June 24, 2014 by Born To Organize

My Pretty Porch

The lovely Boomdee is celebrating her birthday today, and not only that, she’s celebrating in her new home. I’m sharing her post from this time last year, which coincidentally involves her pretty porch. We share a mutual love of sprucing things up, among many things. Happy Birthday, Boomdee! We can’t wait to see the magic you bring to your new home. xox

Boomdeeadda

Living in a condo doesn’t give you a lot of opportunity to nurture your green thumb but I always look forward to the month of June. June is when us northerners get all our planter pots prettied-up and set out for the glorious summer days ahead.

source

With that in mind, I diligently hit my local garden centre June 6th, planted everything with tender care and then waited for the rain to stop…..and waited….and waited some more (Alberta’s been hit hard).

Last year, I went banana’s and the porch overflowed with GIANT pots of blooms. So pretty but a little tricky for visitors.

This year, I decided I’d pretty things up with a couple of craft projects and smaller pots. I just loved this dainty ‘Teacup Bird Bath’ I got at the local Farmers Market , but in typical Boomdee fashion, I smashed it to bits before summer…

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June 23, 2014 by Born To Organize

Professional Relaxer?

Years ago we bought a cozy little chair hammock for the garden. It came with a decal that said “Professional Relaxer.”

Snort!

I made sure the boys stuck the decal to my husband’s car because I’m incapable of ‘relaxing’ in my garden. My idea of gardening nirvana isn’t about relaxing, but about doing. So after pronouncing to a handful of friends that we had ‘nothing planned’ for most of the weekend, I proceeded to clean my side yard. I sorted, swept, washed, pruned, recycled, tossed and donated most of the afternoon.

We have two narrow side-yards, though only one has a gate. We once used the closed side yard as a play area for the boys.

Once upon a time in the side yard with Fluffy, CC and the boys

In later years, we created a screened-in cat enclosure so our cats could have fresh air and exercise but remain safe. We have one unkind neighbor who set a trap for our cat, then took him to the animal impound. Eventually we discovered the Cat Fence-in System and life in the feline world has been better ever since.

A few years ago we adopted Slinky, a semi-feral kitty who wanted no part of indoor living. I made a cozy enclosure for her, complete with a day-time lounging area, a climbing post and a sheltered bed. She lived out there for a year. After nabbing her for her annual trip to the vet, and keeping her briefly indoors, she had a complete change of heart and moved in!

Slinky’s Private Quarters (Mouse liked to invite himself over)

Absent Slinky, the side-yard morphed again. This time it wasn’t pretty. It became the home for wayward garden screening. Old cat litter boxes, past their prime but not recyclable joined the mix. Plastic pots saved from nursery bedding plants multiplied like unmatched socks. The space no longer satisfied my tidy aesthetic.

Side Yard Starting Point

Far End of Cat Enclosure

We borrowed our neighbors small truck and combined his items with ours and made a trip to a local transfer station. While a trip to the dump was a bit of an adventure, it also made me realize the back-end of human consumption.

Cat boxes without a recycle symbol eventually have to be tossed. Cat furniture, made from particle board and carpet remnants, so too have nowhere to go. Broken tool handles, fractured irrigation pipe, and other bits of detritus end up as landfill. Our trip was an exercise in awareness as well.

Back home, exhausted and sore from the day’s work, I eventually put my feet up. That said, I’ll leave the serious relaxing to the professionals. When you garden, there’s always work to do.

June 20, 2014 by Born To Organize

Little Free Libraries in the News

It was exciting to wake up to a lovely article in the San Jose Mercury News: My Town featuring our Little Free Library (LFL). My friend, Stacey Ross contacted the paper when she first heard about our LFL. Thank you for all your support, Stacey.

Article by Leeta-Rose Ballester, Photo by Jacqueline Ramseyer

Leeta-Rose Ballester stopped by our dedication ceremony and interviewed several guests. Leeta’s article Taking a Read opens with:

Like blowing on a dandelion to make a wish, sending its seeds windborne, local residents are spreading their love of reading throughout their neighborhoods via boxes full of books that are springing up on random street corners.

Isn’t that the best?

Thanks to Jacqueline Ramseyer of Bay Area News Group for the lovely photos. It was fun seeing our feline friend prominently featured. He’s such a cheerful part of our community.

While delighted with the support of our community, my friend Susan shared this distressing post. Spencer Collins,a 9-year-old Leawood, Kansas boy received a citation from his city, requiring him to remove his Little Free Library or pay a fine. Here’s more of the story:

When [Spencer Collins] tried to share his love for books, it started a surprisingly frustrating adventure.

“When we got home from vacation, there was a letter from the city of Leawood saying that it was in code violation and it needed to be down by [June] 19th or we would receive a citation,” said Spencer’s mother, Sarah Collins.

Leawood said the little house is an accessory structure. The city bans buildings that aren’t attached to someone’s home.

The family moved the little library to the garage, but Spencer Collins said he plans to take the issue up with City Hall.

Leawood said it has received two complaints about Spencer Collins’ library.

You can watch the news report here.

