Gardening – Preston Rd. 1700 Block – (Revised) 12/02 – 5:30 pm.

BEFORE VIDEO – 11/30 -10:30 am

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Our assignment today has begun. Lots and lots to clean up. Nice weather though. And here we go…..

6:50 pm Update – 3 hours work completed today

Our homeowner simply wants the plant life cut back to the ground. We will complete no soil surface cleaning of the beds. No new soil and no mulch added. This is a “bare bones” assignment.  

We have advised our client that at some point we need to clear the brick patio of weeds especially on the area that meets up with theur neighbors yard. Very much weed infestation on that end if the patio. They have plenty of spare bricks, so a proper brick edging of the beds could be useful. Right now it’s pretty random.

These rather large beds are packed with perennials, so it is very hard to complete a real tidy cleanup. Basically it is going to be cleaned up just enough so that in the spring when everything comes back into bloom it will fill the entire bed just as it did this year. In some respects its low maintenance, in that our client just lets it grow wild. Their preference of course. We have followed their instruction  and so it will be…..

We will come back again – either tomorrow afternoon or on Saturday, as we are booked Thursday and Friday at  different locations.

“Contessa”

FINAL AFTER VIDEO

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Gardening – Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

Today we are meeting a last years client who actually called just yesterday. A little chilly today for a longer stint in the garden, but depending on what our homeowner has in mind we may put in a couple hours to get her started. It’s a typical clean-up so that the bed in the back yard, which actually has all flowering perennials in it, will be ready for spring blooms. We completed this work for her last year also. The bed has mostly bulbs planted and a three flowering perennialbushes. It’s a nice open spot. We have gone ahead and blocked off tomorrow to complete the work.

On Thursday we are creating a completely new flower bed for our working from home, ongoing Martha Custis customer. And across the street from her home, we have had a request from three homeowners to remove all the very large Hosta from a common area bed in the center courtyard. Then tidy the bed and add fresh new high quality garden soil to top it off. Then in the spring, at their personal expense, we will select and plant some new flowering hardy perennials. We have already trimmed back the bushes in this courtyard.They have watched these Hosta grow in this bed for ten years and they want a new look. We are happy to do this for them. They have  a very pretty and very well kept courtyard and it deserves some new plants. PFF has approved this work.

On Friday, the warmest day of our week we move to the 3400 block of Martha Custis to our newest client. Clear all the beds, edge, and cut everything back. New mulch and perhaps some evergreen plantings to disguise the famous “gas/electrical” boxes that sit right at our homeowners front door.  We often encounter this and it looks so much better if we plant evergreens in these spots. Our homeowner is excited for a new look. She has not planted anything new since moving in three years ago, so we will suggest plantings for spring. A little teaching to take place with her, and lots of encouragement. A very good assignment. We are looking forward to it very much with a lovely weather day predicted. 

We are blessed to still have work which is our craft and our passion.

We trust that if you will garden today that you are out enjoying this robust fall weather.  Our glorious Sun is out and it is chilly, but very pretty. Have a wonderful gardening day.

And now ….we are going for our morning walk. Our best way to start our day, as it puts us in touch with our creator while we breath in our new day. 

Blessings to all……

”Contessa” 

Advent Sunday – Today

The Advent Season is a very special time of year that sometimes gets lost in the bright lights of the Christmas season it precedes. The first day of Advent is the first day of a new Liturgical (or church) calendar and begins a four week period of preparation in anticipation of the nativity of Jesus at Christmas.

Advent reminds Christians of the sacred meaning of Christmas. Despite the secular preparations taking place, like buying presents and going to parties, Advent reminds Christians to remember and prepare for the birth of Jesus.

Beginning with the First Sunday of Advent, the lighting of a candle can be accompanied by a Bible reading, devotional time and prayers. An additional candle is lit on each subsequent Sunday until, by the last Sunday of Advent, all four candles are lit.

“In Advent, we are celebrating Jesus’ coming, his incarnation, his ongoing presence with us now, and his return and glory in the future.”

We begin our new Advent Study today. May it bring Light to our World!

….pondering progress……

Beginners Yoga – early spring….and More

Hello Friends,

We wish to announce our spring Yoga class. We will begin posting the details of our spring class in the PFX Forum Newsletter beginning in January, 2022. Do be on the look-out for it. It just makes sense to give our prospective classmates an overview of what will be included in our curriculum. Several of you may be very experienced in Yoga and we will always welcome your attendance. Our class is designed specifically for “beginners,”. Maybe you tried a class once and were defeated right off the bat. Generally that is because you were not in the right class. It’s so important to start with the basics of Yoga. They are; proper breath, stretch, balance and pose/form. These four components help you discover an inner strength you may not know that you have. But…they are the key to developing a long lasting love of Yoga. Yoga at your speed and level. They will encourage anyone, of any age, to learn a progressive yoga practice at any level, be it beginners, intermediate or advanced. You will gain a self confidence about the strengths in your mind, your body and your spirit.

