Amazing Contemporary Hydrangea Arrangement

www.instagram.com/reel/CnTF_ImIZ8R/

Check it out. Very genius…,,

Our Wellington Client – Today’s Assignment

Our client has been away since December 10th and today  we are making preparation for her arrival back home from Tennessee. Her back yards common area had never been cleared since she bought the property five years ago. So yesterday and today we finally completed this task. She had hired a contractor to build a lovely brick patio, which due to covenant rules in our  condo association, had to be removed. The center of the yard is now just dirt after a demo crew came and tore the patio out. So in anticipation of her being approved for a new “regulation” patio, we completed a serious clean up of her entire open area in the back. She has a number of patio pieces and we clustered them at one corner of her back wall area. When she returns we plan to tarp them and leave them there until the new patio construction is approved by our Condominium Board.

So while there today we cleaned up all her beds, deadheaded all her Pansies and hauled away four bags of debris including a good bit of the crumbled cement foundation of the first patio structure. It was quite a mess but it’s taking shape. Her small wooded common area has a rich and dense undergrowth that’s actually kind of native woodlands, so even though we cleaned up a goid bit of it, she still has some perimeter growth at the back of the property offering her location some very nice privacy.

We had secured permission to take care of this clean up and we think she is going to be very pleased with our progress.

Once cleaned up it provided an opportunity to see lots of  new spring flowering shoots coming up, which you couldn’t even see prior to our work. It’s looking very promising now.

Happily today it was 67 degrees here and quite lovely day outdoors for doing a yard work project like this one. We had a good time and feel accomplished. Gradually it will all come together we are certain.

We completed and billed our client for four (4) hours of work today.

“Contessa” says….. it’s all a very good thing!

Latest Fall Bookings Still Available!!’

Happy Monday…….

Today we wanted to give a shout out to everyone that this is an excellent time to book your latest “fall” Contessa Signature Bed Clean Up. We are taking bookings now. Please give us a call. We want to make sure you all are on our calendar. The weather is chilly, but when sun prevails we will provide our services to you. Do not hesitant to call us. We are used to working up to the end of December, because our coldest temps don’t usually roll into Virginia until January.

If you are a current client and someone you know can use our service….. we will appreciate all referrals of business. Thank you. And if you refer a booking to us, we will give you a $25 credit on your next ”Contessa Signature Service.”

Do think about booking NOW. We don’t want anyone to have to wait to be served. We are preparing wreaths but still have time to tidy up your areas. Yes….this is a very busy season for us, but we love it and your yard is just as important to us as it is to you.

Just Saturday we were called to visit one of our ongoing and “maintenance” subscribers. He wanted a final tidy. We spent  1.5 hours…. and what a difference it makes. He is “hooked” on what we do for him…. And his yard is completely ready for winter.  And to top it all off, even though all his plants have now been cut back his garden beds and his property still looks fantastic.  Bravo!

“Contessa” says…it’s a very good thing’

Indoor Bulbs for Christmas (REVISED)Jan 4th – 9 am – Wed

(REVISED) – Jan 4th – 9 am – Wednesday 

ta….da!

How exciting and pretty. Today all three blooms are at peek.  It was worth the wait. We have now learned the planting/growing/blooming cycle. Again, we planted Nov 30th, so if we want full bloom for around Dec 24th, we need to plant approximately November 15th. We also believe we will plant a larger planter next year because a collection of say  8-10 bulbs will be so lovely.

They are so easy to care for and the amount of water is so small. Plus securing them well in the planter is so important. Our success this year is so gratifying. We will enjoy these blooms most likely for one full week. It’s been so much fun! We are thrilled

• •••••••••••••••••••••• •

We planted our three “paperwhite bulbs” on November 30th. We have watered with just a dropper. We water every day.  Our saucer doesn’t hold that much and frankly you don’t want your bulbs swimming in water. The tiny pebbles secure the bulbs in place, and only the tiny roots at the pointed end need the moisture to grow.  

So here they are today. Poking themselves upward. Once they begin to breath indoor air their growth takes off pretty quickly. We haven’t had many sunny days, so it may take them a little longer to grow. That’s ok though, because pretty “pure white” blossoms for Christmas, might be our “joy.”  Perhaps signifying the birth of the babe…. On our Christmas Day! We will continue care and watering until then….. in anticipation. 

