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THE GARDEN MUSEUM NEWS …the UK
21 Saturday Jan 2023
Posted Art, Blooms, Cookery, Gardening, Houseplants, Planting, Sharing, Special Events, Today's Update
in21 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!
01 Sunday Jan 2023
Posted Native Wildflowers, New Products, Planting, Sharing, Today's Update
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Our spring native seed catalog has arrived. We are happy to lend. Just give us a call and we can drop it off. Some very nice grouping selections. Prairie Moon is very reputable, with tenure in the seed business, and in fact most of these seeds are found at the family farm in Marshall County, Iowa.
This copy is 48 pages….and in full color
We are happy to lend to you for one week. We can then pick it up and pass to our next interested seed enthusiast.
Enjoy!
“Contessa”
17 Saturday Dec 2022
Posted Art, Blooms, Gardening, Planting, Professional Services, Sharing, Special Events, Today's Update
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11 Sunday Dec 2022
(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.
(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!
10 Saturday Dec 2022
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!
05 Monday Dec 2022
Today we transmitted our newest Gardening Ad to our community Newsletter editor for publishing in the Jan/Feb and March 2023 publication. It reads as follows:
THE GARDEN CONTESSA, former owner of Contessa’s in DelRay is offering “winter/clean up/tidy“ appointments for the months of Jan/Feb/March. As always our Fall/Winter “bed cleanup” continues. And as long as temps remain favorable you can still be in touch with us to complete work for you now. Our late fall business was very robust, as more and more of you were planting new things this year. Which means we are getting more requests to help with “putting your beds and plants to bed” for our short Virginia winter period. We will garden, temps permitting, on our warmer sunny days. Please don’t hesitate to call us. We frankly never stop gardening. In March….we start early with your spring garden projects. Spring seems to come earlier every year. We offer (1) FREE 30 minute consult to all Parkfairfax residents. Txt – 703-548-1882 for an appointment. Gardening is our passion. We do it all, large or small. We have been in business since 2005, and as a Parkfairfax preferred vendor, our fairly large client base is friendly and generous, and they will be happy to provide referrals about us, and our variety of services. Contact us by email is you prefer at: ContessasHome@gmail.com
We want to also let you know that you can find us on our BLOG via: Contessas.net. You will enjoy gardening tips and lots of information about plants and gardening, cooking, plant selection, nursery visits with us, and personal reflection and inspiration. And we feature BEFORE and AFTER gardening projects right here in our community. Please do check out our blog at: http://www.contessas.net
01 Thursday Dec 2022
“ROUNDS” What are they?
We provided ongoing maintenance on a regular basis for several of our clients this year. This service is what we call our “Rounds.” You don’t need to call because we automatically come round to provide services.
Today is our last day of “Rounds” until Spring. We will be visiting each current “rounds” client today to make sure they are tidied and ready for winter. We completed late fall clean up for all of them. This included a fresh mulch application at the Final. Their beds were tidied and watered regularly. In some cases additional work such as planting winter bloomers and bulbs and everything needed additional trimming. These projects are scheduled as “work” by appt and are billed at our regular hourly rate.
If you’ve interest or an inquiry about “Rounds,” as we are out-and-about today, be sure to give us a shout. It’s not too late to sign up for spring. Our “rounds”
service means you will regularly be visited. Tidied, Watered and personally looked after and visited. Your Flowers will be dead-headed and you’ll be notified if we feel extended work is needed.
This is a unique ongoing spring/summer service that we now offer. A subscription is offered at a minimum of six months. We do not offer summer short term watering for vacations.
Each year the number of clients has grown .So do let us know if yoyr interest as soon as you can. We just last week added a new residence to our list. We will adjust staffing needs accordingly depending on how many of you we will have…,going forward. So far for next spring, we have six households enrolled. Payment by the month is available for six month sign ups. Folks pay via VENMO, check or cash
We appreciate all of you. You are fantastic clients and we do enjoy serving you.
Please remember that during our winter months of Dermber January and February, on warmer sunny days into the new year, we can still provide some services. Please keep that in mind.
Thank you for a busy and very rewarding 2022!
“CONTESSA”
30 Wednesday Nov 2022
Posted Blooms, Planting, Planting 101, Sharing, Today's Update
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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!
26 Saturday Nov 2022
Posted Art, Blooms, Gardening, Planting, Professional Services, Sharing, Today's Update
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