September 22, 2012 by Born To Organize

Autumunal Equinox: Love for all Seasons

Fall leaves, summer flowers, happy bride and groom

Summer officially turned to fall today (September 22nd). The autumnal equinox marks the time of year when day and night are of equal length. It’s also a personal milestone. I married the love of my life on the first day of autumn 17 years ago. Autumn landed on September 23rd that year, but no matter. Symbolically, the days feel like one and the same.

We both share a love of the outdoors, so exchanging vows on the grounds of the elegant Wente Brothers Winery was perfect. When I walked down the “aisle,” it was actually a grassy courtyard. We held hands and declared our love beneath a flower-laden arch. I still have a small pressed flower from my tossed bouquet.

After one night in San Francisco we honeymooned along the Mendocino coast. We hiked local beaches, rode the Skunk Train amid redwoods and toured a botanical garden hugging the coast.

Nature is a great equalizer. Seasons change, life ebbs and flows. The majesty of the earth brings a uniting force to bear. As the autumnal equinox ushers in shorter days and longer nights, I’m grateful for the love in my life; grateful for my love in all seasons.

Home along the Mendocino Coast

Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

Mr. Wonderful in Magnificent Mendocino

Visit beautiful Mendocino Garden by the Sea.
Wente Brothers Vineyards in Livermore, California.
Autumnal Equinox

September 21, 2012 by Born To Organize

Bamboo at the Wild Palms Hotel

Wild Palms Hotel

I’ve escaped across town with my sister for a stay at the Wild Palms Hotel. We’re attending an annual scrap-booking retreat, a cool 48 hours dedicated to the pursuit of our craft. The Wild Palms Hotel is a small inn in the middle of the suburbs. The facade is nondescript, but the inner courtyard and pool are surrounded by towering bamboo. I’m sure there are “wild palms” somewhere around here, but it’s the bamboo that dominates.

Bamboo is an amazing plant, capable of growing at rates of 100 cm (39 in) in 24 hours. It’s considered the fastest growing plant on earth. This tall, graceful grass can be made into paper, clothing, furniture and building material. Bamboo leaves and shoots nourish the giant pandas of China and the bamboo lemurs of Madagascar.

When we remodeled our home seven years ago, we replaced the carpet with bamboo. The floors are as solid as the hardest wood, but unlike oak or maple, bamboo grows like a weed. Conversely, one of the softest dresses I own is also bamboo.

It’s dark now, but come morning I’ll be able to glance out the window at the towering bamboo. I’ll pretend a gentle panda is nibbling on the leaves, just around the corner out of view.

Bamboo Towers above the Wild Palms Hotel

Bamboo Leaves Closeup

Bamboo

September 20, 2012 by Born To Organize

Blooming Thursday: Bachelor’s Button

According to the Bachelor’s Button seed packet, this “care-free, drought tolerant annual, adds vertical interest and an array of colors to your garden.” Well.

Perhaps there was a single’s dance going on a few gardens over, because my Bachelor’s were largely a no-show. The ones that are in bloom were late to the party, blooming two days before Autumn officially arrives. Bachelor’s Button, also know as cornflower are drought tolerant and require “little pampering.” So what gives?

Were they jealous of the cosmos getting all the attention this summer? Maybe they didn’t get enough sun. I offered them plenty to drink and lots of encouragement. There is always enough love to go around in my garden.

I’ll just chalk it up to “one of those things” and “you can’t win them all” and I’ll move on <sniff-sniff>.

Here are a couple of pics of the one or two that grew.

Flower or fish? I love those multicolored scales.

Bachelor’s Button handsome profile

There’s the promise for next year.

September 19, 2012 by Born To Organize

Smiling in the Garden

Smiling is good for you. It reduces tension, helps you relax and promotes overall good health. There is always something to smile about in the garden; sometimes I’m lucky enough to catch it with my camera.

I hope these photos put a smile on your face, too.

Sure, the pumpkin is nice, but will you look at that cat I grew!?

He’s a cheeky little fella

Look, Ma!!! I can fly with one wing!

I think there’s a pooch hiding in the tree. Dogwood???

Bottoms up!

Are you smiling yet?

September 18, 2012 by Born To Organize

SummerWinds Nursery Fire Sale Raises Donations for SJFBF

A Happy and Helpful Crew

Summer Winds, a local nursery in the Almaden area of San Jose, burned to the ground a few weeks ago. Formerly the Woolworth Garden Center, the nursery has been in the same spot for 40 years. Since the fire, there has been such an outpouring of support from the community. We’re all very sad at the loss of this nursery, and look forward to its rebirth.

