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&<br />
m a g a z i n e<br />
home garden<br />
m a g a z i n e<br />
<strong>Charming</strong><br />
<strong>comfort</strong><br />
Couple transforms<br />
home with updates<br />
Clean closet<br />
Organizing spruces up<br />
any closet space<br />
A A <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong> <strong>Town</strong> <strong>Crier</strong> Publication<br />
Fall/Winter 2012
Page 2 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012
Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 3
&<br />
m a g a z i n e<br />
home garden<br />
m a g a z i n e<br />
Personal space transformation<br />
Kris and Brent Beagle redecorate their <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong> home<br />
and transform it into a personalized treasure.<br />
Page 5<br />
Making small shrubs work<br />
Dwarf shrubs create twice the beauty in the garden for<br />
half the work.<br />
Page 12<br />
Getting organized in the closet<br />
A small investment in closet organization can pay large<br />
dividends.<br />
Page 21<br />
How to incorporate rare garden fruit<br />
Rare fruit, such as feijoa, can lead to experiments in<br />
eating and new gardening adventures in the yard.<br />
Page 24<br />
Page 4 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<br />
S<br />
Magazine Staff S<br />
The <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong> <strong>Town</strong> <strong>Crier</strong><br />
138 Main St., <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong>, CA 94022<br />
(650) 948-9000<br />
www.latc.com<br />
Editor Bruce Barton<br />
Magazine Editor Traci Newell<br />
Designer Mary Watanabe<br />
Writers Kimberly D. Fomby<br />
Tanya Kucak<br />
Elaina Kyrouz<br />
Carolyn Snyder<br />
Copy Editors Joan Garvin<br />
Colleen Schick<br />
Photographer Ellie Van Houtte<br />
Sales Staff Janice Fabella<br />
Kathy Lera<br />
Dawn Pankonen<br />
Janice Torrecampo<br />
Ad Services Director Chris Redden<br />
Ad Services Assistant Leverne Cornelius<br />
Production Staff Janine O’Neill<br />
Mary Watanabe<br />
Marilyn Winans<br />
Publisher Paul Nyberg<br />
Associate Publisher Howard Bischoff<br />
Upcoming 2012 Magazines<br />
Living in <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong><br />
Publishes Sept. 26, 2012<br />
Home for the Holidays<br />
Publishes Nov. 14, 2012<br />
Circulation: 16,500. Mailed directly to households in <strong>Los</strong><br />
<strong>Altos</strong>, <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong> Hills and select areas of Mountain View.<br />
Hundreds of subscribers receive the <strong>Town</strong> <strong>Crier</strong> in neighboring<br />
communities as well as out of state. The <strong>Town</strong> <strong>Crier</strong> can be purchased<br />
at newsstands in <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong>, <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong> Hills, Mountain<br />
View and Palo Alto.<br />
Cover photo: Kris and Brent Beagles’ <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong> cottage boasts<br />
a balcony that overlooks their backyard.<br />
Cover photo by Ellie Van Houtte<br />
˙© <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong> <strong>Town</strong> <strong>Crier</strong> Company Inc., 2012.<br />
All Rights Reserved.
