December 5, 2012 by Born To Organize

Cosmo Seeds for Christmas

Throughout the summer I enjoyed a magnificent display of flowering Cosmos. The color and splendor of these easy to grow annuals brought such cheer. I started gathering the seeds so I could share my joy with others.

Using Creative Memories software, I created a five-fold, two-sided panel card. Six of the panels feature photos I took over the summer. Two more panels have simple instructions for planting and growing the seeds. One panel has a greeting, and the final one is a placeholder for the seed packet.

I bought 3 x 3 glassine envelopes from the Paper Source to hold the seeds. They attach to the back panel of the card. I ordered one sample card, made a few design changes, and this week received the bulk order. They’re ready to go.

Photo Panel Card (Front)

Photo Panel Card (Back)

Folded Cosmo Card and Envelope

Cosmo Seeds

Back Panel (Placeholder for Seed Packet)

Back Panel with Seed Packet

The Stack
I love the way they look in a neat pile

I plan to seal each card with a self-made sticker using last year’s garden calendar. I’ll fill you in on the details later this week, so be sure to check back.

Are you making gifts from your garden this year for Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza? Please share in the comments below.

December 4, 2012 by Born To Organize

Hydrangea: Wardrobe Changes

I expect the maple to go through several “wardrobe changes” each fall, but the Hydrangea surprised me. The blooms passed from vibrant pink, to faded fuchsia, blush and soft green. The clustered flowers fade slowly over weeks instead of days.

If you squint just a little, the clusters look like tiny butterflies resting before flight. Their petals are as soft as a butterfly as well.

I admired these plants for years, amazed at the variety and color. They’re large shrubs so they’re not well suited to small garden spaces. Now that we have the space, I’ve gone a little crazy. We planted three Nikko Blue last spring, then followed up with four more in pink (seen below).

Hydrangea Fuchsia

We planted the newest ones under our living room window. I have one hydrangea in an enormous pot on the patio. It lost its blooms earlier in the season. I used the dying flowers to make a dried bouquet for my sister’s costume in October. The blue flower clusters also faded fast. This beautiful specimen, however, continues to delight.

Hydrangea Pink

Hydrangea green

You can learn more about these beautiful plants at All About Hydrangeas.

December 3, 2012 by Born To Organize

After the Rain: Fresh and Fabulous

A couple of decent-sized storms moved through the area over the weekend, drenching communities up and down the state. I love being indoors listening to the rain and winds, but it was a bear for those who had to drive. We were lucky to be home. Several large trees went down in the storm, but I don’t think anyone was hurt.

Japanese Maple

Maple leaves in the fountain

Winds and rain stripped the remaining leaves from our Chinese Pistache but the more sheltered Maple continues its colorful show.

The vegetable beds and the surrounding barrier look none the worse for wear. In fact, the cauliflower crowns are forming. They looks so cute at this stage. Something’s been eating the outer leaves, though I couldn’t see any sign of the anonymous nibbler this morning. I’m hopeful that is the only damage.

Broccoli Plants

Cauliflower

It was disappointing to find so much standing water in the worm bin, and worried I drowned the lot of them. Fortunately, the layer of straw gave them a place to go so all is well. I got out the drill and put several holes in the bottom and sides so this doesn’t happen again.

Otherwise, the garden survived the storm and looks refreshed. Here is one last look:

Pretty and Pink

Begonias

Fruit Cocktail Tree

Mystery Balloon

It’s one of the laws of physics: what goes up, eventually comes down. If only balloons could talk.

December 2, 2012 by Born To Organize

Organic Flower Essence Therapy: Soothe Your Cares Away

My friend Sheryl is a talented artist and the creator of Mama Love, a line of organic flower essence aromatherapy. Anyone who’s walked through the garden on a warm spring day can appreciate the power of the flower. Lavender calms the mind and relieves stress and tension. It’s a favorite among midwives and birth doulas. Rose oil is frequently recommended by aromatherapists for its antidepressant and mood-boosting properties. I think nature provides what we need and has done so throughout time. We’ve lost site of that in recent years. It’s good to see a trend toward the basics.

Using the Flower Essence

I like adding a few drops of Mama Love oil to a hot bath, along with a cup of Epsom salts. The combination soothes and relaxes. You can dab them on like perfume as well. They’re subtle so they don’t overwhelm the people around you. Have you ever had to politely hold your breath in an elevator to keep from being overwhelmed by someone’s cologne? No fun.

Mama Love Flower Essence Aromatherapy

What is Flower Essence Therapy?

