December 17, 2012 by Born To Organize

A Broccoli We Will Grow

Birdhouse Gourd

We enjoyed cauliflower and broccoli at the table tonight, though neither of them came from my garden. I hope that changes soon. All the plants are looking healthy and perky from the recent rain. Last week I saw a green worm and what looked like eggs, but apparently a bird came along and had them for lunch. There isn’t a single trace of whatever it was, though chewed leaves are in abundance.

After a life of eating mostly from the grocery store, I get pretty excited at the prospect of real vegetables growing out back. I wasn’t raised eating either of these vegetables, but have grown to love them both. I prefer my broccoli steamed or in soup and my cauliflower raw.

The pair of birdhouse gourds are still hanging on, but it won’t be long now. I’ve seen some amazing examples of painted gourds on the web. Time to start pinning ideas.

Broccoli and Cauliflower, November 9th

Broccoli and cauliflower, December 17th (six weeks later)

It looks like at least one of the radishes survived the kitty onslaught, or it could be an herb that I don’t yet recognize. I love the mystery of it all. And yes, those are pumpkin plants in the lower box, a self-seeded crop growing away in mid-December. Go figure?

December 12, 2012 by Born To Organize

Gifts for the Joyful Gardener

Gardeners are practical souls. We don’t mind dirt under our nails, or bruises on tired knees. We’ll get up early or stay out late, weeding, pruning, planting and generally enjoying our time in the garden. We love sharing seeds and flowers fresh from the earth and enjoy swapping tips for keeping the garden pests at bay.

If you have a joyful gardener in your life, here are a few gift ideas to tuck under the tree.

Practical

Your gardener will never lose their gloves in the garden again. Floral Gardening Gloves allow you to pull weeds in style.

Floral Garden Gloves

Seed Keeper or Seed Keeper Deluxe. I’ve been using mine for several months. It’s an easy and efficient way to store and retrieve the seeds you save or buy. They come packed with all sorts of garden goodies as well.

Seed Keeper Deluxe

Fanciful

Slipcovers: They’re not just for sofas! Dress up your pots with a Patio Art Planter Slipcovers. You can change with the seasons, or simply cover up an ugly pot. It’s a nice way to wrap up a potted plant to gift as well.

Slipcover Your Plants

Fair trade birdhouses attract birds to the garden. Keep those baby birds toasty warm till it’s time to leave the nest.

Fair Trade Birdhouses

What a clever idea! It’s a card and a desktop garden all in one. It’s edible too. It’s a postcarden! Click on the photo below and check out the time-lapse video on their site.

Astronomical

For the gardener with the travel bug: “Botanically themed cruises and garden tours of Europe are designed for gardening and gourmet enthusiasts who enjoy taking in ancient castles, magnificent châteaux and stunning landscaped gardens with iconic sites.”

Let’s all go! Who’s with me?

November 23, 2012 by Born To Organize

Dressing The Table on Thanksgiving Day

New Zealand Flax with Grasses

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrated today. Our day flew by. We spent the morning in a flurry of cooking (Chef Mike) and cleaning (that would be me) but took a few moments to toast each other with a glass of champagne. It was a gorgeous fall day, with bright skies and moderate temps. We couldn’t have asked for better.

I promised to share a photo of my tall arrangement (if it turned out). Though the New Zealand Flax has brilliant shades of orange and peach, it seemed a bit bland. I added tall grasses for movement and shape, but it still lacked color. I was okay with it, but when my husband went out for olive oil, he brought back a bunch of deep red chrysanthemums. Their brilliant color really made the arrangement pop. I had enough leftover to make two small groupings for the table.

New Zealand Flax with and mums

The smaller mums, mixed with the last of the dried Allium and a few greens worked well together. The dried Allium has an almost silver look. I’m glad I saved so many seeds. I’m looking forward to growing more of it next spring.

Interspersed with the flowers, are small pumpkins. We had a few small ones left over from Halloween. I added my new velvet pumpkins to the display, and a cherished clay pumpkin, handcrafted by my twelve-year-old son.

Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.

