December 5, 2013 by Born To Organize

Frost Nipped Peas

Two days of a hard freeze were unkind to the garden peas.

Frost Damaged Peas

I gathered a handful this afternoon. There’s nothing to be gained at this point by leaving them on the vine. The vines are drooping as well.

The frost damaged the outer skin leaving it mottled. The inner ‘pearls’ look surprisingly good though.

Peas, unmasked

The in and out of garden peas

It’s supposed to ‘warm up’ to a low of 38º F (3ºC) by Friday, but will drop back ten degrees the following day. With over two weeks to go before the winter solstice is upon us, I wonder what this means for the season ahead?

Organized at Heart

I’m posting a series of articles featuring organizing around the holidays this week on my blog Organized at Heart. If the subject interests you, please go take a peak. Today’s blog offers some tips for creating new giving traditions for the holidays.

December 4, 2013 by Born To Organize

Frosty San Jose

My son’s prized inflatable, pretend snowing in San Jose

Still no rain, and certainly no snow, but we did get some frost last night. This isn’t a big deal for everyone, but it’s a rare occurrence around here. It’s December 4th after all. The tomato plant had to go eventually.

I have lots of frozen peas (and I never stepped foot in the freezer aisle). They look plump and juicy and, well, frozen. Since it’s a winter crop, I’m not sure what to think. The plant doesn’t seem to mind, but it may take a few days for any damage to appear. I’ll let you know.

Frozen peas, available now in your neighborhood garden

Last week I *finally* planted some beats. I soaked the seeds at the same time I planted the peas, but originally planned to put them in the veggie garden out back. The tomato plant hung on and on in one bed, and the strawberries in the other, so I didn’t have room. I planted the beats in the curb garden with the carrots and peas. I hope they’re equally successful, and that I didn’t plant them too late.

Plump and ready

I started my broccoli seeds indoors and all was going well. Somewhat foolishly I started hardening them off, the process of acclimatizing the seeds to their new outdoor home. It would have been better to wait till the holidays were over. I simply forgot about them. They came back inside for water and a rest. Hopefully enough of them will recover so I can make a go of it.

Next up, spring bulbs. My back just hasn’t been up to the task this year, so bags of bulbs sit in the garage waiting for my next move.

I think I’ll go make myself a hot cup of tea while I give this more thought. I hope you’re enjoying your day.

Frosty paw prints

Organized at Heart

I’m posting a series of articles featuring organizing around the holidays this week on my blog Organized at Heart. If the subject interests you, please go take a peak. Today’s blog has a few filing tips (boring) along with beautiful file folders (sweet) to inspire this mundane task.

December 3, 2013 by Born To Organize

Watercolor Hummer

I signed up for a banner-making class a few weeks ago at locally owned A Work of Heart. They’re a mixed-media art studio, with the wonderful tag line: Where everyone is an artist.

I went for the Christmas banner, but left with so much more. I met the wonderful, Lexi Grenzer of The Shabby Calavera. She led the class at A Work of Heart and teaches additional classes at Scrapbook Island. We connected on Facebook where I spotted this ethereal watercolor.

My dad was a painter and my mom a great sketch artist, but that level of talent didn’t trickle down. We had plenty of watercolor paint sets growing up, but I never got any good at it. I have great admiration for Lexi’s skill.

Lexi Grenzer is a teacher, jewelry designer and animal advocate in the Bay Area. She has a great love of all things Shabby Chic and Day of the Dead, which lead to the creation of her blog and business, The Shabby Calavera. Lexi’s days are spent creating in the studio, teaching classes, snuggling with her four fur babies and doting on her son and adoring husband. She attributes her love of art and hand crafted beauties to her Grandmother’s amazing influence.

So in addition to appreciating her art, I really appreciate her heart, and her contributions to our local Humane Society.

And the banner…here’s what me made in class:

Organized at Heart

I’m posting a series of articles featuring organizing around the holidays this week on my blog Organized at Heart. If the subject interests you, please go take a peak.

December 2, 2013 by Born To Organize

Mum’s the Word

Chrysanthemums will forever remind me of my own ‘Mum’ this time of year. She loved them. Mums were her go-to plant. She always brought one with her for the holidays. She liked sending mums as a gift, saying that flowering plants lasted longer than cut flowers. Mum and Dad owned two flower shops in Canada in the mid-fifties. Sadly for me, they sold the shops before I was born. I’m not sure how old I was before connecting the dots that ‘Mums’ and ‘Chrysanthemums’ were the same.

