August 14, 2012 by Born To Organize

Pumpkin Update: Tired Vines, Happy Fruit

You’ll never guess what’s been hiding under the cosmos?

Give up?

A fully formed, lovely orange pumpkin! I love surprises.

This is an exciting time of year in the garden. Here is the pumpkin crop so far:

A. Grandaddy. This peach-colored pumpkin is a force to be reckoned with. We have three growing in this size and shape. Today we discussed stacking them to make a pumpkin “snowman.” I can’t wait to weigh them on my home scale. I’m not getting on the scale, so I may as well use it for something.
B. Baby Bear. This little fella is probably full-sized but we won’t know till the color sets. Most of our pumpkins started out a rich yellow, but this one has a bit of green to it. The leaves are smaller in scale, which tells me it won’t grow any bigger. It’s about the size of a large apple.
C. The Twins. These two pumpkins are leaning up against the house. The vines are so thick that I’ve not been able to reach them for over a month. I can’t wait to wrap my arms around them.
D. Peek-a-boo. The cosmos draped themselves over this orange lovely. Do you see that little patch of orange peeking through the flowers? I lifted the cosmos out-of-the-way and there it was, bottoms up.
E. Bottoms up. This one looks a bit like someone’s…bottom. We’ll have to think of something clever for Halloween. Suggestions are welcome and in fact encouraged in the comments section below.

There you have it. Linus would be disappointed. I’ve avoided religion and politics, but I simply can’t help myself: I love talking about great pumpkins.

“I’ve learned there are three things you don’t discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.”

-Linus in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles Schultz

August 11, 2012 by Born To Organize

Allium Stellatum by Nightfall

I see beautiful white stars on this hot summer night, though I’ve cast my eyes down, not up. By the light of the moon, Allium Stellatum, also known as Prairie Onions, are covered in tiny, star-like blooms. The Allium set buds nearly two weeks ago. This evening they’re covered in flowers. A light, sweet onion scent lingers above the soil

Many flowers close up shop for the evening. It’s a nice surprise finding these tiny flowers wide awake and enjoying the August heat.

Allium Stellatum or Prairie Onion

Star light, star bright

True star-gazers might catch a falling star tonight as the Perseids shower the night sky with meteors. They will reach their August peak this weekend, visible to the naked eye in most parts of North America.

August 10, 2012 by Born To Organize

The Dulcet Sounds of a Fountain

Landscape designers call them “water features” and they can cost a pretty penny. Our water feature is a faux stone fountain, purchased 15 years ago for $79.

Moving water soothes the senses. It masks the uglier sounds of the suburbs like traffic or noisy neighbors. If your lucky, it attracts wildlife, stopping by for a drink.

Serenity

Even though we have an indoor water fountain for the cats, two of the four kitties prefer to drink from the outdoor fountain, green algae and all. Squirrels hop on and off on occasion and I’m pretty sure the visiting raccoon washed his little hands in the splash after turning our lawn into a muddy mess.

Our small and unremarkable water feature brings serenity to the garden. If you are lucky enough to live near the ocean or a lake, you’ll know exactly what I mean. If not, consider investing in a bird bath, a small fountain or your own creative version of water in motion.

Here’s to peace and serenity.

A Water Garden For All (homeandgardenwelcome.wordpress.com)
Add Tranquility to Any Space with Affordable Water Features from WaterFountainsForDecor.com (prweb.com)
Make the most of your garden this summer with a stunning water feature (judithhays1.typepad.com)

August 9, 2012 by Born To Organize

Blooming Thursday: It Must Be August

In the far corner of the garden, the Japanese Anemone are about to put on a show. The plant is unremarkable most of the year, with a low, leafy green spreading across the rock wall. After a winter die-back, they reemerge in the spring, gathering energy for the days ahead.

Anemone Buds

Anemone Japonica ‘White’

July arrives and on cue, the Anemone burst forth sending out tall stems covered in lush green leaves. July is dress rehearsal.

Anemone Bloom

Take a seat ladies and gentlemen, the show is about to begin. The chorus lines the rock wall, tiny buds at the ready. When the curtain opens, dozens of white blooms take center stage.

Be sure to tell all your friends. The show continues its run through late August.

August 8, 2012 by Born To Organize

A Page From My Garden

Fun times at the computer today. I finally got the hang of the Creative Memories StoryBook Creator software. I tried out my skills creating a page of flowers from the garden. If you’re remotely interested, I suggest you give it a whirl. Once you’re over the proverbial hump, you’ll be amazed at what you can do.

Among the more interesting features: creating a “rubber stamp” effect using your photos or one of the “embellishments” from the library. Also fun: matting your photo with an exact color from your picture.

I’ve been assembling scrapbooks since I was a girl. Mom would make paste from flour and water, then she would line the kitchen table with newspapers and let us go to town. My sister and I cut pictures from magazines and pasted away. Who knew all these years later that I would be cutting and pasting with a computer?

Are you a ‘scrapper? Have you joined the digital bandwagon?

August 7, 2012 by Born To Organize

Tomatoes and Basil, Together at Last

My husband made a delicious Caprese salad for dinner last night with store-bought tomatoes and basil. It’s one of our favorite dishes. He found plump, flavorful heirloom tomatoes, filled with juicy sweetness. Today, at last, we have our own ripening tomatoes on the vine and a healthy crop of basil.