-William Shakespeare

Mums, Allium and Greens

Napkins ringed with raffia and tulle

I put the finishing touches on the napkin rings, made from left over pieces of raffia and tulle. I punched and decorated tags in lieu of place cards, adding them to the rings. Inspiration for the final detail came from Kelly over at Boomdeeada. Earlier this month I “built” tiny chairs for my fairy garden using miniature spools. Kelly suggested wrapping the spools with a tiny greeting. They were easy to make and a fun conversation starter. I wrapped the saying around the spool, then sealed it with a tiny sticker.

Thanksgiving Table

In the end, it was an eclectic table, just like me!

November 10, 2012 by Born To Organize

Garden Calendars: Pretty and Practical

We have a calendar-giving tradition in our immediate family. Each Christmas I choose a wall calendar for the boys, based on current interests and trends. I usually buy my husband a sailing-themed calendar or to mix things up a bit, lighthouses. It will come as no shock to you that yours truly likes gardening calendars. Since the men in the house aren’t big shoppers, I’m free to choose my own.

I suppose in some ways, wall calendars are quaint. I’m a big technology fan, and rely on Outlook and an iPhone to keep track of personal, professional and family appointments. There is something reassuring, however, about a calendar hanging on the wall. I like to glance over at the date, or flip through the months looking for a holiday or the next full moon. The photographs or illustrations are always beautiful, a miniature piece of art that changes monthly.

Calender to Envelope

In the past few years, I’ve re-purposed the prior years calendar. I like making envelopes, stickers and bookmarks, as well as gift tags to drop over a bottle of wine. It’s fun coming up with different ways to use the art.

Here are a few of my favorites for 2013:

The Secret Garden Wall Calendar

“Hidden away from well-traveled paths, the secret garden possesses magical powers of restoration and rejuvenation. With a year of lush and luxurious retreats, The Secret Garden Calendar offers serenity with every glance.”

Who can resist a secret garden? Not me! What a great place to rest my eyes when I’m taking a break from the computer. These calendar pages will make great envelopes too when the year is over. It’s good to plan ahead.

Old Farmer’s Almanac Calendar

“For everyone who is going or growing “green”! Original full-color illustrations dominate each monthly spread and are complemented by useful and entertaining gardening lore, timely advice, and fun facts. Plus, a region-specific chart identifies the best days and Moon phases for planting vegetables.”

I’ve purchased this calendar in the past and love it. It’s filled with useful tips and wonderful illustrations. For me, it harkens back to a seemingly simple time. Love it!

A Cat in the Garden

“Gardens and felines have a natural rapport. The cat’s stature brings it face-to-face with long-stemmed blooms, within easy pouncing distance of breeze-blown ornamental grasses, and a short hop from sun-warmed deck chairs. Weaving delicately through the potted plants or waiting in ambush for an unsuspecting bug, the household cat lives in regal symbiosis with backyard flora. Photographer Del Greger presents twelve new portraits of cats and flora in this calendar, each one paired with a cat-centric quotation.

All of Pomegranate’s calendars are printed using soy-based inks on FSC® Forest Stewardship Council™certified paper.”

Never mind that the cover reminds me of my darling Lindy, this calendar is gorgeous throughout.

Do you still use a wall calendar? What’s your favorite?

November 9, 2012 by Born To Organize

Garden Tool Clean-up: Farewell to the Dirty Dozen

Like many tedious chores, cleaning garden tools is easy to put off. Though it’s hard to get started, it’s ultimately satisfying when you’re done. The electrostatic charge in the air yesterday spurred me into action. With my head held high, I’m happy to report that the dirty dozen of gardening tools is now the tidy twelve.

The Dirty Dozen

Last month I put my tools to soak in a bucket of soapy Melaleuca cleaner, then got busy with other things. It’s one of those jobs that nags at you till you get it done, but I knew I needed a good block of time to act. Yesterday was the day.

Newspapers spread and gloves donned, I tackled years of rust, faded paint and grime. Using steel wool and elbow grease, I scoured away layers of garden history. If those tools could talk! Some of them have been around for over twenty years.

I sanded the sharp end of the garden tools first, removing rust and sharpening edges. Moving on to the tools with wooden handles, I sanded those as well before finishing with a soft rub of wax and oil. Everything looks great. The newer tools have vinyl or rubber handles which stand up to the elements better than wood. The wooden handles remain sturdy, however, and relished the coat of wax and oil.

