Gardening

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To Italy at Last

While planning our wedding in 1995, we talked about going to Italy for our honeymoon. We came to our senses, knowing how tired we would be, and agreed to travel to Italy another time.

Twenty-eight years later, that time is now. The travel to Europe from San Jose is grueling. We took an Uber to San Francisco International Airport, flew ten hours to Zurich, waited three hours to board a one-hour flight to Venezia, and then took a 40-minute water taxi to Piazza San Marco. We walked, perhaps crawled, to our quaint hotel from there, exhausted yet happy to be here.

This morning, we wandered the narrow streets of Venezia, traversing several bridges as we crossed canals, peering into shop windows, and pausing for refreshments at a cafe. Mid-day, we took a docent-led three-hour tour of the Doge’s Palace and the Basilica San Marco.

I learned so much along the way and thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous architecture, tiled mosaics, and the fantastic views from virtually every window we passed. We had an engaging and knowledgeable guide. Pictured above: Basilica, tour tickets, Doge’s Palace ceiling covered with painted wood and gold leaf, the Bridge of Sighs, and interior shots of the St. Mark’s Basilica

After the tour, we sat in the Piazza San Marco, listening to live music and amusing ourselves with the antics of the local, dare I say, bold pigeons. The birds landed on tables, on a few straw hats, and wooshed by at close range. One presumptuous pigeon briefly looked up my dress, perhaps waiting for crumbs that never fell. I’m sure the staff have chased off the pigeons many times, and it is clear the restaurants and cafes work hard to keep tables and floors clean. With patrons and small children offering food on the ground, I imagine it’s a lost cause. I kept a close eye on my food and wondered if they, too, were addicted to carbs.

Mike booked a restaurant a month ago so we would have a nice place to celebrate our anniversary. We walked twenty minutes from our hotel to la Zucca, crossing the famous Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal and pausing to take pictures.

We enjoyed a lovely meal in a charming, cellar-like room, the wooden walls lined with bottled wine and decorative gourds. Fabulous wait staff helped us feel at home, and Mike’s ability to order dinner in Italian added to the evening’s fun.

We shared a pumpkin mousse and vegetable compote, and I savored a vegetarian plate with rice and a glass of crisp white wine. Instead of a restaurant dessert, we opted for gelato on our walk back. All buildings here have a water door and a street door. This is the water door to our restaurant, though we walked in the old-fashioned way. Entering by boat would have been great fun. We walked 7 miles over the day.

Sunday is our last full day in Venezia. On Monday, we board a train for Firenze to see more of this beautiful country. I hope to write more from there. Ciao!

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ScrapHappy Wine Tags

I’m a day late for the monthly scrap-happy share, but I’m popping in any way to say, “cheers.”

If you’ve been following here for a while, you’ll recognize another page from my 2022 Bees & Honey wall calendar. The beautiful images feature in several scrappy projects. I used the heavier-weight cover paper to make eight wine glass tags.

The process is simple: I cut 2.5-inch circles from the calendar images, then cut a smaller circle from the center to go around the stem. Cut an opening along one side, and you’re good to go.

I made eight tags, including one that said “bee,” but I didn’t think it through. When I removed the inner circle, it said BS instead. Whoops. I cut one more, to make a G-rated set, though most of our friends would get a laugh out of the BS story.

Cheers!

If you’re a scrappy maker (paper, fabric, metal, etc.), consider joining us for this enjoyable endeavor.

Thanks as always, Kate. Please follow the links below if you would like to see what the other makers are up to.


Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda,

Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Tracy,

Jan, Moira,Sandra, Chris,

Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Gwen,

Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, Edith

Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,

Debbierose, Nóilin, Viv, Karrin,

Amo, Alissa, Lynn, Tierney, and Hannah

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Summer Winds Down

The certainty of shorter days and cooler nights is upon us, though our daytime temps remain warm. An uptick in squirrel activity tells me that autumn is coming. California gray squirrels live in trees, and although they don’t hibernate, they build up winter stores for the cooler months.

I harvested several sunflower seed heads and left them on our deck, but getting photos proved elusive. I finally captured a couple of shots last week, one of a squirrel on the sunflower stalk and later in a tree across the street with a mouthful.