Spencer started a Facebook page yesterday. I’m following his page in solidarity and will be closely watching the outcome. Here’s the link to his page if you’re interested.

Meanwhile, if you live in the area and you haven’t already stopped by please do so. Summer is a great time to escape into a good read.The book selection changes frequently. There is always something for children and adults.

June 19, 2014 by Born To Organize

Strawberries After All

Strawberries after all

After complaining about the ant invasion in our strawberry patch, I’m happy to be eating my words. I reached in to the dense green foliage of the strawberry patch and came up with the perfect berry: ripe, bright red and ready to eat. The ants moved on, preferring the cast-offs from the fruit tree. The rats and squirrels eat half, then dump the rest for the ants and the fruit flies.

No matter. I gathered the berries the snails missed, and put them to good use that night. The day before, I read Strawberry glut daiquiri at Promenade Plantings.

I’m not much of a drinker, unless you count water and tea, but this sounded really good. We actually had white rum and lime in the house, so it all seemed serendipitous. If you have your own glut of strawberries and you like the occasional fruity drink with a kick, this drink is delicious.

What else can you do with all those strawberries?

Check out these suggestions from my blogging community:

Please drink responsibly.

June 18, 2014 by Born To Organize

Plum Lucky

Please forgive my little play on words, but today we really are “plum” lucky. Will you look at all that fruit?

Basket of Plums

Plums Still on the Tree

Coincidentally, today is my youngest son’s 14th birthday. The tree that produced all this goodness was a gift for his tenth birthday. This is the tree’s break-out year for fruit. We have lots of yummy apricots, too.

Freshly Harvested Apricots

Apricots on the tree

In one of life’s small ironies, the birthday boy won’t eat any of this fruit. He’s excited to grow and pick the fruit. He’s especially proud of the ample production. In a stage that I hope will one day pass, he still blames me for over-pruning and thereby killing one of the tree’s four grafts.

In the interest of harmony, we agree to change the subject.

We’re celebrating later with his favorite cake: Sans Rival. It’s a Filipino dessert cake made of layers of butter-cream, meringue and chopped cashews. Its name comes from the French phrase with the literal meaning without rival. My friend Jasmin introduced us to the cake and we’ve been fans ever since.

Happy birthday to my smart, clever, insightful, creative and handsome young man. You can’t see him, but he’s standing at the bottom of the fruit-picker.

Telescoping Fruit Picker

June 17, 2014 by Born To Organize

Pumpkins: Something Old, Something New

Unfurling leaves and curling tendrils

Did you know that pumpkins have been around since 7000 BCE? Now *that* is something old. Something new is planting out pumpkin seeds in EarthBoxes® on our front deck. Most years, the pumpkins start out in the raised beds out back. Unfortunately, the nasty squash bugs from last season wintered over, so I needed a ‘plan b’. One of my readers suggested a decoy plant in the usual place so I did just that. It’s growing so nicely though, that I fear I’ll be just as heartbroken if the nasty bugs take hold.

We’ve been growing pumpkins for a decade, mostly for carving and decorating. We’re all fans of Halloween around here, so nothing could be finer than a Jack o’lantern carved from a garden gourd.

Meanwhile, the pumpkins on deck are thriving. We set up trellises this weekend so the pumpkins can climb up and over. I thinned the plants (always tough for me) so that the others would have room to grow. I planted three varieties from seed six weeks ago today, which means they’re already half way through the 90 day growing season. Isn’t that amazing?

Pumpkin progression: May, 3rd – June 16th

There are a plethora of buds, with the first few male flowers appearing this week.

Male pumpkin flower, open for business

The females will bud next, then it’s up to the bees to cross-pollinate.

Female pumpkin bud

To help things along, Salvia and Sunflowers are growing nearby. They’re all bee magnets, so a good time will be had by all.

Trellised pumpkins grow near sunflowers and Salvia

Please check back soon to see the pumpkins progress. Meanwhile, if you run into a squash bug, please DO NOT offer directions to our place. The pumpkins thank you.

Leaves, stems, tendrils, and flower buds

June 16, 2014 by Born To Organize

Birds and Blueberries

A few months ago I took a beginning birding class from Let’s Go Birding! Although we learned about hummingbirds in the classroom, the field trip the following Saturday covered the gamut. Ever since I’ve enjoyed identifying the birds visiting our garden.

I have a nifty “Quick Guide” to commonly seen local birds to help me out. The illustrated guide gives a brief description of the bird’s size and coloring, along with the time of year they appear in your area. They’ve even provided a tiny box so you can check off the ones you’ve seen. Who can resist a little check box? Not me!

Ana’s Hummingbird

The Ana’s hummingbirds are here year round. We have three feeders to choose from, along with Mexican Sage, Abutilon, Raspberries and a few other flowers they enjoy. During nesting season the females also eat soft spiders and other small insects for protein.

Lesser Goldfinch

I spotted a Lesser Goldfinch this morning in the triangle garden. This one is enjoying Bachelor Button seeds. I didn’t know before today that Bachelor Buttons and sunflowers are from the same family. They’re both members of the Asteraceae or Compositae family, a favorite of this tiny yellow bird.

