November 9, 2012 by Born To Organize

Garden Tool Clean-up: Farewell to the Dirty Dozen

Like many tedious chores, cleaning garden tools is easy to put off. Though it’s hard to get started, it’s ultimately satisfying when you’re done. The electrostatic charge in the air yesterday spurred me into action. With my head held high, I’m happy to report that the dirty dozen of gardening tools is now the tidy twelve.

The Dirty Dozen

Last month I put my tools to soak in a bucket of soapy Melaleuca cleaner, then got busy with other things. It’s one of those jobs that nags at you till you get it done, but I knew I needed a good block of time to act. Yesterday was the day.

Newspapers spread and gloves donned, I tackled years of rust, faded paint and grime. Using steel wool and elbow grease, I scoured away layers of garden history. If those tools could talk! Some of them have been around for over twenty years.

I sanded the sharp end of the garden tools first, removing rust and sharpening edges. Moving on to the tools with wooden handles, I sanded those as well before finishing with a soft rub of wax and oil. Everything looks great. The newer tools have vinyl or rubber handles which stand up to the elements better than wood. The wooden handles remain sturdy, however, and relished the coat of wax and oil.

The Tidy Twelve

Last up: the garden saw. I saved the worst for last. The once-blue handle had completely chipped away. The blade was stained and covered in rust. Was I worried? No! I had big plans for this little baby.

Thank you, Martha Stewart.

It took three coats, but our refurbished folding saw now sports a handle in Martha Stewart’s Pomegranate Red. Who says tools have to be boring?

Glitter Garden Saw

Red-hot!

Perseverance 1, procrastination 0.

What’s on your “nag” list?

Getting the Job Done

Steel Wool, fine 000
Howard Feed-N-Wax Beeswax and Orange Oil
Martha Stewart Pomegranate Red Glitter Paint (left over from Halloween)
Elbow grease

November 8, 2012 by Born To Organize

Blooming Thursday: State of Confusion

In our glorious state of California, known for sunshine and moderate weather, there is usually something in bloom. That said, even the Golden State has a natural order of things. Perhaps it’s time to hang up an “out-of-order” sign. My garden is in a state of confusion.

Tomatoes

First up, the tomato plant. The seeds I planted in the spring grew, produced and then died off. Nice, orderly, predictable. The wind, or perhaps a bird dropped a seed in our narrow side yard, and believe it or not I have a seven-foot tall tomato plant. With flowers. Tiny, tomato flowers. The limited sun explains the height of the plant, but flowers in November?

Off-season tomato

Pumpkins

Pumpkins should be done for the season. Errant seeds should sleep under the soil for the winter, or gathered and stored till next spring. As I covered the patio furniture in preparation for our first rain I had a pumpkin bloom keeping me company. It’s beautiful and hopeful but decidedly out of season.

Off-season pumpkin bloom

Cosmos

I reluctantly removed several Cosmo starts from the vegetable box, to make room for cauliflower and broccoli. After days in the mid-eighties, the warm soil must have triggered the cosmos to grow. I don’t blame them for the state of confusion. We’ve all been shaking our heads and saying “where is fall?” I didn’t have the heart to remove all the out-of-season re-starts, so I have an impressive pumpkin plant, true leaves and all, rubbing shoulders with the winter vegetables (take two).

Shoulder to Shoulder: Broccoli and Pumpkin

I don’t want to seem ungracious, but I feel like we’ve missed out on sweater-weather entirely. Seven weeks in and we’re only now seeing the more traditional weather patterns. Today’s light rain was a welcome relief. I donned my coat and hat and worked outdoors for nearly five hours. The air was cool and fresh as it rained off and on. Even the cats didn’t mind.

Here’s hoping fall is here to stay this time. Shorter days, cooler nights and a gentle rain will go a long way to end my garden’s state of confusion.

What’s blooming on your Thursday?

November 7, 2012 by Born To Organize

Fall: The Color Orange

I love color, and find myself mentally attributing various hues to the time of year. Nothing quite says “fall” like the color orange. Vibrant orange Cucurbitas line walkways and grocery aisles. Shades of auburn tumble through the graceful branches of deciduous trees. Cool green lawns seem to disappear beneath a carpet of rich autumn hues.

Chinese Pistache Fall Colors

Pistache up close

Standing at my kitchen window this time of year, I get a grand view of our Chinese Pistache Pistacia chinensis.The leaves drop slowly, as the tree let’s go of summer. I often collect a few of them to decorate our Thanksgiving table. Once the tree is bare for the winter, I get a second view. Our friends directly across the street have a row of Nandina. They’re covered in red, orange and gold leaves, with berries in multiple hues. They’re one of my favorite plants this time of year.

Nandina Berries

As an aside, when I first met my dear friend Nandini I had to work hard not to call her Nandina. I assured her it was a compliment to be mistaken for something so vibrant and alive.

According to Sensational Color:

Orange, is a close relative of red. It sparks more controversy than any other hue. There is usually strong positive or negative association to orange and true orange generally elicits a stronger “love it” or “hate it” response than other colors. Fun and flamboyant orange radiates warmth and energy.

