February 8, 2013 by Born To Organize

What do Trugs and Raspberries Have in Common?

Absolutely nothing!

Does this every happen to you? You go into the store for one thing, then leave with something else? I popped into Home Depot today looking for another ‘Trug,’ the light but strong, flexible buckets known as Tubtrugs®. They are really handy in the garden. I bought one a few years ago, and although they say the handles are ‘super strong,’ one of the handles on mine broke. No matter. I turned it into a worm bin. When I went looking for a replacement at the end of the season, they only had the smaller size.

Today I wandered around the store for a while, then asked for help from two associates. They had never heard of them before. As I readied to leave empty-handed I saw these:

Early Heritage Raspberries

Mmmmm…raspberries. The containers alone intrigued me along with the price. $6.98 for an entire shrub of raspberries!!! Holy cow. I’ll take two, please. I thought all raspberries grew as vines until Boomdee mentioned growing them as shrubs. Low and behold, there they were. We really enjoyed eating berries off the vine last summer, so I figured the more the merrier.

I’m still in the market for a Tubtrug, but I left the store in a good mood anyway. Did anything interesting making it into your shopping cart this week?

January 31, 2013 by Born To Organize

Blooming Thursday: It’s a Stretch

Here’s the view from my back door.

View from my back door

At first glance, it looks like nothing is blooming. In my under-dressed (put on a coat, Alys!) and overzealous quest for something in bloom, I poked around here and there and teased out the following:

Somehow this Begonia escaped the frost

Faded but beautiful drying hydrangea

Flowering Daphne

The first of the Serbian Bellflowers

An over-do thank you to Laura for these wonderful Forget-me-not seeds. I’m excited to plant them come spring.

Forget-me-not seeds

Vernal Equinox, 49 days and counting.

January 29, 2013 by Born To Organize

Twiddling My Green Thumbs

It’s still January. Boy oh boy this month is creeping by. I keep checking my Mercury News calendar to be sure I haven’t missed any garden chores. It’s a short list.

Protect frost-tender plants. Check. Winter weeding. Check. Watch out for snails and slugs. Haven’t seen ’em. And finally, if it’s to cold and wet, order spring seeds. I did that ages ago.

I pruned the fruit cocktail tree, gave the compost a few spins and checked on the worms. I put out a large bag of laundry lint for the squirrels, and made a delicate wreath of the same for the birds.

Today, in need of a few hardware store items, I quickly perused the garden section. Ho-hum to that as well.

Can you hear me tap, tap, tapping my green thumb? I’m suffering from a serious case of garden withdrawal.

How are you managing the mid-winter doldrums?

January 24, 2013 by Born To Organize

Gravel Mulch Muchas Gracias

Pansies

Last fall I planted purple pansies along the deck, then interspersed bulbs in between. What beautiful planters we would have come spring.

Then the squirrels dug them up. One by one, over a couple of days, they unearthed the hidden gems. Normally I add a layer of organic mulch, but in my never-ending quest to discourage snacking squirrels, I covered at least half of the pots with rough pea-gravel. I used what I had on hand, left over from a summer project.

It was a good, though unintended experiment.Those rascally squirrels dug up all the bulbs in the soft mulch pots, but left the ones under gravel untouched.

I bought more bulbs, a lot more gravel, and replanted with help from the eager day-care kiddos next door. It worked!

Emerging bulbs

At least half a dozen bulbs broke ground this week. I see tiny shoots pushing up between the pansies. Muchas gracias, gravel mulch

Gardening Nirvana and gravel mulch, 1. Squirrels, 7,364. It’s amazing what you can get away with when you’re so darn cute.

January 23, 2013 by Born To Organize

Daffodils, Pomegranates and Wordsworth

I was feeling a little blue yesterday, so what better way to bring cheer than flowers. Yellow flowers really brighten a room, especially in the middle of January. Further, nothing says “spring is coming!” like daffodils.

The small potted bulbs were an impulse purchase, but I bought them without remorse. (Okay I’m a bit remorseful that I left a Weight Watchers meeting and bought dark chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds, but it was the daffodils I went in for.) I lost weight so why wouldn’t I celebrate with a bit of heart-healthy dark chocolate?

I digress.

Daffodils (narcissus) originated in Spain and Portugal, though it was Holland that perfected the bulb trade. According to American Meadows “over nine billion flower bulbs are produced each year in Holland, and about 7 billion of them are exported, for an export value of three-quarters of a billion dollars. According to the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center, the USA is the biggest importer of Dutch bulbs.”

I guess I’m not the only flower-lover making impulse purchases! William Wordsworth says it best:

And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Daffodils, by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed–and gazed–but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

January 22, 2013 by Born To Organize

Slinky Malinki: Garden Kitty and a Paradigm Shift

Slinky Malinki in the Garden

Slinky Malinki is a character in a well-loved children’s book by author Lynley Dodd. Slinky is “a cat as black as midnight with a kink in his tail.”

Our beloved Slinky is a shiny black cat, too, with a kink in her tail. The resemblance, however, ends there. Dodd’s character is a “thief in the night;” bold and adventurous. Our Slinky spent the last two years hiding in the garden, afraid of her own shadow, and everything else. The paradigm shift happened today.

In recent months, Slinky in the garden finally became a house cat, venturing outside for five or ten minutes a day, but otherwise spending her day asleep at my feet under the desk. She’s come a long way from the cat we first knew. She used to swat and bite, refusing all attempts at affection. Gradually I’ve figured out ways to stroke her chin, avoiding the business end of her claws. As she spent more and more time indoors, I started to wonder if her hearing might be impaired. I would call her with her back turned without a response. Was she hard of hearing or simply aloof? I wondered if poor eyesight might by the reason she swung at me with my hand extended. Perhaps she was once mistreated, learning to distrust human hands.

