watering cans. Sure, you can get by with one, but like scissors or reading glasses, variety and proximity equal efficiency.

Drip irrigation is the most water-efficient way to quench a garden, but it’s not always practical. Suspended fairy gardens and potted plants need watering the old-fashioned way. Watering cans are useful for filling a bird bath or for topping off a garden fountain. Occasionally they double as a water carafe for thirsty cats or squirrels.

I’ve always loved watering cans. I’m not sure why they hold such appeal. I used to visit the upscale Smith & Hawken stores to ogle their copper and brass cans. My practical streak, however, landed me back at the hardware store where the hard-working watering cans could be found on the cheap.

My favorite watering can was a gift from Nichole. It was so pretty that I kept it indoors in my office like a piece of art. She convinced me that watering cans belong in the garden so I put it to work. It’s faded from the sun, but otherwise in good working order.

I have a small copper watering can once used for my indoor plants. As that collection grew, it was far too small to remain practical. I love the shape and patina, though, so I keep it around.

Small Copper Watering Can

The remaining two cans are high-density plastic. They are easy to keep clean, light in weight and durable. I keep one near the fountain and the other up front near the hose.

The attachments are long gone, but this watering can lives on

If someone gave me a few hundred dollars with the caveat that I could only spend it on watering cans, these would be on my short list:

Achla Dainty Copper Watering Can

Esschert Design

Mouse Watering Can

Kitty Watering Can

What would you choose?

November 18, 2012 by Born To Organize

Butterfly Sips from the Nectar Bar

I spotted this little lovely on the pansies this morning as I was sweeping the walkway. What a striking contrast against the purple flowers.

Initially, I thought it was a moth, but upon reading, it has the characteristics of a butterfly. I’ve seen butterflies alight before, but this is the first time I saw one drink nectar from the flower. How charming!

It’s a pleasure sweeping and raking pine needles after a storm, at least until the blisters form. Everything smells of nature’s musk. There is nothing quite like it. Do you think my little visitor agrees?

PJ’s Nectar Bar at The PyjamaGardener

November 16, 2012 by Born To Organize

The Caged Garden

It’s not pretty, but it’s working!

Introducing…my winter veggie boxes…now growing in a cage.

Garden-in-a-cage

After a discouraging start to my winter vegetable garden where nothing came up, I started over. To make up for lost time, I bought cell packs instead of seeds. The upper planting box simply failed to thrive. The lower box proved irresistible to the cats:

“Did you put all that nice soil there for me?

Why thanks.”

Where’s the door?

I cobbled together bird netting, chicken-wire and steel mesh to create a complete enclosure. Water and sun can get in, but my four-legged friends can’t. I waited a week before writing about it, but I’m happy to report that Fort Knox for vegetables is holding tight. I’m not planning any recipes just yet, but I’m feeling a lot more optimistic. Stay tuned!

Psst. Follow me.

Hodgepodge

I failed to include a photo of the Hodgepodge yesterday. Here is the current crop. (Thanks Sharon).

Garden Hodgepodge

November 15, 2012 by Born To Organize

Blooming Thursday: Dark Shadows Waiting for the Rain

Rain is forecast for the rest of the week, but this morning it was bright and clear. I love the shadow play on the flowers this time of year as the earth maneuvers into mid-autumn. Angled shadows and bright light equal beautiful flowers.

Pink Cyclamen

Our cool season plants are starting to bloom, and will continue to flower through March. Prolific Azaleas and Camellias line the back fence and the side yard, with two more planted in the children’s garden. I potted a few more cyclamen last week. Holdovers from last year reemerged as well.

Begonia

Begonias from last spring are still holding up, but we’ve not seen much cold weather. They are in good company in the Hodgepodge pot, a planter for misfits. When I end up with the odd annual, or a small plant in need of relocating, I plant them there. I love the variety and an always-full pot outside our bedroom window.

Status

California Poppies, white Begonias and pink Cosmos passed through the Hodgepodge this year, as well as yellow Snapdragons, a small pumpkin and a few assorted wildflowers. I’ve really enjoyed the variety, not to mention a dedicated space for the odd plant.