Interestingly, some tones of orange, such as terra-cotta, peach, and rust have very broad appeal. Orange stimulates activity and appetite and encourages socialization.

If you’re lucky enough to live in California, you’ll still see oranges on the tree. Not to be undone, the seed pods on the Magnolia take on a similar hue.

Magnolia Seed Pod

How do you feel about the color orange?

Resources:

“Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow.” Wassily Kandinsky

November 6, 2012 by Born To Organize

Winter Vegetable Garden: Take Two!

I was feeling optimistic last month when I planted the winter garden. I crafted a durable cover for the planting beds before preparing the soil. I smiled to myself as I scattered those seeds, knowing they would soon be under cover. Maybe I could outsmart those squirrels. With just enough mesh wire to cover the top box, I would have to settle for bird netting on the lower one. Knotted and staked and freshly watered, alas, all was well.

Upper Vegetable Bed
One lone, out-of-season, pumpkin plant

Lower Vegetable Bed
Pumpkins!

What a dreamer! Lindy-Lu thought all that fresh dirt was for her. She didn’t mind one bit that I covered the planting box with mesh. She took care of “business” on top of the netting without a care in the world. My little plot was now littered with carnivorous droppings, the world’s worst fertilizer. I cleaned out the offending bits, then smoothed out the soil. I added a scrap of chicken wire but didn’t have enough for full coverage. So much for optimism.

Ironically, nothing seems to be coming up in the fortified box, unless you count a Cosmo and a Pumpkin! Don’t they know it’s almost winter? In reality, we’re all confused. We had record-breaking heat yesterday, the hottest November 5th since the early 1900’s! We’ve continued to “enjoy” hot weather, even though the angle of the sun says fall. Do you think the winter seeds are lying low till they get the news that fall has really arrived?

I picked up a pair of cell packs at the nursery today with broccoli and cauliflower. Rain is in the forecast for Thursday with a twenty-degree drop in temps. I’ll get them into the boxes tomorrow and then I’ll do my little rain dance.

Vegetable Cell Packs

November 5, 2012 by Born To Organize

Pumpkin Postmortem

Though it was fun to grow over-sized pumpkins this year, they proved to be a challenge. Once they were in the house, they were far too heavy to move around. I had one on a table for a few weeks, before discovering moisture trapped below. Imagine my (unpleasant) surprise when the moisture created a breeding ground for mold on my bamboo table runner? Mike helped me move the behemoth to the hard floor where I kept my eye on it thereafter.

Carving super-sized pumpkins proved equally challenging. Only one of the four made it into a Jack-o-lantern. The walls were super thick, making fine work a challenge. Mike persevered and carved a lovely Cinderella carriage. With that, he hung up his carving tools for the season.

Comparative thickness of pumpkin rinds

Cinderella would be proud

Grow, harvest, carve and display

Today we filled the wheelbarrow with rotted pumpkins, and then dumped them in to the growing yard-waste pile. The City of San Jose has a wonderful composting program. They scoop up yard waste with a “lobster” claw and drop it into a special truck on trash day. They sell the compost to city dwellers the following year. It made me smile seeing a pile of discarded Jacks at the curb.

Jacks in a Heap

After that unceremonious farewell, we carted the remaining giants to the garden wall. They look lovely in the setting sun. Unless we have a substantial earthquake, I don’t anticipate moving them again!

November 4, 2012 by Born To Organize

Saving Seeds

This is the first year I’ve collected seeds (other than pumpkins) from my garden. In the past I purchased seed packets at local garden centers or online without giving it much thought. Since writing about my garden every day, I have a heightened awareness that plants and flowers are more than just a sum of their parts. Hanging out in the garden with a camera in tow, helps me notice the minutiae. It’s been fun!

4 O’clock Seeds and Glassine Envelope

I love the way the hard, dark seeds of the 4 O’clock flower appear at the tip of the spent bloom. They’re ready to tumble into the soil below to ensure their survival. They provide easy access for the birds as well, who can grab a seed on a fly by. Cosmo seeds are moon-shaped and brittle, sticking out like stars at the end of the cycle. With pumpkins, of course, the seeds hide within. If we didn’t carve them, they would eventually rot in the soil, self-seeding for the following year.

Assorted Pumpkin Seeds

Cosmo Seeds

I’ve allowed plants and flowers to go to seed longer than in the past, subverting my natural urge to tidy things up. Gardens are a messy business. I’m getting better at going with the flow.

Taking a few seeds and leaving the rest for the birds feels like the right thing to do. When the cycle is truly complete, I can compost the remains.

Indexing Seeds

Earlier this year I bought a system for storing seeds from The SeedKeeper. It’s a shoebox-sized bin with alphabetical dividers and other goodies, including glassine envelopes for labeling and storing your own seeds. It’s such a simple thing, but somehow having it at the ready in my bottom kitchen drawer, makes it easy to store and retrieve seeds. I pulled it out today and started storing and labeling the remaining pumpkin seeds. Since I’m letting go of the seed organization on the plant, I can indulge my organizational side once I bring them indoors.

