Fall is such a busy time here at Domaine de Manion with the harvest. It is a time when many related activities surrounding the vineyard and making wine seem to converge. When we have a sunset like this one, it is nice to pause, relax, and reflect over over the fall vineyard and it's beauty. Another year of grape-growing has been completed, and the new wine is in process. No, this is not Santa Barbara or Provence, it is San Diego North County.

A vineyard has four-season interest, and in the fall, the vineyard's leaves turn autumn colors of red, brown, and amber. The vines have borne their fruit. The temperature is cooling. The vines are in the process of going dormant for the winter. Soon they will drop their leaves entirely and shut down until next year's early spring . A good, long, watering of 4-6 hours through our drip irrigation will benefit the vines for the coming year.

Please share if you associate vineyards in the fall timeframe. Please comment if you have experienced a fall vineyard, and winemaking.

VintageGardenGal Tidbit Thyme....

Arlene Charest, a VintageGardenGal reader, needs someone within 100 miles of Northwest Connecticut who will "babysit" her free range family of Bantams.  She will pay for their feed -- plus a sum, plus the 4 eggs that her hens lay every day.  She has 7 chickens which includes one dear gentle rooster and two very well behaved teenagers. She needs to leave CT mid-November and will be back to pick the "chicken people" up in March.  If anyone can help Arlene out, please call 860-601-4193 And don't forget, VintageGardenGal, a garden lifestyle blog, is celebrating it's third anniversary.  Fab Sponsor, ORGIN DAY SPA (tel) (760) 635-1300, in the San Diego, California area, is offering 20% off of services for a limited time, when you mention "VintageGardenGal" at time of scheduling. It's a treat, no trick! Thank you everyone for your interest and support. See you in the garden!

Come and be a part of what has quickly become a tradition in Encinitas, the annual Encinitas Garden Festival & Tour on Saturday, April 30, 2011! This very special event celebrates our community, gardening, and the horticultural heritage of Encinitas!

Our featured neighborhood this year is the historic tree-lined Crest Drive in Cardiff with diverse gardens and panoramic views of our community west to the ocean, and east to the backcountry. Details below.

Saturday, April 30th, 2011 16 private gardens 23 Marketplace Vendors Tickets now available on-line at www.EncinitasGardenFestival.org  Tickets also available at Anderson La Costa Nursery, 400 La Costa Ave. Encinitas, CA Barrels and Branches Nursery, 1452 Santa Fe Drive, Encinitas, CA Cedros Gardens, 330 S. Cedros Avenue, Solana Beach, CA Madd Potter, 310 North Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas, CA Weidner’s Gardens, 695 Normandy Road,  Encinitas, CA Sunshine Gardens, 155 Quail Garden Drive, Encinitas, CA Glorious Gardens Landscape, 495 Leucadia Blvd, Encinitas, CA To purchase tickests by mail order, please click here.  Ticket orders MUST be postmarked by April 26th, 2011 Advance ticket prices: Adults $21, Children 10 and under $7 On-the-day ticket prices: Adults $25, Children 10 and under $10 Ticket sales at the Gardener's Marketplace are by cash or check only.  Sorry, we cannot accept credit cards on-site. In case of drizzle, the event will go on.  In case of rain, the event will be cancelled and we thank you for your contribution. For parking directions and other details, please click here

New Plants, New Ideas Enjoy 16 great examples of plants and gardens ideally suited to our climate Artists, Speakers, Food, Silent Auction Our 2011 speaker line-up offers something for everyone: 10:30 AM Creating a Waterwise Garden Kimberly Thorner 11:00 AM Rainwater & Graywater for Gardens Greg Bullock 11:30 AM  Backyard Raised Bed Gardening Madalaine Charnow 12:00 PM Urban Chicken Gardening Heather Thelen 12:30 PM What's New & Cool in the World of Gardening Nan Sterman 1:00 PM Alstroemeria Liz Younflesh 1:30 PM Using Soils to Reduce Water:  Compost and Mulch Sharon May 2:00 PM Composting with Worms Maryanne Bache 2:30 PM Combining Waterwise Perennials w/Succulents Samantha Owens 3:00 PM Tiered Gardens Stacy Sieber   2011 Sponsors Maggie Houlihan and Ian Thompson

Contemplate the Future Visit a labyrinth to meditate on the day's experience and on life in general Ride a Double Decker Bus to the Gardener's Marketplace Park at Mira Costa College San Elijo Campus and ride the free bus, starting at 9:45 in the morning.  Buses run all day long, between the parking lot and the Marketplace.  Pick up your tour map at the Marketplace, then stroll from garden to garden at your own pace, in whatever order you choose. Hungry? When you get tired of walking, stroll on back to the Gardener's Marketplace for lunch or a snack from Annel and Drew's Kitchen, Bull Taco, or Lion Coffee.   Rancho Santa Fe Plaza

Hello January, and hello to a new decade! I hope that all of you had wonderful and memorable holidays with your loved ones and friends. May this "New Year" and decade bring you happiness, health, and the passion to "live your best life" (to borrow from Oprah). I look forward to another year of sharing "the garden lifestyle" with all of you here on VintageGardenGal.