Last Friday they set up shop in front of the former store, a fire sale lasting through the weekend. Large pottery, trees and annuals located outside the garden center survived the flames and were on sale. In addition to selling what remained at a huge discount, 10% of the proceeds went to the San Jose Firefighters Burn Foundation. What an amazing community we have. From there press release:

SummerWinds hosted at our San Jose location a 3 day “Fire Sale” and donation drive for the San Jose Fire Department, Friday through Sunday, September 14 – 16, 2012. Ten percent of the net proceeds from the sale will be donated to the San Jose Firefighters Burn Foundation and the Los Bombers of Northern California Toy Program—resulting in more than $14,000 in donations.

“We truly have the best customers! Their loyalty to SummerWinds and our associates,
combined with their compassion to support the San Jose Fire Department was overwhelming during our Fire Sale,” stated Leo Goria, SummerWinds’ Vice President of Operations. San Jose’s Fire Department had a fire truck on site and fire fighters handed out fire hats to all the children. Customers were helping one another with their carts and purchases, and what could have been grid lock in the parking lot was handled with finesse by SummerWinds’ customers.

Captain Mary Gutierrez of San Jose’s Fire Department expressed her appreciation in
saying, “In a world where so many are struggling, the community of San Jose can feel joy
in that children at the burn center will have some things they need to survive life-changing
injuries. The community can feel pride in that hundreds of families will benefit by receiving toys and food this coming Christmas. San Jose Fire Department can not express the gratitude felt towards the SummerWinds Nursery management and staff that supported two very important fire department community programs that benefit so many children and families in San Jose”.

SummerWinds Nursery Fire Sale

I wasn’t able to shop till late Saturday afternoon, so most of the plants were gone. I did, however, buy a charming garden bench, which will make its debut shortly in a future post.

Additional Resources:

SummerWinds San Jose Facebook Page

San Jose Firefighters Foundation

September 17, 2012 by Born To Organize

The Other Pumpkins

Sure, I made a big fuss yesterday about our great pumpkins, but we love all of them. How could you not delight in the uniqueness of each one?

The larger pumpkins have peach-colored shells with a flame orange skin just below the surface. The rest of the pumpkins took on a more traditional color and grew to about half the weight.

Trio of Pumpkins

The pumpkin, below, is smooth and typically formed on one side, but something went wrong somewhere along the way. It already looks like it has two eyes and a mouth. No carving necessary.

We won’t need to carve this one. It’s already wearing a mask.

One of the earliest pumpkins started in an acorn shape. As it grew in size, the small scar opened up, leaving the insides exposed. Although it continued to turn orange, the rotting process started the minute it was off the vine. Then an amazing thing happened. I left it in the corner of the deck, figuring one of the night critters would simple eat it. Instead, the pumpkin warmed in the sun, creating enough moisture for the seeds to sprout. I tore it open, thinking I would compost the rotting skin, only to find a handful of seedlings.

Self-seeding Pumpkin

Rounding out the eclectic group of pumpkins, this little fella survived the expanding girth of one of the greats. When I pulled away the 50-pound pumpkin, this was growing just below.

My guess? The weight of the growing pumpkin slowly split the sides of this one, giving it time to scar over as it continued to grow. Unlike the cousin above, it’s completely healed over.

We have about five pumpkins yet to harvest, still yellow or green. We’ll see what nature has in store.

September 16, 2012 by Born To Organize

Great Pumpkins Weigh In

Last night, while the sun was setting and the earth still warm, we harvested our big pumpkins. We ended up with four, one for each family member. I love how that worked out.

Harvesting Pumpkins is a Family Affair

We cut them from the vine and brought them indoors. The plan was to weigh each one on our Nintendo Wii Fit, the only reliable scale in the house.

Carrying the pumpkin to safety

As we made our way inside, my friend Betsy and her two lovely daughters dropped by bearing gifts: a beautiful white oleander. What timing! We invited them to join us for the great pumpkin weigh-in, a comical endeavor when you’re using the Wii. My son created a character called “Pumpkin,” then placed it on the scale. Everyone took turns guessing Pumpkin’s weight. We belly laughed for half an hour at all the silly assumptions the computer made. Our great Pumpkin had a BMI of 99.99! When we weighed a second pumpkin, it would suggest that “Pumpkin” needed to put on some weight…or lose weight, or get more exercise. Laughter is contagious. One person laughs and the room laughs with them. It was such good fun.

Wii Fit Weighs In

Every year, no matter what seeds we plant, our pumpkins surprise us. Last year we had an eclectic variety of pumpkins; one year we had several small ones. This year’s crop produced the largest we’ve grown. The fab four all grew from one vine, self-seeded by a bird or squirrel.

Our 4 Great Pumpkins

Here’s what we named them and how they stacked up:

Cinderella Carriage – 42.8 pounds (19 kg)
Craig – 53 pounds (24 kg)
Stalky – 51.9 pounds (23 kg)
Big Mac – 60.8 pounds (27 kg)

That’s a combined total of over 200 pounds of pumpkin goodness.