The Tidy Twelve

Last up: the garden saw. I saved the worst for last. The once-blue handle had completely chipped away. The blade was stained and covered in rust. Was I worried? No! I had big plans for this little baby.

Thank you, Martha Stewart.

It took three coats, but our refurbished folding saw now sports a handle in Martha Stewart’s Pomegranate Red. Who says tools have to be boring?

Glitter Garden Saw

Red-hot!

Perseverance 1, procrastination 0.

What’s on your “nag” list?

Getting the Job Done

Steel Wool, fine 000
Howard Feed-N-Wax Beeswax and Orange Oil
Martha Stewart Pomegranate Red Glitter Paint (left over from Halloween)
Elbow grease

November 5, 2012 by Born To Organize

Pumpkin Postmortem

Though it was fun to grow over-sized pumpkins this year, they proved to be a challenge. Once they were in the house, they were far too heavy to move around. I had one on a table for a few weeks, before discovering moisture trapped below. Imagine my (unpleasant) surprise when the moisture created a breeding ground for mold on my bamboo table runner? Mike helped me move the behemoth to the hard floor where I kept my eye on it thereafter.

Carving super-sized pumpkins proved equally challenging. Only one of the four made it into a Jack-o-lantern. The walls were super thick, making fine work a challenge. Mike persevered and carved a lovely Cinderella carriage. With that, he hung up his carving tools for the season.

Comparative thickness of pumpkin rinds

Cinderella would be proud

Grow, harvest, carve and display

Today we filled the wheelbarrow with rotted pumpkins, and then dumped them in to the growing yard-waste pile. The City of San Jose has a wonderful composting program. They scoop up yard waste with a “lobster” claw and drop it into a special truck on trash day. They sell the compost to city dwellers the following year. It made me smile seeing a pile of discarded Jacks at the curb.

Jacks in a Heap

After that unceremonious farewell, we carted the remaining giants to the garden wall. They look lovely in the setting sun. Unless we have a substantial earthquake, I don’t anticipate moving them again!

October 26, 2012 by Born To Organize

Just Visiting

Jazzy

My personal motto is that homes should be lived in and gardens shared. Visitors are a welcome treat. We’re all social creatures, heart and soul, no matter where you land in the social equation. Extroverts like to live large, while introverts find solace in the quiet in between. I’m a little of both.

My friend Jazzy has a day care next door. In the late afternoon her young charges visit my garden and deck, running up and down the ramp, checking out the fairy garden and swinging from the Magnolia tree. Yesterday they were playing hide and seek. It makes my heart sing when I hear their squeals and the sound of running feet. Sometimes they’ll peer in the kitchen window to say hello. I love the open inquisitiveness of the under-five set.

Our neighbor’s cat likes to call our place home. He doesn’t get the attention he craves at his real address a few houses over, so he travels to find it. He sleeps in the garden, plays with one of my cats, and has mastered his way in and out of the yard through a hole I need to fix in the cat fencing. We love him like our own and would be heartbroken if they moved.

Mighty Mouse Neighborhood Cat

Squirrels, possums, raccoons, hummingbirds, snails and a myriad of other four to six-legged creatures also stop by. Though destructive at times, I’m still honored by the visit. It tells me they’ve found a bit of nature in my backyard, a place to have a drink from the fountain or to eat a grub under the lawn. I don’t garden for a living; I’m not selling crops. So I work through my disappointment when one of them snaps a sunflower or digs up my (sniffle, sniffle) newly planted Snowdrop bulbs. They’re busy living life to the fullest on a much-encroached planet.

Isn’t he cute?

A pair of snails heading home for the day

The welcome mat is forever unfurled. Won’t you please come in?

Halloween Countdown

The Ghost of Pumpkins Past

October 19, 2012 by Born To Organize

Visiting Renee’s Garden

I was in Felton, California yesterday, a small, mountain community about 45 minutes from here. It’s also home to Renee’s Garden. I mapped their address from the packet of seeds and went in search of their gardens. It was quite a letdown when the address turned out to be a small, nondescript office instead. Not a garden in sight anywhere.

Although I didn’t bring home a camera full of photos, I learned a bit more about the company. Renee gathers seeds from around the world, then grows them in her test garden at home for two years, before releasing them to the public. The seeds are not treated or genetically modified.