This weekend, I spotted another squirrel at the base of the curb garden and managed a few shots. By Sunday night, most of the sunflower stalks had been bent in half, stripped of their seeds, and left for this gardener to clean up.

California gray squirrel eating sunflower seeds

I envy the squirrel’s agility and energy as they hurl themselves from tree branch to roof, then to the back of a narrow bench or railing. This year, I’m counting on them to plant next summer’s sunflower crop. Goodness knows they’ve had their fill.

In other garden news, a few late-season gladiolas popped up through the lavender along the deck. One of my alstroemeria protested its move from pot to pot, eventually throwing in the towel. I took advantage of the real estate and transplanted three or four succulents needing space to expand their roots.

The rock wall is awash with white anemones that have grown quite tall this year, thanks to a good soaking rain this past winter.

They look pretty in glass jars as well.

Anemones, salvia, and nepeta in glass jars.

The first bulb catalogs arrived in the post last week, full of spring promise. Planning a more cohesive planting this fall will be fun; it’s just weeks away. I might try one or two new varieties, but after 27 years of digging in my garden, I’m a realist. It’s too hot for cool-season bulbs, and tulips are like chocolate for squirrels. It’s best to skip the disappointment and plant what works.

Nothing compares to the anticipation of spring.

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Troubled Waters

Before stepping into a Tuesday meeting, I received two calls from Santa Clara County. A parole officer involved in writing a pre-sentencing report had my name as a contact concerning the fire set at St. Paul’s UMC in June of 2022. I volunteered with Lifted Spirits, serving unhoused women at the time. I called 911 when I smelled smoke, then encountered the man who had just set fire to the church sanctuary. If you’re interested in the whole story, you can read more here, here, and here.

The parole officer asked if I had any comments before the hearing and asked if I would attend. We’re traveling in the weeks leading up to the hearing so I left my comments with her. I said that if our community had a better handle on the unhoused situation and the lack of meaningful mental health care, things like this would be less likely to happen.

I’m not a mental health expert, but it was clear that the man who greeted me in the hallway that day, holding lighters in each hand, was not of sound mind.

I’m somewhat relieved that they charged him with “unlawfully causing a fire” or “reckless burning” instead of arson. He’ll receive a sentence of one year in the county jail plus a referral to the mental health court where he should have been all along. Arson carries a nine-year sentence.

Meanwhile, the church structure sits idle, the Lifted Spirits program is searching again for a new home, and the building will eventually be torn down and hopefully converted into low-income and student housing. St. Paul’s UMC is next to San Jose State University, where affordable housing is scarce, so something good can hopefully come of this.

Tomorrow is another day.

Yet another interview. Photo credit: Mary McCall
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Worrying and Gardening

Worrying about things out of my control never stops me from worrying about things that are out of my control. Ha! The sense of relief, when it passes, is palpable, and I understand that worry comes from fear. Still, it’s wasted energy and time better spent doing other things.

Southern California, home to family and friends, spent the weekend on hurricane watch, followed by threats of flash flooding and mudslides. My 22-year-old son lives in Southern California; however, he left for the weekend to attend a concert with friends in Las Vegas, where, you guessed it, they also had flash flooding. Now back in SoCal, all is well. The storms passed without any fatalities, and we were all relieved. It’s uncommon for hurricanes to land on our west coast shores. Hurricane Hilary is our state’s first tropical storm in over eighty years.

We welcomed the storm remnants here in San Jose on Monday. It lowered temperatures and produced an air-cleansing rain. I added support to the sunflowers late in the day to ease the battering of the wind. It won’t be long until they all go to seed, but I’m glad they remain standing for now.

In other garden news, our second attempt at growing tomato plants has been successful. We planted them in the front curb garden. I pulled the sad-looking remains of the tomato plants in the back garden—that last promising tomato providing a meal for a nocturnal visitor.

I watched a large opossum amble across the garden at dawn this morning and regretted leaving my camera phone indoors. We often see them along the fence line after dark, but it’s been years since one showed up in the garden.

Saturday, I spotted a tiny, green praying mantis on a bright pink Cosmo as I waited for Mike to back out the car.

I snapped a few shots, and a bee came to gather pollen. Neither of them seemed to mind the other. Two hours later, I rechecked the flowers, and the mantis remained there. The next day an orange butterfly joined the gathering, along with more bees. It’s a popular plant.

