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28 Saturday Jan 2023
Posted Today's Update, Art, Gardening, Blooms, Sharing
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24 Tuesday Jan 2023
Posted Gardening, Gratitude, Professional Services, Reflections, Sharing, Tonight’s Thought
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Today we visited each of your garden spots. You didn’t know we came by….it was intentional because we came just to view the process of winter. It’s been a mild one so far and the growth and dying back process is about where it shouid be. We did do a few things at each property. With two more full months of winter likely, we are making notes and planning tasks and thinking about new ideas to introduce to each of you…….come spring
We are fighting flu like symptoms but a much needed outing helped us to fight off the chill and fever. We needed fresh air, space and some filtered sunlight. It seems we accomplished soaking up these attributes from our much needed outing. We are feeling somewhat better this evening. Hoping our chilled feelings and mild symptoms of winter flu are giving in slightly…..to the rest we have cherished and so needed over the last seven days. It’s our winter hibernation of sorts. Plain old fashioned rest.
We have made notes and have some ideas we will share with each of you as we get closer to spring. Mother Mature certainly knows what she is doing…. and our brief respit is perhaps her intentional way of slowing us down. The earth is at rest and so are we.
And now we will sleep. And so will each of your properties also rest. And we can work out visions in our mind of “new” projects for each of you when spring arrives.
Good to be in touch and good to see your lovely spaces today. We will communicate individually with all of you between now and March 15th.
Do take good care….and be well
“Contessa”
23 Monday Jan 2023
Posted Art, Gardening, Professional Services, Sharing, Special Events, Today's Update
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21 Saturday Jan 2023
Posted Art, Blooms, Cookery, Gardening, Houseplants, Planting, Sharing, Special Events, Today's Update
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19 Thursday Jan 2023
I have my very own collection of new seeds for spring planting. I’ve found in the past, that if I wait until early spring (April 1st) to make my selections, they are very picked over, and often I miss out on the ones I’m really looking for. So last week I made my “picks” and purchased them all at my visit to the nursery. I’m so excited.
First on my fav”’ list is:
Sweet Peas………Lathyrus odoratus
Sweet Peas are of several varieties. I’ve selected the “Bouquet” blend. They are referred to as a Spencer type, ideal for cutting, because of their extra large flowers, longer and sturdier stems, and they produce a larger number of blooms each year. The are ruffled, lightly scented and are a “romantic” flare. I bought them to be able to cut and bring in the house. I love a tiny vase of flowers near the kitchen window, one on the bathroom sink and one beside my pillow. Sweet Peas aroma is very light and delicate. Can’t wait!!
I have also selected four other seedlings this year, to include Cosmos, Nasturtium, Fireball Zinnia and Sunrise Morning Glory.
My sweetheart and I have a connection with Sweet Peas, so I’m certain I’ll be putting a few of these puffy/curly flowers under his chin, in hopes that the aroma will spark a little feeling of amorous adoration. What a lovely thought and anticipation…..Amen!
“Contessa” says……it is such a lovely and sweet thing to do!
14 Saturday Jan 2023
Posted Art, Gardening, Sharing, Today's Update
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07 Saturday Jan 2023
Posted Art, Gardening, Helpful Tips, Sharing, Today's Update
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05 Thursday Jan 2023
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!
27 Tuesday Dec 2022
Posted Books, Gardening, Reflections, Sharing, Today's Update
inOne of the suggestions was to read your own writings from some time ago. I surmise this gives you a perspective into your writing skills at that time and perhaps may even reassure you that your writing is actually pretty good. Affirmation perhaps.
………………………
So… I followed the first instruction on my list of ways to avoid putting off beginning to write again, and stop procrastinating. Something has created a road block. Getting past that road block could be just a matter of taking a walk or a run. It’s one of the suggestions on my task list from yesterday. I myself chose an early morning walk at 29 degrees. It does get you going and well worth the chill you feel. An awakening for sure.
But I also decided to go back in time to my blog, and visited my very first post on June 30th of the year 2010. I’ve included the txt of my first post below. It was interesting…..because I had, by that time, owned my new shop, Contessa’s Garden and Gift for a couple years. I had only just acquired a new digital camera and was still using a “flip phone” and I was teaching myself how to master WordPress, an online yearly subscription tool, that I’ve now subscribed to for over 13 years. I was using a laptop at the time. WordPress opened up a whole new world for me in communicating my gardening and store ownership knowledge, to my customers using the internet. Within a couple years I was into the purchase of an Apple iPhone and so I ditched the digital camera for a camera right on my iPhone. It was a fantastic transition. And it changed my business from known, to very well known. And my writing skills from good to pretty darn good.
