February 6, 2013 by Born To Organize

Craft it Forward: Did I Say Five?

I never was good at math. What I meant was, ~~five~~ seven of my fellow readers can take part in Craft it Forward. Since Catja was nice enough to let me in on her pay it forward, even though I was number six, I decided to pay forward her generosity as well. Without further ado, the following readers win the Gardening Nirvana craft-it-forward prize.

You can read more about the Pay it Forward (Craft it Forward) concept in my February 1, 2013 post. In return, please pay it forward by offering the same deal to five other people, via your blog, Facebook or Google +. I created a ‘Craft it Forward’ button, below. Feel free to use it on your own post.

I’ll be in touch privately if I don’t already have your snail-mail address. Thank you for your wonderful comments. I’m already having so much fun.

Craft it Forward button

February 5, 2013 by Born To Organize

Under the Weather

Bee's Make Honey I’ve been moving deftly through the fall and winter months, avoiding the seasonal crud. Alas, I didn’t move fast enough and one of this winter’s ‘offerings’ caught up with me.

With rest and fluids, I hope to be back to my blogging self soon. In the meantime, sending good health vibes to you and yours.

It will come as no surprise that, although not a cure for a cold or flu, many things in nature can help alleviate the symptoms including garlic, honey, peppermint, oranges, cauliflower and foods containing zinc.

February 4, 2013 by Born To Organize

Sweetheart Celebrations in the Fairy Garden

Button flowers on a ribbon-wrapped spool.

St. Valentine’s Day is just ten days away. Is your fairy garden ready?

I’ve been busy with mine all afternoon. First up, the fescue needed a haircut. Once the ends where neatly trimmed, I tied them together with a red bow. I cut the top in the shape of a heart, but you’ll need to squint your eyes and conjure up lots of imagination to see it properly.

Next up, dead-heading the miniature cyclamen. These jobs take seconds when working in a tiny garden.The baby tears are healthy but given the cool weather, they’re holding their growth. No extra work there.

I scraped up the remaining ‘snow’ and glitter from New Year’s Eve, then turned my sights to decorating. I challenge myself to use materials on hand, pulling together a bit of this and that. I’m never sure how things will turn out, but always have a great time with the process.

Painting:

Martha Stewart’s Pomegranate Red Glitter paint makes yet another appearance. I’ve used the same 10 OZ/295 ML jar for four different projects and I’ve barely put a dent in my supply. I freshened up the chairs with a coat of red, then painted the legs of the chair with Craft Smart silver acrylic paint. While I was at it, I painted the patio and dance floor silver, too.

Fruit tree branch fence
Painted chair
Button flowers
A lantern lights the way

Building:

When I pruned the fruit cocktail tree last month, I saved several small branches. They’d make a perfect fence. Today I fashioned open-style posts,dipped in a bit of Martha paint.

Beeswax hearts and bunting, red fence posts

Decorating:

At last, I could hang the bunting fashioned from last year’s garden calendar. I made tiny triangles from one of the pages, glued them back-to-back, then passed them through a piece of baker’s twine. A small ‘floral’ arrangement made from crafting buttons provides a focal point. Heart-shaped ‘plates’ complete the setting.

The ‘oil cloth’ table cover is a piece of beeswax, left over from a candle-making class. Additional hearts, tucked here and there, provide cover for a fairy game of hide and seek.

Heart shaped bench shows the long view

Fescue cut in the shape of a heart

We’re all set. Garden fairies welcome! Please help spread the word.

February 3, 2013 by Born To Organize

Super Bowl Gardening?

Squirrel eating sunflower

I’ve been wracking my brain for a gardening-Super Bowl tie in today. Since half the world is probably watching the Super Bowl now, I could simply make something up. I doubt anyone is reading a gardening blog.

Instead I consulted the ‘For Dummies’ series to educate myself on the following football terms. I’ve come up with my own (gardening) interpretation of the same:

Down: A period of action that starts when the ball is put into play and ends when the ball is ruled dead (meaning that the play is completed).

Down: A period of time known as winter. Gardening down time.

End zone: A 10-yard-long area at both ends of the field — the promised land for a football player.

End zone: The only zone in which you can’t grow a thing. I garden in zone 14-15.

Extra point: A kick, worth one point, that’s typically attempted after every touchdown.

Extra point: When you plant one thing, and two things come up instead.

Field goal: A kick, worth three points, that can be attempted from anywhere on the field but usually is attempted within 40 yards of the goalpost.

Field goal: My goal is to grow a garden as big as a football field.

Fumble: The act of losing possession of the ball while running with it or being tackled.

Fumble: The act of losing possession of the bulb you just dug up when the resident gardener runs after you saying “No! Not the tulip bulbs!!!” This usually pertains to squirrels.

Hash marks: The lines on the center of the field that signify 1 yard on the field.

Hash marks: The indentations left on your knees after pulling weeds all day.