COver<br />
A lifetime of treasures makes a<br />
space personal and <strong>comfort</strong>able<br />
PHoTos By eLLie VAn HouTTe/<strong>Town</strong> CRieR<br />
<strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong> residents Brent and Kris Beagle, below, have spent many years transforming their Orange<br />
Avenue cottage, which features spiral boxwood hedges, to evolve with their changing lives.<br />
By Carolyn Snyder<br />
Kris and Brent Beagle took their orange Avenue<br />
home to the max.<br />
it’s a stellar example of maximizing minimum<br />
space – and it’s a knockout.<br />
“The project was a perfect recipe: a much-loved site,<br />
Brent’s incredible aesthetic and limitless creativity within<br />
the constraints of budget, lot size, setbacks and height,”<br />
said Abigail Ahrens of Abigail Residences Romantiques<br />
in <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong>, the heart of the design team for the impressive<br />
remodel.<br />
But there is more than one story here. First, there was<br />
a young dental school graduate who, in 1982, drove crosscountry<br />
in his Mazda with his clothes and books. He<br />
worked for a year at the VA Hospital in san Francisco to<br />
become California board-certified and eventually landed<br />
in <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong>, where he had aunts and uncles – and where<br />
he now has a dental practice.<br />
He met his future wife while both were working at<br />
Macy’s.<br />
“Brent bought our house before we were even dating,”<br />
Continued on Page 6<br />
Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 5
Continued from Page 5<br />
said Kris, who is heart-lung transplant<br />
data coordinator at stanford<br />
Hospital.<br />
The two-bedroom, one-bath<br />
cottage had no garden to speak of<br />
– just dirt, some cedars and river<br />
rocks.<br />
And then there is the story of<br />
Brent the collector, who, in his<br />
early teens, went to country auctions<br />
in his native illinois to bid on<br />
behalf of the local choir director.<br />
He honed his skills through the<br />
years – think “American Pickers”<br />
– and has a “good eye,” according<br />
to Kris.<br />
“i’ve always liked old things,”<br />
Brent said.<br />
it matters not whether they are<br />
early American, French or whatever.<br />
“i’m not looking for one certain thing,” he said. “it’s<br />
whether it works and can be utilized.”<br />
so, with that background in mind, let’s return to Brent’s<br />
“bachelor pad.” He sowed California poppy seeds in the<br />
Page 6 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<br />
COver<br />
eLLie VAn HouTTe/<strong>Town</strong> CRieR<br />
Old World architectural elements and lush plantings create an outdoor setting ideal<br />
for entertaining.<br />
front yard – and they bloomed.<br />
“it was better than the dirt – and low maintenance,” he<br />
said.<br />
Today, there are neatly trimmed low boxwood hedges
in a spiral pattern (his design) on<br />
either side of a curved stone-andmoss<br />
path leading to the front<br />
door. And the courtyard in back<br />
has similar spiral-design hedges,<br />
an old world fountain and lush<br />
plantings. The hydrangea blooms<br />
are the size of dinner plates.<br />
Brent undertook the fi rst remodel<br />
with Kris’ help, creating<br />
2.5 baths from an elongated bathroom.<br />
The result was a master<br />
suite, a second bath and bedroom<br />
and a powder room.<br />
The second remodel – after the<br />
couple married – provided space<br />
for a growing family. (The couple<br />
have a daughter, Madeleine, 14,<br />
and a son, Tavin, 12.) it grew to<br />
2,300 square feet and is a blend of<br />
old world architectural elements.<br />
The roof is slate, with French rain<br />
collectors.<br />
The living room remains the same. what had been the<br />
kitchen and eating area is now the dining room. And a<br />
walk through the butler’s pantry leads from the dining<br />
room to the new kitchen and family room.<br />
COver<br />
eLLie VAn HouTTe/<strong>Town</strong> CRieR<br />
The Beagles’ <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong> home, which has undergone two remodels, features a<br />
limestone staircase with handwrought-iron railings.<br />
The couple’s collection of china and crystal, scoured<br />
from years of collecting and estate sales, is displayed in<br />
