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!

Paperwhites

Today we planted up three paperwhite bulbs. We are using a receptacle that is typical for planting them. Now is the time to purchase your bulbs and go ahead and get them planted. All you need are the bulbs and a bag of tiny stones meant for this planting. Usually at this time of year the bulbs, stones and planters are right near the counter in most nurseries. We plant them every year. If you don’t have a small oval planter a vintage bowl can suffice. Gather your stones and make a layer in the bottom. Peal any brown loose skin from the bulb, just like you do with an onion. Place them in your container and hold them in your desired pattern. Pour the stones into a small bag that you can pour from easily. This helps control the flow of the stones into your planter. You want very little of the bulb poking out at the top of your the container. And the reason for this is, once they begin to grow, they can get rather tall, and if they are firmly planted in the stones, it will help to hold the bulbs in place. Otherwise they could top over. Paperwhites are very pretty and so typical to the holiday season.

This is our version. Small, but it will be very lovely with beautiful white blossoms, and the aroma is so sweet. Paperwhites are very much a Christmas tradition. You can see the bulbs are very embedded into the tiny stones. Water daily with just enough to make sure your saucer has a little water in it. They grow quickly when the heat is on in the house, so we recommend a cooler spot away from a heat source. They like sunlight but prefer a cool window setting. Enjoy!

Hello Gardeners …. a new week begins

A new week starts Tomorrow…….

In The Dirt……my remembrance of why I’m here. My profession, my calling, my joy and my happiest place.  I thank my creator for all my blessings especially my time in the dirt.

Please look for our newest gardening Ad in the October PFX Forum Newsletter. It should be out this week. We are offering site visits to the nursery to select plants. And in fact, we are headed to the nursery on Tuesday to purchase five (5) Skip Laurel bushes with one of our great current clients. And we are buying bulbs. These visits are an extension of the work we do for all of you year round. Lately you are taking advantage of our 30-minute FREE gardening consult. You have questions. We are thrilled you want to learn. And you have asked often about what to plant. This thrills us, as we hope once we do a “fall or spring cleanup” for you, you will be inspired to do more. Learning about your landscape and the plants that will compliment your taste and your surroundings is so fun. And truth be told, we are honored to encourage you to beautify your area. This all comes together when our wonderful community takes on a new life with each homeowner getting involved in beautifying the wonderful area in which we all live.

Our weather is finally breaking. This week coming is looking very promising. Lovely fall days mid-week are ahead. Our Mt Eagle client is purchasing bushes during our nursery visit this week and the later half of this week we will do her install. She has already booked us because she knows we are busy.

Anything…. you want to “plant” needs to be planted by no later than October 31st  

Mid-week we are going to have temps back in the 70’s so make your plans now to get things done in your yard. Fall is fast approaching. Enjoy a beautiful week as our rainy period moves out.  Oh my…..sun on the way back. It’s a blessing.  Good soaking rain and then sunshine. It doesn’t get better.

We still have “open”’days in October for booking time with us, but we are filling up. This week and the last week in October are booked. So call and get on our calendar now.  We look forward to talking with you.

On Tuesday, while at the Merrifield Garden Center,  we will be selecting and purchasing bulbs to plant. Please do let us know if you want to order now. We are happy to schedule a bulb “install” for you. So far we have five (5)! clients to buy for. And we are happy to add your order to our list and book your bulb install.

Call us….or txt us at 703-548-1882. it is our pleasure to help you and to serve you.

 

”CONTESSA” says….. it’s all good!

 

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!

Milkweed – Attraction – Butterflies

So…..this is “Milkweed.” Most often seen on farms,  in pastures, along the side of country roads in ditches and we spied two stalks of it ten days ago, right in the center of a neighborhood Daylily bed. We just pulled hard and it came out.  No real roots to speak of, just white dirt covered ends.  So we cut the tops off creating a pencil length stalk and without even washing it off, we put it in a glass of water in the kitchen window. A gardening friend didn’t think it would root or produce anything. 

Well today we looked at it….and there it is – new growth on both stalks. Nearer the top.

We are going to plant it in the garden in a sunny spot. Remember it develops an underground traveling root system so it can spread and become highly invasive – so plant it closer to a wooded area where it can grow without disturbing your more domestic plants and flowers. And once it takes off – do your best to contain its growth. It’s a bit like the herb “mint,” it will spread everywhere.

We only waited ten days for this new growth. Amazing plant life. It cannot stop itself. Nature just keeps on giving. We love it. And very soon we will have “butterflies.” How can you not love this. Pretty exciting!!!

“Contessa” says….. it’s all good

Repeat Client on Mt Eagle

Our repeat client has a woodland property with prolific undergrowth in a bed we created a couple years ago. No budget had been set aside to proceed with any significant  plantings. But since then we have made two attempts at cultivating some wildflower seed. The area is very shady and located in a yard that has very patchy grass growing with a ton of weeds. Unfortunately they keep invading this bed. Native Wildflowers are generally very small at first. Maybe only about an inch tall. It can take up to three years to mature them. It can be frustrating for someone who has little time for care and cultivation. Having said this we have decided to try one more time. In  the interim we have recommended adding a few perennial plants for some growth and color in the bed. While a cost is involved it provides certain growth for our clients satisfaction. They want plants but have no idea how to really care for them.  

We hand tilled the soil aggressively providing holes in the earth so that the seed would absorb into the soil. We used a bag formula of mixed seeds (wildflower) recommended by a farm nursery in MD.