I planted three organic starter plants on one side of the City Picker planting system, and three sets of seeds on the other. Everything came up. When the pumpkin vines took over the area between the garden beds, I simply rolled our tomatoes to a sunny spot on the walkway, something I couldn’t have done otherwise. I’ll definitely plant tomatoes in the box again.

Okay, all you tomato growers: are your tomatoes ripening on the vine? Ours took 94 days from seed to red fruit.

Tomatoes and Basil

Tomato Quirks: I learned a thing or two from this article.
The Green Grower: Bonnie vegetable starters now come in biodegradable “pots” that go straight into the ground with the plant. No more plastic pots!
The World’s Largest Tomato: A record holder at over 7 pounds.
Insalata Caprese: My husband usually just wings it, but here is a recipe similar to the one he prepared.

August 6, 2012 by Born To Organize

Sunflower Wall or Bust

My longed-for “wall of sunflowers” is coming along nicely, but I’ve revised my description a bit.

Three sunflower seedlings survived the first planting but the squirrels pilfered the rest. The second crop did much better after I engineered a screen saver, but the plants are shorter. I thought they would catch up in height, but since they are also setting buds, I think they’ll remain vertically challenged. So…here are my…sunflowers, minus the flowers. They’ll be along shortly.

Sunflower Bud

Sunflowers Line the Upper Deck
Lavender grazes below

August 5, 2012 by Born To Organize

Pumpkin Mishaps, Emotional Gardening

A watched pot never boils.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

A watched pumpkin slowly produces fruit, but while your busy hatching plans for Jack o’ lanterns, nature intervenes.

What started as a scar is now a split in the side of this pumpkin. Oh well.

Clichés and tortured prose aside, when things go wrong my disappointment is palpable. Pumpkin vines grow from seed to fruit in just 90 days. If I could cast the seeds over my shoulder and forget about them till harvest, would it temper my sense of loss when things don’t work out? Perhaps.

I’m not that kind of gardener.

When I lay seeds on the warm earth, I tuck them in with soil and hope. Emerging seedlings make my heart pump a little faster. Flowers and fruit arrive on the scene and I can’t wait to drag family and friends into the garden to see the latest earthy surprise.

Talking about tomato yields with fellow bloggers gives me a wonderful sense of community. Glancing up from the kitchen sink to see a neighbor slow down to admire the sunflowers makes me smile.

Sharing my disappointments, however, makes me sad. I learn from my garden failures and continue to plant every year, but still it’s such a let down. If only I would take things a less personally.

Emotional gardener or gardening sap? I’ll leave that to my readers to decide.

The weight of the pumpkin snapped the vine from the trellis and sent it tumbling to the ground. It’s such a beautiful shape, but since it broke away prematurely, it won’t develop a hard, protective shell.

Pumpkin Vine Sprawl (gardeningnirvana.wordpress.com)
‘Big Max’ Pumpkin Vine: Busy Bees, Budding Fruit (gardeningnirvana.wordpress.com)
The Joyful Gardener Turns 12 (gardeningnirvana.wordpress.com)

August 4, 2012 by Born To Organize

Stairway to Heaven: The Ants Go Marching One by One

Ants love sugar. They’re also incredibly resourceful. The mystery, however, is how they knew that a single Cosmo grew to just the right height this week, allowing them direct access to the heavenly meal above, out of reach just the day before.

Cosmo Meets Hummingbird Feeder

My husband fills the hummingbird feeders every few days, while I tend to the flowers below. The planter has assorted annuals, each just a few inches tall. The hummingbird feeder hangs a reasonable distance overhead. A self-seeded Cosmo popped up a few weeks ago, and quickly grew parallel to the feeder. Within a day, the ants marched up the side of the flower-pot, on to the leaves, up the stem and across the bottom of the feeder. Victory! Well…if you’re an ant.

Cosmo Stem: Bridge to Sugary Heaven

What else could I do but grab the camera and start taking pictures?

Have you ever tried photographing moving ants? It’s not easy. My patience, however paid off. As I stood to the side of the feeder, trying to get a good shot of the single Cosmo, I heard the hummers chit-chatting nearby. Pressing myself against the side of the house I stood stock still, camera poised. My shutter finger at the ready, a ruby-throated beauty came into view. What a joyful few seconds as I clicked away, sparkling red feathers catching the sunlight as the hummer sipped a meal.

Hummingbird at Feeder

Perhaps I should extend an olive branch to those opportunistic ants. Without them, I would have missed the beautiful show.

You can see all twelve hummingbird photos, by clicking on my Animoto Video Slide Show.

August 3, 2012 by Born To Organize

Birdhouse Gourd: Found a Peanut?

I’ve encountered more surprises from our Birdhouse Gourd vine. The early fruit looks just like a peanut! Aren’t they cute?

Bird House Gourd Emerging Fruit

The first budding fruit was round, but the newer ones are all shaped like a miniature version of things to come.

Also surprising are the leaves. I’ve been carefully avoiding them, assuming they were rough like the pumpkins but learned as I brushed against one they are as soft as peach fuzz. What a fun plant!