February 27, 2013 by Born To Organize

Rolling Out the (Soda Pop) Carpet

As the weather warms up and the days grow longer, I look forward to setting up the outdoor furniture. We bought a cute little set from an import store a few years ago when we added a front deck. The furniture is comfy, cozy and easy to keep clean. Setting it up feels like playing house. I’m not sure I ever really grew up. ;-)

At the time we bought the set, we also picked up a grass-styled mat to unify the pieces. After three summers of outdoor-living, the mat is looking tired. We could certainly make do for one more year, but while shopping for summer dresses I found this:

Outdoor Rug by Gaiam

The mats are hand-woven from strands made with recycled plastic. They’re reversible, too! The materials mean they are rot and mildew-resistant. Simply clean them with a hose.

The all-weather ‘rugs’ come in five different styles and two sizes. I hemmed and hawed over two of them, but finally settled on Tropical Stripe. Woodland Forest was the first-runner up.

Unexpectedly, the mat arrived with a burlap storage bag. I have a thing about bags, so it tickled my knees when it slid out of the box. It really is the little things that make our day, don’t you think?

I can’t wait to roll out the soda-pop mat, then gather our furniture around it. All summer long friends and neighbors stop by. I linger on the deck to open the mail or to read my book. We sit out there in the evening with a glass of wine or tea.

Counting the days…

What symbolizes the changing season for you?

February 26, 2013 by Born To Organize

A Compost We Will Grow

What the well dressed pumpkin seedlings are wearing this season.

I popped the lid off the green compost bin and oh, what a surprise.

Along side the rotting leaves and decaying kitchen scraps, there is a lot of growing going on. The first thing I noticed: the pumpkins! They’re enjoying the warmth and shelter inside the bin. I’m surprised though that they’ve found enough light. Will you look at them growing so tall and straight?

Lanky blades of grass are also taking root, along with sprouts of a to-be-determined nature. I’m using an old Rubbermaid bin for additional composting, since I quickly filled my tumbling composter. It’s hard to get leverage with the shovel, however, so I’m not turning it as often as I should. Now I don’t have the heart.

Happy Sprout

Finding Nemo?

Sprouting mushrooms are right at home, the more predictable compost heap resident. The silver cap would look great in the fairy garden, but I’m resisting temptation. Its questionable origin makes it an unsafe bet for a tiny garden with small visitors. It’s cute though…if you’re into grey flowers.

Grey Blooms: Tim Burton Inspiration

February 24, 2013 by Born To Organize

Flowering The Red Carpet

Are you watching the Academy Awards? I love theater, film and most of all costumes so I tune in for the sound bites and frills. We record the show ahead of time, because, let’s face it, it’s an *awards* show.

While it’s fun to watch the Hollywood A-List stars on the red carpet, double-Spanxed and elegantly dressed, I’ve noticed a distinct lack of floral dresses on display.

Here’s what I was hoping to see instead:

Who needs a pair of Spanx when you have a gorgeous bouquet around your midsection?
Photo Credit: Linda Miller, Pinterest

Laura Clare: New York Flower Show

Floral Dress: Credited to Khun K via Pinterest

They aren’t giving out any awards for “Best Gardening Halloween Costume in a Small Blogging Community” but if they were, I was ready.

Halloween 2010

February 23, 2013 by Born To Organize

Friends, if you aren’t already following Boomdeeada, you are definitely missing out. Check out her latest “Gnome Sweet Home.” She’s created a charming ‘garden within a garden’ and recently received the kitty-cat stamp of approval. Enjoy!

Boomdeeadda

I live in a little forest

with moss to tickle my feet

I’m the happiest little Gnome

that you will ever meet

My home is very tiny

just big enough for me

from my view up on the hill

the valley below I see

Oh look, there’s Romeo waiting

halfway down the walk

A sweet little friend of mine

we laugh and play or talk.

I also made a garden

for fairy’s one and all

you’ll have to look so very close

as it is really small

As I look out over my Kingdom

all the glory that I see

I can’t help get that feeling

that someones watching me

Well, off I go to wander

there’s so much I want to see

I’m sure I heard a fairy singing

just beyond that tree.

Drop in on Sunday for the genesis of

Gnome Sweet Home. See you…

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February 21, 2013 by Born To Organize

Watercolor Tulips

The first of the tulips are up, unfurling petals like the strokes of a water-colored canvas. I love the way they look just before they open. Wouldn’t it be fun to peak inside the tightly coiled flower? Do you think they have a secret to tell?

In a few more days they’ll open revealing a colorful, reproductive center. Then quietly, one by one, the petals drop and the tulip is done for the season. If you went on an ill-timed vacation you could miss the whole thing.

I have a dear friend who attends the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival most years. She has several pictures showing rows and rows of growing tulips and a few with her posing among the rows. I have to giggle at my excitement over a pair of tulips, when I think of that sea of flowers. Perhaps I’ll get to go one day, too. For now, I’m enjoying the pair of tulips in the planter on my back steps, marveling at nature’s perpetual beauty.

Potted tulips

Ready to spring forth

For Kecker

February 20, 2013 by Born To Organize

From There to Here, From Here to There, This Blogging Thing is Everywhere*

Shooting Star Hydrangea Closeup Today I surpassed a personal milestone. A year ago February, I set out to write every day for a year. During that time, the earth made a complete revolution around the sun. Four seasons came and went. Garden squirrels came and went too, along with aphids, scale and thrips. Raccoons dropped by, leaving tell-tale paw prints next to the overturned sod before washing there ‘hands’ in the fountain. It’s every critter for themselves in the world of gardeningnirvana.