Interception: A pass that’s caught by a defensive player, ending the offense’s possession of the ball.

Interception: The sunflowers saved by a defensive gardener who figures out clever ways to outsmart the squirrels.

Kickoff: A free kick that puts the ball into play.

Kickoff: Also referred to as ‘Spring.’

Punt: A kick made when a player drops the ball and kicks it while it falls toward his foot.

Punt: A kick made when a gardener drops a packet of seeds and tries desperately to keep them from hitting the ground.

Return: The act of receiving a kick or punt and running toward the opponent’s goal line with the intent of scoring or gaining significant yardage.

Return: The act of returning to the garden center again and again because you simply can’t help yourself.

Sack: When a defensive player tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of yardage.

Sack: A great place to store and dry last year’s seeds.

Snap: The action in which the ball is hiked (tossed between the legs) by the center to the quarterback, to the holder on a kick attempt, or to the punter.

Snap: The sound a gardener’s neck makes, when she realizes that what she just brushed off her shoulder has six furry legs. A snap may also warrant a trip to the chiropractor.

Touchdown: A score, worth six points, that occurs when a player in possession of the ball crosses the plane of the opponent’s goal line, or when a player catches the ball while in the opponent’s end zone, or when a defensive player recovers a loose ball in the opponent’s end zone.

Touchdown: When you brush your hand across the surface of a ‘lambs ear‘ it’s like touching down.

February 2, 2013 by Born To Organize

A Broccoli We Will Grow

What do you think? Catchy song title, eh?

No?

Okay, I’ll stick to growing instead. I’m happy to report that the broccoli is doing well, growing and showing signs of decent production. I snapped off one large leaf with a cluster of pests (yuck), but the plants look healthy. The leaves are a nice, dark green and small heads are forming on all six plants.

Broccoli Head

I grew broccoli last year, but it bolted early. I managed just a few small heads. Since the cauliflower is looking worse by the day, I’ve set my sights on the great green veg.

I enjoy eating broccoli in a number of ways:

Steamed till tender but still crunchy,
sautéed with almonds (my husbands yummy recipe),
and blended in soup

It’s hard not to feel virtuous when munching on this cruciferous darling

Broccoli contains more vitamin C than oranges, ounce for ounce. It has a much calcium as a glass of milk, and contains folate, important for the production and maintenance of new cells. It’s an excellent source of iron as well as fiber.

Broccoli Plants

It will be an excellent source of pride as well, if I can get past these next few weeks. Fingers crossed for cooperative weather, and a pest-free, bolt-free crop.

Broccoli Leaves

Craft it Forward: Do You Want to Play?

Lavender Bath Salts

What a fun day! I discovered a great new blog and at the same time squeaked in on her pay-it-forward 2013 offer.

What is ‘pay-it-forward’ you ask? I took part in something similar several years ago on Facebook. Here is how it works:

The first five people to comment on this post will receive something I’ve handmade. You’ll receive your handmade gift via snail mail sometime during 2013. Who doesn’t like ‘real’ mail?

I can’t say what exactly it will be but it will follow a gardening theme. It might be a set of cards, a decorative piece, who knows. Surprises are part of the fun.

In return, please pay it forward by offering the same deal to five other people, via your blog, Facebook or Google +.

If you want to play, please comment below. Remember, the first five to comment receive a Gardening Nirvana craft-it-forward creation.

Kitty-cat chipboard album

Purse-shaped tag board album

Fold-out greeting card

Here’s a peak at a few of the crafts I put together back in 2009’s pay-it-forward.

In the meantime, check out Gjeometry. Sewing, an adorable cat and her sidekick pooch figure prominently in her blog. Catja says:

“I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and learning from the blogs and websites of other sewers, DIY enthusiasts, crafters, designers and fashion entrepreneurs around the globe and wanted to set up shop in a little corner of that community. Let’s be friends.”

January 31, 2013 by Born To Organize

Blooming Thursday: It’s a Stretch

Here’s the view from my back door.

View from my back door

At first glance, it looks like nothing is blooming. In my under-dressed (put on a coat, Alys!) and overzealous quest for something in bloom, I poked around here and there and teased out the following:

Somehow this Begonia escaped the frost

Faded but beautiful drying hydrangea

Flowering Daphne

The first of the Serbian Bellflowers

An over-do thank you to Laura for these wonderful Forget-me-not seeds. I’m excited to plant them come spring.

Forget-me-not seeds

Vernal Equinox, 49 days and counting.

January 30, 2013 by Born To Organize

Planting the Strip: The Results are In!

Earlier this month I wrote about the pros and cons of planting the sidewalk strip. I included a poll and asked readers to vote as well as comment on the idea.

As of today, the vote is split down the middle:

42.31% said yes
42.31 said no
15.38 were on the fence.

The comments were incredibly helpful. Thank you for taking the time to read, comment or vote. There were many things I hadn’t thought of. Here are a few:

Boomdeeada wrote: I voted to plant the easement but everyone here has great comments. I’d be tempted to put in a perennial of some kind more than vegetables…a bed that begins with tulips, then lilies then iris’s….I also liked the beds of Rudbeckia, alyssum and purple petunia at the Alberta Governor Generals house this summer…that would smell really nice.

I like the idea of planting flowers instead of veg. Another reader also suggested growing a hedge first, then planting within its boundaries.

Sensiblegardening wrote: I had to vote “no” but not because I think it’s a bad idea. I think it’s a great idea. However, after living for 20 years on a rural road, at the dead-end turn around, I’ve seen too much of how disrespectful a lot of the public is of our natural spaces, let alone our own private property that butts up against it. Sorry, but that’s just the ugly truth of it at this point in time. Hopefully more people will become a little more enlightened as time goes on.

Several others also cited this. My husband voted no, too. :-(

Suzanne Elliot suggested a nearby alternative: Thoughts on planting the strip – Dogs and passers-by – Dogs will leave deposits – and not the bank kind – passers by will pick your flowers. In looking at your photo of your lovely front garden I notice that you have a lot of LAWN – how about converting your lawn to something else? You could plant veggies mixed with flowers closer in to your house in your current lawn area (full sun) – and thereby thwart all but the most brazen flower pickers and fruit/veggie thieves…

Planting the Strip

The Plan at Hand:

Front garden:

Leave the sidewalk strip/easement alone for now. (Subject to change without notice, void where prohibited).

Combine Suzanne and Boomdee’s idea and plant a perennial garden next to the stone walkway on the property in a curving triangle to balance the curving wall on the other side. If that goes well, I’ll plant more perennials on the other side of the driveway. Honestly, you can never have too many flowers, don’t you think? The bees are counting on them.

Back garden:

Transplant the blueberry bush (still very small) and the raspberry vines to another location in the yard. This will free up 25% of the planting boxes.

Finish clearing overgrown and tired looking shrubs around fruit tree. Plant additional flowers from seed.
Meanwhile, please join me in another rain dance.

The San Jose area has received only 0.9 inches of rain so far this month, a third of the normal 2.72 inches.

In a normal year, San Jose would have received about 7.73 inches of rain by now. Instead, only 2.45 inches have fallen since July, not even a third of normal. (San Jose Mercury News)

January 29, 2013 by Born To Organize

Twiddling My Green Thumbs

It’s still January. Boy oh boy this month is creeping by. I keep checking my Mercury News calendar to be sure I haven’t missed any garden chores. It’s a short list.

Protect frost-tender plants. Check. Winter weeding. Check. Watch out for snails and slugs. Haven’t seen ’em. And finally, if it’s to cold and wet, order spring seeds. I did that ages ago.

I pruned the fruit cocktail tree, gave the compost a few spins and checked on the worms. I put out a large bag of laundry lint for the squirrels, and made a delicate wreath of the same for the birds.

Today, in need of a few hardware store items, I quickly perused the garden section. Ho-hum to that as well.

Can you hear me tap, tap, tapping my green thumb? I’m suffering from a serious case of garden withdrawal.

How are you managing the mid-winter doldrums?

January 28, 2013 by Born To Organize

When a Rose, Isn’t Just a Rose

Should I or shouldn’t I?

I’ve had my eyes glued to the inner branches of a rosebush all weekend. I’m right back at it today. This isn’t just ‘any’ rosebush. In fact, it’s not even my rosebush.

Tucked into the branches of this very special rosebush are a pair of nesting Allen Hummingbirds. They’re expected to fledge at any time. It’s mesmerizing watching the activity at the nest, something you wouldn’t normally see. Thanks to an astute gardener and the wonders of streaming video, you can see Phoebe’s nest 24/7 courtesy of a webcam just inches from the nest.

I’ve been snapping screen shots for the past few days, whenever ‘Faith’ or ‘Sandy’ start hovering above the golf-ball sized nest. Most of my screen shots are false alarms. Then, while I was seeing one of my boys off to school, one of the girls fledged the nest.

Then…she came back! She left again (when I turned my back), and again returned. It’s been quite the morning. I have two windows open on my computer as I write this, wishing you were all sitting here with me watching the show.

Sandy fledged, then returned

Once hatched, the hummingbirds leave the nest within twenty days or so. Sadly, many don’t survive the first year, but those that do can live upwards of 12 years. After watching the nest for so long, I’ve started to think of them as ‘my baby birds.’ I’ll bet everyone else feels the same way. In fact, Phoebe has quite the following. As of this writing, she’s had close to 15 million views in over sixty countries.

I encourage you to click on the webcam link below. If you miss the fledge, chances are she’ll be nesting again soon. Phoebe returns to this rosebush every year, laying five clutches a season.