March 10, 2014 by Born To Organize

Up Pop the ‘Daffies

Things are popping up all over the garden. Don’t you love this time of year?

With plenty of evidence of a squirrel invasion and the later-than-recommended planting date, I tried to keep my expectations low. I’d seen daffodils in full bloom throughout the neighborhood,but mine were still a no-show.

A watched pot never boils, so I feigned indifference. Up popped the ‘Daffies. I planted fifty of them in the curb garden, interspersed with last year’s perennials. I lost count due to feline distractions, but I’m pretty sure most of them came up.

Daffodils break ground

Chocolate mint

Mint is a bit like ivy. It will rule the garden if left undisturbed. So with a watchful eye, I hope to encourage the mint to trail over the edges of the garden bed, to leave plenty of room for everything else. It’s beautiful and fragrant and super easy to grow.

I think this is Thyme

I think this is Thyme, but don’t remember planting it.I looked at my planting list, and thyme wasn’t included. That’s okay, though. I like a little mystery in a garden.

Feline border patrol

Mighty Mouse, my feline adviser wouldn’t take no for an answer. He hounded me throughout my rounds, insisting I pick him up. I rested my foot on the support of the box and he made his move. His special party trick involves springing from the ground on to my shoulder or my back. It’s fine in the winter months when I’m wearing a jacket, but summer shoulder-hopping is strongly discouraged. Ouch!

Curb Garden

That’s the long view of the curb garden. We’re just ten days away from the Northern Hemisphere’s first day of spring. I. Can’t. Wait!

March 7, 2014 by Born To Organize

Photo Op: Birds of a Feather

Camera shy

Bottoms up

Lovely silhouette

Four-in-one fruit tree in bloom

I’ve been trying all week to get a decent photo of our four-in-one fruit tree. Earlier in the week it was grey and the photos reflected that. Now that the sun is out, I’m having trouble getting the contrast. So, here is my attempt at a photo of the tree. Please use your imagination when I say it is quite beautiful. I wish I could share it with you up close.

On the plus side, it was delightful watching the little yellow-breasted birds flitting from branch to branch. I’m not sure if they are eating part of the flower, or an insect under the bloom. The tree saw all sorts of activity this week. I’ve counted hummingbirds, bees and yellow finches among the visitors and could hear mourning doves nearby. Hurray for the sounds of early spring.

March 6, 2014 by Born To Organize

If it Were a Snake

Do you know the expression If it were a snake, it would have bit me?

According to the Urban Dictionary, the expression is commonly used in the southern United States, when after searching for a misplaced item, you discover it right in front of you.

Last year I bought a canister of wildflower seeds, planning to scatter them in the new curb garden. It would be a fun activity with the wee gardeners next door. They had such a good time planting and harvesting carrots.

As happens in life, one thing lead to another and before I knew it, time was running out. I searched high and low throughout the garage for those seeds, but to no avail. After a cursory search, I went back and did a methodical search. Still nothing. Then the self-doubt crept in. Did I just *think* I bought them, but only thought about it? Could I blame this on ‘menopause brain’? Where is that canister of seeds?

You know where this is going, don’t you?

While putting away my bucket of tools, I noticed a *bag* of wildflower seeds. Head slap. I didn’t buy the canister after all, I bought the bag. Since I was looking for a canister, my eyes continuously bypassed the bag of seeds staring right at me from the shelf.

Wildflower Mix

I had a good laugh at myself, before putting the bag back where I found it. I would not be fooled again. The first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere is two weeks from today. This time I’m ready.

Has this sort of thing ever happened to you?

March 5, 2014 by Born To Organize

Garden Peas Last Stand

It’s time.

I waited to see if the garden peas would return after five punishing days of frost last November. Luscious green pods covered the plant for a time, with a promise of many more. When the frost hit (early and rare for us) I wasn’t prepared. By the end of that week it was too late. The remaining peas froze on the vine, eventually shriveling to a dusty brown.

Always an optimist, I left the plant in place hoping it might recover. It did! In the last few weeks, the plant sent out a second round of flowers and legumes, plump and sweet.

After this last push, the plant looks spent. Soon I’ll be planting Sweet Peas in the same place. Keeping it all in the family.

