Fall Pruning and Garden Cleanup

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Results Achieved with Natural Harmony in Mind

Natural Designs Landscaping wants to help you with your Fall pruning and garden cleanup. Give me a call at 831-338-4080 for all your gardening needs. Just ask for Trace.

Five Words

Terra over at Terragarden.blogspot.com shared a game where you get five words from her and I respond to the words. Here I go:
why? Why is there such turmoil between nations? Why do people let their dogs bark ?Why are there so many public service ads on the radio!
cottage: My home is a cottage and place of refreshing refuge where I renew myself.The floors slope and the doors creak but there is a contented, warmth in my cottage.
cat: Living with cats means trying to see life from their vantage point. Get down on the floor or climb up on the fence whatever it takes to see their point of view. My cats are sparring lately.BlackJack tries to eat Diamond's food and Keiko the neighbor's cat tries to eat Diamond's food.I stand between them so she has a full belly. They are bad boys.Tankene Ice Mist has manners and eats his food but Mr. Chub has to be put in a separate room so he won't gorge. Princess Sinatra is a dainty eater.I guess I am thinking about feeding my cats today!
popcorn: memories of sitting in the dark, rocking in the loge seats at the Garden Theater in Willow Glen with the butter dripping on your hands as you scoop up more yummy popcorn.I see a cowboy movie on the screen and notice the high velvet drapes on either side of the screen.This was a fancy place to go on a Saturday afternoon and so much fun.
rain: pitter on the roof starting like a twinkle, growing, booming thunder and snapping branches, earth moist and smelling sweet. I love the first rains and the wild rains of the mountains.The redwoods flourish all around my cottage because of the rain.

Let Go by Sheila Walsh

I just finished reading " Let Go live free of the burdens all women know" - by Sheila Walsh and published by Thomas Nelson Publishers. I would recommend this book if you are feeling burdened by the bad news that is hammered our way daily about the world. According to Sheila our vision is clouded by the heaviness of the past and the stress of the present. She advises learning to let go of these worries and let God prove his love by trusting in his goodness. Sheila wants women to feel free on their faith journey and walk proudly knowing we are all God's creations. If someone worries about their physical looks she suggests "letting go of what we wish was true and learning to accept what is true." There are many examples from Sheila's life that serve to illustrate her message and show God's hand in how things turn out. She offers spiritual quotes from the bible at the beginning of the chapters and probing questions to help women critically think about their decisions. Part self help and part spiritual this if a good read for all people but especially women.

Native Plants

Have you ever planted native plants? Some good choices for the central coast of California are the Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis), the Bush Monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus) and the Scarlet Pimpernal (Anagallis arvenis). Pretty flowers and drought-tolerant: what a perfect addition to the garden. Another favorite of mine is the Ribes Speciosium! Let me know if you have others to add.

Autumn Joy

Aug. 21st marks the beginning of the last month of "official" summer. What a wonderful time to plant for Fall's flowers. One of my top favorites is "Autumn Joy" Sedum from the genus Stonecrop. No, the plants don't literally grow out of the stone but you will often see them in the rock garden and used for border plantings. If you want to attract butterflies and bees, plant in partial shade to full sun and savor the warm colors of pink, red orange and yellow when the Sedum blossoms. The leaves are succulent and you may break off a piece and plant it right in the soil to grow more plants. One additional benefit is it dies back in the cold of winter only to emerge again in Spring. So try this plant as you begin thinking about Fall flowers. Truly it will live up to the name " Autumn Joy!"

Sly The Kitten

My kitten, Sly, was sick and diagnosed with Lymphoma or FIP. We prayed, our friends and family prayed and after two weeks...his blood test came back normal. He's eating and playing his normal kitty games. Thanks be to Jesus. Please keep up the prayers because it is a miracle he's doing so well!

Saving Seeds

Have you ever noticed that seeds are fascinating! You hold a tiny seed in your hand that may grow into a fabulous flower or a delicious vegetable. The seed already "knows" that it is a marigold or a squash. The gardener nurtures the seed and provides all the essentials for growth. One day the seed has grown into a two foot marigold complete with yellow flowers and the squash is curling delicately up your trellis, blooming large and orange, begging the bees to enter. What magic we hold in our hands when we plant our seeds! Faith grows like that tiny seed ... as we feed our longing for Jesus with prayer and reflection. Faith, hope , charity and love are the nutrients to nourish our souls. Sometimes our tears are the water that nurtures us and other times our sunny joy lightens up the darkness. Spend some time today in quiet contemplation of the power contained in a tiny seed.

