Gardening

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The Tale of the Traveling Shoji Screen

 

I’m a big fan of Shoji Screens, the light-weight room dividers originating in Japan.  In my alternate universe, the one without cats and boys and a clumsy gardener (that’s me) I have a house with sliding paper walls.  In my real world, I almost pulled it off…

The Screen:

Damaged Shoji Screen

Damaged Shoji Screen

My son created a “technology corner” in the living room a few years back, a cozy place to hang out and to store his hand-held gaming system.  It was an unsightly collection of cords and blankets, but who was I to stifle his creativity.  That said, I was desperate for an attractive way to hide it from view. His upended gym mat did the job but offended my sense of aesthetics.

On the other side of town, my friend Barbara was ready to part with a paper Shoji screen.  Lucky me!  It was the perfect solution.  For months the lovely white screen hid things from view and everyone was happy.

The Deck:

You’ve no-doubt heard that boys become young men. Sitting at a desk with a real computer suddenly has more appeal.  In a flash, the Shoji screen was no longer necessary.  Happy to use it elsewhere, I took it outside to use on the deck.  It looked so pretty with the sun shining through, while effectively filtering the heat.  Within minutes a breeze upended the screen, toppled it over the settee and tore a gaping hole in the paper-like covering.  No!!!

The Dye:

Tie Dye at Laura's

Tie Dye at Laura’s

My crafty, self-described hippie friend Laura took one look at the damaged screen and suggested I re-cover it with a panel of tie-dyed silk.  What a great idea! She hosts a tie-dye party in her driveway each year, setting up assorted dyes for a free-for-all.  It’s great fun.

We shopped for silk, but found it pricey at $25 a yard. Instead, I bought an end-piece of cotton muslin wide enough to cover all three panels for less than $12 bucks.

The Shift:

Re-covered Garden Swing

Re-covered Garden Swing

After dying, setting and re-washing the fabric, it was ready to go. I was nervous tackling this new project, so I kept putting it off.  Yesterday, as I cleaned and prepped for my book club, I had a garden epiphany. While brushing pine needles off the garden swing I remembered the extra fabric. In early May I re-covered the swing and planned on making toss cushions with the remnants. I wondered if I had enough to make a matching screen instead?

Re-covered Shoji Screen

Re-covered Shoji Screen

Kismet!  I had exactly enough fabric to cover the screen.  The heavy-duty, sun-friendly Sunbrella fabric would be the perfect complement to the swing, while at the same time providing a sturdy panel. The leftover pink trim was just enough to cover the sideboard.

I had a similar mental shift when I realized that my tie-dyed panel would make a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, softly draping table-cloth.

Oops! Cheese-Lover

Oops! Cheese-Lover

I glued and stapled my way to a paneled screen, then hauled out the iron and the pinking-shears and by days end I was able to entertain my book-loving friends in style.

Call me crazy!  Then share a story of your own in the comments below.

 

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Blooming Thursday: Books and Flowers

 

My book club meets once a month with each of us taking turns as host.  Tonight was my turn, and the first time in a few years that it landed on a warm, August night.  Awesome!  I couldn’t wait to play host in the garden.

I spent part of the morning shopping for food, sweeping and washing the patio and then I went really crazy and took out the iron!  I don’t know what came over me.  Probably that ironing post on Boomdeeada. I ironed the cloth napkins, a fabric remnant for the sideboard, and the tablecloth.

Tie-dyed tablecloth and garden flowers

Tie-dyed tablecloth compliments the garden flowers

The tablecloth wasn’t a tablecloth at all before today, but a piece of muslin, recently tie-dyed purple and originally intended to re-cover a folding screen. That’s a long story for another post, but now it’s a tablecloth. As my head filled with details of candles, flowers and other little niceties that make hosting fun, it occurred to me that I might have enough fabric left over from recovering my swing in early May to repair the screen.  The remnants were for making swing cushion covers, but covering the screen would be more interesting.  Would I have enough?

Amazingly, I had exactly what I needed with just a small square of fabric left over.  I used fabric trim to cover the side board, a splashy pink against the subtle green.  Really, I should have my head examined for tackling this project today. What was the rush?

Candles on Sideboard

Leftover pink trim makes the perfect sideboard cover

Three smashed bottles of tacky-glue later, the screen was 90% complete.  I’ll post pictures tomorrow.

I rolled up the used newspaper, put away my tools, vacuumed the rug and jumped into the shower with 40 minutes to spare.

The evening came together nicely.  It’s great seeing friends and discussing books. Our pick this month was The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, described as

  “a story about love and friendship, abandonment and belonging, and the discovery of surprising resources in apparently empty places.”

Thumbs up for the book! Thumbs up for the Bookettes, too. Thumbs down for the crazy gardener who still thinks she can do it all.

