July 11, 2012 by Born To Organize

Slinky in the Garden

Slinky’s Domain

Slinky Malinki, our shiny black kitty, arrived a few years back. Her haunting green eyes, spoke of unhappy lives; slight moves put her on the attack.

We fed her each day; she would eat and run away, returning each night for a meal.

Should I venture a reach? She would greet me with teeth, trying to pet her lost all its appeal.

Slinky gradually came ‘round, but remains leery and unbound, affection is given with care.

Now she sleeps near my pillow and head-butts my face, it’s hands she continues to fear. Each passing year, a little less fear, what I wouldn’t give to let her know she’s safe.

Slinky Near the Strawberry Patch

Like a Sunflower, Slinky Rotates with the Sun

Proud Lady

Making Progress

Did you know:

Cats head-butt as a way of showing affection.
Feral cats can be tamed. Here is an informative, compassionate article written by The Lucky Few
We named our Slinky after a wonderful children’s book: Slinky Malinki by New Zealand writer Lynley Dodd

July 10, 2012 by Born To Organize

Mason Bees Move In!

I snapped this photo of our Mason Bee Habitat, unaware that several of the tubes were already filled. We mounted the tubes to the side of the house above the vegetable garden last summer, but never saw any activity.

Mason Bee Tubes

I prepared to write about my disappointment when the enlarged photo revealed this:

Mason Bee Tubes
Space Still Available

Those clever Masons have been nesting away while I had my nose to the ground, planting.

We bought our Orcon PlanBee! kit at Yamagamis Nursery, along with a book by Christopher O’Toole called The Mason Bees, Taking the Sting Out of Beekeeping. Mason bees live in holes like hollowed-out twigs or reeds, so they are easily attracted to nesting tubes like the ones pictured above. Blue orchard and horn-faced bees are spring season pollinators and will only sting if squeezed or stepped on. They don’t have a queen, so no hive to protect. They are both beneficial and docile.

You can read more about these beneficial Mason Bees and their nesting habits in this wiki article. Resources, below, for buying or making a nesting box of your own.

Orcon’s PlanBee Mason Bee Nest
Do-it-yourself Mason Bee nest (for woodworkers)
Do-it-yourself Mason Bee nest (using reclaimed materials)

July 8, 2012 by Born To Organize

Growing a Birdhouse

Birdhouse Seeds

Though we were out of room in our planter boxes, we went ahead and tucked in a few of these Gourd hard-shelled birdhouse seeds. They were too cool to pass up.

Botanical Interests gourd heirloom seeds grow into the birdhouse shape on the left. When dried, they last indefinitely. Gourds can be carved, painted or drilled. I sure hope we can grow at least one. We have two viable plants, each about 18 inches long. The packet says the vines can grow an astonishing 15′ (5 meters) to 35′(11 meters) long.

The pumpkin vines are about a month ahead in the growing cycle, so as those vines give the last push towards ripening, the gourd vines will have lots of room to grow.

Here are a few pointers on birdhouses:

Drill the hole for the size of the intended bird and not a speck more. This prevents predatory birds from following the mama bird indoors. The entrance hole should be high enough that the mama bird can line her nest and still protect her young from view.
Likewise, the perch often shown on commercially produced birdhouses is not only unnecessary, but again allows a predator a place to perch and peer in.
Drill a small hole in the bottom of the birdhouse to allow for drainage.

Fingers crossed!

Gourd Vines

July 7, 2012 by Born To Organize

Sunflower Success

Early in the season I envisioned a wall of sunflowers growing across the front of the deck. After several false starts, I configured a system of screens, designed to deter squirrels and birds from eating the seeds and seedlings. It worked! All three planters have several healthy plants. I can’t wait till they flower. I can see the plants from my kitchen window as well as on deck, and they can also been seen from the street.

The lower leaves are full of holes but no sign of the culprit…until this week when I saw a bird in the act of pecking away at the leaves. My friend Doug, also a nurseryman, thinks they are trying to get to the as-yet unavailable seeds. The leaves look tattered, but the plant remains healthy so all is well.

With warmer temperatures, the plants are shooting skyward. I can’t wait till they bloom.

Wall of Sunflowers

Broken Lantern Covers Keep the Screen Open at the Top

Lantern Cover in Place

Sunflowers: Looking Up

Bird Snack

July 6, 2012 by Born To Organize

Bonnie’s Organic Strawberry Patch

Our strawberries are popping out lush, red fruit daily. They are delicious, and as yet, untouched by garden pests. I only planted three plants and had a fourth come back from last summer. Now I wish I had planted more. Next year…

July 5, 2012 by Born To Organize

The Ladybug Diet

Water First

Weight Watchers teaches you to eat well, and South Beach helps break sugar cravings, but have you heard of the Ladybug Diet? Those red-spotted beauties consume several times their body weight, ridding your roses of numerous garden pests. I wish I could consume several times my body weight in a day and remain looking as fresh as the Coccinella septempunctata.