Bewick’s Wren

Bewick’s Wrens eat the eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults of insects and other small invertebrates. They’ll occasionally eat seeds and fruit. I spied this one over the weekend on the back fence. Dropped fruit means lots of tiny fruit flies, so as soon as I cleared out with my camera, I’m sure a smorgasbord was under way.

So, what do blueberries and birds have in common? Absolutely nothing. I’m just delighted to have my first handful of blueberries flourishing in the garden.

Blueberries

June 13, 2014 by Born To Organize

Daddy’s Designs, Daughter’s Haiku

In honor of my dad, I’ve written haiku to go with his landscape drawings.

Dad painted and drew as a hobby, but he also studied horticulture and worked at a nursery. These drawings are loose pages from one of his sketch book. My parents sold his paintings before we moved to the US in 1966. These are among the few possessions to arrive with us from Canada. I don’t know if he drew them for a class or for a potential client, but I love them dearly.

Many years ago I had one of dad’s landscape paintings professionally framed. It was expensive at the time, so I never thought about framing his sketches. I should frame them now. The thought just occurred to me as I type this. I guess I needed to write this post.

Daddy’s Designs

Beautiful drawings
lovely landscapes in pencil
Eric Milner. Dad.

Eric Milner: Garden Design

Art flowed from his hands
three-dimensional gardens.
May I sit under the tree?

Eric Milner Design: Patio Near Garage

Eric Milner Designs: Planting Pocket

Garden steps and ramps
I’m glad he would never know
Sharon would need one

Eric Milner Designs: Steps and Ramps

Carport patio
storage wall, movable planter
a caption haiku

Carport Patio: Eric Milner Designs

Eric Milner Designs: Zig-zag

Write your own Haiku here.

June 12, 2014 by Born To Organize

Lemony Lemons

We have lemons! Tiny, just-getting-started lemons. Aren’t they cute?

Objects in this photo are smaller than they appear

It’s been a long time coming, but our dwarf lemon tree is beginning to bear fruit.

More lemons

According to Wikipedia:

Citrus × meyeri, the Meyer lemon, is a citrus fruit native to China thought to be a cross between a true lemon and either a mandarin or common orange. It was introduced to the United States in 1908 by the agricultural explorer Frank Nicholas Meyer, an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture who collected a sample of the plant on a trip to China.

The Meyer lemon is commonly grown in China in garden pots as an ornamental tree. It became popular as a food item in the United States after being rediscovered by chefs such as Alice Waters at Chez Panisse during the California Cuisine revolution.

Popularity further climbed when Martha Stewart began featuring them in her recipes.

I didn’t know any of this.

Dwarf Lemon Tree

Two years ago, our tree started producing thorns. I assumed this was a sign that it was ready to bear fruit. Further reading proved otherwise. True lemons have sharp thorns, but the hybrids do not. Any thorns found on a Meyer Lemon are apparently the product of the original rootstock.

This article say that: article,

If the thorns are on branches sprouting from below the grafting union the best thing to do is to prune them off. Those branches won’t produce Meyer lemons and your tree is wasting energy growing them anyway.
If the thorns are on the Meyer lemon portion of the tree and the tree is otherwise healthy, the best thing to do is ignore them and protect your hands with gloves when you harvest the lemons.

I went back and checked all the branches with tiny fruit and most of them have thorns.

This early in the game, I’m inclined to leave the thorns where they are. Since the tree is producing fruit it seems best to leave well enough alone. They won’t ripen for several months, so I can keep my eye on things and see what plays out.

What do you think? Would you remove the thorns?

Thorns

June 11, 2014 by Born To Organize

Just a Day in the Garden

Things are humming along in the garden these days. Our tomatoes and raspberries are jockeying for position, and the basil is finally growing up. If you look carefully, you can see it in the lower, right corner of the box near the hose I was too lazy to put away. [ahem]

Tomatoes, Raspberries and Basil

The potatoes I didn’t plant, jumped the edge of the box, happy in the heat. The strawberries look nice, but for the first time in my gardening history, they’ve been over run by ants. Ack! I reached in for a juicy red berry and came out with a handful of swarming ants along with the fruit. When I did find an unencumbered strawberry, it looked great but tasted bland. I think this is the last season for them.

Compost potatoes spill from the box

My EarthBox pumpkins are growing well, but for some reason the water wicking system isn’t working. I’ve had to hand water three days in a row as they’re drooping by mid day. I may remove the compost covers tomorrow when it’s still cool and give them a long soak. I’ll let you know it that does the trick.

Ever-mischievous Mouse the cat cornered an iridescent lizard on the garden path. I put Mouse in a ‘time out’ for a spell, then encouraged the tiny lizard to make haste. He was happy to oblige.

Western Fence Lizard

Mouse looks innocent when he’s asleep

One of the squirrels dropped by and offered to sample the apricots and plums. Just a couple of bites out of each one should do it. Yep, yep…carry on, carry on. Nothing to worry about here.