March 25, 2014 by Born To Organize

Tools and Snails: This Way

Check out my new tool holder. My friend Nick made it from reclaimed fencing and ceramic knobs. Nick Timmerman is also the talent behind our Little Free Library. If you missed that post, you can read about it at Little Free Library: Books for Everyone.

Garden Tools, Reclaimed Fences

The tool holder is hanging from the side of the house near the vegetable garden. It’s great to have a handy place to put my oft-used garden tools. They’ll be right where I need them throughout the growing season. The arrow points away from the garden. It’s a subliminal message directed at the snails: lunch is that way. Nothing to see here, mollusks.

Ceramic knobs

Nick reclaimed the knobs from his mother’s former kitchen. They looked vaguely familiar at first, but I couldn’t recall why. Later I remembered buying the very same knobs for a project years and years ago.

What goes around, comes around, in more ways than one.

Thanks, Nick!

Memories, from the corners of my mind

March 24, 2014 by Born To Organize

EarthBox: Growing our Salad

Earth Box

Inspired by Pauline at The Contented Crafter, I planted an EarthBox™ this weekend with assorted salad greens. The heirloom tomatoes self-seeded this year and are well on their way. I’m looking forward to a summer full of fresh garden salads.

The EarthBox™ planting system is a great way to grow vegetables in small spaces. It’s a fully contained gardening system. The box comes with

an aeration screen
fill tube
Dolomite
Fertilizer
Mulch cover

You pack the lower corners of the box with potting mix, then add additional mix to the two-inch mark. On top of the mix you add a layer of Dolomite (premeasured and provided in the kit). After mixing in the Dolomite, you create a small trench down the center of the box and add the premeasured fertilizer. Finally, you add the remaining soil, the cover, and you’re ready to plant.

Our backyard garden has very little full sun. This box allows me to extend my growing space by wheeling it to the edge of the patio in the path of the sun. It’s a great system for first time gardeners, since all the guess-work is done for you. It conserves water, another plus since you add water through a fill tube. This encourages the water to flow to the bottom where the roots will follow. No surface drying and no leakage.

I used a similar product called a City Picker for last year’s tomatoes. The plants did well, but it was difficult to stake them in such a shallow pot. They’re growing in the raised beds this summer instead.

I added a band of copper tape barrier to the box and the lower rungs of the trellis. The tape creates a small electrical charge that snails won’t cross. It’s a cruelty-free, organic way to ensure snail-free salad.

Copper tape discourages snails

Copper tape on trellis

Last, but not least, I planted a handful of sweat peas from seed along the back of the box. (Thank you, Boomdee). If all goes according to plan, I’ll have a box brimming with purple flowers and fresh salad greens for months to come.

EarthBox™ (looking down)

Organic Mixed Lettuce

Additional Resources: How to plant an EarthBox™.

March 21, 2014 by Born To Organize

Vintage California: Stunning Display Garden

Tuesday night I attended a preview of the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. This year’s show features 16 display gardens in addition to plants, seeds and other garden wares for sale.

Vintage California won several awards and it’s easy to see why. Designed by Brian Koch of Terra Ferma Landscapes, the garden features an enormous orb built with discarded grape vines. I felt like a kid in a fort.

The structure is both ethereal and substantial, a bit reminiscent of a nest. I’m picturing birds swooping in and out of the branches while I sip my crisp glass of wine, below.

From the show’s site, Vintage California:

is a response to the wine country landscape and the periodic clearing of vines that have lost favor or popularity. This removal of vines is a process where large excavators scrape the landscape clean of the vines, posts and wires and then pile them up to be burned. Witnessing this take place while visiting wine regions has left a strong and lasting memory with us. The rustic beauty of the region and the interdependence of the winegrowers, the vines and, now, the natural ecosystems are what inspire us. The vine orb, which is the centerpiece of the design, is constructed of old vines that have outlived their value to the vineyards.

Vintage California
Terra Ferma Landscapes
Brian Koch, designer

I don’t know if it was intentional, but the row of grasses, planted on a gentle slope, are reminiscent of rolling hills of grapes. My in-laws had a small vineyard in Calistoga before they passed. I think they would have enjoyed this.

Underneath the vine orb

Inside the orb a low rock wall flanked both sides, with a small fountain between stones.

Centered under the vine orb

A clever use of sea glass and discarded wine bottles forms the floor of the garden. I was a bit tentative walking on it, but it proved substantial. Isn’t it pretty?

Clever markers, hand-stamped on scraps of wood

Throughout the garden, plant-markers sported hand-stamped descriptions on what looks like small scraps of wood. It added to the vintage vibe.

Exiting the garden

The garden, planted with greens and purple hues and the incredibly fragrant Jasmine is restful. Congratulations to the designer and his team.