I’ve been growing Renee’s Cat Treats Gourmet Mixed Greens for several months for my sister’s cat, KT. He’s an indoor kitty who loves his greens, and is especially fond of this mix. I grow a weeks’ worth of nibbles in my kitchen window, then she takes a pot home for KT.

KT Enjoying his Gourmet Mixed Greens

Renee’s garden is a participant in the Great Sunflower Project, the brain child of Gretchen LeBuhn. It’s a data collection project that will eventually produce the first real map of the state of the bees. You can learn more about Renee’s participation and the Great Sunflower Project on their respective sites.

I purchased a variety of bee-attracting seeds last week. They include Renee’s Native Orange California Poppies, Dusky Rose, also California Poppies and Double Click Bouquet Cosmos, a summer favorite. I’m going to sow a few seeds now, then save the rest for early spring. Won’t those bees be happy?

Special thanks the Heidi Harris.

Renee’s Garden Flower Seeds

Halloween Countdown

Snail Hotel Pumpkin

A. Checking in
B. New VIP entrance
C. Underground parking
D. No Vacancies
E. Putting on weight
F. How it all began

October 18, 2012 by Born To Organize

Garden Tools: The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen

I made some progress towards the garden clean-up today, though not as much as I would have liked. I gathered the “dirty dozen” of garden tools and made a mental assessment of the work ahead. My husband, handyman extraordinaire, gave me some quick tips on removing rust using steel wool. If you’re wondering the difference between #000 and #0000, just ask!

I pounded the cushions together to loosen the dust, and brought them indoors for a quick wipe-down. I had to run outside to tether the inflatable spider before it broke loose from the yard and put the fear of arachnids in someone down the street. Then I was out the door for appointments for the rest of the day.

Costume Update

I’ve enjoyed dusting off the old sewing machine this week and putting it to use. This year I’m dressing up for a few Halloween parties as a Bella Pilar greeting card. Her designs are fun and whimsical.

I pieced together a crinoline using two “maternity panels” from a fabric store and adding tulle from an old costume. Today I finished sewing the skirt and made headway on the top. I’m making a pattern as I go along, so fitting it has been a challenge. I’ve been dreaming of my own dressmaker’s form, but it’s hard to justify that expense given the minimal use it would get.

Just a few finishing touches and the costume will be ready to wear.

Halloween Countdown

Princess Pumpkin

October 14, 2012 by Born To Organize

Transforming the Garden: Mad for Inflatables

We’re used to seeing cars slow down in front of our house this time of year. Either the driver is smiling, because they love Halloween as much as we do, or they’re shaking their heads thinking “those people are over the top!”

My youngest son has been a fan of inflatables for as long as I can remember. He used to spend hours at the computer during the winter months, bookmarking page after page of inflatable decorations. He printed his favorites, and pasted them in a book. Every year we visit a local “parking lot patch” where he gleefully enjoys the enormous inflatable slides, bounce houses and the occasional obstacle course. One year he received fifty dollars for Christmas from one of his uncles, enough to buy a holiday inflatable at 50% off. And so it began.

Inflatable spider with moving head and his trusty kitty side-kick

My son saves his allowance and the occasional cash gift and “invests” in his inflatable treasures. Each inflatable has a story to go with it. The monstrous cat purchased at a discontinued price, hidden in the back yard until Halloween night so he could surprise everyone. The creepy spider, bought online with an annoying whistle whenever it turns its head. Finally, the pièce de résistance, the inflatable archway, complete with ghosts and tombstones. By the time we saw it in a party store they were sold out. The store agreed to sell us the floor model for, you guessed it, half off. I paid for half, he paid the rest.

Through wind and sleet and Halloween decor, the mail carrier still delivers

My way of decorating before having children was more subtle. I would put out a pumpkin or two, a few fall plants and call it a day. Not any more. As my son ages, he wants everything a little scarier. By Halloween night we’ll have a spider with a moveable head, the enormous cat and the lighted entryway. He’ll stretch spider webbing from shrub to tree and my husband will add lights to the awning. The webbing catches falling Magnolia leaves, that twist and turn in the wind. We toss plastic spiders at the web for a naturalized effect and by October 31st we’re looking downright spooky.