December 10, 2013 by Born To Organize

Garden Update: Frosty and Dry

Days of unseasonal frost have left my garden looking desolate. I raced past the dying tomato plant on my way to dump kitchen scraps. I upended them into the compost bin, then raced back inside for warmth.

Tomatoes last stand

Still no rain in sight, other than one brief storm last month. The days are cold and dry.

The leaves have been off the Pistache since mid-November, but the maple is just now turning color. It’s nice that they set color at different times. It gives us a chance to enjoy each one.

View from my living room window

Japanese Maple

Somewhat comically, I won’t need to refrigerate my bulbs this year. Generally speaking, California isn’t cold enough so we have to tease the bulbs with a six-week chill. They’re getting plenty of cold in the garage and should be ready to go soon. I’m not ready, but they are.

The hyacinth bulbs are popping up, happy with the autumn chill. When they finally bloom, the smell is potent and intoxicating. I can’t wait. It evokes a happy childhood memory, so I look forward to breathing that in each year.

hyacinth

I’m off to the craft store to buy some ribbon for the finishing touches on a gift. One last seasonal trip to the post office tomorrow.

What’s happening in your corner of the world? I’m behind on my reading, but look forward to catching up with all your lovely comments, and blogs, soon.

December 9, 2013 by Born To Organize

Lawn Tree Traditions: Greening up the Neighborhood

Mother and son

If you drop by this week, you’ll see Christmas trees up and down the block. Our neighborhood has an extensive and coordinated effort to display cut Christmas trees on our lawn each year. The trees go up the first week of December and come down New Year’s day. I’m the block captain for our street.

We try to make it a family affair, but now that our boys are teens, their interest wanes. This year my older son did the heavy lifting along with his dad, dropping trees at each house while I drove the truck. My youngest son asked if he could stay in bed! So it goes.

The Muscle

Our neighbor, Greg lends us his truck for deliveries. I get to dust off my manual transmission driving skills once a year. It keeps me in the game.

Ready for delivery

The Bay Area is diverse. Not all neighbors celebrate this tradition. When I was a young, I wondered why one or two people wouldn’t want a tree in their yard. Then I grew up and understood that the world is full of different religions and cultures and it all made sense. We see Menorah in neighboring windows and understand others simply don’t embrace the ritual. It’s a great time of year to pause and reflect on the richness of diversity.

We have an artificial tree indoors, and a cut tree on the lawn. I wrote about the pros and cons of real vs fake last year. You can read more about that here.

Do you celebrate Christmas? Do you display a tree? Real or fake…or both? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments, below.

Organized at Heart

I’m posting a series of articles featuring organizing around the holidays this month on my blog Organized at Heart. If the subject interests you, please go take a peak. Today’s blog: Holiday Storage: The Case of the Shrinking House.

Of note: Wikipedia has a wonderful and detailed article on the origins of the decorated Christmas tree. I’m always learning something new on that site and must remember to make my annual donation accordingly.

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.

November 19, 2013 by Born To Organize

Wreathiness

Earlier today, ‘Selfie’ was named Word of the Year by the Oxford Dictionaries. It brought to mind an earlier Word of the Year back in 2005 coined by Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report: truthiness.

Truthiness is “the quality of stating concepts one wishes or believes to be true, rather than the facts.” That is how I feel about my garden wreath.

In concept I wish it were beautiful. If you look at a small corner of the wreath it’s pretty.

Closeups are deceiving

If I was going for truthiness I could call it a day. Alas, I’m a gardener that likes to keep it real.

The wreath had potential:

A sturdy, but unobtrusive green metal base from a craft store
Lovely hydrangeas, dried to a soft purple gray
Long strands of velvety, purple sage
Snippets of lavender here and there
Bits of ribbon and a hair pin, no longer in use.

I wrapped strands of sage along the edges of the wreath, then placed three hydrangeas in a loose triangle. I added a small ribbon and a hair pin. It just wasn’t enough. I gathered lavender and added sprigs of that, then hung the wreath on the door, scattering dried flowers as I went.