Ladybugs, also referred to as ladybirds, eat Aphids, Spider Mites, Thrips, White Fly and other harmful pests. They are a boon to organic gardeners and a treat for the youngsters in the house, who enjoy setting them out at dusk.

Most garden centers now sell containers of live lady bugs. I bought ours at Almaden Valley Nursery. Keep them in a cool place during the day when they’re inactive.

Tuesday night we watered the infested plant, cut open the mesh bag and offered them dinner. By morning, they had done a decent job eradicating the pests. Some years it takes two “applications” to wipe out the aphids or flies, but it’s always a treat to see hundreds of them gathered in one place so we don’t mind.

Ladybugs and Aphids

Garden Lady’s: Nature’s Pest Control

Dinner Awaits

It’s 9:00. Do you know where your ladybugs are?

Read more about these farming heroes and the origin of the ladybug rhyme at Animal Planet.

July 4, 2012 by Born To Organize

4th of July Flowers

4th of July Bin

I’ll use any excuse to decorate so I headed to my favorite nursery on Tuesday and picked up some red, white and bluish flowers for the garden.

I replanted the curb-side pot, spruced it up with goodies from the 4th of July bin and used the extras for the fairy garden. We’re cooling our jets during the mid-day sun, but will join the block party shortly.

If you celebrate the 4th, may you have a fun and festive day. If it’s just another day on the calendar, I hope you are simply enjoying life in your corner of the world.

Celebratory Planter

: Small Vinyl Bag from the Holiday Bin

Fairy Garden: Ready to Celebrate

July 2, 2012 by Born To Organize

Having Fun with the Magnoliaceae

Taking a Page From Queen Elizabeth II’s Book

I like to get silly from time to time, and what better place to do that than my garden. A couple of years ago, I put a Magnolia ‘tepal’ on my noise and had my son snap a couple of pictures. When I started Gardening Nirvana I picked that photo for my Gravatar. The photo embodied my love of gardening, the beauty of the fuchsias behind me and the silliness of wearing a flowering appendage on my nose. These were qualities I also wanted to embody in my blog. Unfortunately, that photo also travels with my organizing blog. I was recently referred by a client whose friend saw the photo and voiced alarm that something was seriously wrong with my nose. I got quite the chuckle out of that, but have since replaced it with a more professional photo.

Today I learned a few things about Magnolias from a Wikipedia entry, excerpted below. My English teachers would be proud to see me correctly using my new terminology in a sentence. If you need me, I’ll be dancing on the lawn, casting tepals to the wind.

Magnolia Branch

Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol.

Magnolia is an ancient genus. Having evolved before bees appeared, the flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles. To avoid damage from pollinating beetles, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are extremely tough. Fossilized specimens of Magnolia acuminata have been found dating to 20 million years ago, and of plants identifiably belonging to the Magnoliaceae dating to 95 million years ago. Another primitive aspect of Magnolias is their lack of distinct sepals or petals: Magnolias possess undifferentiated flower parts for which the term “tepals” was coined. – Wikipedia

The Curious Photo

June 30, 2012 by Born To Organize

Ferny You Should Ask…

Flowers and fruits are the focus of many a blog, but in the cool, quiet corners of the garden, ferns flourish. Fronds unfurl curling upward as they unwrap from their coil. Sword ferns, native to North America, favor shade as they fearlessly stand guard beneath the orange tree. Asparagus ferns are fond of climbing and twining, sending out long straight shoots. Within a fortnight, feathery emerald leaves should follow.

Southern Sword Fern ‘Nephrolepis Cordifola’

Gian Chain Fern ‘Woodwardia fimbriata’

Asparagus Fern reaching for the fruit tree

Fern about to unfurl

Other Worldly

June 29, 2012 by Born To Organize

Fruit for the Picking

You may remember that while attempting to cover the four-in-one fruit cocktail tree with bird netting earlier this year, I fell. Yep, just call me Grace. One leg of the ladder sank into the dirt and down I went. I wasn’t seriously hurt, but bruised and scratched enough to abandon the job at hand. Did I mention that I broke the ladder, too?

The tree was partially covered before the fall. I left the excess netting in a pile at the base of the tree. From time to time I tucked in bits of netting around the expanding branches, hoping to confuse the foragers. Would the coverage be enough to save some fruit for my family? Last year the birds and squirrels picked the tree clean. If I hadn’t taken a photo of two beautiful plums the day before, I would have assumed I imagined the whole thing.

It worked! I’ve seen a few nibbles, but most of the fruit is still on the tree, soon to be ripe for the picking.

Netted Fruit Cocktail Tree

Plums and Nectarines

I haven’t baked in pie in a zillion years, but I think it’s time to brush up on my baking skills. The next fruit to set: peaches. Oh my, oh my, oh my!

Please let me know if you have a favorite pie recipe to share.