“There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.”

-Linus, from It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles Schultz

September 15, 2012 by Born To Organize

Tumbling Composter: Some Assembly Required

As I excitedly ordered my tumbling composter, I failed to read the inevitable fine print. You know…some assembly required. I kept a watchful eye for the UPS driver, ready to pounce on that box. My kitchen scraps were taking on an odoriferous scent and still the composter didn’t come.

I eventually dumped the scraps in a bucket in the garage, and covered them with potting soil. It’s funny but two weeks ago I would have tossed those scraps or ground them up in the garbage disposal. Now the scraps had a real purpose. My garden was counting on me.

UPS At Last

The day my husband, and resident handyman left for a business trip, the box arrived. I came home that afternoon to a damaged box on the porch, with one of the parts sticking out of the side. Oh-oh. I was afraid to open it. The good news: no harm done. The bad news: so many parts. I was facing eight panels, two end pieces, six leg pieces and a bag with 56 washers and screws. I unpacked all the pieces, then left the room.

Lindy didn’t think she could help, either.

My son, in his sweet and gentle way, asked me if I would be moving it as it was blocking his path to the living room. Okay. I can do this. I fumbled around with my husbands various tools, found what I hoped would work and got down to the business of building a composter. It went together beautifully, and was over half done when I called it a day. I finished assembling it with my son’s help on Thursday. At last the fun could begin.

Some assembly required

Ta-da!

I had a bucket of “brown” from the pumpkin patch ready to go and a decent sized bucket of “green” to go with it. Into the bin they went. I closed the door, gave it a spin, and smiled. Who knew rotted apples and dead leaves could bring about such happiness?

Do you compost too?

The Compost Recipe

I’ve seen several variations on the mix, but here are the suggestions from tumblingcomposters.com:

The composting process works best by mixing moist greens (nitrogen rich) with dry browns (carbon rich) in a ratio of approximately 2 parts greens to 1 part browns.

Greens are:

kitchen scraps
grass clippings
garden and house plants

Browns are:

leaves
straw or hay
saw dust
twigs

Do not compost:

meats/fats/bones
dairy products
trash/plastic
wood ashes
invasive plants or weeds

Serves several plants.

September 14, 2012 by Born To Organize

Squirrels: They’re back!

In early June I planted a row of sunflower seeds along the front deck. Within a week they were gone, consumed by our neighborhood squirrels. I planted a second batch, this time indoors, but the transplants were leggy. Refusing to give up, I came up with a barrier, heretofore known as the screen saver, and planted one last time. They took! Within 90 days we had a beautiful row of six-foot sunflowers.

Last year the flowers went completely to seed on the plant. I saved a handful of seeds, then placed the flower heads along the garden wall for the squirrels. It was fun watching them nibble away. I love watching those cute little “hands” busy at work. They polished off the sunflower seeds in a matter of days.

This year the squirrels took matters into their own hands. Not known for their manners, they simply bent (or broke) the stems till they reached the deck and helped themselves.

I’m always amazed at their ingenuity. Wild bird centers are full of gadgets to deter squirrels from bird feeders, but those clever squirrels figure it out. When it involves nuts or seeds, squirrels are up for the challenge.

I finally caught two of them in the flower-bending act this week. Did I shoo them away? Of course not! I grabbed the camera instead.

Mmmm…not half bad.

Hey! I want some too.

This buffet line is taller than I remember it last year.

Shhhh! Pretend I’m not here.

Let me just…break off…this annoying stem.

That’s more like it!

I’m out of here. I’ll be back once you’ve cleaned up this mess.

California tree squirrels are either Gray or Fox. Here is a side by side comparison.

September 13, 2012 by Born To Organize

Blooming Thursday: Party in the Anemones

Prolific Anemones bloomed about six weeks ago, monopolizing the back garden fence. I’ve been gathering them into bouquets every few days, then bringing them indoors. Little did I know that atop those crisp white blooms and their buttercup yellow centers there was a party going on.

Anemones line the fence

It wasn’t your typical, garden-variety party. In fact, I wasn’t even invited. Apparently you needed four to six legs to attend, and the invites are on the QT. I don’t think my neighbors even knew!

The party host wasn’t available for comment, so instead I snapped a few pics of the guests. Our host has an eclectic group of friends, including elegant grasshoppers, busy-body ants and even the low-brow house fly. I didn’t recognize all of the party goers. A few of their identities remain a mystery.

Mystery Guest

I don’t want to name names, but things may have gotten a bit out of hand. I saw a small spider chatting with a grasshopper, and in the next shot…the spider was gone! Do you think I should say something to the host? One of the spotted guests spent most of his time at the food table, while the ant kept darting in and out of the petals. I think he had too much pollen to drink.