If you live in the Bay Area, there’s still time to attend the show. It runs through Sunday, March 23rd. Tickets and info here.

March 20, 2014 by Born To Organize

Vernal Equinox, Always on Time

Variety adds spice, predictability keeps us grounded.

I enjoy the novelty of each season, and their predictable arrival. Though it feels like winter passed us by, the planet continues to rotate. Once a year I celebrate the Vernal Equinox, aka the first day of spring.

I found a super-cool site called Time and Date that spells out the specifics if you’re curious. I was. I love learning new things. As gardeners in the Northern Hemisphere welcome spring, green thumbs in the Southern Hemisphere are seeing in the first day of fall.

My celebration is simple: I plant. Nothing says spring like tucking seeds under the soil with optimism in your heart.

I also pulled weeds, topped of the planter boxes with rich soil, checked on the mini-greenhouse *and* remembered to do a good job with my sunscreen. Lindy kept me company, happy to be outdoors on this glorious day.

Lindy-lu

Planter boxes, rotating composter, mini-greenhouse and worm bin

The hummingbirds circled the feeder, jockeying for territory.

Swooping in for some nectar

They’re also drinking from the Abutilon lining the fence.

Abutilon lines the fence near the patio

I heard a squirrel overhead, and noticed activity in the little mason bee nesting house. What a day!

Mason Bee Habitat

How is this for serendipity: the lovely Boomdee sent me several packets of sweat peas, and they arrived yesterday! Perfect timing. She sent a purple variety as well so that my sister, Sharon can enjoy them when she’s here.

Goodies from Boomdee

To round out the day, I popped in to SummerWinds Nursery and picked up an EarthBox™ and some potting mix. I’m planting assorted lettuces in the front of the box, with the sweet peas in the back. The trellis from the now-deceased Hardenbergia is the perfect size. I’ve placed it at the edge of the lawn near the patio for easy viewing. I can’t wait to watch them grow.

There is much more to do, as their always is this time of year, but I enjoy it all. Wishing you the best of the new season, be it spring or fall.

March 19, 2014 by Born To Organize

Opening Night: San Francisco Flower and Garden Show

With my friend Candace wearing our beautiful Hawaiian leis.

Last night was great fun. I attended the opening night celebration of the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show.

We were ravenous when we first arrived, so we took a cursory look, then found the buffet. Sated, wine glass in hand, we sat near the podium where they announced the winners. Then we were off.

She showcase gardens are incredible works of art, combining plants and trees with hard-scaping. The effort it takes to install one of these gardens is monumental, but by the time we arrived, all was in place and looking fabulous. These shows are always crowded, so one of the best parts of attending last night was the smaller gathering of people. The downside is that we missed the commerce portion of the show, vendors selling garden-related fare as well as plants and seeds. I don’t *need* a thing, but it’s always fun to look.

There are 16 gardens displayed this year. American Community Garden Association created one of the designs. Three colleges, including Academy of Art University, Arizona State University and Foothill College presented collaborative efforts. The rest of the garden creators are professional landscapers and designers. They were all beautiful and incredibly diverse.

Here are a few (Note: the photos are mine, the descriptions come from the show program).

Sanctuary Steppes

Remember how excited you got as a kid when you used Mom’s bed sheet to make a tent in the backyard? You and your buddies thought it was the coolest thing ever. Yurts will have that effect on kids. As adults, our needs are more. Imagine a garden sanctuary where you enter a realm that soothes and calms. The healing plants or herbs are not just ornamental. Inside the yurt you touch the earth. You can even gaze at the stars through that opening. The paths are for walking meditation. The open courtyard and fire pit are for story telling late into the night. Other sculptural elements awaken us to be mindful of many things.

: Sanctuary Steppes
Garden Hortica, Jeffery Lim
Healing Spirit Plants, Richard Koenig
Village Yurts

The idea of a yurt in the middle of a garden sure sounds like fun. I love the surrounding paths and the beautiful plants.

Anchored

We are Inspired by the boatyards of the Northern California coastline. Like these yards, we use materials that are readily available, practical, and that we can find at low-cost. These materials include discarded decks, arbors, play structures, tailings, and concrete forms, and many, many fence boards. We bind these materials with metal fasteners and use them in new ways to create space, pattern and texture in our garden. Inspired by marine spirit, practical materials and modern lines, our garden introduces a refreshing style to the Bay Area garden.

Anchored: McKenna Landscape
Leslie McKenna

Anchored: Trying on the garden for comfort

Anchored: the long view

There were so many clever ideas in this garden. The top of the outdoor bar incorporated nautical rope under a piece of glass (see photo collage, bottom right). They used anchors and seashells throughout the design and beautiful reclaimed wood. The garden was warm and comfortable.