So it’s now almost 2023 and I’m going to take a whole day to read back to where my blog began. Check out my writing style and see where I can improve and learn some things about how my blog has evolved. In terms of “my writings.” I think it might prove to be an eventful exercise🦋.
One of the other tasks on the list from yesterday, was to read a book. I am reading a book right now and this is giving me an insight into the writing style of another author. It gives me a focus on what this writer is trying to communicate, and in the case of this particular book, it has exercises in teaching you new skills. To see how the author writes and what he is trying to convey is interesting. This reading will broaden my vocabulary, perhaps improve my spelling and grammar skills, perhaps teach me how to incorporate some humor into my writing and open my eyes to content that I have never read before. Of particular interest to me in the book is a technique in a chapter called Progressive Relaxation. The suggestion that if you are not truly in a relaxed mode your creative energy may not flow. For example, you sit down to write or create and you are just not able to spit it out or get the words on paper. It happens. Burn out, can sometimes paralyze creativity. So doing the exercises mentioned in this book might help, and focusing on some mind exercises to “relax” you, could very well be a great answer to turning your writing creativity around. Some deep breathing combined with some muscle tension exercises might create relaxation and bring a calmness into your heart and it might even lower your blood pressure, creating a sense of better, and a more whole relaxation. All good points and ways to combat, what I myself might call brain fatigue or brain fog.
So today to recap, I explored two items on the task list which could help me to get past my current roadblock that’s keeping me from creating new “writing,” and new ideas for content.
More exploration tomorrow. Tonight I am reading “past” blog postings and my book called; Fighting The Inside Dragons. New steps to explore in broadening my new writing career.
We will return tomorrow to reference my task list again. I look forward to sharing once again with you.
“Contessa”
30WednesdayJun 2010
Posted Garden Tips
inNOW is a great time to clean up your garden beds and your pot containers. Remove dead leaves and blossoms. Cut back your stems by half. Yes it will temporarily make you plants look bare, but nature is divine and she will replenish your blossoms and beautiful leaves within about two to three weeks time. Add fresh Miracle Grow Potting Soil by about one inch to your pot containers. Push garden dirt towards the roots of your garden flowers. They will love the attention and the protection they get from fresh, moist dirt around their stems.
Our intense heat in Virginia has been relentless and some flowers are looking a bit weary. Mid summer is a great time to plant a few new flowers with color. Try some marigolds, nasturtiums, morning-glory and sunflowers. The birds will love these new additions and in the fall you will love the fact that these lovely colorful blossoms are still “Hanging In.”
Another great addition for July is to add some Sweet Potato Vine and Coleus. They provide endless color and if you take clippings once your plants are established, you will be able to bring some in and place them in a vase with water. They will root in a matter of days and you can then create new plants to enjoy and even share with friends.
Lastly, water only in the early morning, or late evening, but do water daily.
18 Sunday Dec 2022
Posted Evening Prayer, Faith, Gardening, Gratitude, HOPE, LOVE, Reflections, Sharing
inPsalm 50:14
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High.
My Father, my God, my Lord, hear my prayer,
I am so grateful for everything that you have given me. Thank you so much for loved ones in my life who really care for…..and about me, and who support my calling. I am grateful for your generous and faithful provision through my gardening. I Thank you for the many ways I am able to serve and give of myself to others through my blog communications and my gardening assignments. Thank you for your wonderful world where my hands can till the soil and plant the beautiful vegetation you provide. I am grateful for all the beauty and colors of your trees, bushes, plants and creatures on this earthly planet. Your skies are ever changing, giving us cloud formations, sunrises and sunsets and morning mists that fill your world with beauty and warmth and moisture. And your gracious rains come to cleanse us and all things green. My heart is so grateful and full. In reality, all of humanity is living in a very troubled world that is crying for your mercy. I am so fortunate to be in an area of relative plenty, peace and stability. I feel as though I could write a thousand books about your great world and all your goodness. My heart is brimming with prayerful thanksgiving. I thank you for everything I am as a person and all the many inspirations, talents and gifts you bring into my mind and my heart. I do have many. I write about your many wonderful gifts and I’m certain you are calling me to write especially for you. I vow to please you my holy God… through my writings. I ask for your favor as I put words into form and declare to the world of your true mercy and goodness. You have made me who I am….and you have generously provided me with my new calling, to write for your greater glory. I lay my spirit in your loving hands.
Oh God…..all of my being cries out…..thank you my Lord!
O Lord I pray….Amen!