Paperwhites

(REVISED) 12/28 – Wed – 8:36 am 

Today we have a bloom on our Paperwhites that we planted Nov 30th. So that tells us that it took almost 30 days to produce a blossom…. Meaning that if we want pretty white blossoms for Christmas next year, we probably need to plant them about the 22nd of November. ✅

We have included some photos from just this morning. We did tell you they grow really tall and that it’s best to tie them with a ribbon once they start to grow, so because we see the other buds will most likely bloom in the next couple days we have moved our ribbon tie to secure all three sprouts. And our last photo shows the pretty blossom, which smells divine. With the heat running in the house…make sure to add a little water a couple times a day. Our blossoms  shoukd last about one week. It’s a miracle….!  Beautiful pure white fragrant blossoms in December.  Such a treat, And with our sun shining so brightly this Morning, and news on the weather this morning,  we are already just beginning to have longer days each day ahead. The promise of “spring.”  Alleluia!

••••••••••••••••••••••

And…..every year we grow our Red Amaryllis outdoors and it produces several very tall green fronds. We prop it up with reeds, tied with pretty ribbon, knowing that it’s growth is all part of the process of “new flower growth” come the winter season.

So in late October we bring it indoors, add some fresh soil and cut back all the green… all the way down to the dirt. Yes you got it. Because, within about ten days to two weeks the bulb starts producing a new green shoot. And…..here it comes. It’s such an amazing process. The plant knows it is winter and that it’s time to produce its beautiful flower. It’s very exciting and we always look forward to its arrival. The timeframe can vary slightly…. But it never fails us. It’s reassurance to us that if we do all the right preparation, we will reap the rewards of new growth and gorgeous red blossoms.

Amaryllis

“Contessa” says…. It’s a very good thing!

Client Requests

Yesterday we were called to complete a final tidy for a garden that is very close to being ready for winter. Our client  is used to a very crowded bed….prior to us removing all the “green” crowding, and creating a flower garden. He was not mentally prepared for sparsely populated beds in the fall leading into the winter season. But we have prepared the beds gradually, so as to postpone the “shock” factor to his Psyche. He has now adjusted and we are about half way there, in completing populated flower beds. It’s coming along and in the spring, which we both look forward to…we will both look forward to adding new flowering perennials. It’s going to be fun to watch things return and to once again make plant selections. I must say he does his own research in to plants that he thinks he likes. And with our help….together we make the picks. Sun is a huge determining factor. But he is pretty specific about what he wants. We enjoy the process. And we of course have the delightful task of recommending placement and completing the planting. It’s rewarding….and I think that now as we prepare to enter year two together,  we will create an even more lovely Garden this year. He has a very nice spot and enjoys entertaining his friends and colleagues in his lovely garden “oasis,”  Very Nice, and we look forward to spring.

“Contessa” says…it’s a very good thing!

TODAYS UPDATE: A General Tidy on Wellington (RE-POST) update Sat – 12/3 – 11:54 am

(RE-POST) Sat – 11/3 – 11:54 am

We just completed this “tidy and clean up” on Thursday. PFX Community Landscape our outside contractor, came late this year, due to a lot of rain and wind, and many of you still have yards that are not completely cleaned up.

A reminder: to everyone that we still have plenty of time as temps are still favorable to complete  “clean ups” for your yards. Waiting till spring just makes the process longer.  Surely you all have the need to tidy plants and beds from the summer/fall seasons. Please don’t hesitate to ask for an appointment. We are ready to help.  Weather is still favorable  

Our “special” client requested a tidy at 7 am this morning. It seemed out of the ordinary for her to txt so early. She has been in a panic about her new Pansies. Of note: she is not a gardener. But she bought her house and has wanted for a long time to have flowers. So towards the middle of the summer we planted up a few flowering annuals for her in planters. Not a garden per say…but some color and some blooms.  It sufficed.

