May 29, 2014 by Born To Organize

Triangle Garden: Come What May

Sidewalk view

My little triangle garden is filling out nicely. It’s the end of May and the mystery seedlings finally revealed themselves. Surprisingly, only one of them turned out to be a Cosmo.

A single Cosmo

The purple flower with the dark center remains a mystery. I’ve tried a Google search by image and description, but can’t seem to get a hit. Any ideas? Just before it opens, the bud looks like a paper lantern.

Unknown

Other than the Statice which wintered over and handful of transplanted pansies, the rest of the flowers ‘volunteered’ from last year.

I scattered a packet of seed mix in the remaining open spaces, hoping it all fills in with what the garden centers like to call ‘a riot of color.’ So far, purple rules the day.

Gardening from seeds is so darn fun.

Bachelor Buttons

May 28, 2014 by Born To Organize

Books from Down Under

Anne Lawson is a talented botanical artist and blogger living in Australia. She says she is:

fascinated by natural objects like seed pods, shells and leaves. But most especially feathers. I pick them up, admire them, draw them. I have a cupboard full of feathers that are my inspiration. (Lucky that they are as light as a ………!)

Lucky for me, Anne is also a lover of books with a generous heart. Anne mailed two beautifully illustrated children’s classics with the inscription “All the way from Australia” for our Little Free Library.

Possum Magic by Mem Fox

Possum Magic by Mem Fox happens to be one of my favorites. Ironically, we once owned an autographed copy when we met the author at a children’s bookstore. We gave our copy to a friend when my boys outgrew it. I’m delighted to add a new copy to the library.

I’m not familiar with the second book, To the Top End: Our Trip to Australia.The illustrations are fabulous, so I’m excited to dive in. I’ll enjoy reading it a few times before it makes its way to the curb. Children’s literature holds a special place in my heart.

To the Top End: Our Trip Across Australia

Anne also sent several of her hand drawn and painted book marks. Aren’t they fun?

Anne Lawson Design bookmarks

Thank you Anne, for your lovely gifts.

If you’re not already following along, you can read her blog and see her botanical art at Anne Lawson. Check our her Etsy shop too at Anne4bags.

Little Free Library books from around the world

May 27, 2014 by Born To Organize

Sombody’s Watching Me

Do you remember the hit single from the mid-eighties I always feel like, somebody’s watching me?

I snapped several photos on a recent hike, and the song’s lyrics came to mind. I watched the video, and promptly developed an ‘earworm.’ Since the tune is rattling around in my head today, I thought I would share Rockwell’s lyrics with my photos from the trail.

Who’s watching?
Tell me who’s watching.
Who’s watching me?

I’m just an average man, with an average life.
I work from nine to five; hey hell, I pay the price.
All I want is to be left alone in my average home;
But why do I always feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone, and

I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
And I have no privacy.

Woh, I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
Tell me is it just a dream?

When I come home at night.
I bolt the door real tight.
People call me on the phone I’m trying to avoid.
Well, can the people on T.V. see me.
Or am I just paranoid?

When I’m in the shower.
I’m afraid to wash my hair.
‘Cause I might open my eyes
And find someone standing there.
People say I’m crazy.
Just a little touched.
But maybe showers remind me of
“Psycho” too much.
That’s why. . .

I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
And I have no privacy.
Woh, I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
Who’s playing tricks on me?

Who’s watching me?
I don’t know anymore . . . are the neighbors watching
Who’s watching?
Well, it’s the mailman watching me: and I don’t feel safe anymore.
Tell me who’s watching.
Oh, what a mess. I wonder who’s watching me now,
(WHO?) the I.R.S.?

I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
And I have no privacy.
Woh, I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
Who’s playing tricks on me?

I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
I always feel like somebody’s watching me.

I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
And I have no privacy.
Woh, I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
I can’t enjoy my tea.

I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
I want my privacy.
Woh, I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
Woh, I always feel like somebody’s watching me.
Stop playing tricks on me

May 22, 2014 by Born To Organize

Sunflowers Under Cover

A few years back, I had to plant my sunflower seeds three times. The first crop, lovingly planted with my son, disappeared. I’m not naming names, but I saw this little fella in the neighborhood around the same time.

Doesn’t he look guilty?

I planted the second batch indoors, then transplanted them, but they were leggy and weak.

Refusing to be outsmarted yet again, I came up with a solution after wandering around the hardware store. I bought small screens, designed to be placed in windows for about $6 a piece. Any money I saved buying seeds instead of starter plants went out the window that year, but since then, they’ve proved to be an investment. I even loaned them to a friend off-season to rabbit-proof one of her plants. You can read my screen saver tutorial here.

This year, I simply planted the seeds and immediately covered them. Within two weeks, they’ve sprouted and grown. Once they’ve set true leaves, I’ll uncover them and off we’ll go.

Screen Savers protect this year’s crop

They’re not pretty, but they get the job done and they are only there temporarily. Mouse keeps a close eye on things.

