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!

Repotting Houseplants

Today we repotted houseplants. This  allows their roots to grow well…, in new and larger containers. We cannot let a plant die. It’s never happened once. We love having our house plants outdoors all summer, but it’s equally lovely and rewarding to bring them indoors.  We can always find a spot for them.

Once you remove them from the older and smaller pot, gentlybstretch they’re roots out just a little bit and shake off their old soil as much as you can. We recommend you discard the old soil and plant them in a fresh potting soil medium. Keep the top of the plant even with the top of their new container. This  might mean using more soil than you did when you first planted them. We do not recommend you plant them lower in the pot, just to save soil. They won’t grow to their potential if you skimp on new soil. It’s a process of allowing them to stretch out and grow more.  The process is so rewarding and We have never been disappointed by using this technique. Give it a shot. We think you will be pleased at your success. Enjoy! 

”Contessa” says…., it’s 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

Time to repot plants indoors

 

What is this plant and should it be repotted?  

This Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica) has definitely outgrown its planter. It would greatly benefit from repotting. First, search your own selection of spare pots. You definitely need a drainage hole and the new planter should be twice the size of the current root ball. In fact, if it has been in the current planter for some time, you may have to break your pot to remove it. The goal in replanting is to provide more rich new soil to surround it with, and better drainage. If it has a good supply of soil distributed around it in the new planter, it will stay wet longer. You might consider waiting until spring, but if it’s stopped producing any new growth just go for it now. A great project for a day when you are shut in from wind, snow or rain. And repotting indoors is advantageous in terms of it re-establishing itself. Once you have moved it,
try to place it up on top of a table near daylight, as it “recovers” from being moved and replanted. It normally takes a couple of weeks before the root system starts to root itself into the new soil that you have now provided.

When you remove the large plant from the old planter some small baby sprouts may pull away. If they have any roots, now would be an excellent time to start a new plant in a smaller pot. And if the root ball is very compacted, it’s also an excellent time to loosen it ever so slightly with your hands, by holding the lower half of the root ball and just stretching it out a little bit. Then when you put it in the new planter, just be sure, once you have added soil around it and covered it; to place your hands around the top of the plant, and with some force, push down around the top. Now pack some extra soil around the top, to make sure it’s well balanced and secure.

Our advice on watering all indoor plants is to make sure you have a drainage saucer that is adequate to hold some spare water. Water your plants from the bottom by filling the saucer. An hour or so later, go back and fill the saucer again. Repeat until it stops drinking water. This way you can tell how much its drinking and you won’t disturb the soil on the top of the planter.

Repotting is such fun, and so satisfying to do with a plant that you’ve had a very long time. It will look wonderful and fresh. Preservation of our beloved houseplants is a “good thing to do.”  

“…..so says Contessa”