Pink Mum Closeup

A year ago I bought this pink pretty pink Mum for the front deck. They usually last a season, dry out and then people toss them. I don’t give up on plants that quickly, so I cut this one back to the stems and continued to water it. It showed signs of life all summer, albeit short, green stems. It briefly sprang back to life this fall, with another display of color.

Pink Mums

Non-Sequitur

On the subject of “Mums”, “Mums!” and “Mums,” I consulted Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty on the proper use of quotes. Her explanation went a long way toward explaining my confusion. There is an American Usage and the Kings English usage. Since I started my education in Canada, then moved to US schools, it explains my confusion. I insert quotes with trepidation, and will restructure a sentence to avoid ending with a quote so that I don’t have to worry about incorrect usage.

Whew…I’m so glad I got that off my chest.

Here’s what Grammar Girl has to say:

When combining exclamation points and question marks with quotation marks, Americans follow the same logical system as the British. Where you place the other marks relative to the quotation mark depends on the context of the quotation.

If the whole sentence, including the quotation, is a question or an exclamation, then the question mark or exclamation point goes outside the closing quotation mark; but if only the part inside the quotation marks is a question or exclamation, then the question mark or exclamation point goes inside the closing quotation mark.

Quotation Marks with Semicolons and Colons

With semicolons, colons, asterisks, and dashes, we get back to a simple rule. They always go outside the closing quotation mark.

Summary

In American English, periods and commas always go inside the closing quotation mark; semicolons, colons, asterisks, and dashes always go outside the closing quotation mark; and question marks and exclamation points require that you analyze the sentence and make a decision based on context.

Hopefully, now that I’ve read this, copied it, edited it for brevity, the concept will stick. If not, as my grammar friend Francie likes to say, “so sue me!”

Organized at Heart

I’m posting a series of organizing around the holidays blogs this week on my blog Organized at Heart. If the subject interests you, please go take a peak.

November 29, 2013 by Born To Organize

Green Friday: Repurposing in and out of the Garden

Re-purposing was common practice during the Depression era. It’s still common in developing countries where nothing goes to waste. I’m a huge fan of giving new life to items that might otherwise be discarded. There is an entire movement afoot, people reusing items in clever and original ways.

So, in honor of Green Friday, check out these fun ideas.

Greenhouse Made from old windows
Between Naps on the Porch

Lovely old chair breathes new life
Sweet Magnolia Farm

Umbrella Bean Trellis from Dirt du Jour

Light fixture bird bath from Indulgy

I wish I had 100 hours a week to read all the fascinating blogs out there. Here’s a small sample:

Dishfunctional Designs: Creative Things To Make With Old (I love the clever title)

Indulgy.com: Light fixtures live again

Denim Do Over: giving new life to old denim

Pinterest: Set the timer or you’ll never get anything done.

Facebook: Re-purposed, Recycled, Reused, Reclaimed, Restored

I like to re-purpose my wall calendar each year. I reuse the pages to make envelopes, bookmarks, gift tags, small stickers, gift-card holders and other small paper items.

Last year I made a wreath for our front door using scraps of tissue paper, candy wrappers (ahem) , a dry-cleaning bag and the plastic sleeve from the newspaper.

Katherine, over at Pillows a-la- Mode recently refashioned an old sweater into the most adorable teddy bear you’ve ever seen.

Diary of a Mad Woman uses a similar sweater to make Christmas stockings.

I hope you have as much fun as I did, visiting all these fun sites. Please share your own re-fashions, links or blogs in the comments below.

November 27, 2013 by Born To Organize

The Giving Garden

One of the coolest things about our neighborhood is the general camaraderie. Neighbors talk to neighbors.

On the surface, that sounds so simple, but time and again we hear from others how lucky we are to live on a street where all the neighbors know each other. Over the years, we’ve covered for each other with emergency child-care, extra meals in times of poor health, emotional support and carrots.

Carrots?

Yes, even carrots.

The grandfather of one of the daycare kids walked by while I was curbside chatting with (yes) another neighbor. I reached over to offer him a fresh garden pea, when he stopped me and asked if he could have ten. More specifically, his granddaughter needed ten items to trade during Kindergarten class for a lesson on trade and Thanksgiving.