I will definitely grow this winter crop again next year, but I’ll be better prepared.

Meanwhile, if you have a favorite recipe for pea soup, please share in the comments below.

Garden peas

I love the pretty white flowers

Last hurrah

March 4, 2014 by Born To Organize

Four-in-One Fruit Tree

Fruit tree tags

A couple of you have asked for more info on our four-in-one fruit cocktail tree. I think the idea is genius. One tree receives three additional grafts of different fruit. In our case, the tree grafts include peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums.

We first learned about these trees from our neighbor, Gwyn. She’s in the process of creating an edible front garden. Pretty cool, eh?

My then ten-year-old son was so excited with the idea that he asked for one for his birthday. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving. The tree turns five this year. Sadly, we lost one of the grafts, the smallest and weakest of the four. The other three remain healthy and strong.

This is the perfect tree for gardening in small spaces. You get to grow multiple varieties on one tree. They even fruit at different times! Trees are available with up to six grafts in a related family. You can buy citrus, stone fruit or apple.

Our tree is in bloom with three distinct flowers. The bees arrived in between the storms. Don’t you just love that steady hum of industry?

Plum blossoms

Apricot buds

Peach buds

You can read more about ‘fruit salad trees” here. Please let me know if you plant one of your own.

March 3, 2014 by Born To Organize

Generous Spirits, Caring Hearts

The goodness of bloggers abounds.

Bloggers near and far filled my mailbox these past several weeks with treasures of hand-made goodness. I’ve never met the bloggers at In Search of it All or Garden Sunshine. Before blogging, I’d never meet Boomdeeadda either. Yet they all have one thing in common: a generous spirit and a sharing heart.

Once upon a time there were pen pals. You mailed letters to someone you didn’t know who lived on the other side of the world. If you were lucky, they wrote back. Now we blog.

Gardening Nirvana came to life as a place to write about the things I love. I never dreamed of the community that would gather around it. Who could imagine the connections, the learning, the support and the fun that blogging had in store? I came for the writing and stayed for the friends.

If you blog with regularity, you know what I mean. If you’re new to the medium, you have wonderful things to look forward to. Finally, if you’ve never blogged, start today. You’ll be glad you did.

In Search of it All

The lovely, lace embroidery, below was a ‘just because’ gift from Marlene Herself at In Search of It All. Isn’t it beautiful? Marlene blogs from the northern state of Oregon. She describes herself as “a young at heart senior citizen that still has more questions than answers.” She enjoys reading, sewing, quilting and of course writing. Pop on over to her blog to read her unique perspectives of the world. You’ll be glad you did.

Embroidered lace snowflake by Marlene Herself

More embroidered lace from Marlene

Garden Sunshine

Diane blogs from Ontario, Canada. She shares her gardening progress on 7+ acres of land at Garden Sunshine. Her photos and projects are stunning. Garden Sunshine sent the blue heart pin, cotton square and calendar, lovingly crafted while she waits for the sun to shine again. Apparently I’m her top commenter. Who knew? Thank you for the shower of gifts.

Stars and hearts pin crafted by Garden Sunshine

Hand-knit cotton square by Garden Sunshine

Garden Sunshine photo calendar and notebook

Boomdeeadda

For those of you familiar with the “Boom Room”, it will come as no surprise that this little treasure arrived from Edmonton, Canada via Boomdeeadda. Kelly describes herself as “living the dream with Mr Right and two rescue cats, Petals & Blossum. Life and Love is enhanced by the many on going projects. This is a Journal of these and other bits along the way.”

Through blogging we’ve formed a close friendship. We celebrate our kindred spirit, which extended beyond blogging into texting, phone calls, Skype sessions and in-person visits. Next stop, the Ellen Show. ;-)

Hand made goodness from Boomdeeadda

Virtual Gifts

Special thanks (and apologies for not acknowledging this sooner) to Pauline at The Contented Crafter. I appreciate your kindness and support.

A warm thank you to Val at Nikitaland for passing on a bit of sunshine. Much appreciated.

February 28, 2014 by Born To Organize

Friday Flowers

The rain continues. I had a white-knuckled drive across the valley this afternoon, with bits of flooding across the freeway. I’m happy to be home and enjoying the rain with my feet firmly planted on the ground. Flash-flooding is inevitable with so many months of parched earth.