Continued on Page 8<br />
Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 7
Continued from Page 7<br />
the butler’s pantry.<br />
A parallel hallway, which Ahrens<br />
calls a “mini art gallery,” draws the eye<br />
from the living room to the kitchen/<br />
family room.<br />
The Beagles added a second-story<br />
master suite, accessed from the kitchen.<br />
“The limestone staircase, turning in<br />
such a tight space, is so charming one<br />
can’t wait to climb it,” Ahrens said.<br />
The handwrought-iron railings echo<br />
the wrought-iron tie bars in the 18-foot<br />
cathedral ceiling in the family room.<br />
The staircase posed a challenge because<br />
it took three people to move Kris’<br />
favorite piece of furniture, an early<br />
American walnut chest of drawers, upstairs<br />
to the master suite.<br />
“The house was designed around<br />
pieces of furniture,” Brent said.<br />
But, obviously, the staircase’s tight turn wasn’t factored<br />
in.<br />
The dimensions of a large secretary determined the<br />
placement of the Dutch door leading to the courtyard<br />
from the family room.<br />
Page 8 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<br />
COver<br />
eLLie VAn HouTTe/<strong>Town</strong> CRieR<br />
Kris Beagle designed her daughter’s bedroom using bold colors and fun<br />
storage space, such as the skateboard shoe rack.<br />
“The challenge all along was the space,” Brent said.<br />
some space-gaining features in the kitchen/family<br />
room: a window seat (storage beneath) that provides<br />
seating on one side of a glass-top dining table, a central<br />
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Continued on Page 10
Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 9
Continued from Page 8<br />
island with mega-storage and, on an awkward<br />
short wall, a refrigerator concealed by<br />
an armoire.<br />
The kitchen/family room – more living<br />
room than kitchen with its fireplace, French<br />
daybed and “Louis something” chairs – is<br />
what Kris likes best in their house.<br />
“it is so open and easy to socialize,” she<br />
said. “no matter what the occasion, all guests<br />
seem to congregate in the kitchen. with that<br />
in mind, we tried to design a central island<br />
where we could cook and socialize at the<br />
same time. if our guests want to help, that is<br />
even better.”<br />
The buttercream “furniture” island has a<br />
striated leaf green granite top and farm sink.<br />
walls in the common areas are painted<br />
muted shades of green, floors are hand-hewn<br />
walnut with an oiled finish. They’re perfect foils for the<br />
furnishings.<br />
The dining room features a 17th-century italian credenza<br />
and Jacobean oak banquet chairs (estate sale finds),<br />
a 1920s Kurdish rug (Goodwill) and six Abraham Munting<br />
hand-colored copper engravings, circa 1696 (nantucket antique<br />
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Page 10 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<br />
COver<br />
eLLie VAn HouTTe/<strong>Town</strong> CRieR<br />
The Beagles’ main entryway opens into the only remaining original room<br />
in their cottage – the living room.<br />
in the living room are other “finds,” including a 19thcentury<br />
Dutch marquetry breakfront and a silk area rug,<br />
circa 1920.<br />
The Beagles still frequent estate sales.<br />
“if i found something today i liked, i’d buy it and work<br />
with it,” Brent said.<br />
“we could use just one more room,” Kris added. a<br />
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Page 12 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<br />
shrubs<br />
Dwarf shrubs: Easy year-round<br />
color for beds and borders<br />
By Elaina Kyrouz<br />
Dwarf shrubs are like a miracle<br />
diet for your garden: Plant<br />
more, work less! And they look<br />
fabulous all year. Gone are the days<br />
when most shrubs were foundation behemoths.<br />
now there are many shrubs<br />
with beautiful foliage that stay under<br />
3 feet tall and wide, and look stunning<br />
most or all of the year without much<br />
care.<br />
Dwarf shrubs can solve myriad<br />
maintenance and design challenges in<br />
the yard.<br />
Reduce the work in<br />
herbaceous perennials<br />
Herbaceous perennials and bulbs can<br />
require a great deal of work in garden<br />
CouRTesy oF eLAinA KyRouz<br />