Aunt Joan

We just lost our very favorite Aunt Joan to illness and aging on July 17th. She was such a sweetheart, full of joy and sparkles, and loved birds. At one time, she owned about eleven parrots and cockatoos. She had a rascal named Ralph and a Scarlet Macaw named Valentine who loved to talk. They were just like kids and would sqawk at Joan when we were talking on the phone. She'd tap their cages with the " Big Bird Stick' and they would temporarily quiet down. One of her cockatoos talked like a CB radio because his former owner was a trucker. In her honor we will plant a special tree on our property as a living memorial. There the native birds may gather and sing their special songs and we will remember dear auntie.

Green Beans and Lettuce

I just couldn't resist planting more green beans in the garden. My grandson Blake just loves to eat the tender baby beans. He tells me, " Nona, I am really, really hungry!" I offer him choices but the only treat that will do is to pick a tiny bean and than pick another...and another. Lettuce is another crop that can be planted now. I found lettuce seeds for five cents apiece and planted some in containers. They have already popped out of the ground after five days! What vegetables do you like to plant in July?

Heat Wave and Trout

Central California is experiencing a heat wave: 106 degrees in the shade. Living in the Santa Cruz Mountains this kind of heat means many gardening chores simmer for another day. The gardens were watered in the cool of the evening and we've checked to make sure no plant was forgotten. It's just too hot to do much of anything but sit by a fan. Here's a great way to get out and enjoy the sweltering weather. We like to go to Henry Cowell Park in Felton and take a leisurely walk to the river. We all get in the river and go river walking in the cool water. After awhile the shore beckons and we sit on the beach and squish our toes into the damp sand. Ahh relaxation! There's fishing, hiking, and exploring to add to our fun. We wanted to share a picture of the first fish our grandson, Blake ever caught. It was a trout caught in Loch Lomond, fishing with his Mama. They breaded the fish, fried it and Blake really loved the flavor. Any good fish stories out there?

June's Tune

Today marks the end of June plantings. I wanted to share the bountiful blessings of having a garden. Some of the plants growing in my garden now are Strawberries, Tomatoes, Sweet Peas, Morning Glories, Marigolds, Trombochini Squash, and one Zucchini. The herbs are Lavender, Parsley, (Italian and Curly), Cilantro, Basil, Oregano, Sage, Dill and Chives. I am disappointed that the Moon Flower seeds did not survive the cold evenings but everything else has flourished! Some highlights are the Blue Storm Petunias, red Fibrous Begonias, violet and pink Impatiens, purple and red Snapdragons, and white, pink and lavender Dianthus from six-packs. The native Iris are done blooming but were so spectacular. My daughter Aurora gave me two Tuberous Begonias and my other daughter, Colleen, gave me some Sages. I can't wait until the three-day week-end to garden! What is growing in your garden?

Mighty Bee's Great Escape

Mighty Bee, the tiniest of baby bees, flew into the Big House and landed on the window screen. The window was open and the Jasmine vine was full of lovely scented flowers, wafting into the room. Mighty buzzed around trying to make his escape but alas! little Mighty was stuck and scared. He tried to make a Big Buzz but quiet baby bee buzzing is all he could muster.Trace heard the soft buzzing and came over to the window to investigate. There was Mighty, trying to be brave but starting to lose his courage. Trace understood his plight, put out his finger, and little Mighty Bee crawled to safety. Steady Mighty Bee soon you'll be free and sure enough Trace opened the door and gingerly set Mighty down. He scampered onto the flower and felt the soft velvet petunia blossum underneath his baby bee feet. Soon he was sipping the sweet nectar and the dark memory of the Big House dimmed. Mighty Bee was finally safe!

Magical Midsummer's Eve

Midsummer Day was celebrated on June 24th in honor of St. John the Baptist who baptized our dear Lord Jesus Christ. Festivals were held to enjoy the warmer days and nights. Some whispered that if women plucked seven different varieties of wildflowers and tucked them under their soft pillows, visions of future loves would color their dreams. Young people would dress up in folk costumes and go out dancing, drinking, and singing until the wee hours of the evening. It was a night when water was turned into wine and the angels watched over the faithful. Religious folks might visit a holy spring to give praise to St. John the Baptist. Many considered Midsummer's Day Eve an auspicious time to wed. Do you have plans to acknowledge this special day?

Bee Basic

Disease, bad weather and chemicals have lead to the bee die-off in California. Natural remedies include creating a bee habitat that encourages our little native hummers. Plant a wide variety of flowers that entice bees such as native wildflowers and flowering trees. Bees need cool water just like us so put out a pan of water, fill up your birdbaths or design a pond. Provide some bare ground and the native bees will make a home in the soil and set up housekeeing. Before you know it the native bees will be pollinating your strawberries, zucchini and tomatoes. This is a picture of the Cottingley angels and looks like a nice place for our native bees to visit.