The wreath lacks volume. Adding lavender made it smell nice, but it didn’t really help my cause. Every time I tried to ‘fluff it up,’ I made it worse. I found a few more hydrangeas, smaller and still green. Still not enough. Now I have dried petals all over the front porch. They continue to drop every time I close the door.

Wreath of shame

Balding wreath

So, crafty friends, what’s a gardener to do? Should I hide my wreath of shame? I ordered a Christmas wreath from the local Boy Scouts. Maybe I should just wait for it to arrive.

Is there still hope for my garden wreath?

Suggestions welcome in the comments below.

November 15, 2013 by Born To Organize

Seedy Business

Remains of the Day

It’s seedy business.

If I don’t do it though, the birds, squirrels, wind and rain will.

Gather seeds, that is.

I’m fairly new to seed-saving. I’ve always been a seed packet junkie, often buying far more seeds than I could ever hope to plant. When my son was much younger, he regularly talked me into buying every pumpkin variety to be had. Santa brought additional seeds for his Christmas stocking each year. Our seeds runneth over!

Last year I started saving my own seeds and now I’m hooked.

Planting:

I planted four o’clock seeds this summer with mixed success, but collected them again for a second try. I successfully started one plant in a pot, but thanks to ‘self-seeding’ ended up with multiple plants in the side garden.

Growing:

The compost bin produced an entire crop of pumpkins so I had left over seeds to spare. I started several plants indoors, then gave them away to friends. Reports were positive, so I definitely plan to do this next year.

Sharing:

This is the best part of my seed-saving adventures. I saved handfuls of Cosmo seeds at the end of 2012 and gave them as gifts that Christmas. I made a tri-fold card using digital software and my own Cosmo photos, then added small seed packets inside. A few of my friends kept the cards and seeds intact, but others planted them. My friend Stacie sent me a photo last month of her towering Cosmos. That was pretty cool.

Cosmo seed card front panel

Cosmos Seed Cards – Back Panel

Early this spring, I gave away pumpkin seeds to a pair of adorable three-year-old twins. I met them walking with their dad one evening while I was working in my garden. The girls showed genuine interest, so I went inside and got them seeds to take home and plant…and they did! I saw the family a few months later, and dad told me the plants took root. Good stuff.

Saving:

The annual garden is going to seed and temps are finally dropping. I knew time was of the essence. I collected a healthy sample for next year, at the same time leaving plenty of seeds on the plants for my foraging friends.

My system: I used a portable tote and plastic cups from an Easter-egg dying project. I dropped seeds into the cups, then salvaged a bloom for easy identification later.

I’m looking forward to sorting and labeling seeds this weekend, a joyful activity for someone ‘born to organize’ like me. I’ll share my progress next week.

My favorite seed pod. Tiny black seeds tumbled out when I gently tapped the pod

Happy weekend!

August 2, 2013 by Born To Organize

Two Letters

Alys

Dear Reader,

We create a ‘contract’ of sorts when we publish a regular blog. My unwritten contract with you says that when you log on, you can expect to find a post about gardening, crafting, crafty gardening and cats, delivered with a mostly light heart. So, the following letter, written to my dad who died when I was 9 has a more somber tone and I wanted to let you know that upfront. If this is not your thing, please read no further. Stop by next week for the usual garden antics.

With love and gratitude for your readership and support.

Alys

Dear Daddy,

This is one of those letters you never actually send, though I would if I could. You left an unimaginable void in our hearts when you died on a day just like today. It was hot, strangely still and ultimately surreal. How could you have been here one minute, then gone the next? I walked in on mom the day you died and I knew. She was kneeling on the floor tearing up your letters though I never fully understood why. She had her reasons and in the end it doesn’t really matter.

You would be amazed what can happen to a letter these days. When I hit a button on an electronic box called a computer, this letter will travel through something called the internet. Once sent, you can’t tear it up, burn it, or control it in any way. Lovers and politicians learned this the hard way. It’s what they called a double-edged sword in your day.