And we added three hardy and well established perennials. Two Day Lilies, one peach and one yellow, along with a shade lover called Huchera which comes in many gorgeous colors. We pushed for this  to help stabilize the bed and to give our homeowner blooms to look forward to. Not being a gardener…. it’s sometimes difficult to persuade folks to invest in plants. Most typically, real hands-on gardeners are quite comfortable spending about $250 for each spring growing season. So we become an advocate for trying new things and actually beginning the process of filling a bed. It’s fun, rewarding and helps the client learn new plants and how much they nurture and enrich our lives. It’s very satisfying to watch plants grow and mature. But it can take some persuasion on our part to help their confidence in investing and planning a yearly budget for plants. Having  said this….. here are photos of the plants we added and our FINAL VIDEO. We saved all the native Virginia  “Violets” in the bed as they are very prolific and a sweet filler to maintain the woodland “look and feel.”  We do like them and nature provides at no cost. And our homeowner has a “honeysuckle” that overhangs the bed. Very natural, free flowing and a lovely aroma.   

Error

This video doesn’t exist

Error

This video doesn’t exist

We spread two bags of high quality garden soil which we sprinkled in abundance to help hold the wildflower seed mix  in place and in the end, we lightly mulched the entire bed. It provides a finished look, but it also helps to hold our new seeds in place. We are hopeful for our clients benefit. But with huge overhanging limbs of the trees in this very wooded area, SUN is a sparse contributor. It’s all about trial and error. But it is always good to try. We are happy to accomplished this “try” for our homeowner.

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

Repotting Houseplants

Remove plant from current pot. Turn your plant sideways, hold it gently by the stems or leaves, and tap the bottom of its current pot until the plant slides out. …

1. Loosen the roots. Loosen the plant’s roots gently with your hands. …
2. Remove old potting mix. ..and discard any dead growth.
3. Add new potting mix. …
4. Add plant. …top off with soil, press down gently to secure.
5. Water and enjoy.

Simple,  but… today might be a perfect day to do this. Purchase a high quality “potting mix.”  Bring your plants outdoors today as we have filtered sun today. Not only will your plants enjoy a clean and larger pot, they will also enjoy the wonderful fresh air today. When you take them back in later today, you will notice a new vigor. They love to be cleaned and cared for. Take a large bucket or bowl outdoors with you and put about 3 inches of water in it. Once you have your plant moved back into its pot, set it in the water and let it drink from the bottom. This way you can see just how much water it’s drinking. In fact, we highly recommend that you water all your indoor plants from the bottom. It’s better for the roots and you are less likely to get bugs, and fungus and avoid overwatering. Place your watered plant back in its saucer and enjoy its revived beauty. We find this so therapeutic, and it’s fun to do. Enjoy your feeling of accomplishment.

“Contessa” says….it’s a good thing.

Gardening in January

We are preparing a list now, of gardening tasks for January. If you have your own ideas, please forward them to us. We will revise our list as your suggestions come in. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Planning now and brainstorming for our 2022 gardening season is essential, so do send us a note with topics you have special interest in. Thank you so much. Stay tuned……

THE GARDEN CONTESSA

African Violets (Saintpaulia Ionanthatha)

African Violets are a very common houseplant. And now that our holidays are past, they are a lovely addition to the house for some pretty decorative indoor color. Very often you will see three of them on a wrought iron vintage garden stand designed especially for them. These stands are becoming more and more rare. They are old fashioned but you can still find them at country antique stores. This small plant is a bit fussy in terms of its care. They have fuzzy looking leaves and prolific velvety colorful flowers and they have an almost continual blooming phase. They are somewhat similar to an orchid, in that once they bloom, their blooming phase lasts fairly long. They are usually very economical, and they will reward you for several years, if cared for properly. A warning; every now and then you will buy a dud. They try, but for some reason they just don’t make it. This is fairly rare but it does happen and it’s not your fault. Violets like to be grown in the plastic pot they come in. Rarely will you need to repot. They prefer a crowded root system with little soil. The soil can recede over time with watering, so you can very carefully add a little with a teaspoon. Bright indirect light is perfect and an east-facing window is best. If you have a spot on a side table under a lamp source, they are very content. Always water them from the bottom. Do not get water on their leaves. Let them sit in a small bowl with one inch of water. Add more, if they drink all of it. Then remove them and sit them on a cloth or paper towel to soak up the residual moisture. Do not water again until completely dried out and their pot is very light weight and is clearly dry. African Violets are pet-safe.

Christmas Cactus – Care

Christmas Cactus is a very colorful houseplant and several of you undoubtedly received one this year.  They are low maintenance and pet friendly. If well cared for, they will grow and bloom for years. It’s well known that if your planter is too large for your plant you won’t have very many flowers. They also don’t care to be repotted while they are in their blooming phase. Chances are that if you received one for Christmas it came in a plastic pot, suited to it’s current size. This plant likes crowded roots so if you like the planter it’s in, chances are you may never need to repot it – ever.

Chrustmas Cactus likes dim or indirect light. A north or east – facing window is best.  Be cautious with direct Hot sun. It will cause it’s leaves to discolor. Cactus flowers are delicate and often fall even with the slightest movement, so once you find a good location, it’s  best leave it be. Do not try to rearrange the plant in it’s pot, as it frankly prefers no touching.

Folks are often very proud of their Christmas Cactus that they have been growing for 20 years or more. So be sure to compliment their achievement…….

“Contessa” says….it’s a good thing…..