Screening allows air and water to circulate

Budding sunflowers

I planted two varieties this year, both from Botanical Interests®: Sunflower Snacker and Sunflower Florist’s Sunny Bouquet, both Helianthus annuus (hybrid). The Snackers, planted in the back row, will grow 6′ – 8′ tall (1.8 – 2.4 m). The Florist’s Sunny Bouquet are a shorter variety, reaching 4′ – 5′ tall (1.2 – 1.5 m).

Please pop by again for updates. Meanwhile, how do you outsmart the foragers in your neighborhood?

May 21, 2014 by Born To Organize

Starter Pumpkins

Aren’t these the sweetest?

Starter Pumpkins

My friend Stephanie’s young daughter ‘M’ crafted these for seed starters . She used the base of a water bottle, then decorated each one with colorful duct tape.

Duct Tape Planting Pots

She delivered them with her dad over the weekend and I planted them today. In one of those serendipitous moments, I realized I had an open space in the center of my EarthBoxes® just waiting to be filled. So I tucked my newest pumpkin starter into the opening of the Jack ‘o-lantern box. It already looks right at home.

EarthBox Pumpkins making space for the new addition

I planted the second plant in the curb garden. It gets full sun all day, and will have a long stretch of gravel to spread out as it grows.

With some trepidation, I planted the third starter in the back. Squash bugs beware! I’ll be keeping a close on that one.

Thank you ‘M’ for your kindness and generosity. It will be such fun watching them grow.

Meanwhile, here is the progress of our deck-top pumpkins, week three. My how they’ve grown.

Healthy Pumpkin Plants Line the Deck

Fabulous tips for growing pumpkins from The Older Farmer’s Almanac.

May 20, 2014 by Born To Organize

Wildflower Hike

Karen and Dylan weren’t able to join me on Monday for our walk. Instead I hiked the Quicksilver trail on my own in search of wildflowers. I hoofed it up the hill and got my heart rate going, but I also enjoyed the opportunity to stop several times along the way.

The hills, parched and dry, are a worrying site this early in the year. Most of the grass along the trail’s edge is golden brown instead of green.

View of Silicon Valley from the Almaden Quicksilver Trail

Here and there, though I spotted tiny dots of color. It stands to reason that wildflowers native to our region are able to withstand the drought.

Here’s a sample:

Santa Clara County wildflowers

This reminds me of a delicate orchid

I also passed several happy pooches enjoying the trail. A few of them stopped for a photo-op, but they were more interested in walking and playing.

Cutie-patootie number one

Cutie-patootie number two

Birds flew in and out of the dry brush, camouflaging well among the branches.

Can you see me now?

Half way down the hill, I heard a cacophony of birds in one tree, clearly distressed. Here’s a sample:

I strained to see what I assumed was a predator, moving the lens of my camera back and forth. In the split second it took to adjust my eyes, I spotted the hawk. Just as quickly it flew away, a jay hot on its tail. My reflexes just weren’t fast enough.

Steller’s Jay

On the other hand, I’m pretty sure I spotted a Who from the beloved book Horton Hears a Who! That, my friend, made my day.

Who-ville? Who knows.

May 19, 2014 by Born To Organize

Dedicating the Little Free Library

Warm temperatures and a cool breeze were a welcome gift Saturday during the Little Free Library dedication.

The idea for little libraries started in Wisconsin in 2009

Todd Bol built a model of a one-room schoolhouse as a tribute to his mother, a former school teacher who loved reading. He filled it with books and put it in his front yard. His neighbors and friends loved it, so he built several more and gave them away. Each one had a sign that said FREE BOOKS.

Little Free library.org is now a non-profit as well as a movement, spreading the love of reading around the world.

I dedicated The El Codo Way Little Free Library, to two of our local teachers, Debbie Hughes Judge and Carolyn Sullivan. Carolyn and Debbie (now retired) are highly regarded 2^nd grade teachers at Bagby Elementary School. They were instrumental in supporting the Books at Home program at Bagby that encouraged disadvantaged youth to read at home over the summer. They’ve both been a tremendous personal support to me as well.

Here are a few highlights of the day:

We served cookies and water on the lawn and deck. Attendees took home a bookmark made from a unique collection of Pixar Animation postcards. No two were alike.

Postcard bookmarks

Additional thanks to Candace Levers for donating Vision Literacy bookmarks to the LFL. You can read more about their mission at VisionLiteracy.org.

There has been such an outpouring of support for our library. It’s easy to see why they’ve caught on around the globe.

May 16, 2014 by Born To Organize

Succulents ♥ Heat

While I’m not a fan of the heat, the succulents sure are. Amazingly, I’m only watering them about every ten days. They look refreshed, don’t they?

Senecio Vitalis

Panda Plant ‘Kalanchoe tomentosa’ from Madagascar

Echeveria agavoides * Echeveria peacockii * Rainbow Elephant Bush Portulacaria afra ‘Variegata’

A certain feline enjoys rubbing his fluffy white cheeks along the edge of the pot. He’s probably about to whisper “how do you manage to look so good in this heat?”

