Sabbath Restoration and Renewal

My Heavenly Father, my great and loving Lord Jesus, I come before you now having rested and thought and prayed today with you.  I do needed to be with and near to you.  Thank you my living God.

It is your Sabbath day, and I have spent time with you in silence and contemplative thought.  Please create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew your everlasting spirit within my soul. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. I ask that you please restore me. I ask you for the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing heart and spirit to accept and cherish your wonderful gifts. 

Isaiah 40:31

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Jesus is our hope. When we hope and have faith in Him, He renews our strength, our spirit and our hearts joy. Jesus,  I thank you for this quiet, peaceful and very calm day  I needed time with you today, and I am so grateful to be able to call out to you every moment knowing that you are right there and you hear me every moment of my life. 

…..and I now pray

My Father….

Who art in heaven  

hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come

Thy will be done, 

on earth, as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day,  our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses 

As we forgive those who trespass against us, 

and lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil, 

for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, 

forever and ever, 

• Amen •

Tips – Seed Inventory

Seed Inventory at the end of the growing season is a super activity for a rainy or on a chilly day in the fall. If you’ve saved the seed packets from this year after planting, and you should, now is the time to plan for next years spring growing season. 

Your last years packets are a way for you to find the same seeds again next year. The nurseries start stocking seeds pretty early in the year because you can actually sow seeds indoors about six to eight weeks before planting. If you are at the nursery for fall shopping, check in with the owners or Managers of your favorite garden center for an ETA of their next spring arrivals. Everybody does this, so don’t think it strange that you are asking in Oct or November. Staff are used to these anticipatory questions. The reason is that in many smaller garden centers, early seed arrivals can come and in a couple weeks time they are all SOLD OUT. Of course they will restock in time for actually planting seeds outdoors, but if you are one of those gardeners who loves to “sow” indoors you will want to know when their first arrivals will be available, so it’s not at all a strange question. 

Now is a great time to make a list of what you will want for next spring, and seed packets are available online and by mail order catalog. Three of the largest seed companies are:

 Ferry Morse, Burpee and Botanical interests

You can use many homegrown ideas for containers for your seed sowing projects, but we have found a small and affordable one from Amazon.

We have given thought about conducting a “seed sowing clinic” next spring. Do let us know if this is something you would be interested in doing. Gardeners love to gather and share, and we all have “tips and trick’s” that we have gleaned over the years for successful seed planting. Sharing is part of the fun. 

Do stay tuned for additional posts on this blog about  “selection and seed sowing.”

“Contessa” says ….. it’s all good!

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NOTE:  Believe it…. This year we dropped a whole seed packet on a grate and they all fell through…..but ONE.  So we planted it anyway.  All by its lonesome. This is a photo from this week. That one (1) seed produced a vine. And on Wed this week we counted eight blooms climbing in our trellis.  Amazing that one seed the size of a mustard seed produced these lovely little Morning Glory flowers.

WOW ….nature is so amazing. 

Lily of the Valley

The Lily of the Valley  flower is one of the most fragrant blooms you will find, but its value goes far beyond the tip of your nose!

In fact, this elegant bloom is frequently associated with traditional feminine values like chastity, motherhood, sweetness, and purity. These meanings aren’t anything new – in fact, this flower has quite the storied past. Another benefit, valley flowers grow really easily. 

Lily of the valley flowers are thought to bring luck in love but can also symbolize…… a return of happiness.

Christian traditions maintain that the flower is a symbol of humility and of the second coming of Christ. It is mentioned more than a dozen times in the Bible.

We find this tiny blossom to be so delicate and yet it blooms in the very early spring when temperatures are not conducive to the blooms of other flowers. In reality they are very hardy and pretty resilient to early spring chilly weather. The contrast of their dark curly pointed green leaves with the amazing white blooms is so breathtaking. We adore this lovely perennial flower. Once planted they will grow for years  and years…..just like love grows for years and years.

 

 

Oh “Morning Glory”

My Morning Glory climber was one (1) seed. I had a packet but dropped them and only could retrieve one. It’s climbed my trellis in spit of my snafu.