According to Sheryl’s site, it’s “a system of healing developed by well-respected immunologist and homeopathic medical doctor Edward Bach. Working with a wide variety of patients just after World War I he came to the conclusion that a person’s emotional well-being and mental attitude had more to do with health and healing than any medicine he could offer. He eventually left his thriving London practice to move to the country to develop safe herbal homeopathics that addressed the most common emotional problems and their symptoms. His now world-famous Bach Flower Remedies were the result.”

Check out Sheryl’s shop on Etsy, where she also sells flower-inspired art work and greeting cards. She’s a cat person (like me!) This is her darling and opinionated cat, Chloe.**

Sheryl’s Cat Chloe

**To be honest, I think most cats are darling and opinionated.

Earth laughs in flowers. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

December 1, 2012 by Born To Organize

Bottoms Up: Potted Hole in One

The strangest things amuse me. While making the garden rounds this week, I noticed an empty pot near the fence. Tiny baby tears started growing through the bottom hole. I have no recollection of leaving the pot there, but it’s been long enough for the ground cover to take hold. Now I’m compelled to leave it to see how far it grows. It makes me smile.

In keeping with the theme of the day, I noticed a small clay pot, hand painted by my son when he was younger. It “travels” around the garden, a happy reminder of him. I upended the clay pot and left it in one of the patio planters at summer’s end. I didn’t know their was a bulb just below. I guess if you’re used to living beneath the soil line for many months, a little old pot isn’t going to slow you down. The as yet unidentified bulb shot up through the hole an entire foot before I noticed it. It looks so purposeful. I can’t wait to point it out to my son. I know he’ll be pleased.

So, I’ve been thinking. Wouldn’t it be fun to scatter empty pots around the garden to see what populates or propagates? I’m going to give that idea some careful thought.

Bottoms up!

November 30, 2012 by Born To Organize

Look Ma, No Ads!

A little housekeeping was in order at gardeningnirvana. First up, no more ads! When I started this blog I had two to five “hits” a day, so I guess WordPress couldn’t be bothered. Then my following grew. Hurray and thank you. At some point, ads magically appeared at the end of each post. I never saw the ads, and didn’t know they were there until a friend pointed them out.

I hope you enjoy the ad-free experience.

Next up, I created a new page featuring my various iterations of a fairy garden. I started one on a whim, and had so much fun, that I’ve kept it up all year. It’s a terrific creative outlet. It’s also a way to garden on a smaller scale. If time or space is limited, you might want to give it a go. You can see photos of the miniature garden evolution at Fairy Garden Frivolity.

Thanks for reading, commenting and liking my posts. I look forward to logging on every day.

November 29, 2012 by Born To Organize

Blooming Thursday: Vibrant Purples, Passionate Reds, No Rain

The good news: I took these photos without getting drenched in the rain. The bad news: I took these photos without getting…drenched in the rain. I had such high hopes. To quote our local morning paper: “‘Rainfall Amounts Minimal’: Anticipated storm turns into sprinkle. Sigh.

The paper went on to say, “Broader downpour expected over next few days,” so I’m thinking I should go wash my car after I hang a silk blouse outdoors on the branch of a tree.

Meanwhile, three cheers for drip irrigation!

Here’s what’s blooming this Thursday:

The fairy garden is back outside, resting on the forged iron bench. I wove several fir branches along the back, and in a matter of minutes had a lovely spray of greens. Those little cyclamen prefer the cool air, so all is well.

Guess what? The pansies and bulbs remain firmly planted. I mulched the pots with rough gravel to deter the squirrels. Weeks in, it’s still working. They haven’t unearthed a thing.

Lavender still blooms, grazing the edges of the front deck

This cyclamen came back from last year, joined by two others under the Magnolia tree. The fuchsia centers just send me.

Coral Bells make my heart sing.

I’m heading outdoors to do my best rain dance. I’ll keep you posted.

What’s blooming in your neck of the woods?

November 28, 2012 by Born To Organize

Vegetable Box Quandry

My vegetable boxes resemble “before and after” pictures, but not on purpose. Once the pumpkins were out, I cleaned the box to the right of the garden, and planted winter vegetables. The box to the left, however, was chugging along with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and a bird house gourd so I let it be.

Vegetable Box, Stage Right: Neat and tidy winter veg

Vegetable Box, Stage Left: chaotic jumble

The top-tier of the left box has eroded nearly a foot. On the plus side, the erosion created a nice spot for one of the gourds to rest. That said, I’m not sure how to save the existing plants while topping off the box with more soil.