Then in June she decided she wanted to remove all the Ivy and Vinca vines from her beds. So she trusted us to select and plant new Perennials. And in October when the Pansies arrived we selected quite a few for her. A tribute to her Mom. The garden looked so fresh and lovely. She was so happy,

Then in late October and into November we had tons and tons of leaves and rain. Her Pansy bed was suffocating and totally covered. She panicked.

Our community crews came about 12 days ago to blow leaves. A very windy day. They couldn’t make much progress so they left. Yesterday they finally came back to remove the leaves. By now her Pansies were buried. She called us early today to find out if we could get her cleaned up.

It really was a ton of leaves and the more the crews tried to blow them, the more the wind blew. The piles of leaves were knee high. It may not look like it, but in reality her pretty little Pansies were very well protected from rain and the chill and the wind. When we finished removing all the leaves and bed debris today…. Wow had the Pansies grown.  Each grouping was so tall they were laying on the ground. Green and blooming, but laying flat on the ground. So we had to complete a serious cut-back. Sad to say…. all the blooms and longer stems had to go….but with a good rain coming tomorrow, it will most likely only be about a week before she is back with her pretty Pansy bed. She is very pleased now and happy. And she is way more ready for SPRING!

“Contessa” says…it’s all very good!

A CONTESSA “Signature Service” Mt Eagle Place ……early fall….bed clean up (REVISED) Thanksgiving Day – 11/24 – THURS- 2:00 pm

Are you all aware of what we call our “Contessa Signature Service.”

Our work for this fantastic client began on Tuesday and we carried over to Wednesday.  We worked a total off 7.5 hours. Our client usually has us four times per year.  So what exactly does a Contessa Signature Service include?

• Weeding all beds
• Redistributing soil and mulch around each planting
• Trimming/ pruning all bushes
• Deadheading all blooming plants
• Amending soil as needed
• Transplanting/relocations as requested
• Deep Edging all bed borders (very important for esthetics,  but also it helps deter weeds from entering your beds. And it’s a very tidy look.
• Cutting back all dead growth, so important for your plants to continue rewarding you with growth and re-blooms. It’s a manicure really. And it does take some time. But way worth the effort.  Plants love to be touched and shaped and nurtured. Believe me, you will very much notice when we manicure your plants. They will thrive.
• Mulching beds upon request if you haven’t already done do. We highly recommend.it protects plants during the winter and it gives a “finished” look to your property.
• Raking all lawns, removing dead grass and rejuvenating new growth.  It works magic. Why do this?  All summer the lawns are mowed. This grass then sits on your lawn. Frankly smothering new growth. Raking if you haven’t tried it pulls up the dead growth. Try it and you will see what we mean. Amazing!
• Complete Watering, and right down near your gardens roots. Blossoms only need a soft mist, but down near the toots is where the truth lies.
• Final “Tidy”to the sidewalks

Our clients pretty much know the drill now and they completely rely on us to come, execute and “do our thing,” They trust us  They leave us to our work and usually they communicate by txt from indoors?  if they have requests or suggestions.

It’s our pleasure and we are pretty certain “their JOY.”

We love what we are doing…..and they know that we treat their work as if we were working in our own yard.  It’s personal with our professional approach.

So if you will….please take a few moments to read a summary of our contributions at this lovely double unit in our historic Condominium Community.

Please do contact us if you have questions or would like to book with us, for a 30-minute “free gardening consultation.”

As evidenced from last year, even when temps get chilly it’s not to late to complete a “Contessa Signature Service,” Some  folks even have us complete this in Dec January/Feb and March. Don’t hesitate to call and book. We always find a few days when temps are favorable and we can slip you into our schedule. “Give it a go.”

• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •

BEFORE

Our client has been on vacation twice this summer so her being away has meant it was definitely time for a tidy. She loves her garden and we think she calls on us more often than any client we have. Certainly glad to be her gardener. She loves her spot and we love it too. And with several seasons working for her now we have  her beds in such great shape. Very few weeds at all today. We have planted almost everything she has. This time of year things are dying back,  but so far only the Peony suffered a set back. It developed Powdery Mildew. We’ve treated it, but the best thing to do is to cut it back eventually, because the silvery/white blight just continues to spread. It doesn’t kill the plant but it weakens growth and so today we took it to the ground. We are hopeful for next years new growth.