I  Just kept winding it around the stems on the trellis. So cute and every morning it’s the first thing I look at. To see how many blooms I have. Today it’s about seven (7). Next year I’ll be more careful with these tiny seeds. It’s sweet, cheerful and forgiving. I Love it. This   Morning  Glory makes my day.  Lovely……

UK, The Garden Museum….sharing

THE GARDEN MUSEUM New Talk! Darryl Moore: Gardening in a Changing World Faced with the challenges of the climate crisis and increasing biodiversity loss, we are at a crucial crossroads in our engagement with the rest of the natural world. In an event to mark the launch of Darryl Moore’s new book Gardening in a Changing World, he will be part of a conversation with Nigel Dunnett and Arit Anderson, discussing our past and present relationships with plants, and how we need to rethink our attitudes to them. This challenging and important conversation will be essential for anyone interested in making plants and gardens part of the solution to the current and future challenges we face, in a rapidly changing world. Tues 11 October, 7pm £15 Standard, £10 Friends, £5 Young Fronds / Students £5 Livestream Book now Gravetye Manor: A Week in the Wild Garden By Caroline Cathcart, Horticultural Trainee As part of her Horticultural Traineeship at the Garden Museum, Caroline has the opportunity to work with experienced gardeners across the UK. This traineeship has been generously funded by The National Gardens Scheme and the Museum’s Friends Group in Leicestershire and Rutland. Her first placement recently took her to Gravetye Manor in Sussex, the former home of William Robinson: “The reputation of the place precedes itself, but nothing could have prepared me for the beauty that assaulted my senses when I stepped out of Gravetye Manor into the garden. I found myself flanked on all sides by flowers, spilling out of the mixed borders onto the paths in a voluptuous swell, their vigour unchecked by the lingering drought.Burgeoning with more flowers than I could count, the borders give a stunning impact, but their most precious treasures were not discoverable at first glance. It was only upon close inspection, while I waited nervously to meet Tom Coward, the head gardener, that they offered themselves up to me. First, the dahlias; the most beautiful was Dahlia merckii, a delicate little thing with tiny lilac flowers held on tall, wiry stems. This diminutive species found its opposite in the giant ‘Emory Paul’, with its ruffled deep pink flowers as big as my head. I was lucky to arrive just as it had unfurled to its most perfect bloom – the following day it had begun to wither…” Keep reading

A Discourse on Spaces Inspired by our Sowing Roots project which explored the gardening cultures brought to the UK by Londoners of Caribbean heritage, we have invited horticulturist, writer and artist Edward Adonteng to curate this series of talks, A Discourse on Spaces. What is the importance of space to humanity? How do the spaces that we inhabit define us? What happens to these spaces when different worlds collide? In London, intersections and cultural exchange place the city in an ever-evolving state of hybridity. No two streets are quite the same. This reflective series, influenced by the contributions of the Sowing Roots exhibition, will explore gentrification, immortality, conflict, heritage, sustainability and the movement amongst peoples through a plethora of stories, conversations and perspectives. Explore the programme How to Grow the Flowers: Seed Sowing Ahead of their book launch on 27 September, organic flower growers Wolves Lane Flower Company share an exclusive extract from How to Grow the Flowers: A sustainable approach to enjoying flowers through the seasons. Here are Marianne and Camila’s seed sowing tips to set yourself up for growing successful cut flowers: “A brown speck burgeoning into a fully fledged plant in one short season is miraculous, and the rush of success addictive. Once you’ve mastered a few easy varieties and been able to cut armfuls of sweet peas or calendula, it’s easy to be totally seduced by the seed catalogues and order everything like a kid let loose in a sweet shop. Growing from seed is a thrifty way of filling your plot but not if you buy more seeds than you have room for or time to nurture. Be selective and remember, there will be future seasons to try new, alluring varieties…” Keep reading Plant of the Week: Viola hederacea By Matt Collins, Head Gardener A key feature of the planting within the museum courtyard is the creation of pocket plant communities: three or more species that in partnership form distinct zones within the overall scheme. It’s a rather brilliant ploy by designer Dan Pearson, establishing zoning within such a contained little garden, so that you walk a series of overlapping yet contrasting spaces when circling the central planting. In one area, a loose grouping of poet’s laurel (Danne racemosa), velvety Persicaria virginianaand dark Asarum europaeum; towards the gardener’s shed, canna lily, Geranium ‘White Ness’ and the autumn fern, Dryopteris erythrosora. Invariably, the underplants (here, asarum and geranium) are abundant and spreading by habit, and are encouraged to drift freely below the taller species, knitting plants together. But of all the courtyard underplants, probably my favourite is the Australian violet, Viola hederacea. It’s the plant I get asked most often to identify (until our giant dahlia flowers in December), and the one I’m frequently, politely, asked to lift a little section of, “just quickly, while nobody’s looking?”. Planted in swathes, to commune with the thornless bramble shrubs (Rubus lineatus), perennial actaea and disporum, and spilling out over the walkways, its near perpetual flowers are a subtle, welcome presence until capped by the cold: tiny scented blooms like purple ink on a sugar cube. Explore our gardens Benton Iris ‘Strathmore’ This peachy iris variety bred by Cedric Morris at Benton End was named after The Queen Mother’s home Strathmore. Images: Dry garden by Olivier Filippi, image (c) Olivier Filippi; Gravetye Manor photo by Caroline Cathcart; Wolves Lane Flower Company seed sowing (c) Aloha Bonser-Shaw; Viola Hederacea (c) Matt Collins, Iris ‘Strathmore (c) Claire Dawson

Garden Museum 5 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7LB gardenmuseum.org.uk

A little birdie told me…..

…… that my gardening projects are where my life is at its best. How can I thank my Lord and Savior enough. My “little birdie” tells me things through silent encouragement, along with my God’s everlasting help. I am honored to serve. 

I am the recipient of untold natural blessings in my gardens. My plants, my creatures, the butterflies,  the birds, the dogs who walk by, and the folks I work for.  Each person I care for, are also people who I pray for. I need them and we need each other. What a blessing. We are fulfilling Gods intention for your world. All of us here on earth are about sharing life and earthly tasks.

My Prayer

Dearest Lord…..,I do hope We honor you in all that we do together, because frankly, nothing else really matters.

Thank you Lord for my fruitful life in my gardens. I only wish to honor and serve you always. Amen 🙏 

PS…. and thank you so much to “my little birdie,” for being my “forever” inspiration and gentle encouragement.

 

a Love quote…..from my heart

“If I had a flower

for every time I thought of you,

 I could walk in my garden forever.” –

Birds and Blooms – June/July/August/September

Birds and Blooms Magazine is an awesome way to learn about birds, houseplants, gardening, bushes, trees, climates, crawly creatures and plant identification. We have offered the opportunity prior for you to read this simple but very informative publication. It’s a great evening read. No TV and you learn so much. Let us know if you woukd like to view them. We can drop them by your location for a weeks lend. Then we can pick them up and pass them to the next location. Birds and Blooms is so worth your time. 

In the September issue we discovered an article about grasses. And we have a current client who wanted grasses as a backdrop to their newly established garden, which we actually planted. We visited the nursery and we selected six Pink Buhly Grass plants at about $75, and planted them last Friday. As you can see in the photo below they are lush and full and very attractive as a filler.

Please contact us to reserve your week of reading at:

ContessasHome@gmail,com or at 703-548-1882

“Contessa” says….., it’s all good!

Valley Drive…..creating new beds…..a work in progress

We began this  project, piece-meal about two months ago, to spread out expenditures. Our homeowner has definite ideas about creating his new flowering, full sun gardening space. It was a huge step for him, as the back garden beds were chocker block full, but with nothing but green. There was not a soil or mulch area to be seen as it was thickly populated with 22 Hostas and a ton of Monkey grasses. Common and yet the landscape with the very fine English Boxwood, the climbing Hydrangeas and the monster Oak Leaf Hydrangea and the numerous “pencil” Boxwoods gave a first impression and a feel of being in an estate garden. It looked full. It looked nice. But it looked way overcrowded. And he talked about adding layers of Perennial flowers and some color to his very private “oasis.”

On Friday we finished Phase 1 of the project. There are now peripheral things we will do…..probably more towards spring since we want to see what comes back and how full it will look. Honestly, this late in the summer its a bit hard to tell just how much more we will need until we can experience the new growth post winter.

We think so far,  it has come together nicely.  The bare bones surrounding the patio now need trimming and the Boxwoods in particular need shaping attention.

So far we have added two Rose bushes, Canna Lily’s, Lavender, Ferns, Salvia, Foxglove, Tiger Lily’s, Freckle Face Lily’s, Indian Pinks, Wormwood, Bee Balm, Butterfly bush, and  yesterday we completed the final install of six Pink Muhly Grass and a huge transplanting of Coneflowers which do add some great height to his landscape. 

It is a work in progress and so we invite you to stay tuned in.

“Contessa” says …… it’s a good thing!

Preston Revisited… early Fall Tidy

BEFORE/IN PROCESS

AFTER.

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At our customers request we keep mixing up this bed. We love moving things around. Too many Hostas says our lovely lady. So today we took out the two back center ones. They were carefully removed rootball and all. We placed them on a huge empty plastic mulch bag and are hopeful one of our gardener type residents will adopt them. In their place we added a blooming shade lover that quivers in a breeze and has blooms that look like castle spires. They are ethereal. We love Astilbe. Huge variety of colors available and they cluster. 28 to 24” and bushy near the soil. Very nice. Our homeowner let us pick them out. We made room for three on each side but only purchased one each. She approves…. so when we complete our October Pansy install she wants us to install two more on each side of the centered Hydrangea.

Once again this garden bed is looking pristine. It was a beautiful day to garden and we were in heaven. Outdoors and working and creating and accomplishing. It doesn’t get better. A great four (4) hours here today.

The gaps in our garden bed will be filled in with Pansies and today we added smallish purple and yellow Mums. One each.

“Contessa” says…. It’s all good!