Back Yard

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Blooming Thursday: Geranium Containerem

Geranium: Old Faithful

Geraniums are the garden work-horse. In our zone, they flower three seasons  of the year and remain hardy down to at least 30 degrees Fahrenheit. They enjoy full sun and a good soak during the summer months, but the rest of the year they just hang out in the pot, content. Our pretty-in-pink geranium asks for very little, yet produces these beautiful blooms. I don’t see geraniums in local gardens like I used to, so perhaps they’ve fallen out of favor.  When I envision geraniums, I imagine them tucked up along white picket fences or grazing the corners of a bucolic cottage porch.  Time and again, geraniums appear in greeting cards and calendars, imparting a sense of nostalgia and harmony.  I saw several varieties when I traveled through Europe in 1989, dreaming of recreating that essence when I returned home.

Do you have geraniums in your garden?

Geranium Pink

If I were a paint color:
Several shades of subtle pink

Geraniums: Cheerful Splendor at the Edge of our Deck

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Spider Catcher: Witness Relocation Program for Arachnids

Humane Bug Catcher
Available from PETA

Spiders used to freak me out.  Seriously, I considered sleeping on the couch if I knew a spider lurked above my bed.  I once read that people ingest about six spiders during an average lifetime.  Well.

Over time, I’ve faced those fears.  Though I’m not fond of the over-sized wolf spiders or the dark-legged lurker, I can deal.  Interestingly, unless they are really large, I don’t mind them so much in the garden.  They eat non-beneficial insects and, I recently learned, provide silk for hummingbird nests.

In my early renting days, one of my roommates set up a primitive version of a spider catcher: a plastic cup and a nice strong piece of cardboard.  He knew I couldn’t kill a spider so an at-the-ready bug catcher was the next best think.  Cup and cardboard in hand, unwanted arachnids  were unceremoniously evicted into nearby landscaping.

About a decade ago, I found a super-cool spider catcher at a local wildlife bird center.  It has a long handle (distance is good!) and a clever little chamber to safely cup over the intruder.  Once confined, you gently slide the bottom closed and the spider remains captive as you head for the shrubs in the far, far, far corner of the garden.

Humane Bug Catcher available from PETA’s catalog.

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Starter Pumpkins: Countertop Seeds

Seed Starter

For the past several years, we’ve purchased a variety of pumpkin seeds for my son’s Christmas stocking.  We start the seeds indoors in April or May to give them a fighting chance against birds and squirrels.  We have them in the ground by June, ready to harvest in August or September.

This year we started our seeds in a Burpee Self-Watering Seed Starting System®.  The kit comes with 72 cells, a planting medium, a moisture-mat and a greenhouse-styled dome.  Everything you need for success except water!  Our new crop includes Lumina (white), Baby Pam (pie), Magic Lantern (20 lb orange), Munchkin (miniature, orange) and Howden Biggie (40-60 lb. orange).

In the past the seeds were usually jumbled together, so we never knew what was what till they started to produce.  We were more methodical this year now that my son is older and more interested in the varieties.  I photo-copied the seed packets on heavy card stock and taped them to chopsticks.  When we transplant outdoors, the plant labels will be ready to go.

Every year we hope for one large pumpkin, but we’re never willing to sacrifice the other fruit to nurture just one plant.  Once again, I imagine we’ll simply let nature takes its course (except for the squirrels of course).  The chicken wire barrier keeps the nibblers at bay till the young plants begin to grow.

Pumpkin Seeds: The Start of Something Big

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The Plants are In!

Resident (Self-described) Hole Digger
My Husband, Mike

We’re sore and tired but content with the satisfaction that comes from an honest day’s work. It’s been a few years since we’ve planted for the better part of a day but we did it. Mike prefers sailing to gardening, but at the start of our marriage, he designated himself the resident hole-digger. Am I ever lucky!

The plants near the house went in quickly. The soil is free of roots and was easy to work. The challenge was the planting area under the neighboring pine. I cut away several surface roots before digging was under way, but the roots are invasive, in some cases two inches in diameter. We ended up tag-teaming the larger holes, digging a little, cutting the roots and then digging some more.

Getting Started

We made a quick run to the local Home Depot for redwood mulch, but underestimated by about 10%. Otherwise, the planting and mulching are done.

I can’t wait to get started on the vegetable beds!

Plant Placement

Putting Down Roots

Planting Area Adjacent to the Steps

Planting under the Living Room Window
Don't the plants look cozy under all that mulch?

Abutilons Along the Fence Line

View from the Corner of the House

Paradise Found

Plant Legend

Corner Near Steps:

Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’ Coral Bells
Liriope muscari “Variegata” Lilyturf
Phormium hybrid ‘Maori Sunrise’ New Zealand Flax
Hemerocallis hybrid ‘Evergreen Yellow’ Daylily

Under Window:

Azalea kurume hybrid “Hino crimson” Azalea
Campanula poscharskyana Serbian Bell flower
Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’ Coral Bells
Liriope muscari “Variegata” Lilyturf

Fence Line:

Abutilon hybridum ‘Flowering Maple’
Campanula poscharskyana Serbian Bell flower

Back Corner:

Campanula poscharskyana Serbian Bell flower
Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ Japanese Frost Grass
Hemerocallis hybrid ‘Evergreen Yellow’ Daylily
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nikko Blue’ Garden Hydrangea

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The Bad News…

Broken Ladder, Wounded Pride

I fell off a ladder trying to net the fruit tree.  The good news: I landed in a soft growth of ferns.  The bad news: my son saw me fall and he’s a bit worried.  The good news:  no real injuries other than my wounded pride, a bruise on my shin and a tender tailbone.  More  bad news: I broke the ladder.  The good news:  this paragraph has drawn to a close.