Gardenicide: a response

Yeah, I admit it. I’m the dirt killer. It was greed, I tell ya. Greed and maybe a pinch of pride led me down the dark path to gardenicide. The desire to have bigger plants with bigger yields, so I could crow about my superior garden growing prowess drove me over the edge of reason.

It took months of mixing rich redwood compost with chicken manure, sand, wood ashes, the finest coffee grounds Starbucks had to offer, and egg shells to create the perfect mulch milieu. Any organic gardener will tell you that we really don’t feed plants with fertilizer. Rather, we feed the living soil with material that the worms and microbes love to munch. The product of our earthy partners is water soluble food that can be immediately absorbed by plant roots. All the nutrients necessary for plant life are available, in the soil, in the correct amounts, and are carried to the plant, above ground. The sun magically combines them with chlorophyll in the process of photosynthesis to create the plant structure and the fruit. So wonderful, so simple, such a gift from God! Why would anyone, in their right mind, tamper with such a perfect process??

I couldn’t leave well enough alone, though. Noooohoho, not me. I had to try to goose the plant growth and production, with some man made concoction to satisfy evil urges of greed and pride. I mistook the “Weed and Feed” lawn fertilizer for high-nitrogen lawn food and fed the poison to my beautiful, trusting plants. Watching them wilt and slowly starve to death was unbearable. I tried everything to thwart the poison but to no avail.

It was a painful lesson. I’ve been properly chastened and I’ve resolved to repent from my foolish ways. I’m naming my garden, “East of Eden” as a reminder to avoid any more deadly sins. Most of them, anyway…
submitted by a gardener under the pseudonym of " Gardenicide"

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Blue Native Flowers

Have you ever seen the Phlox divaricata "London Grove Blue?' The lovely, violet-blue, sweet smelling flowers beckon the bees and butterflies to 'have a little nip" and enjoy their nectar. Remember the gorgeous Tiger Swallowtail butterflies that flew around you as you lay on the cool grass on a broiling hot summer's day? Butterflies love this native plants flowers! Hummingbirds and Bees are also drawn to this wildland native. Sometimes called Wild Sweet William think about adding this spreading groundcover in semi-shady areas of your garden and plant it in rich humus. Lay back and dream on a sunny day and delight in God's handiwork.

Weed and Feed

Have you ever done something and been amazed by your result? It may sound simplistic but reading the instructions are crucial before applying any fertilizer. I have a good friend who spent hours creating organic soil for his vegetables. He gathered coffeegrinds and ashes and mixed them with some fine humus. The vegetable seeds were carefully selected and an array of wonderful seedlings established. In one of those moments we all like to forget, he decided

to add some commercial fertilizer. He did not plan on adding "Weed and Feed" a fertilizer for lawns that includes a weed killer. Ooops! Let us just quietly pray that the vegetables will overcome this setback because my friend is feeling pretty low today about this unintentional blooper. A gentle reminder to all of us:

" read the instructions and fine print before adding fertilizer to the garden! "

Spiders: the Wonder Workers

Cleaning twenty-three windows on our two-story home in the Santa Cruz Mountains got me thinking about the winter storms and spiders. Spiders created wonderous webs to catch all manner of insects in the corners of each window. Inside and out there were silky threads woven in many delicate patterns. Please remember that our spiders kill many damaging insects and be careful before wiping out their homes. Slow down, observe their magic, and lightly escort them to an outdoor space that needs a defender. They work!

Back to Bees

Last month I mentioned that the bee population is diminishing. Today I read an article by Juliana Burbassa and learned over 30% of commercially managed hives have been lost this year. Gardeners, our bees are so important for pollination that we can not afford to lose anymore. Plant a bee loving plant this May and help keep our bees buzzing around the yard. Ceonothus ( Mountain Lilac) is covering the hillsides now and is a native, drought-resistant plant to add to your garden. There are many varieties to choose from such as "Julia Phelps" that can attract bees and offer a hazy mist of flowers for your gazing pleasure.

May Day

May Day was always a time for flowers. We would gather flowers, ribbons, and candy and make May Baskets to give to friends and family. There was an old tradition to leave a May Basket on someone's doorstep, run away, and if caught exchange a kiss. Nowadays many people have forgotten about the May Baskets. If you would like to make one for your sweetie, check out the following website: http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/ Happy May Day!