For New Year's I gathered up a bouquet of fresh flowers in bloom from my garden. We've had so much rain, there is quite a bit blooming in my garden the beginning of  January. One of my "petite resolutions" this year, is to bring more of my fresh cut flowers into the house to enjoy. Fresh bouquets, especially from your garden, are such a special touch to a room.

As I gathered this bouquet of blooming "My Sweet Valentine" roses, Alstroemeria "Casablanca", and Crimson King iris, I was reminded of my fellow garden blogger, Carol Michel, and her wildly popular "Bloom Day" post every 15th of the month.

Carol writes a popular garden blog out of Indiana, Zone 5, called May Dreams Gardens. On "Bloom Day" she encourages everyone to visit her site, and post photos of what is blooming in their own garden on the 15th of each month. It is a real melting pot and sharing of gardens from all over, and what is beautiful in bloom. What a concept.

This bouquet won't make it to the 15th of this month, but maybe something else wonderful will be blooming to share. Treat yourself, and visit Carol's "Bloom Day" post this month, and tell her VintageGardenGal sent you.

I was able to landscape in front of our home quickly, simply because I was inspired by a perfect $10.00, five gallon "Little Gem" magnolia tree. I have always loved magnolia trees. When I saw this "Little Gem" magnolia tree, I thought  I could create something different and focal using espaliered magnolia trees. From this one special tree, I drew inspiration for a color scheme, complementary plants, and garden style.

When inspiration strikes you, act on it quickly. You can get inspiration from just about anything and anywhere. It can be an object, a color, a setting, a single tree, or even a beautiful phrase of words. You just need to be open to it.

"Little Gem" magnolia trees have beautiful green leaves on their top side and a distinct brown-bronze color on their underside. Ah...garden inspiration, chocolate or bronze color, wtih a smidge of blue-purple color, and a hint of deep wine-cranberry pink color. From this palette, I looked for plants that had these colors, that were low to medium height, drought tolerant once established, and were basically in the Mediterranean style. The following is a list of plants I used in my design.

Chocolate Color Plants Magnolia Tree "Little Gem" New Zealand Flax, Platt's Black Summer Chocolate Mimosa Tree Bugleweed Bronze Ajuga Reptans Red Fountain Grass Red Hook Sedge Pittosporum Harley Botanica (Bronze Structure)

Blue-Purple Flowering Plants Rosemary Tuscan Blue Rosemary Huntington Carpet Duranta Sweet Memory Nemesia "Blue Lagoon" Bugleweed Bronze Ajuga Reptans (Blue Flower Spikes) Ceanothus Concha

Pink Flowering Plants Redbud Tree Lavender Twist Muhly Grass Mallow Barley Boysenberry

I might have waited until spring to landscape in front of our home, but inspiration hit, sparking this planting. The fall season is perfect for planting, and establishing plants over the rainy winter. Most of these plants were on sale which was an added bonus.

Resources: Armstrong Garden. Evergreen Nursery, and Home Depot.

Please share if you have been struck by an inspiration that prompted something new in your garden. Please comment on some of your garden inspirations.

VintageGardenGal Tidbit Thyme... From Our Coop to Yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

It is Sunday morning and I'm cleaning out our chicken coop. Life just might be returning to normal after our remodel. On the way to our chicken coop I couldn't help but notice this garden spider art, a beautiful silk web gently swaying in the morning breeze amongst our grapevines. Take time to smell the roses. Take time to experience the little miracles in your garden, like these delicately spun architectural webs.

Spiders in your garden are a good sign that your garden is healthy. Spiders do not eat plants, but are voracious predators of insects. Their web art is an enlargement of their highly specialized sensory support system, and how they trap their prey. I looked but did not see this talented spider who created this delicately engineered web. Maybe this busy spider was fodder for something else in my garden.

Quickly my thoughts went to the classic story, Charlotte's Web. Could this be my Charlotte? How does she know how to create such an artistic web? How long does it take to spin her web? How long will this web serve her? What attracted Charlotte to our garden? Where did Charlotte go?

Spiders, in general, are not to be feared. Most spiders are not dangerous to people. Create an inviting environment for spiders, or your Charlotte, in your garden by following these steps. Use mulch in your garden which provides spiders protection and humidity. Provide tall plants or gates for ease of web attachment. Leave some open areas in your garden for their over-wintering habits. Grow plants that attract insects. Take a moment to realize, just like snakes are beneficial in your garden for eating gophers and rodents, spiders too, are beneficial. Don't use pesticides in your garden.

VintageGardenGal Tidbit Thyme....

