December 9, 2012 by Born To Organize

The Big Chill: Out of the Crisper and into the Soil

Three’s a Charm

When you live in a warm climate like California, it helps to employ a bit of trickery with the tulips. So when I bought three bags of tulip bulbs back in October, the first step was a cool dark rest in the crisper drawer of our fridge. Keeping bulbs in the frigid dark, prompts their DNA into thinking they’ve been through an early chill.

Today I planted about a dozen bulbs along the rock wall near the garden fence, convinced that the racing squirrels overhead were just waiting to dig them up for lunch. I tamped the soil firmly and with determination, hoping they’ll stay planted through early spring. I buried the rest of the bulbs in a variety of pots, and in a few random locations around the garden.

Ready to Plant Tulip Bulbs

Squirrel in the Pittosporum

Squirrel in the Pine

Figuring I could hedge my bets (or chance of survival) by interspersing the bulbs in heavily planted pots, I tucked them deep into the corners and under the canopy of existing plants. I hope they survive the onslaught of the squirrels. They’ll be a magnificent if they do.

Tulip Bulbs

December 8, 2012 by Born To Organize

A Treasure from the Past: The EncyclopÆdia of Gardening

Sulton's Seeds, Fertilisers, Horticultural Lundries

Sulton’s Seeds, Fertilisers, Horticultural Sundries

Mom only saved a few of Dad’s possessions after he died, but what she did save are gems. I have his photo albums, some of his landscape drawings, a few paintings and his painter’s easel. What I didn’t realize before today was that the battered, green book of his that I’ve hung on to all these years is a gardening encyclopedia!

While rummaging through a cabinet in search of a White Elephant gift, I removed the book to reach the back of the cabinet. Before returning it, I cracked the cover and there it was: my father’s lovely handwriting dated January 3, 1930. The next page revealed that I was holding The EncylopÆdia of Gardening by T.W Sanders, Knight of First Class of the Royal Order of Vasa, Sweden.

The Encyclopedia of Gardening

My dad was a horticulturist, so it’s not surprising that he had this book. What amazed me is that I didn’t realize what I had all these years. It’s a small book, no bigger than a paperback. There are no illustrations, but a few advertisements appear on the last few pages of the book. I’m dying to sit down and read it cover to cover. I read the forward and some of the introduction, then decided to look up a few plants.

Adverts

I’m named after Dad’s sister, Alys, so I started with Alyssum. Not only did I find it listed, but there was a small mark next to the entry. Goosebumps! As an aside, I learned that Alyssum was first introduced in 1710. I can’t get the grin off my face.

One last little treasure: between the middle pages were four postage stamps from India, where Dad lived before the war. The stamps say India Postage, Three Pies.

I’ve been beaming all day.

Resources:

December 8, 2012 by Born To Organize

Watering Can Stickers: The Shape of Things to Come

I love a little synchronicity now and again. Just two days ago I wrote that I planned to seal my Cosmo Christmas Cards with a self-made sticker using last year’s garden calendar. The following day a friend gave me a large punch shaped like a watering can. How perfect! I’m having fun thumbing through my old garden calendar, selecting pages for the punch. Jane Shasky’s garden illustrations are magnificent.

The Lang Herb Garden Calendar, painted by Jane Shasky

Watering Can Punch

Watering Can Stickers

After punching the shapes, I run them through my hand-held sticker maker by Xyron. Voila! Custom made stickers.

December 6, 2012 by Born To Organize

The Christmas Tree Dilemma: Real or Fake?

The Crew: Ready to deliver the neighborhood trees

I struggle with this question every year: Is it better to have a freshly cut tree or an artificial one? I think the answer is neither. Or both.

Aren’t you glad we got that settled?!

As a nature-lover, I’m not fond of the idea of cutting down a tree each year, only to throw it away (or at the very least compost it) after a few weeks. People float the idea of a live tree that you bring indoors each year, but given the size of the average pine or fir, the tree would outgrow your home in a few years. Further, the tree would do poorly in a dry, heated home, preferring the outdoors instead.

Clearly, artificial trees are the way to go.

Or are they?

Fluffy Under the Tree

Artificial trees last a long time. You can use them year after year, they never dry out, they’re less likely to catch fire and they’re sized for the average home. They are, however, made from synthetic materials, that will one day end up in a landfill. Styles change, the frame of the tree might break or you may buy a bigger (or smaller) house that dictates the size of the tree.

In our neighborhood, we have a coordinated effort to display cut trees on our lawn each year. The trees go up the first week of December and come down New Year’s day. I’m block captain for our street, and we make it a family affair. We borrow a neighbor’s truck, load up the trees, and delivery them up and down the block. The neighborhood coordinator purchases over 300 trees. Each block captain collects the order forms, deposits the checks and then delivers the trees. It’s fun and festive.

Indoors we have an artificial tree that we store and use year after year. We made that choice for all the reasons I mentioned above. So…I feel like a fraud at times, supporting different choices on either side of the door.

One choice isn’t really a choice at all: simply giving up the long-held and delightful tradition of a Christmas tree.

If you celebrate Christmas, do you put up a tree each year? Real or fake?

Here is what others have to say:

December 5, 2012 by Born To Organize

Cosmo Seeds for Christmas

Throughout the summer I enjoyed a magnificent display of flowering Cosmos. The color and splendor of these easy to grow annuals brought such cheer. I started gathering the seeds so I could share my joy with others.

Using Creative Memories software, I created a five-fold, two-sided panel card. Six of the panels feature photos I took over the summer. Two more panels have simple instructions for planting and growing the seeds. One panel has a greeting, and the final one is a placeholder for the seed packet.

I bought 3 x 3 glassine envelopes from the Paper Source to hold the seeds. They attach to the back panel of the card. I ordered one sample card, made a few design changes, and this week received the bulk order. They’re ready to go.

Photo Panel Card (Front)

Photo Panel Card (Back)

Folded Cosmo Card and Envelope

Cosmo Seeds

Back Panel (Placeholder for Seed Packet)

Back Panel with Seed Packet

The Stack
I love the way they look in a neat pile

I plan to seal each card with a self-made sticker using last year’s garden calendar. I’ll fill you in on the details later this week, so be sure to check back.

Are you making gifts from your garden this year for Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza? Please share in the comments below.

December 4, 2012 by Born To Organize

Hydrangea: Wardrobe Changes

I expect the maple to go through several “wardrobe changes” each fall, but the Hydrangea surprised me. The blooms passed from vibrant pink, to faded fuchsia, blush and soft green. The clustered flowers fade slowly over weeks instead of days.

If you squint just a little, the clusters look like tiny butterflies resting before flight. Their petals are as soft as a butterfly as well.

I admired these plants for years, amazed at the variety and color. They’re large shrubs so they’re not well suited to small garden spaces. Now that we have the space, I’ve gone a little crazy. We planted three Nikko Blue last spring, then followed up with four more in pink (seen below).

Hydrangea Fuchsia

We planted the newest ones under our living room window. I have one hydrangea in an enormous pot on the patio. It lost its blooms earlier in the season. I used the dying flowers to make a dried bouquet for my sister’s costume in October. The blue flower clusters also faded fast. This beautiful specimen, however, continues to delight.

Hydrangea Pink

Hydrangea green

You can learn more about these beautiful plants at All About Hydrangeas.

December 3, 2012 by Born To Organize

After the Rain: Fresh and Fabulous

A couple of decent-sized storms moved through the area over the weekend, drenching communities up and down the state. I love being indoors listening to the rain and winds, but it was a bear for those who had to drive. We were lucky to be home. Several large trees went down in the storm, but I don’t think anyone was hurt.

Japanese Maple

Maple leaves in the fountain

Winds and rain stripped the remaining leaves from our Chinese Pistache but the more sheltered Maple continues its colorful show.

The vegetable beds and the surrounding barrier look none the worse for wear. In fact, the cauliflower crowns are forming. They looks so cute at this stage. Something’s been eating the outer leaves, though I couldn’t see any sign of the anonymous nibbler this morning. I’m hopeful that is the only damage.

Broccoli Plants

Cauliflower

It was disappointing to find so much standing water in the worm bin, and worried I drowned the lot of them. Fortunately, the layer of straw gave them a place to go so all is well. I got out the drill and put several holes in the bottom and sides so this doesn’t happen again.

Otherwise, the garden survived the storm and looks refreshed. Here is one last look:

Pretty and Pink

Begonias

Fruit Cocktail Tree

Mystery Balloon

It’s one of the laws of physics: what goes up, eventually comes down. If only balloons could talk.

December 2, 2012 by Born To Organize

Organic Flower Essence Therapy: Soothe Your Cares Away

My friend Sheryl is a talented artist and the creator of Mama Love, a line of organic flower essence aromatherapy. Anyone who’s walked through the garden on a warm spring day can appreciate the power of the flower. Lavender calms the mind and relieves stress and tension. It’s a favorite among midwives and birth doulas. Rose oil is frequently recommended by aromatherapists for its antidepressant and mood-boosting properties. I think nature provides what we need and has done so throughout time. We’ve lost site of that in recent years. It’s good to see a trend toward the basics.

Using the Flower Essence

I like adding a few drops of Mama Love oil to a hot bath, along with a cup of Epsom salts. The combination soothes and relaxes. You can dab them on like perfume as well. They’re subtle so they don’t overwhelm the people around you. Have you ever had to politely hold your breath in an elevator to keep from being overwhelmed by someone’s cologne? No fun.

Mama Love Flower Essence Aromatherapy

What is Flower Essence Therapy?

According to Sheryl’s site, it’s “a system of healing developed by well-respected immunologist and homeopathic medical doctor Edward Bach. Working with a wide variety of patients just after World War I he came to the conclusion that a person’s emotional well-being and mental attitude had more to do with health and healing than any medicine he could offer. He eventually left his thriving London practice to move to the country to develop safe herbal homeopathics that addressed the most common emotional problems and their symptoms. His now world-famous Bach Flower Remedies were the result.”

Check out Sheryl’s shop on Etsy, where she also sells flower-inspired art work and greeting cards. She’s a cat person (like me!) This is her darling and opinionated cat, Chloe.**

Sheryl’s Cat Chloe

**To be honest, I think most cats are darling and opinionated.

Earth laughs in flowers. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

December 1, 2012 by Born To Organize

Bottoms Up: Potted Hole in One

The strangest things amuse me. While making the garden rounds this week, I noticed an empty pot near the fence. Tiny baby tears started growing through the bottom hole. I have no recollection of leaving the pot there, but it’s been long enough for the ground cover to take hold. Now I’m compelled to leave it to see how far it grows. It makes me smile.

In keeping with the theme of the day, I noticed a small clay pot, hand painted by my son when he was younger. It “travels” around the garden, a happy reminder of him. I upended the clay pot and left it in one of the patio planters at summer’s end. I didn’t know their was a bulb just below. I guess if you’re used to living beneath the soil line for many months, a little old pot isn’t going to slow you down. The as yet unidentified bulb shot up through the hole an entire foot before I noticed it. It looks so purposeful. I can’t wait to point it out to my son. I know he’ll be pleased.

So, I’ve been thinking. Wouldn’t it be fun to scatter empty pots around the garden to see what populates or propagates? I’m going to give that idea some careful thought.

Bottoms up!

November 30, 2012 by Born To Organize

Look Ma, No Ads!

A little housekeeping was in order at gardeningnirvana. First up, no more ads! When I started this blog I had two to five “hits” a day, so I guess WordPress couldn’t be bothered. Then my following grew. Hurray and thank you. At some point, ads magically appeared at the end of each post. I never saw the ads, and didn’t know they were there until a friend pointed them out.

I hope you enjoy the ad-free experience.

Next up, I created a new page featuring my various iterations of a fairy garden. I started one on a whim, and had so much fun, that I’ve kept it up all year. It’s a terrific creative outlet. It’s also a way to garden on a smaller scale. If time or space is limited, you might want to give it a go. You can see photos of the miniature garden evolution at Fairy Garden Frivolity.

Thanks for reading, commenting and liking my posts. I look forward to logging on every day.