Book Club Friends

The Bookettes

 

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Yamagami’s Nursery

Purple Heliotrope

Purple Heliotrope

Yamagami’s Nursery, located in Cupertino California, has been around since 1948.  In a town known for tech behemoth Apple, inc. the nursery is a delightful throw back to a simpler time.  Taro Yamagami originally sold fruit from a stand on the same spot, gradually giving way to plants.  It became a full-fledged nursery by the early 1950s and it remains today in its original location.  If you ask any serious gardener in the Valley, chances are they’ve heard of and shopped at Yamagami’s.

Yamagami's glazing ball

Glazing Ball (I’m too clumsy to own one)

We actually left empty-handed on a recent trip, but not for lack of wanting.  We were in search of beneficial insects and eventually resorted to the web since our request was somewhat obscure.  They sell ladybugs, earthworms and Praying Mantis eggs but no Lacewings.

The nursery walkabout is always fun.  It’s a spacious two acres, with interesting plants tucked in with  gorgeous pots, garden ornaments and a help center.  I always feels at home.  When we were there in July they posted a sign alerting guests to the nesting bird in a nearby plant: “Shhh quiet please, bird nesting.  This plant is temporarily not for sale.”  I snapped a photo at a respectful distance.  Even the neighboring birds feel at home.

Yamagami's bird nesting sign

Quiet Please, Bird Nesting

In addition to the nursery, Yamagami’s has a helpful website and a monthly newsletter covering soup to nuts issues around gardening.  You can subscribe to their newsletter here.

If you’re planning a visit to Apple headquarters, be sure to visit the nursery as well.

In the meantime, here is a virtual tour of Apple, Inc. and a few more snapshots from Yamagami’s.

Yamagami's Nursery Collage

Yamagami’s Nursery Collage

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Pumpkin Update: Tired Vines, Happy Fruit

You’ll never guess what’s been hiding under the cosmos?

Give up?

A fully formed, lovely orange pumpkin!  I love surprises.

Pumpkin Collage

This is an exciting time of year in the garden.  Here is the pumpkin crop so far:

A. Grandaddy. This peach-colored pumpkin is a force to be reckoned with.  We have three growing in this size and shape.  Today we discussed stacking them to make a pumpkin “snowman.” I can’t wait to weigh them on my home scale.  I’m not getting on the scale, so I may as well use it for something.
B. Baby Bear. This little fella is probably full-sized but we won’t know till the color sets.  Most of our pumpkins started out a rich yellow, but this one has a bit of green to it. The leaves are smaller in scale, which tells me it won’t grow any bigger.  It’s about the size of a large apple.
C.  The Twins. These two pumpkins are leaning up against the house.  The vines are so thick that I’ve not been able to reach them for over a month.  I can’t wait to wrap my arms around them.
D. Peek-a-boo. The cosmos draped themselves over this orange lovely.  Do you see that little patch of orange peeking through the flowers?  I lifted the cosmos out-of-the-way and there it was, bottoms up.
E. Bottoms up. This one looks a bit like someone’s…bottom.  We’ll have to think of something clever for Halloween.  Suggestions are welcome and in fact encouraged in the comments section below.

There you have it.  Linus would be disappointed.  I’ve avoided religion and politics, but I simply can’t help myself:  I love talking about great pumpkins.

“I’ve learned there are three things you don’t discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.”

-Linus in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles Schultz

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Wasp’s Nest Under the Eaves

I’m fascinated and disturbed by the wasp’s nest under the eaves.  They picked a high-traffic area to set up house, right outside our back door.  Two years ago they chose a similar spot, but I was able to remove the nest within a day.  I annoyed two of them, but the nest was empty so they grudgingly relocated without a fuss.

Wasp's Nest

This nest filled up quickly, with several adults keeping watch.

According to National Geographic:

“Despite the fear they sometimes evoke, wasps are extremely beneficial to humans. Nearly every pest insect on Earth is preyed upon by a wasp species, either for food or as a host for its parasitic larvae. Wasps are so adept at controlling pest populations that the agriculture industry now regularly deploys them to protect crops.”

I’m still trying to control the spread of scale and thrips in the front garden and imagine these wasps could help.  Just yesterday I clipped away a few wheelbarrow loads of brown, stained under-growth from the thrips infestation.  I moved on to the Magnolia to do battle with the remaining scale.  The purchased lacewings emerged and presumable got to work, but the damaged leaves had to be removed.

Should the wasp’s nest stay or go? Further reading in an article from Purdue University suggests leaving the nest intact.

Most home owners do not realize that wasp nests are cleaned out each fall by the wasps themselves. The empty nests contain nothing but the outside paper shell at that time. This too will break down and disintegrate through the winter. Wasps never re-use the same nest from season to season, so letting mother nature take care of them through time, is usually the best control method we have.