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eds (planting, staking, dividing, deadheading, cutting<br />
back and cleaning up in the fall). even with all that care,<br />
there are times during the year that some don’t look all<br />
that great – unless your color scheme revolves around<br />
brown.<br />
Replacing some perennials with colorful, easy-care<br />
dwarf shrubs can help. Remove perennials that aren’t performing<br />
as well or as long as you had hoped, those that<br />
require the most work for the least reward or those that<br />
seem to need more or less water than the others in a bed.<br />
Then choose dwarf shrubs that provide the same color,<br />
texture, fragrance or other qualities that you liked about<br />
the perennials.<br />
Maximizing the visual impact of a bed<br />
To create a focal point that draws the eye to a bed,<br />
choose just one dwarf multi-trunk shrub (more informal)<br />
or single-trunk dwarf patio tree (more formal) that is taller<br />
than the other plants in the bed and has a dramatically<br />
different shape, color or texture. Place it somewhere in the<br />
middle of the bed, rather than front or back, preferably<br />
off-center (left to right), unless making a very formal,<br />
symmetrical bed.<br />
when adding multiple dwarf shrubs to a bed, numbers<br />
count. For a natural look, think odd – odd numbers of a<br />
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shrubs<br />
CouRTesy oF eLAinA KyRouz<br />
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Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 13
Continued from Page 13<br />
shrub, in small groups (three, fi ve or seven), tend to be less<br />
formal and feel more relaxed. in contrast, even numbers<br />
of a shrub, laid out symmetrically, will add formality, as<br />
will rows or edgings of dwarf shrubs.<br />
Interpreting your personal style<br />
if an informal, colorful cottage garden-style appeals<br />
to you, think carefully about viewing distances. some<br />
cottage gardens contain only one of each plant. This can<br />
seem chaotic and often has less visual impact from a distance<br />
but when viewed at close range (a nearby bench or<br />
path) can be fascinating.<br />
For a larger cottage-style bed that draws attention from<br />
a distance, place odd numbers of the same dwarf shrubs<br />
in casual groups (three of one shrub here, fi ve of another<br />
shrub there) throughout the bed. Then add a single multitrunked<br />
contrasting shrub as a focal point.<br />
For a more formal, organized or traditional look, a low<br />
hedgerow of tiny evergreen shrubs edging the front of the<br />
border might tie things together nicely, and a row of larger<br />
(but still dwarf) evergreen shrubs at the back could provide<br />
a nice backdrop for annuals and perennials. if you<br />
want these hedges formally trimmed, you’ll need to do<br />
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Page 14 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<br />
Continued on Page 18<br />
shrubs<br />
CouRTesy oF eLAinA KyRouz<br />
Coleonema ‘Sunset Gold’ and Polygala ‘Petite Butterfl ies’<br />
pair well in the border space at a local nursery.
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Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 15
Page 16 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012
Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 17
Continued from Page 14<br />
extra work, but the nice thing about dwarf hedging shrubs<br />
is that they grow slowly, so you won’t need to trim them as<br />
often.<br />
To cultivate a modern or contemporary look for a fairly<br />
large bed or border, plant dwarf shrubs in drifts for a<br />
more relaxed but still organized feel that adds a sense of<br />
movement. Drifts are usually larger numbers of the same<br />
plant or species, or even different plants of the same color,<br />
planted in irregular shapes that (when the plants are fully<br />
grown) interlock like the pieces of a puzzle. in smaller<br />
beds, drifts often work best when comprised of very compact<br />
plants with small leaves.<br />
Year-round variety<br />
Dwarf shrubs are ideal for keeping garden beds visually<br />
interesting during all four seasons. Many new varieties<br />
of evergreen dwarf shrubs actually have interesting leaf<br />
color or variegation year-round, and you can vary the size,<br />