We tilled all the soil today cleaned all the beds of damp leaves. It’s looking fresh again. And we raked the yard. Doing this….although a little extra work, removes all the dead grass from summers mowing and the dampish leaves. We also did some gentle trimming of everything. Uniformity is the goal. Plants will grow in strange ways sometimes and we always tell our clients that they should decide how they want the plant to grow. Remember….don’t let the plant decide. If you do this, you may end up with a very crazy looking plant

We think our clients yard is looking very fresh again.

iN PROCESS

Tomorrow we are back to take care of the side yard and transplant an established Hydrangea that is poorly located; moving it to a better spot on the the side of the property.

And in October we will visit the nursery together shopping to select and plant six (6) new Skip Cherry Laurel bushes as a border to the back yard, between our client and the neighboring property.

Skip Cherry Laurel t(bush/hedge)

In late Oct, early November we will complete our final fall/winter bed prep and mulch all the beds. And so……another gardening season completes itself for our wonderful four (4) year client. It is indeed our pleasure

“Contessa” says…. It’s all good!

••••••••

AFTER/FINAL

REVISED – Wed – 7:21 pm – 915

Yesterday we completed the front yard beds. Today we completed the side yard, and transplanted a smallish  Hydrangea from the back yard. It’s in a great spot now. More sun and an empty bed with room to grow. It can be nice. We’ll anxiously wait to see it’s progress next spring.  The bed was full of Vinca Vine, now all removed. We cleaned up the Iris bed but neatly left the leaves laying on the bed. These fronds are  next years vitamins/nourishment. And we totally cut down the Day Lily patch. It was spindly, sparse and weak looking. Hopefully it will fill in a little better next year. Finally we just went by to apply a liquid fertilizer treatment with a pump spray attached to the hose. One hour if nourishment can do wonders.
We are very pleased with this project. Tge good news is there were very few weeds this year which will make our a November final visit so much easier. Mostly leaf removal, till the soil and apply a final mulch treatment.

This yard has come a long way. We are very pleased. A great example of what a “Contessa” signature “Fall Bed Clean Uo”looks like.

“Contessa” says……. It’s all very good!

Our Wonderful Mt Eagle client

Our third season going into year four. This client loves her garden. And she likes it tidy year round. After we visited yesterday, it motivated her to get out and clear up her patio. She personally is not a gardener nor does she really want to tend it. But….. we are her answer. We visit her yard at least 6 times per year and in 2023 we will be providing our Summer Maintenance Upkeep Plan for her property, at a cost of $200/month from May through December. It’s roughly $7.00 per day. We will provide bed upkeep, watering, picking up debris in her yard and tidying the patio of leaves. We will still provide at least four (4) “work days” in her yard billed at $50/hr. We plant and fertilize and provide care for each plant and bush. It’s a total yard service.

The above video was taken half way through this years later Fall Clean Up. Our remaining service is to water using a Miracle Grow General Fertilizer Wand. At $12.99 it provides a controlled feeding and is just attached to the hose. Fortunately she has a freeze-free spigot that was adapted by PFX so that she has a continuous water supply through the late fall and winter months. It’s a great feature and is available to all resident’s in PFX using the Buildium Tool.

Yesterday we completed this project for a total of 6.5 hours,  and our client is very ready for winter.  It was a beautiful fall day, sunny and crisp, but no wind, so the weather was just perfect fir gardening

Of course we will check in on warmer winter days just to make sure all is well.

“Contessa” says…. It’s all very good!

FINAL VIDEO

Martha Custis – 1600 Block- Late Fall Tidy

Our repeat client had us around mid-summer to tend to new bushes that needed shaping. The beds needed new soil, the Hydrangeas were performing poorly and the hew Camellia’s were tall and very lanky. And so we did some trimming and shaping. There was an very old Hydrangea that had been neglected, so we took a chance and cut it back pretty far. Happy to report its doing so much better. Often cutting them back can retard the blooming process but it was in pretty rough shape so it was worth the risk. Looking at it today , four months later we are pretty sure it’s going to be just fine

Today we weeded, added new soil to the entire bed, cut back the large crop of Iris so they will produce new blooms in the spring, and planted a dozen Pansies. We basically cleaned up the whole bed.