Remember to stop and smell the flowers

Felis catus

Thankfully,the high today is only 88 °F (31 °C ). It’s cooler still on Saturday which is such a relief. Our Little Free Library dedication is tomorrow at 3:00 so if you are in the area, please join us.

Little Free Library surrounded by roses and sweet peas

Have a terrific weekend.

May 15, 2014 by Born To Organize

What’s on Deck?

With the ‘rainy’ season behind us (ahem), I’ve pulled out the seat covers and the mat for our front deck. The deck feels like an extra room for about six months of the year. We generally put up an awning as well, but we waited for the winds to die down. Now it’s so hot, that we’re more comfortable indoors.

Ready for summer

That took about 30 seconds

I’m trying something different on the deck this season: pumpkins. Pumpkins growing in EarthBoxes® to be precise. We’ve grown pumpkins in the back garden for many years with great success. Last year, however, this happened:

Unwelcome Squash Bugs

Squash bugs. Voracious, pumpkin-eating, squash bugs. I salvaged what I could by harvesting early, but not without casualties. I crossed my fingers that they would die off over the winter and all would be well. Ha! Thanks to our unseasonably warm *and* dry winter, they’ve seasoned over. I spotted one in the garden last month.

I just couldn’t face another infestation, so I’m trying a covert operation instead. I’ve surreptitiously planted the seeds in the EarthBoxes®, far from the vegetable beds along the deck. My hope is that mum’s the word. One of my readers suggested planting a decoy out back, and I may well do that too. I have plenty of extra seeds.

EarthBox® pumpkins

This year’s selection includes three seed types: an assortment of saved seeds from last year (the mystery box) along with Botanical Interests Jack-o’-lanterns and Luminas. Mystery seeds are always fun to grown. Three months from now, we’ll be pleasantly surprise. My son requested carving pumpkins this year and the Luminas are one of my favorites.

The EarthBoxes® escaped the squirrels notice, but not my paintbrush. Pauline and Boomdee convinced me that bling adds zing, so I put my Martha Stewart stencils to use. I don’t have the free hand skills to paint flowers and leaves, but I can definitely paint a stencil! It’s good fun, too.

Seed packets, stencils and the finished boxes

Do you have season-changing rituals?

May 14, 2014 by Born To Organize

Heat and Water

First, the heat.

Our forecasted high for today is 100F (38C). It’s going to be hot again tomorrow and Friday before cooling down for the weekend. I have both the temperament and the complexion for the British Aisles, so this weather puts me out of sorts. Mouse agrees.

Mouse Trying to Cool Off

My lettuce looks a bit on the wilted side, but the rest of the garden crops are enjoying the summer. (Oh wait, it’s still spring…it’s hard to tell anymore). The pumpkin seedlings are up, the raspberries are flourishing and the tomatoes are yelling, ‘look ma, I’ve grown!’

Sprouting Pumpkins

Tomatoes and Raspberries Enjoy the heat

Unfortunately we’re in the middle of a terrible drought. Above-average temperatures further evaporate our low reservoirs. Dry grasses increase fire risk.

Which brings me to water.

I met with Cheri Garza of San Jose Water Company for a household water audit. She really knows her business, and taught me a lot. Outdoors, she inspected the hose bibbs, our irrigation system, the irrigation schedule and the water main. She tested for leaks and watering efficiency, then measured the square footage of our lawn. She liked the sidewalk strip conversion (we removed the lawn and capped several sprinkler heads. She said a lot of water goes to waste in the strip.

Indoors, she checked faucets, showers and toilets in each bathroom, then checked the kitchen faucet, dishwasher and washing machine.

On the plus side, our indoor water usage is efficient. All the faucets, toilets and showers use 2 gallons per minute or less. I do minimal hand-washing , which is less efficient than a fully loaded dishwasher and the same for clothes washing. The down side is that it will be harder to reduce when mandatory rationing sets in.

Outdoors, however, there are many ways to improve our water efficiency. San Jose Water is offering partial rebates and we qualify for all three. They allow you one year from the date of the audit to complete the projects. Originally they rebated seventy-five cents per square foot. They’ve increased that amount through September to $2 per square foot if you replace water-thirsty lawn with approved native and drought tolerant plantings.

The second rebate offers up to $5 per sprinkler head. Our sprinklers are only four years old, but the new and improved Rainbird U-Series uses up to 30% less water.

The third rebate went into effect in January and applies to a graywater system. Water savings amounts to 17 gallons per person, per day, or on average 14,565 gallons per household per year. I need to do my research on this, but on the surface, I love it. You divert graywater from your washing machine and use it to water non-edible landscaping.

Water Wise Group graywater/greywater system

Here are a few general tips for water savings outdoors:

Drip irrigation is the most efficient way to water landscaping.
Water in the morning, to reduce evaporation
In California, turn off your irrigation system completely in December until mid-March.
Water your lawn for three to seven minutes, three to four days a week.
Go Native! Attract birds and beneficial insects and at the same time conserve water

To save water indoors: