August 14, 2013 by Born To Organize

Ladybugs vs. Aphids: Last One Standing

Last bug standing?

I mentioned last week that I would be heading to the garden center for another batch of living ladybugs. My lovely, onion-scented Allium is dripping in aphids and soot. Ick, yuck and blech!

The first batch of ladybugs made some progress, but now all but one or two are gone. They didn’t even leave a note to say why.

Where did they go? The tasty aphid smorgasbord remains. What’s an organic gardener to do?

Then I read this from OurWaterOurWorld.org:

Tolerate low to moderate numbers of aphids as long as they aren’t causing noticeable plant damage. There is a reason for this: aphids have many natural enemies such as spiders, ladybugs, lacewings and minute parasitoids (tiny non-stinging wasps) that often keep aphid numbers below damaging levels. These beneficial insects rarely appear on the scene until after aphids have begun attacking plants. This “lag-time” can be a day or two or as long as several weeks. As the season progresses, aphid control by these natural enemies improves because more natural enemies are attracted to your garden and more stay to breed.

So…I’m taking the wait and see approach as I keep a close eye on the plant.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to identify a different set of insects on my beloved pumpkins. Stop by later this week for a look-see. I bet you can hardly wait. ;-)

August 13, 2013 by Born To Organize

Garden Walks

One of our favorite summer pastimes at the end of a hot day is taking a walk. The days are long so the sun is still up past 8 here in Silicon Valley. It’s nice to simply head out the front door and meander through the neighborhood.

Mighty Mouse likes to follow us down the block, though on our last walk, he encountered a territorial feline. ‘Words’ were exchanged, but he thought better of an altercation and returned home. I worry about him when he heads toward the park, so if he insists on coming we just circle the block instead.

Aside from the balmy weather and my husband’s good company, I love checking out all the gardens. It’s a great way to get ideas for your own yard.

I wish I could identify all the plants we see, but since half the fun is speculating, I’ll let you guess along with me.

A fabulous pumpkin growing along a cute picket fence.

I love this shade of rose. Do you know the variety?

More roses

Gorgeous foliage, unknown plant.

Any ideas? It’s a bulb of some kind.

iFruit
I didn’t think we could grow apples in the Valley. I thought they needed a good frost.

I wonder what this was? It reminds me of a rose hip, but the foliage looks like a different plant entirely.

Oh, and I think Mouse’s ears were burning when I greeted this kitty at the curb. I couldn’t help but notice the resemblance. This sweet kitty has personality to spare as well.

Thanks for joining me on my virtual walk. If you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to stop by.

August 12, 2013 by Born To Organize

Anenome Redux

It’s that time of year again. The Anemones gather steam throughout the early summer, then as August dawns, so too do the stunning white flowers.

Last year I wrote Party in the Anemones which received quite a few giggles, so I’m sharing it again, below. Perhaps you missed it the first go around. If not, then please enjoy Anemone Redux.

The first day of fall is just five weeks away in our hemisphere. Time flies when you’re gardening!

* * *

Prolific Anemones bloom every summer, monopolizing the back garden fence. I’ve been gathering them into bouquets every few days to bring indoors. Little did I know that atop those crisp white blooms and their buttercup yellow centers there was a party going on.

Prolific Anemones

It wasn’t your typical, garden-variety party. In fact, I wasn’t even invited. Apparently you needed four to six legs to attend, and the invites are on the QT. I don’t think my neighbors even knew!

The party host wasn’t available for comment, so instead I snapped a few pics of the guests. Our host has an eclectic group of friends, including elegant katydids, busy-body ants and even the low-brow house fly. I didn’t recognize all of the party goers. A few of their identities remain a mystery.

Mystery Guest

I don’t want to name names, but things may have gotten a bit out of hand. I saw a small spider chatting with a katydid, and in the next shot…the spider was gone! Do you think I should say something to the host?

Katydid…or didn’t?

One of the spotted guests spent most of his time at the food table, while the ant kept darting in and out of the petals. I think he had too much pollen to drink.

Anty Em! Anty Em!

The house fly enjoyed making the rounds, but the others seemed to be avoiding her. It might have been her over-powering perfume.

House Fly

I’m no party-crasher, so I finished taking my pictures and left. Back on the patio steps once again, you would never know there was a party going on.

Going to Seed

August 9, 2013 by Born To Organize

Ladies in Red

The ladybug entourage seems to be moving on, but darn it, I’m not ready to see them go. They still have aphids to eat, people to see. It’s too soon! I’ve being watching intently, but I don’t see a lot of bug noshing. I guess their time has come.

I’ll be making another trip to the garden center for another batch this weekend. Meanwhile, here are a few candid shots before they fly away home.

Happy Friday! I’ll be back with more ladies in red next week.

August 8, 2013 by Born To Organize

Theories on Thursday

What’s your theory?

I never sit still for long in the garden, as there is always something to do. When I do, however, I’m often rewarded. Such was the case with this bird.

‘Chillin on a branch

I heard ‘her’ singing from a tree nearby, before she flew into our yard where she sat preening on the low branch of a tree.

Preening

A second bird sat on the telephone wires, and chirped what seemed like a response. Chirp-chirp. Sing-song.

Secret code?

I took several pics of the bird resting in the Pittosporum, before she flew away. She soon returned, this time perched in the branches of a fruit tree.

Trying out the fruit tree

My husband was making repairs to the irrigation system (he doesn’t sit still for long either) so we gave up our perch on the garden swing and got to work.

The bird tracked my movements, then hopped along the fence toward the orange tree, and finally on to the neighboring fence. She continued the chatter with an ever-watchful eye.

bird on the fence

It seems late in the year for nesting, so I’m not sure what the charade was about. She definitely wanted to keep her eye on us, and with all the cats in the garden, I wanted to keep my eye safely on her as well.