Birdhouse Gourd

We live on a tiny lot, so sunny space is at a premium. I try to maximize what I’ve got but was realizing today that I need to rethink the boxes.

This is year three for the “blueberries,” but they still aren’t producing. The plant remains small, though healthy but at this rate I may as well call it a shrub. We haven’t seen a single berry since we planted it.

Blueberry Shrub

Raspberry Vine

The raspberries, on the other hand, took off this past summer and produced sweet and delicious berries for several weeks. We enjoyed standing in the garden and eating them right off the vine. Is there anything sweeter than a sun-warmed berry?

I’ve considered transplanting the canes along the back fence, but I’m afraid I’ll set them back two years. It’s also a bit crowded there so they may not get adequate sun. I think the blueberry needs more room or more sun, maybe both.

My indecision (and the colder weather) leaves me in a quandary. Should I leave well enough alone and wait till next spring to decide, or should I move the blueberry plant and raspberry canes now while they’re at rest?

Recommendations welcome.

November 27, 2012 by Born To Organize

Christmas in the Fairy Garden, Storm on the Way

We’ve got a storm headed our way. A gully washer. Serious wet stuff falling to the ground.

My UK friends are yawning about now, but “big rain” is unheard of in Silicon Valley. I’m pretty excited. Everything in the garden perks up when it rains and we are well past due. I hope folks behind the wheel remember to take their time. The roads will be slicker than usual.

Knowing we’re in for the wet and windy, I temporarily moved the fairy garden indoors. Christmas is less than a month away, so I got busy decorating for the wee ones.

Planting

I bought a pair of miniature cyclamen with my nursery haul over the weekend. They look so cute next to the tiny Blue Fescue fairy house. The ground cover is holding up nicely, but the Fescue needed a trim. That done, I “planted” sprigs of holiday greens and added lights.

Miniature Cyclamen

Sprucing Up the Fairy Garden

Sprucing

In light of the weather, I moved the chairs under cover and set up a table to go with them. The “slip covers” are re-purposed wrappers from the Hydrangea. Some festive ribbon adds color to the base of the table. I think I spotted a few tiny deer drinking nearby. A few broken ornaments add a bit of cheer. I pulled some dried flowers and berries from last week’s Thanksgiving arrangement. They worked well over the entrance to the house and to add color to the table.

Fairy Christmas Table

A Lovely View

Entry Way

All set for the holidays!

If you haven’t tried fairy gardening, give it a whirl. It’s a fun, creative and relaxing way to garden on a small-scale. I like to challenge myself by reusing items from around the house.

The List

On Hand:

Two broken ornaments (archway, background)
Table (empty spool, scrap ribbon, paper flower)
Slipcovers (waterproof plant wrapper)
Dried berries, dried flowers (a floral gift from Thanksgiving)
Plastic deer (leftover from a children’s project)
Slate walkway (from a broken fountain)

Purchased:

Two miniature cyclamen
Waterproof lights

November 26, 2012 by Born To Organize

SummerWinds Nursery: A Sea of Red Splendor

SummerWinds Nursery opened their tree lot this weekend, setting up temporary quarters in the parking lot. The building, destroyed by fire last summer, is gone, but the spirit of the nursery lives on. While SummerWinds awaits rebuilding permits, they’ve set up a well-stocked shop filled with holiday greenery and a lot of red. The displays were so alluring that I briefly considered the Noah’s Ark approach to gardening: two of each! I restrained myself (sort of) and limited my purchases to a few plants and some holiday greens.

Here’s what came home:

Shooting Star™ Hydrangea (from hana bay flowers)

This plant is stunning. It’s one of the Lace Cap varieties, with large clusters of star-like flowers toward the outer branches, with smaller white flowers below. We’ll keep it indoors for the winter, then will plant it in the garden next spring.

Shooting Star Hydrangea

Zygocactus (Schlumbergera truncata)

We have two fuchsia Zygocactus living the good life in our kitchen bay window. They’re super easy to grow. They usually bloom around Christmas, hence the nickname “Christmas Cactus.” Interestingly, ours bloom twice a year. My husband spotted the light pink variety at SummerWinds, so into our arms it went. Things look better grouped in threes anyway, don’t you think? It’s bursting with blooms, a bit ahead of the two on the sill, but I know they will catch up soon.

Zygocactus in Bloom

Miniature Cyclamens

Oh my goodness, these tiny plants are the cutest. Each one weighs a mere two ounces, standing no taller than a seed packet. I bought a pair for the Fairy Garden. Watch for their debut later this week.