Nurseries Still Have Plants Available

Weather is our friend. If you are a gardener or a farmer you are always looking at the weather forecast. We are fortunate that next week will give us three 70 degree days. Of course our mornings will be cooler. But, Mother Nature is on our side for “planting.” Our earth is still quite warm. We’ve noticed after all our rain, the grass is looking a brilliant green again. And if you look at your bushes closely they are coming back to life in a “green” kind of way. Plants are so resilient. Appreciate their never ending rewards. Parkfairfax has a lot of beauty, if you pay attention. Take a nice walk and see for yourself.

We can still plant bulbs for blooming in the spring, and bushes like the ones (3) pictured above – which is scheduled for “install” on Thursday on Martha Curtis Drive. It’s also not too late for a few annuals which give your garden just a little bit of color. Even just one medium sized pot on your front stoop, with a blossoming annual can make such a difference. You will enjoy seeing them in the early morning as you are having your favorite beverage. They are a cheerful reminder that in the spring you can have more of the same. How comforting and something to look forward to. Happy Planting this week……

The Garden Contessa

 

Planting today…….

NOT……but our planting post of yesterday did encourage two new phone calls.  Thank you so very much!

These beautiful new Azaleas (3) will be planted very soon. We just purchased them for a client who lives in MD, but owns a rental in Parkfairfax. So we picked them out just this morning. They look very healthy and the blossoms are huge  Lovely!

And, we had another call about planting “fall” natives and creating a garden bed and amending clay soil. We will help both clients next week – post Election Day.

Today we will do some check up at two client sites. Very wet out to accomplish any real gardening today. The wind brings down branches and our clients are away,  so we often go by to tidy up. These are what we call our “maintenance” customers. If this is your situation, think about a “maintenance agreement” with The Garden Contessa. We are happy to help out.

What a nice chill is in the air this morning, but tomorrow looks to be a “some sun” day with 51 degrees. Maybe a great raking day if not too much wind. And maybe a great walk. If things have dried out, we plan to start collecting pretty leaves, acorns and unusual bark and moss. It’s time to create some indoor “fall” decor. 

Enjoy your day!

 

Perfect Planting Weather……coming!

Good Morning,

Thankful for rain. Just so you know…..this wonderful rain will moisten your beds and your yard so that after the rain you will have a perfect opportunity to plant. The weather is showing seven sunny and slightly cooler days ahead. Perfect planting weather. So consider purchasing a few pansies to give your beds or stoop planters a fresh look. Pansies are economical – did you know that if you plant them now – they will reward you all winter, especially on sunny days, and in the spring they will more than double their size in your beds. All they require is a little deadheading (plucking dead blossoms) and a little push of soil up around their bodies. And don’t forget to trim off dead and yellowing leaves. Pansies are cheerful, forgiving, and one of the sweetest flowers that can make it through the cold of winter. Contessa loves them. You might also. Remember that they will bloom even up to around April 15th. Once summer comes it’s way too warm for them. So enjoy them from now through April. This is where their value ($) comes in. One price – covering winter and spring  blossoms. It’s a thrifty way to plant.

One caution: Squirrels love to dig at them, especially when the earth is moist. We recommend a product called “Blood Meal” sprinkled around them like salt and pepper, it will deter the squirrels. And Blood Meal works for all plantings. We have a new bag and we are happy to share.  It doesn’t take much. If you do purchase a bag, it’s about $16. But if you are weary of the squirrels digging up your plants – the purchase is well worth it. If you keep your bag indoors and dry, your “Blood Meal” bag should last a good year. It helps for hassle free gardening.

Happy Planting…..

“Contessa”

 

 

 

 

                                   

The Urn Project

Our Urn Project is complete  In a couple hours we will place them in position. (there are two/the other one is still drying). Right now they are drying from a second coat of paint that we finished about an hour ago. They turned out well. We used “0000” strength steel wool to remove the rust buildup, washed them thoroughly  and began to paint them on Monday. Oil- based Rust-oleum in a Flat Black.  Two coats were necessary and so we needed to wait between top and bottom coats so they could dry thoroughly before reversing their position.  

The was a fun project, a diversion from our gardening, and the bonus for us is – it’s another project completed outdoors. Since tomorrow’s not looking so promising weather-wise, we will fiddle with indoors plants, finish a great book,(oh and Delray’s Duncan Library is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays) if you dare to venture out in the rain,  and then we will prep for our next gardening job on Nov 4.

Grateful to have work – keeps us engaged and active. It’s all good.

If you have work for us, please do give us a call.  Always happy to see what you have in mind. No project is too large or too small. And remember your initial consultation is FREE and valued at $75.  

Penny
The Garden Contessa
703-548-1882
ContessasHome@gmail.com

 

always and always……

Prayer of St Francis

My wish is to share “love” and “peace” with you……

Life is just not normal now. It’s hard not to socialize. It’s hard not to see those we love. Words seem so inadequate.  We wish to touch, to offer a word of encouragement, to just look into the eyes of those we love. This separation time is hard.

Let this prayer of St Francis bring you comfort even as we are apart…..

A COLLECTION – Some of Contessa’s Favorites From Pinterest

pin.it/7IBkLeH

Hellebore

We just planted a new Hellebore on a clients front stoop. Sooo pretty.

Hellebores – a favorite perennial for winter blooms

“Hellebores” love the chill and they bloom from now until spring. So very unusual. And during their blooming season they seem to change colors every day. They are wonderful. We love them. On a really cold day with the sun shining they will surprise you. In our opinion they are the “queen” of winter blooms. It seems no two are alike. If it’s bitter cold they bow their faces and shy away. But as soon as the sun comes out they are looking at you again. A true favorite. Harder to find. A little expensive, but so worth it. The best part is they come back next year.

“Contessa”

Turtle Yard Mosiac

Well ……wouldn’t this be cool to accomplish? And the “moss” filler between the cracks is lovely. Around here, it’s pretty easy to cultivate moss. It loves our swampy climate. We think this is so very cool. Think about it…..as a new project. Perfect for a shady spot, and we bet you can find the stones on your own  A cool challenge!!  Contessa likes it….