shape or texture of the leaves and the overall shape of the<br />
plants (droopy, spiky, upright, prostrate).<br />
Many dwarf shrubs boast flowers for part or all of the<br />
year, so flower color and bloom time add yet another dimension<br />
of interest. Choose shrubs that bloom in a contrasting<br />
color or at a different time from perennials. Dwarf<br />
fruit trees are another way to provide variety – and fruit<br />
Page 18 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<br />
shrubs<br />
– in ornamental beds. Dwarf citrus (oranges, limes, lemons,<br />
kumquats, tangerines) work well, as do very dwarf or<br />
trellised apples and pears.<br />
Beautiful, easy-care dwarf shrubs are divided into two<br />
groups: those that are drought tolerant (needing regular<br />
water only in the first year or so) and those that need moderate<br />
water (at least once a week) even after they’re established.<br />
within each group, they are divided by best use.<br />
unless noted, they grow to approximately 3-feet-by-3-feet<br />
or smaller. Most grow best in full sun, but those that work<br />
well in partial shade are noted.<br />
Drought-tolerant once established<br />
(water occasionally, more in hot weather)<br />
Good focal point shrubs include Leucadendron ‘Jester’<br />
or ‘Blush,’ Punica granatum ‘nana’ (dwarf pomegranate),<br />
Rosa ‘Flower Carpet’ (as dwarf ‘patio tree’), salvia<br />
greggii ‘navaho Red’ and ‘navaho Purple,’ and solanum<br />
rantonnetii ‘Variegata’ and ‘sunny Daze’ (as dwarf ‘patio<br />
tree’).<br />
Colorful flower options include Buddleia ‘Blue Chip’;<br />
Correa ‘wyn’s wonder’ (sun or partial shade); Lantana<br />
‘new Gold,’ ‘Patriot Petite Rainbow,’ ‘Lucky Peach’<br />
and ‘Lucky white’; Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote,’<br />
‘Martha Roderick,’ ‘Munstead’ and ‘Thumbelina Leigh’;<br />
Continued on Page 20<br />
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Page 20 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<br />
Mountain View<br />
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shrubs<br />
CouRTesy oF eLAinA KyRouz<br />
Coprosma repens ‘Rainbow Surprise’ provides an<br />
interesting multicolored plant that is sure to stand out.<br />
Continued from Page 18<br />
Lavandula intermedia ‘Provence’ and ‘Grosso’; Lavandula<br />
‘Goodwin Creek Grey’; Lavandula stoechas ‘Lemon<br />
Leigh’ and ‘winter Bee’ and Polygala fruticosa ‘Petite<br />
Butterflies’ (sun or partial shade).<br />
Plants good for dwarf hedging include Myrtus communis<br />
‘Compacta’; nandina ‘Fire Power,’ ‘Gulf stream’<br />
and ‘Harbour Dwarf’ (sun or partial shade); Rhaphiolepsis<br />
indica ‘Ballerina,’ ‘spring Rapture’ and ‘springtime’<br />
(sun or partial shade); Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Roman<br />
Beauty’ (full sun) and ‘Gold Dust’ (sun or partial shade);<br />
and westringia fruticosa ‘Morning Light’ and ‘wynyabbie<br />
Highlight’ (sun or partial shade).<br />
Moderate water once established<br />
(at terrapatio.com<br />
least once a week, more in extreme heat)<br />
Good focal points plants include Abutilon hybridum<br />
‘Bella Hybrids’ (partial shade), Coleonema ‘sunset Gold,’<br />
Citrus limon ‘Dwarf Meyer improved’ (dwarf sweet<br />
lemon), Citrus ‘owari’ (dwarf satsuma mandarin), Citrus<br />
‘Marumi’ (dwarf kumquat), Citrus sinensis ‘Dwarf washington<br />
navel’ (dwarf orange) and Rosa ’iceberg’ (and other<br />
shrub roses, especially as ‘patio trees’).<br />
Colorful flowers include Abelia grandiflora ‘Kaleidescope’<br />
(sun or partial shade); Caryopteris clandonensis<br />
‘Dark Knight’ and incana ‘sunshine Blue’; Hebe ‘Variegated<br />
Flame Bush’ (sun or partial shade); and Lagerstroemia<br />
indica ‘Petite Plum,’ ‘Petite orchid’ and ‘Petite<br />
embers.’<br />
Good plants for dwarf hedging include Buxus ‘Green<br />
Velvet’ and microphylla koreana ‘wedding Ring,’ Coprosma<br />
repens ‘Rainbow surprise,’ euonymus japonica<br />
‘Microphyllus’ and ‘MonCliff,’ Hebe albicans ‘Red edge,’<br />
Hebe rakaiensis ‘Golden Dome,' Pittosporum tenuifolium<br />
‘Golf Ball’ and Pittosporum tobira ‘Cream de Mint.’<br />
Elaina Kyrouz is owner of Garden Insights<br />
and a member of the Association of Professional<br />
Landscape Designers. For more information,<br />
call (408) 396-0049. a
ClOsets<br />
Conquering<br />
your closet<br />
brings multiple<br />
benefits<br />
CouRTesy oF VALeT CusToM CABineTs & C<strong>Los</strong>eTs<br />