We we very hopeful that spring will bring healthy and prolific  bushes.

We cleaned up the  breezeway and in and under the hedge dividing our clients property from the neighboring residence.

Four  hours today and it’s looking so much more healthy and clean. Fingers crossed, for the great growth of everything ….after the winter months. Our pleasure and our homeowner seems quite pleased.

It was a beautiful weather day. Cool but sunny and crisp. So nice to serve this repeat client who has no time to tend her garden area.  It was our pleasure to help.

“Contessa” says….. It’s all good!  

Our Lady….Beverley Drive…FINAL Fall Tidy (REVISED) Tuesday by – 11/15 – 4:53 pm

IN PROCESS

On Thursday we began a front yard clean up and final fall tidy at this corner property. Beds are looking pretty rough. Lack of water was tough this summer,  even though we watered the property a lot as our client subscribed to our summer maintenance and watering plan

The yard and her beds are packed full  of Pin Oak leaves, the front hedge needed trimming, Pansies we’re suffering from leaf suffocation and the squirrels were eating their flowers, and her two new Gardenia’s are very much struggling to survive. We aren’t sure why. Anyway, we plan to carefully  cut them back today, and we are hopeful for renewed growth next spring. We will trim carefully, add new garden soil around the base and mulch well.

The best news is that her two Camellias that we planted last spring are just blooming now. So very pretty. They are smallish bushes, but will grow more this year. She is so excited and so are we.

Headed there first thing this morning to complete and ready her sweet yard for winter. Our pleasure.

Stay tuned. We will post final video later this afternoon.

“Contessa” says…, it’s all good!

REVISED – Sun – 11/13/32 – 2:38 pm 

Continued Progress

Close to completion. But about 1.5 hours more might do it. We still have mulch to spread;3 bags, and a Begonia and Geraniums to pot up to bring indoors  for the winter months. We brought them in last year for  our client and they produced amazingly well this summer, so we are going to go for it once again. Making our homeowner pretty happy to “save” and replant next spring. It’s a savings ….but more than that,  it’s the gardeners challenge we are interested in. Its so fun to watch a plant live the winter in its dormant phase indoors, work to keep it healthy, and then to plant it up once again for spring “re-growth.”’

We have 7.5 hours in this  project and we are booked on Monday at another location, so we will return on Tuesday to wrap it up. Today we  went by to water everything well near the roots/ground because a pretty chilly cold snap has moved into our area. And while at this, we stopped  at the homes of our other “maintenance clients” just t check on the status of their plants too. So far, everything is looking pretty good.

If you can…..do check back with us to see the completion of this project. It’s been fun, and great to tend and care for each plant individually,  in our “ladies” lovely garden.

Happy Sabbath Day!

Now….take the time to relax and rest for the remainder of our “Lords special day.”

…..and on the 7th day He rested !

COMPLETION

(REVISED) Tuesday – 11/15 –  4:53 pm 

Today we  completed this 8.5 hour project. The final laying of three, 3 cu ft bags of mulch, watering all and using our leaf blower for a final property tidy. It’s looking really good. Each plant and bush had new soil put around it. Dead or dried out branches and flower buds were removed. Rose bushes treated with Neem Oil to prevent any pests, coffee grounds added around the Hydrangea, because they love it for good growth,  and finally, Blood Meal compound added around all the plants to deter the squirrels from digging to bury their nuts. ha!

We love this yard which has come a long way, and we love this client. Easy to do work for and she trusts us. It’s pure pleasure to work for her. And now we are good until about March. We will stop by periodically to keep her deep outer edging defined and clear of all debris. It just provides  a clean and finished look to any yard that we take care of and us fantastic  “curb appeal.”

The last thing we will do for her this year is string her mini tree lights (with a remote) on to her two mini trees in the Urns. And we help assist her with mailing all her holiday parcels.

it is good to serve…. and to help others who need a little extra assistance during the holiday season.  Our pleasure and our personal blessing.

“Contessa” says…..it’s all good!