Seed Keeper Deluxe

Are you a seed saver? Do you trade with fellow gardeners in your community?

The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies. -Gertrude Jekyll

November 3, 2012 by Born To Organize

Crafting Gifts: A Plan for the Holidays

Making cards and gifts for the holidays takes some planning. Since I’m organized at heart, I start thinking about it early in the year. When I was young and broke, I made all my holiday gifts. Life got busier and I fell out of the habit. When my boys were young, I didn’t have the time or the energy. I’ve come full circle this year (for the most part). I’m trying to make my cards and a few small gifts. Alternatively, it’s fun to buy from craft fairs. I enjoy supporting artisans in my community.

Mini Photo Fold-Out Album

Last spring I attended a mini-workshop lead by designer Karen Phillips. Karen is a paper crafter and Creative Memories consultant. She designed a charming, pocket-sized photo album which she sells in kits. She lead us through the process of creating our own.

I’ve made two so far, one in pink with pearl accents, and the purple mini album pictured below (with a floral theme, of course!)

We like to show our appreciation for the boy’s teachers at the holidays with a small gift. I plan to make a few of these to include with a monetary gift card.

Cosmo Seed Cards

Late summer, when the Cosmos were in full bloom, I collected seeds from the prolific flowers. Cosmos are easy to grow under many conditions. They brought me such pleasure. I wanted to share their beauty with others. I made seed packets using glassine envelopes from The Paper Source. I designed a card using digital software, a cute little five-sided fold out. It’s the perfect size. I’m waiting for the 20% off sale before placing my order. Stay tuned for the completed project.

So many of you are crafty souls. Are you planning on making gifts for the upcoming holidays?

Resources:

November 2, 2012 by Born To Organize

I used to marvel at friendships forged by letter-writing, the back and forth sharing of ideals and dreams, along with the minutia of life. Now I understand. I’ve found a kindred spirit and a new friend through the day-to-day act of writing and sharing in the blogosphere. I received this beautiful gift in the mail this week, from a writer I affectionately call Boomdee. It took my breath away. Here are her lovely words and pictures. With gratitude to you, dear Boomdee.

Boomdeeadda

There is a gentle beauty

someone I admire

a heart of gold, she makes me smile

a friend who all desire

She lives in California

a land where palm trees sway

we’ll meet there in her garden

come spring, one sunny day

Just like a garden fairy

who’s wand makes small things grow

She brightens life in every way

and makes the dull days glow

If I were a little birdie

with wings to fly away

I’d fly to California

and sing for her all day

I’ll chirp and tweet a happy song

the cat’s will all agree

“That birdie looks familiar,

it sounds like a northern Boomdee”

So, until the spring tulips peek,

from garden soil the sun they seek.

I’ll send this little gift her way,

I’ll dream of spring, a garden and May.

Sent With Love

A Day In May

By Boomdeeadda

View original post

November 1, 2012 by Born To Organize

Blooming Thursday: Squirrel Candy?

While my tulip bulbs are having a good chill in the crisper, I planted a few snowdrops. I only had ten, so I alternated bulbs between pansies in three narrow pots along the walkway. What beautiful displays I would have come spring.

Normally I add a layer of organic mulch, but in my never-ending quest to discourage snacking squirrels, I covered at least half of the pots with rough pea-gravel. I used what I had on hand, left over from a summer project. How I wish I had gone out to buy more!

It was a good, though unintended experiment I suppose.Those rascally squirrels dug up all the bulbs in the soft mulch pots. There was nothing stealth about that heist. They left gaping holes, scattered dirt and a disappointed gardener. The gravel-covered bulbs, however, are still untouched.

Perhaps there is something to the rough texture of the gravel or the extra weight. Maybe it detracts from smell of the tender bulbs buried below. For now, its working. Who knows? Perhaps they dug up the bulbs, so they could hide them somewhere else. I’ll have to wait for spring before I know. I’m pretty sure they ate them.

The tulips have been in the fridge since early October. I’ll plant them in mid-November while the squirrels have their backs turned. This time I’ll be sure to stock up on scratchy gravel ahead of time. Alternatively, I’ll purchase large bags of peanuts as a peace-offering, leaving mounds of them on top of the precious bulbs. It just might work!

Are you planting bulbs this year?

October 31, 2012 by Born To Organize

Happy Halloween!!!

Our temperatures finally dropped to a cool 60 degrees ( 16 C), and the skies are cloudy and menacing. The changes in weather lend an air of authenticity to All Hallows’ Eve. I’m happy for it.

If you celebrate Halloween, I wish you a happy haunting, sumptuous (zero-calorie) goodies, and spooky Jack o’ lantern to light the way.

I’ve had great fun growing, harvesting and displaying our pumpkins. It’s been interesting peering inside the pumpkins that grew all summer long. I enjoy seeing what’s been growing inside. One set of seeds has an orange/brown tinge with a white stripe around the edges. The others are white, but vary in size. It’s also been interesting to see the undeveloped seeds. They’re pale and thin, instead of plump like the others.

I’ve enjoyed counting down with you throughout the month. In case you missed a few, here is the entire collection. Happy Halloween!!!