To maintain an ever-growing shoe collection, invest in<br />
roll-out shoe racks to keep organized.<br />
By Kimberly D. Fomby<br />
If the sight of your closet makes you cringe, it’s time<br />
to begin a closet organization project. Though the task<br />
may seem impossible to accomplish, the solution is<br />
easily attainable. investing in the following organization<br />
products can cure your closet woes.<br />
Laundry hampers<br />
no matter the type, a laundry hamper is always the best<br />
place to store dirty clothes.<br />
To avoid large piles of clothing, organize items by<br />
Continued on Page 22<br />
We know <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong><br />
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www.glperry.com<br />
Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 21
Continued from Page 21<br />
color, type and load size. shari Krandel, designer<br />
at Valet Custom Cabinets & Closets, suggests<br />
using a large, 17-inch-deep hamper for darks; a<br />
medium, 11-inch-deep hamper for whites; and a<br />
6- to 11-inch hamper for delicate items.<br />
organizing unlaundered clothing will not<br />
only add to the aesthetic of a newly organized<br />
closet, but also enable worry-free washdays<br />
as clothes are already sorted and prepared for<br />
washing.<br />
Jewelry organizers<br />
Fine and costume jewelry both deserve to<br />
be stored properly. There is nothing worse than<br />
attempting to wear a favorite necklace that is<br />
tangled with five others.<br />
Jewelry organizing solutions come in abundance:<br />
traditional wooden boxes, hanging trees,<br />
velvet lined trays, etc. Take advantage of these solutions by<br />
separating rings, bracelets, cuff links, necklaces, watches<br />
and earrings.<br />
Taking the extra time to complete this simple task will<br />
prevent tangling and damage. it will also keep items in one<br />
designated place and offer easy accessibility for quick jewelry<br />
swaps.<br />
Page 22 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<br />
ClOsets<br />
CouRTesy oF VALeT CusToM CABineTs & C<strong>Los</strong>eTs<br />
Use drawers with organizers for a multitude of purposes, including<br />
storing jewelry, change and business cards.<br />
Accessory fixtures<br />
Belts, ties and scarves are just as important as jewelry.<br />
Keep them separate from one another by installing cubbies<br />
and racks.<br />
Closet drawers<br />
Adding closet drawers, eliminates the need for a
dresser, according to Karin Parodi, a Valet<br />
Custom Cabinets & Closets design consultant<br />
specializing in the interior-design market.<br />
with socks and ties conveniently located in<br />
your closet, getting dressed in the mornings<br />
becomes easier.<br />
use the closet drawers to separate everyday<br />
wear such as undergarments and shirts. Tucking<br />
out-of-season items away in drawers will<br />
increase hanging space for your current wardrobe.<br />
Hanging rods<br />
There is nothing appealing about hanging<br />
dresses, suits, jeans and sweaters on one hanging<br />
rod. The result is a messy, unorganized appearance.<br />
An easy solution is to install multiple hanging<br />
rods to separate clothing by length or type.<br />
your closet will look much nicer and you’ll find it easier<br />
to navigate.<br />
To further decrease clutter, sort through clothing that<br />
you are least likely to wear and try to donate at least half,<br />
Krandel said.<br />
Shoe racks<br />
neatly storing shoes is an important factor in main-<br />
ClOsets<br />
CouRTesy oF VALeT CusToM CABineTs & C<strong>Los</strong>eTs<br />
Sweaters, socks or any items overflowing in your closet can disappear<br />
into cubbies and drawers.<br />
taining an orderly closet. investing in roll-out shelves,<br />
cubbies or racks will keep your shoes off the floor, giving<br />
your closet a tidier appeal.<br />
Conquering your closet with these solutions and tips<br />
will instantly make a difference.<br />
Kimberly D. Fomby is showroom and social media<br />
manager at Valet Custom Cabinets & Closets. For more<br />
information, visit www.valetcustom.com. a<br />
We are here for all of your mortgage<br />
financing needs.<br />
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Diversified Capital Funding is a broker licensed by the California Department of Real Estate • Broker License 01903930 NMLS# 845796<br />
Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 23
By Tanya Kucak<br />
If you have a mature fruit tree, you<br />
understand the concept of abundance.<br />
But if your fruit is something<br />
out of the ordinary, you may not<br />
appreciate what you have. i’ve seen<br />
quinces, medlars, crabapples and other<br />
fruits fallen and left to rot. The California<br />
Rare Fruit Growers lists 1,000 species<br />
of edible fruits grown around the<br />
world, only a handful of which you’re<br />
likely to find at a produce stand or farmers’<br />
market.<br />
so when i discovered a feijoa, or<br />
pineapple guava, tree in my new yard<br />
last fall, i was excited to find out if i<br />
liked it and anticipated figuring out<br />
Page 24 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<br />
FeijOas<br />
Abundant feijoa harvest<br />
offers versatile options<br />
Continued on Page 26<br />
TAnyA KuCAK/sPeCiAL To THe <strong>Town</strong> CRieR<br />
Mature feijoa trees produce many fruits over a month or two in the fall. Ripe<br />
fruits fall to the ground. Place a tarp underneath and shake the shrub gently<br />
to make harvesting easier.
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Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 25
Continued from Page 24<br />
what to do with it.<br />
The fruit isn’t ripe until<br />
it drops to the ground,<br />
but it stays firm. The olive-green<br />
ovals, approximately<br />
the size of a small,<br />
elongated plum or apricot,<br />
yield a soft fruit that does<br />
not turn into mush. i didn’t<br />
notice them until quite a<br />
few had dropped from the<br />
tree, and then i was outside<br />
picking them up every<br />
day or so for six weeks,<br />
starting in early october.<br />
of course, toward the end,<br />
the harvest tapered.<br />
i probably processed,<br />
ate and gave away nearly<br />
100 pounds of pineapple<br />
guavas from that single<br />
mature tree. i cut them in<br />
half and froze some with<br />
the peel, scooped out the<br />
Artistic Garage Doors, Inc.<br />
Page 26 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<br />
FeijOas<br />
TAnyA KuCAK/sPeCiAL To THe <strong>Town</strong> CRieR<br />
It’s easy to cut off the blossom end, cut the feijoa in half and scoop out the pale-yellow fruit<br />
with a spoon. If you don’t have time to scoop, freeze the fruits with the peel, for a slightly<br />
different flavor.<br />
insides and froze some pulp, incorporated feijoas into<br />
hummus, ate bagsful of them with a spoon, added some to<br />
my morning muesli, cooked them with sweet rice, made<br />
feijoa applesauce (some with cranberries) and used fei-<br />
joa-ginger syrup with everything from brussels sprouts to<br />
plain soy yogurt. i didn’t get tired of them, but i couldn’t<br />
process them all, so i took some to every potluck and<br />
Continued on Page 28<br />
Custom<br />
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Lic# 717735<br />
www.artisticgarage.com<br />
email: artisticgarage@msn.com
Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 27
Continued from Page 26<br />
garden-related meeting, as well as<br />
to a monthly garden share.<br />
Their flavor is pleasant and<br />
mildly tropical. The peak of ripeness<br />
lasts only a day or so, while<br />
the pale-yellow pulp is slightly<br />
translucent. once they start turning<br />
brown, they’re overripe. still<br />
tasty when they’re not quite translucent,<br />
the fruits need to be eaten<br />
or processed within a few days<br />
after harvesting. Their perishability<br />
may explain why they’re rarely<br />
seen in stores. A commercial feijoa<br />
industry is developing in new<br />
zealand and Australia, however,<br />
supported by research into determining<br />
ripeness and prolonging<br />
freshness.<br />
The plant itself is a shrub or<br />
small tree native to south America<br />
that can reach 18-25 feet high<br />
and wide. it’s a popular landscape plant because it can<br />
be shaped or trained as needed and has attractive oval<br />
leaves, green with silvery white undersides. Though it’s<br />
drought tolerant, more watering produces a better crop.<br />
Before i learned to love the fruit, i’d been eating the<br />
delicious white flower petals for years. As long as you eat<br />
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Page 28 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<br />