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We are currently still gardening for a few of you, and our wreaths project is ongoing. Wreath deliveries will commence December 10 – 15.

Do stay tuned to this blog for new offerings. We may conduct private personal “consults” to help folks prepare a plan on paper, for their spring flower/planting season. Meeting up at an outside venue to put pen to paper, and create a personal spring gardening plan. A chance to socialize safely, create some new acquaintance and learn new things about gardening basics. So many things to share and we are told that these “gardening tips” could be useful to so many of you. Your inputs gave us this idea. Thank you!

We may even create a podcast re; Potting 101

Stay tuned for new updates and new offerings from:

Yours truly,

“THE GARDEN CONTESSA”

 

My Friday Devotional

A sunny windy and very chilly day. I walked this morning. So invigorating. If you are dressed well and have a stocking cap or warm hat – you are good. We love the sky. Bright blue with puffy cumulus clouds…..but you can definitely feel a strong bite in the air today. Still, we love being outdoors breathing in Gods beauty. It fills your lungs with hope. Breath it…in.

We wish to express our gratitude today for great love in our personal life, the security of having a good meal, being warm and “sharing.” It is the season for giving. And we shall. So many….without right now. It can be the best feeling to give in silence.

Our devotional today is about having a cheerful heart. We trust that  “with or without” we can all feel an inner joyful spirit as we are confidant in knowing that Jesus Christ is the “light and the warmth” of our lives.

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Romans 8:39

Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

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A cheerful heart is healthy and good medicine. Father my gracious God, because you have overcome our world, we have every reason to be cheerful. Through your victory over “the cross” nothing will be able to separate us, in life’s paths, from your love for us. When we think about this with a humble heart, we can let cheer fill our heart and bring a joy into the expressions on our face. This joy can bring good health – spiritually, emotionally and physically. So we should fill our minds with thankful thoughts and be overflowing with joy.

And so today….take the time to praise God for all that He is, for all our blessings flow from Him. Let him fill you with Light and Life because when He Created us, he designed us to be “full” of his heavenly contents. So as his nourishment flows into our being, it will strengthen us and produce good health.  BE OF GOOD CHEER!

Proverbs 17:22

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Prayer

Jesus, hear my prayer. I wish to fill my heart and soul every day with the nourishment that only YOU provide. I know that nothing can separate me from your Love. I have perfect peace and confidence in You, and I thank you for the certainty that “you have overcome this world.” Amen

Thanksgiving Day, November 2021

….to one and all. We celebrated a peaceful, prayerful, quiet and grateful day. Our personal blessings abound. We thank our God for His provision.

”Contessa”

New Gardening – Dec 3rd project

Our newest project is an end unit in the 3400 block of Martha Custis.   This property sits at the end of a row approximately 800 ft from the street. This front door faces a terrific large open yard area. It sits in about 600 ft from the Quaker Lane entrance to 395. You can hear the traffic – ever so slightly, but there is lovely light in this openness and beautiful trees and shrubs. Its very natural and nicely appointed, but certainly not crowded or overgrown with trees. We think it a perfect spot. It has a very large patio area. And the garden beds are to the right and left of the front door and along the outside coming down the stairs to the front and back doors.

Our homeowner saw us earlier this summer engaged and working at 1600 Mt Eagle Place creating new beds. She wants us to create a similar layout for her property. Established beds are now in place, but they are shallow and the plantings are ordinary at best and were there when she purchased her home. It’s going to be our assignment to build the beds up, clear what is already established and amend the soil to ready it for a new spring planting season. And in the spring we will return to carefully select new plantings. This is our speciality –  to create a “perennial garden bed design,” our professional craft, so we are looking forward to helping. We begin next Friday Dec 3rd, as the weather looks very promising. It will it be fun.

Current – BEFORE – Video

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“Contessa”

Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789

On October 3, 1789, George Washington, as president of the United States of America, issued a “thanksgiving proclamation” designating November 26 as a day of “public thanksgiving.” The statement found its way into newspapers, as depicted in the image below. The text of Washington’s proclamation is typed out below as well. (courtesy of Mount Vernon) “By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation. Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be– That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks–for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation–for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war–for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed–for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted–for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us. and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions– to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually–to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed–to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord–To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us–and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best. Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789

Be In Prayer With Thanksgiving

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

The Thanksgiving holiday calls us to slow down and contemplate God’s generous blessings. But with all the holiday preparations and busy work to prepare for the holidays, it is easy to become anxious. If we are not careful we can miss the purpose and the joy of this wonderful season.

Read aloud the scripture very slowly and intentionally. It gives us the solution for our anxiousness and worry. We are to pray with thanksgiving. And when we pray with a grateful heart, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. So starting today, and in this special time of year, with intention, take a “time out” when stress comes, and pray, pray, pray with thanksgiving. When you do, you will feel a peace that surpasses all human understanding. Your grateful heart will overflow. God is so good to us…..