We bought bird netting for the fruit tree and I was attempting to drape it from the top.  The leg of the ladder sank into a soft patch of dirt, fell sidewise into the fence and deposited me backwards. It’s hard not to feel like the village idiot. It’s not the first time I’ve been up on a ladder.  I should have made sure that fourth leg was stable.

So, the netting is now unceremoniously stuffed around the tree.  Next time…I’m glad I get to say next time.

Ladder Safety according to the OSHA Quick Card complied by the United States Department of Labor.

Kitty Decided to Net Himself

Practicing His "I'm Innocent" Look

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Ready to Plant: Our Trip to Almaden Valley Nursery

Doug Reviews Our Order

The planting begins!  The stars aligned this weekend and we had the time and the weather to begin filling in all the planting spaces created earlier this year when we re-did the hard-scaping in our back yard.

We placed our order with Almaden Valley Nursery, a locally owned nursery and gift shop in San Jose.  Our friend Doug is a nurseryman there.  He pulled the order earlier in  the week, then loaded it into the van with my husband’s help.  Turns out we needed to make a couple of trips, but by late Saturday afternoon, all the plants were home and lined up on the back steps.

After this morning’s Easter egg hunt and a pancake breakfast, we got to work.  Details tomorrow, along with photos of our progress.

Talking Shop

Admiring the Fruit and Dreaming of Another Fruit Cocktail Tree

Soaking up Some Vitamin D

Tucked in Among the Plants in the Van

Plants: This Makes me so Happy

Almaden Valley Nursery is located at 15800 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, California.

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Shadows and Light

In my youth, I entertained myself in a variety of ways.  Watching and manipulating my shadow was one of them.  When my shadow was long and thin, I imagined that I was really that tall.  I liked the play of shapes, guessing what a shadow might be when it wasn’t obvious.  Shadows added variety and dimensionality to an otherwise flat landscape.

Poppies in Shadow

When I researched a few shadow quotes, it surprised me to learn that most of them were “gloom and doom,”  or about moving out of the shadows and into the light.  Shadow is synonymous with shade, which certainly explains my bias.  Growing up red-headed meant I had a lower concentration of photo protective melanin, a fancy way of saying I freckle.  I spent my youth seeking the cool shadows by day or my ineffective skin faced the painful consequences.

Flowering Maple

Earlier this week, when the rain gave way to the sun, I looked at the shadows through the camera lens. Instead of avoiding them, I focused on them. It’s challenging getting the camera to record what the eye sees. In the end, only the shadow knows for sure.

Light with Minimal Shadow

Here Comes the Sun

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Blooming Thursday: Fairy Garden Flowers

It’s another cold, crisp day in the Valley with the bright sun belying the chilly wind. Yes, we Californian’s are weather wimps. I made a quick dash between appointments to a nursery to gather a few small plants for the fairy garden. I chose Hypoestes for the soft, pink vibrant color, Lamb’s Ear for its softness and Sweet Alyssum for the incredible honey-like fragrance. Color, scent and texture make for lovely landscapes.   Won’t the garden fairies be pleased?

Sweet Alyssum, My Signature Flower

Lamb's Ear, The Closeup

"Silver Carpet" Lambs Ear

Pink-Lined Walls

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Fairy Garden: The Rolling Stone Gathers Moss

Moss Carpet and Inlaid Tile

Success!  With a little help from my spade, I transplanted a patch of moss and some baby tears to the fairy garden floor.  The lush green carpet is soft and inviting.  The main floor features inlaid tile, formerly ceramic treasures from my son’s art class. I added a maroon bedspread, a must on these chilly spring days, and a door mat made from matted grass clippings.

Lamp in the Window

Fairy Blanket for those Chilly Nights

Grassy Door Mat

Aeriel View

House on the Hill sets the Standard
(Hand-made bird house, a gift from friends)

I built a fence between the two large rocks, with nearby steps up the hill. The walkway, paved with broken pieces of tile meanders with an edge of smaller rocks and clay balls. Do you think the fairies will stop by tonight to see the improvements?

Additional Links:

♥Here’s what professional fairy gardens might look like.

♥Every fairy garden needs a fairy flower, right?

♥A wee bit of inspiration from Enchanted Gardens.

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Fairy Garden Improvements

According to the ancient art of Feng Shui, a home’s entryway is critical to our well-being. Kathleen McCandless, author of Feng Shui That Makes Sense says:

 “The entry is not only the first impression of your living space, it is also a key component in whether or not you will experience comfort, safety and happiness while you live there. The most important consideration in Feng Shui is whether or not a space allows us to feel ”safe”.  If we do not feel 100% safe in our environment, we will not relax…”

To ensure the well-being of the garden fairies,  I created what I hope will be an inviting entryway.  I braided three soft branches from the overhead pine, then wrapped them in tender shoots of Asparagus fern creating a gentle arch.  A pair of pine cones flank the arch for stability.  The airiness of the ferns should appeal to the light-hearted nature of garden fairies, so that crossing the threshold is a delight.

Braided Archway

While my fingers remained nibble, I braided a lavender bed. Lavender contributes to a calm sleep, also essential to general well-being. I lashed the corners with tall grass using simple knots to keep the corners united. The bed is tucked into a sleeping loft in the crook of one of the rocks .

Knotted Corners

Lavender For a Restful Sleep

I found a beautiful mound of moss under the garden swing. If I’m successful transplanting it, the cool moss will make a lovely addition to the fairy home interior. More news tomorrow.