The bottom left pics show a brown mantis right side up, then hanging upside down. I wish I could do that.

I plan to add a page to my blog documenting the wildlife that visits the garden. Recording things appeals to my organizing side, and it’s a way to stay connected to the garden on these hot, dry days. The first day of autumn is one month away.

I’m looking forward to the seasonal change.

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ScrapHappy: Bookmarks and Craft Kits

It’s another ScrapHappy post inspired by Kate and her friend Gun.

I’ve made cards at my crafting table during the hottest part of these too-hot days. Card-making leads to scrap-making, and that’s what today’s post is all about.

I assembled twenty paper crafting kits and placed them near the children’s Little Free Library. They are always popular and fun (for me) if I’m lucky enough to be in my craft room when a young one claims one of the kits.

Using scraps passed on by my sister, I made an assortment of bookmarks for the Little Free Library.

I have a drawer full of beautiful ink, so I pulled out six to represent the rainbow.

I used stencils to add color, then stamped an image or a quote on the bookmark.

I applied ink to the last pair without using a stencil, and I like the look of the saturated inks.

My last make is a blend of scraps and upcycling. This beautiful envelope arrived with promotional material for Tommy Bahama stores.

I cut the most prominent section for the front of the card, adding a scrap of velum below. I fussy-cut the other flowers and used them to decorate the envelope. I have as much fun using new products as I do with scraps.

If you’re a scrappy maker (paper, fabric, metal, etc.), consider joining us for this enjoyable endeavor.

Thanks as always, Kate. Please follow the links below if you would like to see what the other makers are up to.


Kate, Gun,Eva, Sue,Lynda,
Birthe,Turid,Susan,Cathy, Tracy,
Jan, Moira,Sandra, Chris,
Claire, Jean, Jon,Dawn, Gwen,
Sunny,Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera,Edith
Ann,Dawn 2,Carol,Preeti,
Debbierose, Nóilin, Viv, Karrin,
Amo,Alissa, Lynn,Tierney and Hannah

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Katy Did It

While prowling the garden on Monday looking for vase material, I spotted a Katydid. They camouflage beautifully, so I’m surprised when I spot one. The sunlight must have highlighted the antennae.

Look closely at the leaf on the right. Below is a closeup.

Katydid on geranium

Occasionally I snap a photo and later discover an insect in the periphery. It’s a reminder that gardens support nature and, in turn, nature keeps things humming. Beneficial insects control the less desirable ones, and lizards, spiders, and opossums do the same.

Last night Mike stepped out to look for Tessa and nearly face-planted an orb weaver. The imposing spider spun her web from the edges of our patio umbrella to a nearby shrub and awaited her evening meal. When I checked this morning, our nocturnal arachnid had packed up shop and stored her things for the day.

My father taught me to honor spiders and bees at a young age. Years later, a friend and volunteer at the boy’s school garden shared the benefits of mantises to a garden ecosystem. I spotted a brown mantis near our compost bin while pruning a shrub last week and thought of Donna. The praying mantis crawled onto my gloved hand, and I pulled out my phone for a pic before it ventured off. It’s a bit blurry, but I had to act quickly.

When life gets you down, it helps to focus on gratitude. Today I’m grateful for a garden teaming with life, seen and unseen, all working in harmony to sustain this beautiful planet.

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Sake and Sunflowers: In a Vase On Monday

Cutting sunflowers for a vase was outside my plans. These lovely flowers attract birds, bees, and onlookers, and their presence is uplifting. I want the sunflowers to go to seed so I can offer them to neighborhood squirrels. Offer is a euphemism for “they’ll help themselves while I try to get photos.”

The flower pictured below, however, escaped from the bunch and gently curved across the sidewalk. I propped it up, and it fell again. The message couldn’t be any clearer.

Today’s vase is a sake vessel known as a Shuki. Mike acquired it before we met nearly thirty years ago, and I assumed it had sentimental properties. When I asked him about it this morning, he said, “I have no idea where I got it.” So much for sentimentality, eh, and now I have another container for cut flowers.

Along with the small sunflower, I’ve added burgundy-colored foliage from our Chinese Fringe plant Loropetalum chinense and a few cuttings from a Nandina Nandina domestica. The fern in the back grows prolifically from a plant that once thrived on my nightstand. It moved from container to container over the years but now lives in the soil along the back fence. I’ve had it for 35 years.