I love you so much, and was really, really, really sad when you died. As you know, I was only 9 so I didn’t have the resources to understand what was going on. Mom did her best, but she struggled too. We all missed you terribly. I’m crying now as I write this, all these years later, as at times I remain stuck in the painful past.

Please know, that you would be proud of your legacy. Your girls grew up and got college degrees, something that was really important to you. It was your reason for moving the family to California in the first place. We all love and nurture animals as you did, and yours-truly is a gardener! Can you believe it?

I have special memories of our beautiful London garden. You hauled rocks in a wheelbarrow to build a small ‘creek’ down the middle of the yard. It gathered run-off from rain and melting snow and filled my imagination with happy moments. Your grew snapdragons near the back door, and tomatoes during the hot days of summer. Sometimes people would meet you at the nursery where you worked and ask to come by to see your garden. I was so proud of you.

When we left Canada for what you hoped would be a better life for your girls, the new homeowners weren’t interested in keeping up your garden. You were hugely disappointed. I certainly would be. Of course the plan was a new home and a new garden in sunny California. We arrived in November of 1966 to less than favorable circumstances. The man who hired you to run his nursery had since filed bankruptcy. You supported our family with your savings, then sold your beloved coin collection to make ends meet. It was a difficult time for all of us. I can’t imagine as a parent how hard that must have been for you.

By the end of 1967 things were finally turning around. Our family moved to Millbrae where you landed a job at a local garden nursery. We lived in a rental, but at last could put down roots. The following Christmas, what we thought was the flu turned out to be lung cancer. The holidays were never the same.

I turn 54 this October, the same age you were when a cruel and ravishing cancer stripped you of your life. Your physical suffering was finally at an end on that hot, August day, but my struggles had just begun. Life doesn’t come with guarantees.

I want to thank you for your gifts of life and affection. Each of your daughters carries you in her own way. I think you would be proud of us, as we are of you.

My wish today as I hit the ‘send button’ would be for you to know that we all grew up, lived productive lives and that we carry you in our hearts, always. When I reach toward the earth, to tumble a seed or pull out a weed, I think of you.

Your loving daughter,

Alys Ann

Mom and Dad on their wedding day

July 19, 2013 by Born To Organize

Talavera Dove: Brimming with Goodness

My son gave me this beautiful Talavera Dove flower-pot for Christmas last year. I kept it indoors during the winter months, but once the weather improved I placed it on the deck. After a couple of heatwaves, the lemony-yellow coleus doubled, than tripled in size. This week it flowered. Now the pot feels more like a peacock then a dove, with its fanning plumage.

Talavera Dove with Coleus

According to Wikipedia:

Talavera is a type of majolica earthenware, distinguished by its white base glaze.^[1] Authentic Talavera pottery only comes from the city of Puebla and the communities of Atlixco, Cholula and Tecali, as the clays needed and the history of this craft are both centered there. All pieces are hand-thrown on a potter’s wheel and the glazes contain tin and lead, as they have since colonial times. This glaze must craze, be slightly porous and milky-white, but not pure white. There are only six permitted colors: blue, yellow, black, green, orange and mauve, and these colors must be made from natural pigments. The painted designs have a blurred appearance as they fuse slightly into the glaze. The base, the part that touches the table, is not glazed but exposes the terra cotta underneath. An inscription is required on the bottom that contains the following information: the logo of the manufacturer, the initials of the artist and the location of the manufacturer in Puebla.

In our age of mass production, it’s fun having a garden pot with a bit of old-world tradition. It’s nice having the long, warm summer days to enjoy it, too.

Have a great weekend!

What’s on Deck

January 8, 2013 by Born To Organize

Hyacinth: Can you Smell It?

Purple Hyacinth

When I was a teenager, our mom gave each of us a hyacinth bulb one year for Christmas. As I recall, it came with a glass that allowed the bulb to sit suspended, with the roots growing into the cup of water below. Having the chance to grow one indoors was magical. With just one to focus on, I could see the changes day by day. The scent was intoxicating. It’s been a favorite ever since.