Our quick search didn’t yield ten pea pods, but there were still plenty of carrots. Not just any carrots, but the very carrots the wee kinder (gardener) planted herself. He came back with his granddaughter later that day. Her brother gave her special permission to harvest his carrots as well in case she didn’t have enough.

Baggy in tow, she pulled up several carrots, bagged them and happily smiled for the camera.

Harvesting

Grandpa asked her to rinse the dirt from her hands in the fresh rain water, and then she wiped them on the grass. I stepped in and dried her tiny hands on the inside of my jacket, because honestly, once a mom always a mom. I scooped her into a hug and she was on her way.

Harvested carrot

All smiles

You reap what you sow . I felt such a welling of emotion as I turned to come inside. Ten little carrots were on their way to the classroom, and once again the giving garden filled me with joy.

November 26, 2013 by Born To Organize

Garden Wreath Redux

Wonderful things happen when you write a blog. Here are my top three:

Community, community and community.

Last week I posted photos of my attempt at a garden wreath. The wreath had a lot going for it, but it lacked volume and charm.

Garden Wreath Version 1.0

I asked for suggestions and received a tremendous outpouring of support.

The Contented Crafter had this to say: Just this very morning I was discussing my art work with a friend and related how something Jane Davenport once said made a big impression on me and changed the way I viewed my creations.

Jane said [and I paraphrase] ‘Every creation goes through an ugly stage. Do not be put off, do not throw it out, do not walk away. Keep working at it until it becomes beautiful again’.

Not that I’m calling your wreath ugly – it isn’t. It is actually really pretty, and while still in development, shows enormous potential – it just needs more.

Which brings me to my second great life lesson – if a little is good, a lot is better :-) Bling it up Alys, bling it up!

In summary, don’t be discouraged. Add some bling. Borrow seeds from the squirrels.

Flowers and seeds

Boomdeeadda added:

I would say you’ve got a lot of beautiful dried flowers but need a sturdier base to build upon. I especially love the hair pin, it’s a pretty detail and unexpected :D I also like that you used a loose triangle in your design. The rule of three always works best for arranging flowers. It’s going to be so awesome and I bet it smells really wonderful too.

Do you have any thin gauge wire? Here’s what a florist might do.

Take everything off and sort.

Spray Hydrangea with a bit of hair spray to lessen shedding.

make three mixed posies with your remaining dried flowers by wrapping stems with a bit of wire. Vary the sizes (S, M, L). Leave a length of wire to make a small loop.

Now, stuff the entire wreath with green sheet moss. Available from gardening stores. Winding thin wire around the wreath as you go. You hardly see it with the moss.

After reading Boomdee’s professional advice, it was tempting to box it up and send it to her with a thank you note. Instead I behaved myself and took notes.

I took apart the wreath, salvaging the lavender, the ribbon and the hair pin. The hydrangeas were toast so I tossed what remained in the compost bin.

I dragged myself to a craft store (hee!) and picked up a bag of Spanish moss, floral wire and a roll of dusty silver tulle. I bought purple ribbon as well, but didn’t use it.

Starting from scratch

Cindy Knoke cheered me on as did Tami and Marlene, of In Search of it All. Marlene and LB both agreed that moss would give it some oomph. Where the Journey Takes Me suggested the great and powerful Google for dried wreath inspiration. Additional thanks to Sheryl at Flowery Prose.

Anne Lawson said: bling it up! When I paint there is often a point where I despair and think “it’s not working!” That’s the time to keep going, as many times it does come together.

I gathered lavender and sage in twice the quantities to allow for natural shrinkage when dried. The hydrangeas were un-salvageable. I used three of the flowers from a vase in my room. I sprayed them first with hairspray to prevent shedding. I added dried seeds from the Bachelor Buttons, and then stuffed all the gaps with moss. The wire helped keep everything in place.

I dug out my Christmas ornaments early, remembering this cute set of watering cans, a gift from my sister-in-law many years ago. The size and color worked well. I added tulle to the original ribbon for a larger bow, placed dried lavender in the watering can and added the hair clip.

Garden Wreath Details

Wreath Version 2.0

It’s still a bit lopsided, but overall I like it so much better. I’ve dubbed it the Village Wreath, as I couldn’t have done it without all of you.