Thanks to “the Cathys,” who inspires this weekly challenge to cut and display flowers from one’s garden in a vase on Monday. IAVOM

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An Old-Fashioned Summer

We watched the much-anticipated Barbie movie this weekend, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie. The film is fast, fun, feminist, and empowering. It’s a feast for the senses, with gorgeous sets and costumes, fun dance numbers, wink-wink satire, and a beautiful message for all. Gerwig wrote and directed the film, and Robbie is one of the producers. Dame Helen Mirren narrates.

The critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes: “Barbie is a visually dazzling comedy whose meta humor is smartly complemented by subversive storytelling.”

Outside the theater, life-sized photo booths designed to look like a boxed Barbie added to the fun. I couldn’t resist.

Sunday morning, we ventured out to buy corn, peaches, apricots, and tomatoes at the last working orchard in San Jose. I chatted briefly with Mr. Cosentino, letting him know we appreciated his small farm stand, lovingly nurtured since 1945. It’s a gem, and so is he.

As we returned to the car, I asked Mike to snap this photo of me with a towering sunflower. For perspective, I’m 5’10” or 178 cm. This plant is by far the tallest sunflower I’ve seen. Given its proximity to the orchard, I imagine a squirrel planted and forgot about the seeds. This house has no garden to speak of, just a pair of majestic sunflowers.

Back in our garden, neighborhood squirrels continue to munch on Acer seeds, showing their agility as they move from branch to branch. They drink water from the fountain outside the window before bounding up the side of the tree.

It felt like an old-fashioned summer seeing a movie in a packed theater for the first time in three years, visiting the farm stand, and staying up too late on a warm Saturday night. I’m dreaming of a few more weekends just like it.

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News from the Garden

I planted Mammoth sunflower seeds in mid-May, and thanks to the squirrel-proofing domes, most of the seeds germinated.

Imagine my surprise when a second stand of sunflowers self-seeded, apparently immune to pilfering squirrels. The sunflowers I didn’t plant are over five feet tall, blooming in orange, yellow, and red. The Mammoth variety is heading skyward, but they have a way to go before reaching the promised height. Next year I’ll plant them sooner.

Another fun surprise has been the emergence of more California poppies Eschscholzia californica. The latest batch have an hombre-like coloring, with most of them growing up through dry gravel. Since they’re native to California, they adapt to a number of climates and water needs.

The assorted coleus Plectranthus scutellarioides are doing well on our deck, and one of the plants just flowered.

The leaf motif panel behind the planter box is a happy accident. I had a pair of these panels in the back garden under the neighboring pine tree. The heavy pruning of the pine tree last November damaged the support structure, separating the panels. I leaned them against the fence during the winter months; then, we moved one of them to this spot. It fits beautifully.

When my son moved in to his condo a few years ago, the homeowner left her patio plants behind. I inherited three healthy jade plants pictured behind the rocking chair. Lucky me!

The tomatoes have been ho-hum with just a few cherry tomatoes on offer. The plants were healthy, well staked, watered, mulched, with a bit of garden compost for good measure. They get full sun, a mild breeze and still not much going on. The strawberry plants were a complete bust. I’m too embarrassed to show you.

Check out our Bougainvillea! The vine grew slowly until July, but has grown exponentially in the last few weeks. This beauty nearly covers our bedroom window, providing much-appreciated shade. A variety of succulents grow below.

The California gray squirrel pictured below is feasting on seeds from the Acer palmatum, commonly known as Japanese maple, just outside the window. Moments later he jumped from the tree to the roof, upsetting the wind chimes and startling everyone including the cats.

One of my fairy gardens is deep undercover beneath this beautiful hydrangea. The miniature garden stays cool and sheltered all day. The pinks and blues of the Hydrangea macrophylla are slowing fading to pale green, but they’ve lasted for weeks in this gorgeous state. A few lingering, brightly colored nasturtiums wrap around the base of the fountain.

Thank you for joining me for my informal garden tour. There’s always more to see, and how I wish I could invite you over for tea and a chat on our deck.

In the meantime, I hope you are coping with the excessive heat or heavy flooding, too much or too little rain, wildfires, and all the other challenges nature is throwing our way.