Hopefully we can weather this storm without loss or injury. Everyone forgets how to drive on wet roads.

Traffic conditions aside, what a happy soaking in the garden. Signs of spring were everywhere this week. Come take a look:

Coral Abutilon

Fragrant freesia

Garden peas

First tulip

Jasmin buds

Sweet Alyssum

February 27, 2014 by Born To Organize

Raspberry Teasers

Two summers ago the raspberry vines produced mouth-watering fruit. Many a summer’s day, we would head to the garden after dinner and eat them right off the vine. They were melt-in-your mouth delicious.

Last year I transplanted the vines to make room for an impromptu pumpkin patch. They pumpkins self-seeded in the compost bin and needed a place to grow. The raspberry canes grew into vines, but not a single berry. Not one! We missed them terribly.

For years I bought beautiful red berries at the market, only to be disappointed by the taste. After growing them I learned that the mouth-watering taste was in the dark berries. Red fruit looks pretty in the market, but doesn’t come close to delivering on taste.

I’m happy to report that the vines have recovered. They’re sending out healthy green leaves along their prickly, red stalks. Stage one is looking good. Next up: white flowers. Then I’ll know we’re back in business.

Raspberry vines and daffodils

Will the vines produce fruit? Only the shadow knows for sure

Healthy foliage, happy gardener

So, here I am counting my berries before they grow, but I can’t help myself. Fresh rain and the countdown to spring bring out the optimistic gardener.

Stay tuned.

Do you have a favorite berry?

February 26, 2014 by Born To Organize

Fab Freesias Frolic in the Rain

It’s raining. Honest to goodness, puddle-forming, hair-curling rain.

This is the first substantial rain in San Jose in two months. Everyone else seems to be suffering from too much weather; we haven’t had enough. I walked with a friend for an hour this morning and it never let up. Fantastic.

My garden freesias share my enthusiasm. This is their first shower of the season.

Nature’s perfection

Refreshed

They aren’t the only ones happy about the downpour. The squirrels are chasing each other around and around the pine tree with glee. Meanwhile, a hummingbird tried to make sense of the fruit tree. It’s known as a four-in-one or a fruit cocktail. It’s one tree with four grafts. This one grows pitted fruit: peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines. The grapes were an after thought by yours-truly on her way to the compost bin. They still had some life in them so I hung them on the branches for the birds.

Hummingbird at rest

I’ve enjoyed watching the progress of this potted beauty. It sits on the back steps, so I can see it from indoors. I pass it on my way to do the daily rounds: emptying the kitchen compost bin, snapping pictures, checking on things. I pulled weeds for an hour yesterday, and cut back some of the dead growth from last November’s frost. It felt great to get out there and do a bit of work after nursing a crummy cold for over a week.

Four week progression

The yellow freesia was a surprise. It popped out from under another plant and seemed to bloom in a flash. Yellow is such a cheerful color, don’t you think?

Yellow freesia buds

These popped up earlier this week

If you are sick of the wind, the rain, the snow or the drought, I hope things turn around for you soon. I plan to enjoy every minute of this rainy day and, fingers crossed, hope for more to come.

February 25, 2014 by Born To Organize

How to Plant a Garden

There are three ways to plant a garden.

You can start with seeds, gently coaxing them with warm soil, water and light.
You can buy established starter plants from a local nursery or garden center.
Or…you can get out-of-the-way and see what the earth has in store.

We refer to them as ‘volunteers’ around here, tiny seeds that make their way into the soil by a variety of methods and grow up to be the healthiest plants in your garden. Volunteers are the handy work of the wind, the birds and in this case a little self-control from the organized gardener. I like things tidy, even the garden, but have learned to show restraint.

It’s one thing to pull out weeds or cut back dying branches. That helps the garden grow. But dead-heading flowers isn’t always best. When I sat on my hands and let my annuals go to seed last fall, wonderful things happened.

For starters, lots of birds. It was a joy to stand at my kitchen window and see them visit throughout the day. They ate a few, dropped a few and now I have a self-seeding patch of annuals ready for a good soaking from tomorrows promised storm.

Don’t you just love nature?