VintageGardenGal, "a garden lifestyle blog" celebrated  its 2nd anniversary this week. Many thanks to all of my loyal and interested readers. I appreciate your support, comments. and interaction. My hope in writing VintageGardenGal, is that I can help, inspire, and provide you tips on intermingling more garden into your own lifestyle. Please tell your friends. Thank you!

Quite by chance, on a general "clean up mission" in my front yard, one of the last strongholds of our remodel process, I happened upon an abandoned, cleverly engineered bird's nest. I intuitively knew this nest had served its purpose well. I sensed right away the symbolism it represented. It was an immediate "deja vu" and an incredibly great omen, as we finish up our home remodel and make plans to move in.

Ten years ago, just weeks away from moving into our present home (we are currently remodeling), I was jogging in our quaint village, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, and found this rather large intricate bird's nest near the road. Strong winds must have sent it sailing from its anchored spot in near by eucalyptus trees. My husband John, and I were soon moving into our new home, but 1930's vintage.

This property had been neglected and needed a lot of tender loving care. We knew this property was special, but could we really transform it. I took that new-found bird nest home and placed it in a nurturing spot above our fireplace hearth. I still have it, and cherish it to this day.

Fast forward ten years, and I'm no longer jogging,  but enjoying swimming, walking, and sweep rowing instead.  My husband and I created  soothing gardens, a potager, an orchard, and backyard vineyard. It was time to turn our attention to our home, hence, our ensuing remodel this past year. In actuality, it has been many years in the planning and decision-making to make this dream come true. Now, we are closing in on the last week of our ten-month remodel. Once again, I find an incredible bird's nest, "out of the blue." It is a great omen, for our remodel, and our lives moving forward.

This beautiful bird's nest is an engineering feat. It has twigs, leaves, cotton-like puffs, and even snail shells, woven meticulously together with tender loving maternal care. It is strong, yet delicate. It speaks to me as a symbol of many things. The birds and wildlife are so much a part of our life here. This beautiful bird's nest  is a "welcome home" message, a new chapter in our lives, and symbolic meaning of "home is where the heart is."  I couldn't have asked for a better gift at this time, than this beautiful bird's nest omen.

Please share if you have had an experience like an omen that is so grand, it thumps you on the head. Please comment on the bird's nests you have found.

I was caught off guard the other day, and didn't have anything convenient with me to collect my eggs, squash, and cherry tomatoes with. Remember I'm going through a remodel, and life is not normal. Then I thought of my faithful garden hat. It sent me into a philosophic moment, about "using what you have," and "wanting what you have." Something similar to what Sheryl Crow croons about. I'm all about re-purposing and finding atypical uses for things, so it put a smile on my face.

Borrowing once again from Charles B.Ledgerwood's Southern California Vegetable Planting Calendar, best seeds to plant in July are: BEANS, beets, carrots, cantaloupe, celery, CORN, CUCUMBER, leek, LIMAS, okra, SQUASH, NEW ZEALAND SPINACH, and swiss chard. For the best planting months the names are capitalized.

Please share some things you have re-purposed, especially for the garden.

VintageGardenGal Tidbit Thyme...

This week I am attending the national Garden Bloggers Meet Up 2010, an annual convergence of garden bloggers and garden buzz. This year it is held in Buffalo, New York, and to all the attendees good fortune, tied in with a prelude to Garden Walk Buffalo, a free self-guided tour of more than 350 gardens around Buffalo, and the biggest garden tour in America. VintageGardenGal will return next week.

For those of you who are faithful readers of VintageGardenGal, I must pause and tell you that my precious J.Lo passed away last week. She had a very long life in chicken years, approaching 8 years old this May. There are many reasons why I want to share this with you, and you might be thinking I've gone off of the deep end. But, no it is simply a small loving tribute to our wonderful hen, J.Lo.

I want you to know that your chickens can live a long healthy life. I want you to know that your chickens can become part of your family, just like your dog or cat. I want you to know that you can have a friend in the garden, with feathers and wattles. I want you to know that chickens have personalities, spirit, and character. I want you to know that chickens can give back, in intangible joy.

J.Lo was a Silver-laced Wyndotte, one of five hen in our original "Hollywood Girls" flock. Initially she was a bit of a runt, at the bottom of the pecking order in the flock. She was a good egg-layer, laying beautiful cream-colored eggs. She was always a talker, peeping over this and that. Over time she rose to the top like cream in the pecking order, fueled by her independence and sense of adventure.

She loved to be out in the garden, and loved to be a part of our social activities. She was never afraid of new people, or the number of people in the garden. She just felt at home, and was very sociable. In fact, I think she rather enjoyed being the life of the party.

Last year I wrote about my "coffee cup" thoughts reflecting on our first ten years on our property. J.Lo, and our "Hollywood Girls" were a cornerstone of our journey, and a part of the catalyst for writing VintageGardenGal. Somehow I can't stop thinking, that J.Lo will always live on with us in the garden, and she will. Ode to you, J.Lo.

Please feel free to comment.