XOX

November 25, 2013 by Born To Organize

Magnolia vs Scale: This Tree has Game

Tulip Magnolia
March, 2012 BC (Before Scale)

All is not lost!

Last week I wrote about my struggling tulip Magnolia. It’s infested with scale, a nasty soft scale insect. It’s been a problem for two seasons. You can continue reading, or pop over to this page to view graphic photos.

Did you go look? It’s not pretty, is it?

I met with a certified arborist today to discuss the tree’s plight. The arborist nodded and said ‘yes it’s a problem,’ and agreed that gardens with tulip magnolias frequently harbor scale. He went on to say the problem is systemic and that most treatments don’t work.

He did, however suggest a fairly new product that has recently shown promise. Bayer Tree and Shrub Protect and Feed. It’s applied at the roots so no spraying. Further, it’s supposed to have minimal impact on beneficial insects, always a concern. I’m going to give it a try. He said improvement wouldn’t happen ‘over night’ but that with time, it may help. He noted the green shoots on the tree and the lack of mold as two good signs. Apparently all my scraping and washing helped.

Two hours worth of scale removal.

The arborist also approved of the banding my husband banded did last summer. It’s an ant barrier, a sticky substance that the ants won’t cross. Since ants protect the scale in order to harvest the secreted honeydew, it’s another step toward protecting the tree.

Hope, renewed.

In other news…

Special thanks to Betsy of What’s Green With Betsy!?! and Pauline of The Contented Crafter for including me in there list of recommended bloggers. I’ll write more about this later in the week.

Liebster Award: Discover New Blogs
The Versatile Blogger Award

November 22, 2013 by Born To Organize

Saucy Succulents

Succulents

I love that word. Succulent conjures up something sweet and juicy, but it also refers to a type of plant. Saucy, juicy, care-free succulents.

I met a succulent gardener last summer over a bunch of dirt. Top soil to be exact. Long story, but I ordered planting mix and received top soil instead. The vendor offered a refund but would not come pick up the soil. I offered the top soil on Freecycle, and that’s how I met Amy.

Amy grows succulents in her beautiful garden. I helped her unload the soil at her home and she gave me the nickel tour. I hope to go back and take pictures to share with all of you. Her garden is unique and perfectly suited to our semi-arid climate.

Amy sent home a few cuttings from her garden that day.

Cutting from Amy’s garden

Earlier this year, I planted Sedum in my tower of pots. I simply pressed the cuttings directly into the soil and off they grew. Amazing! They’re doing great in a couple of pots on my deck.

Tower of pots

Amy’s cutting joins the tower of pots

Coincidentally, I bought a few succulents mid-July. They came beautifully pre-planted and ready to hang. I hung them on the side of the house near the deck. They only need water about once a month.

Assorted succulents hang on the side of the house

In early October, I moved the hanging planters to make room for Halloween decorations. Turns out they look nice back-to-back on the center of the outdoor table.

Succulents relocated

Closeup, with a joyful accent from Boomdee

These saucy succulents are a welcome addition to my garden ensemble. I’m looking forward to adding more next year.

November 21, 2013 by Born To Organize

Slugs and Scales and Disgusting Tales

Magnolia covered in scale

The title didn’t scare you off?

You thought we were safely passed Halloween and all things creepy?

What’s creepy about this photo isn’t the snail but the scale…all over my struggling Magnolia. Two seasons of effort to remove it and it’s back, bigger and badder then ever. Gross.

Scale infestation

Last year, when the tree was dormant, I spent an hour literally scraping all the visible scale from the tree. I went back over the branches with warm water, wiping down any residue. I went back two days later, removing what I missed.

The tree bloomed, but the scale came right back. Over the spring and summer, it spread to the entire tree, dripping sticky honeydew all over the shrubs below.

I hate giving up on this tree, but if I don’t remedy the problem, the scale will kill the tree.

I placed a call today to a certified arborist for a professional consultation. Ian Geddes has been a great help over the years, thinning and pruning tall trees, removing tree stumps and consulting on the health of our trees. I appreciate their expert advice.

Just passing through

Now to get your mind off these creepy pictures, I’ll leave you with this: Dylan looking adorable on our hike earlier this week.

Dylan

Addendum:

After I hit the publish button, WordPress told me this was my 500th post on Gardening Nirvana. Instead of celebrating with flowers and fruit, I give you scale.

So it goes when you blog about a slice of life. Please don’t hold it against me. Alys