For now, that’s exactly what we plan to do.

•More about wasps from National Geographic.
•Leaving the nest: a perspective from Purdue University Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab.

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Looking up at the Cosmos

 

Looking up at the cosmos this evening was a treat. I fell in love this summer with these magnificent flowers.  Like any new love, I’ve enjoyed the novelty and discovery of uncharted territory.

Writing about cosmos for this blog and snapping dozens of photos along the way has enriched my garden experience. I’ve captured small changes I might have otherwise missed in pictures and prose.  Such simple pleasures.

All week I’ve wanted to gather a few seeds, but the heat has been oppressive. This evening, after an hour of tending to the less glamorous garden chores, I sat cross-legged in front of the cosmos and took a moment to enjoy the view.  Then, using a soft toothbrush, I swept up the seeds gathering on the pumpkin leaves below.  I’ll package some of the seeds for holiday gifts and the rest will be carefully stored in my Seed Keeper for next year.  I’ve spotted several black and white songbirds lately, so I’ve left plenty of seeds behind for them too.

Seeds safely stowed, I rolled on my back and took a few photos from the ground looking up.  For a moment in time I was a girl again, lying barefoot on the grass, eyes skyward.  Time for a bit of daydreaming until reality intrudes.

Cosmos looking up

Cosmos Looking Up

Cosmo seeds

Cosmo Seeds

Cosmo seeds

Cosmo seeds at the Beach

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Allium Stellatum by Nightfall

I see beautiful white stars on this hot summer night, though I’ve cast my eyes down, not up. By the light of the moon, Allium Stellatum, also known as  Prairie Onions, are covered in tiny, star-like blooms.  The Allium set buds nearly two weeks ago. This evening they’re covered in flowers.  A light, sweet onion scent lingers above the soil

Many flowers close up shop for the evening. It’s a nice surprise finding these tiny flowers wide awake and enjoying the August heat.

Allium Stellatum or Prairie Onion

Allium Stellatum or Prairie Onion

Allium Stellatum

Star light, star bright

True star-gazers might catch a falling star tonight as the Perseids shower the night sky with meteors.  They will reach their August peak this weekend, visible to the naked eye in most parts of North America.

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The Dulcet Sounds of a Fountain

Landscape designers call them “water features” and they can cost a pretty penny.  Our water feature is a faux stone fountain, purchased 15 years ago for $79.

Moving water soothes the senses.  It masks the uglier sounds of the suburbs like traffic or noisy neighbors.  If your lucky, it attracts wildlife, stopping by for a drink.

garden water fountain

Serenity

Even though we have an indoor water fountain for the cats, two of the four kitties prefer to drink from the outdoor fountain, green algae and all.  Squirrels hop on and off on occasion and I’m pretty sure the visiting raccoon washed his little hands in the splash after turning our lawn into a muddy mess.

Our small and unremarkable water feature brings serenity to the garden.  If you are lucky enough to live near the ocean or a lake, you’ll know exactly what I mean.  If not, consider investing in a bird bath, a small fountain or your own creative version of water in motion.

Here’s to peace and serenity.

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Blooming Thursday: It Must Be August

 

In the far corner of the garden, the Japanese Anemone are about to put on a show.  The plant is unremarkable most of the year, with a low, leafy green spreading across the rock wall.  After a winter die-back, they reemerge in the spring, gathering energy for the days ahead.

Anemone Buds

Anemone Buds

Anemone japonica white

Anemone Japonica ‘White’

July arrives and on cue, the Anemone burst forth sending out tall stems covered in lush green leaves. July is dress rehearsal.

japanese anemone flower

Anemone Bloom

Take a seat ladies and gentlemen, the show is about to begin.  The chorus lines the rock wall, tiny buds at the ready. When the curtain opens, dozens of white blooms take center stage.

Be sure to tell all your friends.  The show continues its run through late August.

 

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A Page From My Garden

Fun times at the computer today.  I finally got the hang of the Creative Memories StoryBook Creator software.   I tried out my skills creating a page of flowers from the garden.   If you’re remotely interested, I suggest you give it a whirl.  Once you’re over the proverbial hump, you’ll be amazed at what you can do.

Among the more interesting features: creating a “rubber stamp” effect using your photos or one of the “embellishments” from the library.  Also fun: matting your photo with an exact color from your picture.

I’ve been assembling scrapbooks since I was a girl.  Mom would make paste from flour and water, then she would line the kitchen table with newspapers and let us go to town.  My sister and I cut pictures from magazines and pasted away.  Who knew all these years later that I would be cutting and pasting with a computer?

Creative Memories Garden Page

Are you a ‘scrapper? Have you joined the digital bandwagon?