Several years ago I bought a half a dozen hyacinth bulbs at our local Costco. They’ve moved from place to place over the years, but just when I think they’re spent, a few come back. Three of them popped up on the back patio last week. They’ve been nibbled here and there, but they’re pretty just the same. The scent carries me back, as they often do, to our small apartment growing up: powerful, fragrant and at times bittersweet.

Hyacinth in Bloom

Hyacinth Leaves

Hyacinth Closeup

December 25, 2012 by Born To Organize

Fairy Mystique: The Young and the Young-Hearted

If you’ve been following Gardening Nirvana for a while, you’ll know that I’ve fallen in love with fairy gardens. You can read a bit about them here. I created several over the past year, and shared them on my blog. They’re whimsical and fun.

Imagine my delight to learn that the two little girls across the street decided to create a fairy garden of their own. They caught the fairy garden bug!

When the holiday season rolled around this year, I thought it would be fun to don my “fairy cap” and create a little magic of my own.

On my first visit to their families outdoor Christmas tree, I left a tiny note and some “decorating material” including sequins, silk thread and a roll of red laundry lint, perfect for making fairy pillows and blankets. I tucked it deep in the branches so they could enjoy the search.

Fairy Garden Package #1

Next up, another note along with some ribbon, a few wooden stars and a family of matchstick-sized dolls tucked inside a baby food jar and wrapped in mesh.

Fairy Garden Package #2

On my last visit to the tree, I left a parcel of miniature bristle trees, a few shiny mirrors (great for lakes and ponds) and a bag of fairy snow.

Fairy Snow

It has been so much fun sorting through my sewing box, scrap-booking materials, and left over art supplies to pull together little treasures for the fairy aficionados.

On Christmas Eve, just before heading out with my family to look at neighborhood Christmas lights I made one last visit. My son helped me fill the top half of a paper Christmas cracker, with a few gold coins. While my husband backed out the car, I tiptoed to their door, deposited the gifts, rang the bell, and ran like crazy. Getting caught in the act would spoil all the fun.

As I raced across their lawn and out of view, the neighborhood kitty gave chase. My parting thought as I ran around the corner was how funny it must have looked to see a woman in her fifties running across her neighbor’s lawn, with a small white cat in hot pursuit.

There’s Magic in that Tree

Fairy Garden Snow Recipe

one small handful of craft snow
a pinch of sparkles
a dash of blue bakers sugar

December 24, 2012 by Born To Organize

Dove Bomb Surprise: A Recipe for World Peace

Please Note: This recipe is not for pessimists or doomsayers.

As with all good recipes, the ingredients are critical. Do not settle for substitutes unless otherwise noted.

Gather together the following organic ingredients:

1 ounce of prevention

1/2 pound of genuine hugs

A sprinkle of laughter

Sunshine (to taste)

Optional: season with soothing music or a winter’s nap

You will also need:

1 missile launching kit (available on the Internet)

Assorted bomb casings

A positive attitude

Energy saving tip: No need to preheat your oven. Global warming is sufficient.

Prepare your missile launching kit following the manufacturer’s instructions. Set aside.

Mix one ounce of prevention with a half pound of genuine hugs until smooth. Fold in a sprinkle of laughter, blending well. Add sunshine to taste.

Remove chilled bomb casings from the freezer and carefully fill to the three-quarter mark with the above mixture. Add optional ingredients at this time.

Pop the dove bomb surprise into the missile-launcher and fire away. Upon impact Dove Bomb Surprise will coat the earth’s population. Those lucky enough to be at the center of impact will experience an incredible sense of euphoria. Others, at a more distant radius, will experience an overall feeling of joy and content. Pregnant women will give birth to children addicted to world peace. Warring factions everywhere will lay down their weapons and cast off their anger, wondering why they harbored them in the first place. Hatred will be rendered obsolete. Some nations will decide to share their oil; others will share food and water. Technology will be applied for the good of all humankind. The environment will return to its intended state and freedom will reign for all.

No mess to clean up. Serves several billion.