Writing daily was sometimes challenging, but it was always worthwhile. I gained confidence along the way. Dr. Seuss said it best:

“Oh the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ‘blog’ will make you the winning-est winner of all.”

The good doctor was right. Here’s what I won:

The ability to persevere through illness, fatigue and, yes, procrastination.
Discipline, in both writing and gardening.
Goal-setting. It had been awhile since I set such a lofty goal. It was important to me to see it through.
The most generous, thoughtful, gracious, intelligent and engaged readers a person could hope for. (You know who you are)

*With apologies to Dr. Seuss

Dedicated to my fellow bloggers who inspire me daily. ♥

February 19, 2013 by Born To Organize

Foreshadowing the Scented Garden

Flowering Daphne

The lovely Daphne is in full bloom, her scent powerful enough to knock you sideways. No wonder the neighborhood squirrels like to hide their nuts nearby. Her waxy green leaves, edged in buttercup yellow, frame the bouquet of blooms. It would be easy to envy that effortless beauty, but I know she’s been working hard since the fall, storing energy for this fabulous display. Deep pink shadows give way to a blush of pinks and creams. Effervescence, defined.

Daphne Banner

February 18, 2013 by Born To Organize

Waiting for ‘DaGourds

Keeping cozy

Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot was required reading during my college days. It’s summarized as an absurdest play, with two men waiting in vain for the arrival of someone named Godot. Interpretations of the play vary widely.

I’m waiting for the gourds to turn brown. How’s that for absurd? I waited months for the birdhouse gourds to turn green. Now I’ll wait even longer for them to turn brown.

My wait isn’t political, psychological, Freudian or existential. It’s craft-based. I’m waiting for the gourds to turn brown so I can carve them into birdhouses.

I’ve bundled them up to keep them warm and dry. I give them a spin now and again to be sure they’re drying evenly. Today I wrapped them in scarves and set them on a chair where they sit mocking me. They seem determined to remain ever-green.

Waiting for Godot is “a tragicomedy in two acts.” Waiting for the gourds is just silly.

Birdhouse Gourds Staying Dry and Warm

February 17, 2013 by Born To Organize

The Joy of Gardening: Eating What You Grow

It’s a remarkable experience eating something you grow yourself. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it.

I grow vegetables on a small-scale, and suffer the same garden failures we all do: pests, frost, heatwaves, drought. It’s a wonder anything gets on the table.

It’s human nature to persevere, however, and when success follows…wow!

We ate fresh broccoli from the garden today. Six beautifully formed plants, six perfect heads of broccoli. Those remarkable greens moved from garden to kitchen to table in under an hour. Broccoli never tasted so sweet.

Cream of the Broccoli Crop

Broccoli Fresh from the Plant

Basket of Freshly Picked Broccoli

Broccoli Sauteed in Garlic and Olive Oil

Broccoli sautéed in Garlic and Olive Oil

My Husband’s Recipe

Two heads of broccoli
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
dash of lemon juice
handful of slivered almonds

Heat oil on medium. Add garlic and broccoli; salt and pepper to taste

Cover for 2 to 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender

Add a dash of lemon juice and a handful of slivered almonds

Cover and cook for one more minute.

Serve immediately

February 16, 2013 by Born To Organize

Flower Tower in (a Few) Hour (s)

Terracotta Stack after gold leaf finish

We had the most glorious weather today! Our highs reached 75 F ( 24 C). Can you believe it? The temps should start dropping tomorrow, with much-needed rain in the forecast but today was lovely.

It was also the perfect, no-excuses day to take on my two-tiered challenge. I wrote at Crafts and Plants: My Winning Combination that I wanted to finally get around to planting a flower tower of terracotta pots. I found the idea back in 2008 in a magazine called Do It Yourself. Today, I finally did. I also challenged myself to try something new; in this case, applying gold leaf.

As it turns out, it was really easy to do and a lot of fun. Like many things you try for the first time, there are things I would do differently. Overall though, not bad for a rookie.

Here’s what I did:

Clay Pots and Gold Leaf

I picked up three clay/terracotta pots in graduating circumferences (12″, 10″ and 8″ inches) from the garden center, along with a saucer and some potting soil.

I bought a metal leaf starter kit at our local craft store. It included six pages of gold leaf, adhesive size, sealer and antiquing glaze. I had a couple of small paint brushes on hand.

I read the directions (twice) then jumped in. Using a small paintbrush, I spread the sizing across the side of each pot, using a swirling pattern to create an organic shape. Once the sizing/glue was tacky to the touch, I applied the first sheet of leaf, brushing it into place with a soft, dry paint brush. (That was my favorite part!)

Antique finish detail

The leaf is super light and fly away, so I learned that you better have a plan. There are no second chances once it hits the adhesive. As small pieces tore off, I applied them to places with sizing. That was it!

Since the effect is as shiny as a new gold coin, I went ahead and brushed on a coat of antiquing (after sealing the gold first). I like the color but didn’t expect the brush strokes to be so apparent after it dried. The Mona Lisa Art Products Starter Kit came with enough product to complete one side of all three pots. You would need three or four kits to get enough coverage for all of them.