Days Gone By

Days Gone By demonstrates how a garden can embody the unique character of a place’s heritage while incorporating modern details that evolve and enliven it. All details were selected with functionality in mind. The paving in the garden is original cobble used in San Francisco streets in the 1800s, evoking a feeling of wandering through the city in humbler days.

We both took a turn on the garden swing and loved the cozy appeal. Everything in the garden is edible, including the cat grass planted beneath the swing.

Days Gone By
Hortisculpture Landscape, Rebecca Pollon
Extol Construction, Edwin Moriarty

Days Gone By: Espaliered fruit trees

I have more to share, so please stop by again soon. Meanwhile, what do you think so far? Can you picture yourself in one of these gardens?

March 18, 2014 by Born To Organize

San Francisco Flower and Garden Show

Guess where I’m going tonight?

I’m off to the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. It’s not longer in San Francisco, but in nearby San Mateo, but that is beside the point. It is so much fun.

I’ve attended this event in the past, but tonight is different. It’s the opening night celebration and a first peek at all the show gardens. Here’s is what the show coordinator has to say:

Be the FIRST to stroll through the fabulous gardens and gorgeous floral designs BEFORE the Show opens its doors. The party takes place right in the showcase gardens. Be greeted to the gardens with a floral lei compliments of the Hawaiian Islands. Sip a glass of wine as you stroll among the flowers. Listen to music by Grammy-award winning musician Ken Emerson and his band. Chat with the designers, enjoy hor d’oeuvres and watch the presentation of the coveted design awards before they are announced to the public.

Proceeds from tonight’s event supports the American Community Gardening Association: “Creating Community Through Gardening”

ACGA is a national organization of professionals, volunteers, grassroots gardeners and supporters of community greening in urban and rural communities. The Association recognizes that community gardening improves the quality of life for people by providing a catalyst for neighborhood and community development, conserving resources and creating opportunities for recreation, exercise, therapy, employment and education. To learn more about the organization visit their website at http://www.communitygarden.org/.

I’ll have lots to share later in the week so be sure to check back. Meanwhile, here are a few photos from last years show.

Larger than life globe covered in succulents

Garden seating

Whimsical waterfall

Restful sleeping under the stars
It always sounds good, but about those bugs…

Succulent garden

March 17, 2014 by Born To Organize

St. Patrick’s Day Whimsy

St. Patrick’s Day means different things to different people. For me it was always an excuse to wear green (my favorite color) and to act silly.

Image my delight to find another gardener in our neighborhood who feels the same way. I discovered her clever shrubs last fall on my morning walk. She prunes the plants into orbs, then gives them different haircuts. In October they had a Halloween theme. My one regret was not getting back there with my camera. Then last week, I saw this:

Neighborhood garden

This is a gardener with a fabulous sense of humour. I popped over there Sunday morning when the light was still good, and took some closeups of these delightful merry-makers.

Happy go lucky

Too much green beer?

Back home I spent a few hours greening up the fairy garden while visiting with my sister.

I may have to stay up all night to see if I spot fairies *and* leprechauns in the wee garden. Wouldn’t that be great fun?

Fairy garden

Creating fairy gardens is a wonderful way to relax. It blends creativity, a bit of gardening and the challenge of using what you have on hand. If you’ve never tried it, why not give it a go. You’re in for a pleasant surprise.

Even Kermit the Frog eventually agrees, it’s okay to be green. ♣♣♣

Just a hint of a rainbow

Follow the path

Can you see the pot of gold at the “end” of the rainbow?

The path offers a bit of camouflage

What’s in the Fairy Garden?

Miniature white cyclamen
Baby’s tears (transplanted from the back garden)
Miniature ‘trees’ (name escapes me)
The tiny frog and deer flew in from Canada (gifts from Boomdee)
The craft foam fence is a cast off from my son’s craft kit
I made the pot of gold from left over gold leaf, paper and a small clay pot
An old string bracelet is now a rainbow ‘flag’ near the pot of gold
The ‘flag pole’ is a piece of dried Hardenbergia vine, once wrapped around a trellis.
The shamrock buttons and green glass were a splurge from last year. Honestly, how can anyone resist shamrock sparkle buttons at eye level in the shop?

March 13, 2014 by Born To Organize

Tomatoes, Cubed

Last year I planted Baker heirloom tomatoes from seed, a gift from my nurseryman friend, Doug. They produced beautifully through the early fall.

Tomatoes on the vine, 2013

Tomato seeds are small, so I left a glob of wet seeds together to dry on a piece of cardboard. I usually dry seeds on wax paper, but I was fresh out, so I used the back of a tea box instead. Once dried, all the seeds stuck to the paper. No worries. I just stored them in a glassine bag, cardboard and all. Earlier this week I planted the seeds along with the cardboard in my mini green house. We’ll see how it goes.