FeijOas<br />
TAnyA KuCAK/sPeCiAL To THe <strong>Town</strong> CRieR<br />
The sweet, succulent, pink-tinged white petals of the feijoa are a treat in late spring.<br />
Carefully pick one petal at a time so that the fruit can continue to develop.<br />
only the petals, without damaging the ovary, that flower<br />
can still turn into a fruit.<br />
if you want to plant this shrub for the fruit, research<br />
the variety of cultivars available and consider planting<br />
more than one for better pollination.<br />
Tanya Kucak gardens organically. Email her at tanyagarden@gmail.com.<br />
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To get your gift subscription started,<br />
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Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 29
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Like us on Facebook!<br />
Visit www.facebook.com/<strong>Los</strong><strong>Altos</strong><strong>Town</strong><strong>Crier</strong><br />
for your most recent <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong> news! We’d love<br />
to hear from and interact with our readers.<br />
Follow us on Twitter!<br />
Visit www.twitter.com/latc<br />
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LisT oF ADVeRTiseRs<br />
Aesthetic Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 32<br />
Apricot Lane Boutique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7<br />
Artisitic Garage Doors, inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26<br />
Bay Area Relocation services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30<br />
CA-1 Cleaning services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30<br />
Carpeteria Flooring Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29<br />
Cobalt Power systems, inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3<br />
Custom Builders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30<br />
Diversified Capital Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23<br />
erica Ameri/Alain Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12<br />
FastFrame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6<br />
Foothill Bay Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30<br />
GL Perry Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21<br />
Gary Paul Craftsman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30<br />
Ghodsi emambakhsh/Alain Pinel Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18<br />
Grass Farm Garden Accents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10<br />
Grimes natural Landscape, inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22<br />
iKB, inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11<br />
Landcraft Landscaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14<br />
<strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong> Farmers’ Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18<br />
Meyer Appliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25<br />
owen signature Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31<br />
Pacific Peninsula Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19<br />
Pazmany Bros. Landscaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28<br />
Peninsula Piano Brokers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13<br />
Premier Door services, inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8<br />
PTA Landscape Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14<br />
RJ Dailey Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2<br />
samscaping, inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24<br />
sereno Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17<br />
seville Landscape Construction Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9<br />
sterling Custom upholstery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12<br />
Terra Teak & Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20<br />
The Kitchen Crafter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30<br />
Valet Custom Cabinets & Closets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27<br />
Viewpoints Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14<br />
Viscusi elson interior Design/Rutt of <strong>Los</strong> <strong>Altos</strong> . . . . . . . . . 15
Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 31
Page 32 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012