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Charming comfort - Los Altos Town Crier

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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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Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 11


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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 />

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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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Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 19


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Page 20 | Home & Garden | August 29, 2012<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 />

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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 />

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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 />

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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 />

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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 />

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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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Home & Garden | Agust 29, 2012 | Page 29


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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

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