Tomatoes, squared:

In order to hedge my bets, I bought a packet of seeds from fellow blogger Stacey Weichert at Down To Earth Digs. The seeds from Stacey’s garden are also heirloom. She calls them Natures Riddle. They came packaged in a cute paper envelope. You can check them out at her Etsy shop.

Tomatoes to the third power:

While busy saving and buying seeds, my garden bed had a good chuckle and then planted a few of its own. They’re spaced nicely, too so minimal thinning required. Prior experience tells me that these volunteers will be a hardy bunch. Since I planted five or six varieties last year, I don’t know which ones will come up.

Volunteer tomatoes

Tomatoes cubed:

The mathematical goddess of tomatoes is really having a good time with me. One small tomato plant seeded and grew out of the bottom of my cylinder composting bin. I don’t know what it’s chances of survival are, but I’m inclined to let it grow and see what comes of it. Plenty of people grow tomatoes upside down in Topsy Turvy containers. Why not a compost bin?

Compost tomato

Composting bin, the long view

In the world of gardening, anything can happen between now and tomato time. Blight, tobacco horn worms, the Cosmos. Preferring the optimists path however, if things work out I’ll be giving away little tomato plants all over town.

I’ll leave you with this funny quote:

“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing that a tomato doesn’t belong in a fruit salad.”

― Miles Kington

March 12, 2014 by Born To Organize

Tackling the Vine

I moped on the couch for a while this morning, nursing my second cold in as many weeks. Then I hauled myself back up and went outside. The sun is shining today with a high of 77 degrees F (25 degrees C). Cold or no cold, I needed to be outside in that fresh air. Lindy, Slinky and Mouse all thought so too, so they followed me outdoors.

After wandering around the garden, I donned my gloves and my shears and tackled one of my projects: the now deceased Hardenbergia vine.

Dismantling the vine

Digging it up wasn’t possible, but at least I could cut back the woody vines. I used my “Martha Stewart” ruby saw and a pair of lopping shears and chopped the vine back to the roots. Over the past decade, the Hardenbergia gradually wound its vines around the trellis, rooting it to the ground below. I pruned away the dead wood in parts, a bit like disassembling a puzzle.

“Puzzle” pieces

When done, I poked around in the soil in search of clues. No obvious sign of the plant’s demise was evident (like a gopher or a fungus). Perhaps it was just time.

Rope like vines embrace the trellis

Beauty, even in death

Now that the vine and trellis are out, I’m giving some thought to the replacement. The Hardenbergia required a major pruning once a year, a task that had me up on the ladder for long stretches of time. Planting something closer to the ground is more my speed these days.

Please stay tuned!

March 11, 2014 by Born To Organize

About That Grass

Three weeks ago I hauled out my shovel and my grubs and got to work digging up the grass. Not all the grass, but a small swath surrounding the curb garden and the Chinese Pistache. Baby steps.

The plan is to replace it with drought-tolerant ground cover or small paving stones. Removing the grass is also better for the tree. Most trees need very little water once established. Ours is no exception.

This is my attempt to reduce the ‘footprint’ of the lawn in our parched corner of the world. We re-landscaped our front yard about three years ago, in part to install a ramp. My sister, who struggles with MS, could barely make it over the threshold of our home. We removed the original lawn, put in a deck and the ramp, then rounded things out with shrubs…and more grass. Although the square footage is less, I still find myself feeling a bit guilty offering a drink to a thirsty lawn during a drought.

Any way, back to the shovel and grubs. I worked for an hour and this is all I have to show for it.

Digging up some lawn

It was much harder than I thought it would be. I don’t have the tools (nor the spine) to complete it. I feel a bit defeated by it all, as this was my idea, and I really want to see it through. I’m having to face the challenges of aging joints, old injuries and the reality that I’m not in my twenties any more…or thirties…and so on.

Plan B is to hire some help. I have three projects that need more strength then I can muster:

removing a thick, dead vine,
replacing what’s left of the lavender, and
getting rid of the swath of grass.

One of our beloved Hardenbergia died last year. It used to cover the entire fence in the spring and summer with stunning purple blooms. I pruned it back each year, and it returned bigger and brighter than ever…and then it didn’t. I waited an entire year, because I hate giving up on plants. Not the tiniest sign of life. It needs to go.

Lavender lines the deck

The lavender is dwindling, too, for reasons unknown. We started with five plants lining the deck. Four thrived, one struggled and finally died. Last fall, a second one died and then the frost hit. They’re all looking pretty sad. I figured it was a good time to take them out and replace them with drought-tolerant Salvia (Mexican Bush Sage). Saliva is also a beautiful purple, and it attracts hummingbirds and bees. Once established, it doesn’t need any water! You can’t beat that.

Those are my big projects for the season, and I can’t do any of them myself. I’m struggling with that, but at the same time need to face this reality and get on with it. My sister helps me keep it all in perspective.

Aging is not for the faint of heart.