Mighty Mouse lounging under the orange tree

What do you think? Was she protecting a nest nearby? Was she warning the cats to keep their distance? Was there some diabolical ruse going on with the bird on the wire and our friend on the fence? You know…’you distract them while I raid the worm bin.’ or ‘I dropped a seed and now I want to retrieve it.’

What’s your theory? I would love to hear what you think.

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

August 1, 2013 by Born To Organize

A Room with a View

Kitchen Window: Before and after

The best part of my kitchen is the view. Sure the counter tops are nice and who doesn’t like a dishwasher, but the view out my front window makes the room.

When we remodeled nine years ago, the contractor suggested lowering the window to the height of the counters. Who knew that dropping it just a few inches could make such a difference? The lowered window invites the outdoors in. I have a direct view of the Chinese Pistache, a lovely tree that sheds leaves each fall. It’s one of those trees that’s gorgeous year round, though particularly stunning in the early autumn months.

Pistache in the Fall

Improving on my view, I added a small, triangular flower garden in the corner of the lawn. I knew the flowers would lift my spirits, but didn’t realize the number of birds it would attract. What a treat to hear them singing in nearby trees, then watching them swoop down for seeds.

Flowers near the lawn

Rounding out my extraordinary view are the hummingbirds that visit throughout the day. I found a feeder that suction-cups to the window, and placed it high enough to keep them safe from predators, but low enough for maximum viewing. We worried they would stop coming when we hung the awning in the spring, but they were back within minutes, swooping under the awning for a quick meal. I’ve been known to swoop in for a sugary treat myself, so I should have had more faith.

Picture me on the other side of the glass smiling at this little hummingbird.

Do you have a favorite room with a view?

July 31, 2013 by Born To Organize

Coleus Splendiferous

Potted coleus

Our splashy coleus greets our guests as they cross the deck to our front door. Aren’t the colors amazing? This fast-growing plant seems to double in size, minutes after the summer heat descends. Small purple flowers appeared last week, but they almost seem beside the point. The true beauty of this plant is the leaves. I have three varieties growing on the deck, but this is my favorite.

Spikes of purple flowers

I grew two coleus last year, then tried, unsuccessfully, to keep them alive through the winter. I wrapped then in frost cloth, kept the watering going, but alas one hard frost and that’s all she wrote.

Apparently it’s tasty too.

This year I’m ready. I’ll take cuttings instead. I have rooting compound for the occasion, along with a lightweight planting medium. I even have my eye on a small, portable green house, so that I don’t have to use the always-busy kitchen for my growing pursuits. I’ll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, I’m enjoying my colorful deck.

Do you have a summer favorite?

Stunning colors

July 30, 2013 by Born To Organize

Garden Dahling: New Kid in Town

Dahlia Stella J

Isn’t she a dream?

I brought home my first set of Dahlia tubers in March from
the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show. Grown in Oakville Washington, Dan’s Dahlias boast “We Grow the Best.” I have to say, they’ve definitely lived up to the hype.

I’ve never grown Dahlias before (why I couldn’t tell you) but they’re a new garden favorite. You can order them online for shipping around the world, though I find it great fun buying them at the garden show.

Dahlias grow from tubers, so you can dig them up and divide them year to year. Your flower garden grows and grows. I bought three tubers this year to see how they would fair in my garden soil.

What do you think?

Dahlia joins the family

New This Week!

Dan’s clever logo was born from adversity. According to his site:

Besides their beauty, variety and heartiness, one of the reasons that many gardeners love dahlias is that they are deer-resistant but, an unfortunate incident back in June, 1994 proves they are not cow-resistant. My parents and I headed to California for the weekend as I was a groomsman in my cousin’s wedding. Sometime during the night, 28 of our neighbor’s Holstein heifers broke through their fence and came into the dahlia field; the cows went undetected until morning. I returned to a disaster. The cows ate three acres of dahlias to the ground, they broke the wooden stakes, and ate the plastic identification ribbons. The field looked like it had been rototilled. That year, Dan’s Dahlia’s was almost completely wiped out. Many years later, I could make light of the incident and created a unique business logo, “Cow Eating a Dahlia.” The logo is a symbol of the obstacles that Dan’s Dahlias has had to overcome. But with family support, hard work and determination, it’s a booming, blooming business.

His story certainly puts my sunflower-thieving squirrels in perspective.

July 29, 2013 by Born To Organize

Metaphorical Sunflower

Mouse *insisted* on being in the picture.

I planted an entire packet of sunflower seeds, but only one took hold. I’ve seen several fat and happy squirrels around the ‘hood, so I’ve little doubt where they went. That said, I’m more interested in the lone survivor.

Thinking that the surviving plant needed company, I headed back the to garden center and bought six sunflower starters. For awhile the plants were all the same height, but at the three-foot mark, the starter plants set dozens of blooms. The lone survivor continued to grow.

Metaphorically speaking, I can relate. One summer in my middle-school years, I grew from average to tall and stayed that way. Tall and skinny and very much in my own ‘shell’ I stood apart from the others. My pale English skin, tall carriage and bright hair were the antithesis of the California Girl. I was quiet, bookish, and painfully shy, and the occasional target of mean-spirited girls.

Today the surviving sunflower stands tall and straight. The proverbial late bloomer had her turn in the sun. Large leaves attract birds of all stripes. Blooms attracted bees. Now laden with heavy seeds, those mischievous squirrels will be back, but guess what? Times have changed.

This time, she’s ready.

alys and sunflower collage