Slinky Stretching

The Paradigm Shift

We saw the vet today and here’s what we learned: The kitty we thought was three to five years old is probably in her teens. They ordered a geriatric blood panel, the last thing I expected on today’s visit. Slinky is hard of hearing, picking up some sounds but definitely hearing-impaired. She doesn’t see well either and things will likely get worse.

Our wonderful vet was decidedly upbeat. I’m grateful there are people in the world like her. Results from the lab work will be back tomorrow.

I’ve thought about the time we shared in the garden, Slinky and me. She tentatively rounded the corner each day, then kept a watchful eye on the proceedings. Any sudden move and she was out of their lickety split. She ran from my outstretched hand. One day Slinky gave me a gentle headbutt, a clear sign of cat affection. I knew at last we had turned a corner together.

If cats could talk, she would have her own tales to tell. A Haiku:

Slinky Malinki
lived more winters than I knew.
Safe and warm at last.

Slinky Moves In Collage

January 20, 2013 by Born To Organize

Only Eight Weeks Left!

Can you believe it? The first day of spring is just eight weeks from today.¹ Are you ready?

Of course spring arrives whether we’re ready or not, but if you’re planning a garden it’s nice to be prepared. If you’ve been gardening for a while, you’ll have learned plenty of lessons from past seasons. I sure have. In my experience, no two years are alike. Once you’ve sorted out soil, amendments and irrigation, you can start planning the fun stuff.

Cosmos

A garden can encompass an acre plot or a few pots in a sunny corner of a patio or deck. I’ve figured out ways to garden most of my life, regardless of circumstance. I once planted corn in a skinny strip of dirt next to an otherwise barren lot in a rented house. I’ve grown herbs in a sheltered porch. Many years ago, single and renting a small space, my mom gave me a hundred dollars for my birthday. I used it to buy several bags of soil and some seeds and created a flower garden outside my front door. My neighbors enjoyed it too. The best gardens are shared.

Sunflower

A sunny kitchen window or a humid bathroom counter are great indoor garden spots. You needn’t have a lot of money to start your own. Ask friends for seeds and cuttings. Many plants need dividing every few years. Ask your friends if you can help them divide plants, then take home some of the splits. It’s another opportunity to bring plants into your domain. Check out Freecyle in your community, and post wanted ads for old tools, pots, and the like. My neighbor planted tomatoes in an old cat litter container. Let your imagination be your guide.

Are you planning a garden this year? What will you grow?

Tomato and Basil

¹I’m writing from the Northern Hemisphere. If you live south of the equator, of course, fall days are just around the corner.

January 18, 2013 by Born To Organize

Los Gatos Birdwatcher

What fun it was visiting Los Gatos Birdwatcher this afternoon. I haven’t been in a while and I’ve missed it.

The store is named for the town of Los Gatos which is Spanish for ‘The Cats.’ You’ll find no evidence of any real cats there, though they have a beautiful statue on display (more on that later.)

Now privately owned by John and Freddy Howell, Los Gatos Birdwatcher offers an array of products and services. I’ve never asked a question they couldn’t answer. I asked for assistance today identifying my little backyard hummer, see below.

This particular hummingbird had a green chest and shorter tail feathers, quite different from the usual feeder crowd. John identified it as a probable female Allen or a first-year male Allen. Apparently the males acquire color as they get older.

I also learned about a phone app called iBird. It’s an interactive field guide to birds of North America. If you’re a serious birder, this app’s for you.

Los Gatos Birdwatcher has a huge selection of wild birdseed, bird feeders, nesting boxes and assorted tools. They sell gifts and books as well, including jewelry, t-shirts, puzzles and bird-themed cards. I always feel so at home. They even have a corner dedicated to the bird-feeder nemesis, the squirrel, with clever nesting boxes and feeders. If you’re a fan of the furry ones, you can buy 25 pound bags of peanuts in the shell. You’ll have backyard friends for life.

Cutest Bird Nest Ever

Gorgeous Nesting Box

Nesting Boxes

Birdseed Feeders Galore

The store offers the following services:

Feeder Cleaning: No charge, but they ask for a donation to Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center, Nike Animal Rescue Foundation or Friends of San Martin Animal Shelter.
Frequent Buyer Program
Seed Delivery in the local area
Monthly children’s nature programs: For pre-school through grade 3.
Community outreach
Backyard Bird Consulting Program

If you’re local to the area, be sure to drop by. If not, you can subscribe to their bi-monthly newsletter following this link.

Los Gatos Birdwatcher
King’s Court Center
792 Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos, CA 95032

The only cat you’ll ever see at the Birdwatcher

January 13, 2013 by Born To Organize

The Lone Radish

Look, Ma! I grew a radish!

No thanks to the kitties of the house, my first attempt at a winter crop failed miserably. I didn’t cover the box in time, so they all assumed it was a nice, big, fresh litter box. They were mistaken.

By the time I realized what was going on, I had to start over. Feline waste and vegetables are not a good mix. Rabbits, cows or any other herbivorous animal, yes. Carnivores, no.

So, back to the garden center for me. Since time marched on, I went with cell packs instead of seeds the second time and limited the crop to cauliflower and broccoli. Once planted, I surrounded the boxes with heavy-duty wire to discourage cats and squirrels alike. It worked!

Imagine my surprise this week when a vibrant red radish appeared at the soil line. One seed survived (two if you count its tiny neighbor). We have a crisp and peppery addition to our next salad.

Survival of the Fittest

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.