Written by Meghan Small.

We all know Michael can be found in the garage restoring his 1962 Daimler when he is not in the kitchen.  Many do not know however that when not tending to the various needs of the inn or to her hundred’s of orchids, Mary Jo can be found tucked away in her 3rd floor bead room creating jewelry in our gift shop.  Hart Stones by Mary Jo, her collection of mostly beaded jewelry began around three years ago.   After what was becoming a somewhat dull house sitting experience in Florida, Michael decided Mary Jo needed a hobby to pass the time.  He brought her to a bead store nearby and from there it has grown from a hobby to a talent!  Her collection of beads has become quite extensive overtime including an array of Venetian glass beads purchased on a trip to Italy two years ago.   

Mary Jo’s jewelry was highlighted at our Baubles and Bubbles event this past November.  The collaborative event was held here at the Inn in and in addition to her jewelry featured pearl and vintage jewelry collections from two of her friends.  There was Champagne, an array of Michael’s delicious hor d’oeuvres and lots of pre-Christmas jewelry purchases!  The turnout was great and everyone had so much fun that we have pledged to make it an annual event!  

Hart Stones by Mary Jo is our best selling item in the gift shop with people who purchase a new piece to add to their collection every time they visit!   

Mary Jo and I just picked up our new dahlia bulbs from Phil Clark at Endless Summer Flower Farm which is located right here in the coastal community of Camden, Maine (Zone5), two and a half miles inland from the Hartstone Inn and Hideaway (village center). The flower farm specializes in dahlias and they currently grow over 225 varieties of these breathtaking flowers, with names like: Santa Claus, Spartacus, Seduction, Flashy Lady and I’m a Hotty. All of the tubers listed in their on-line catalog produce excellent cut flowers.  Mary Jo displays them throughout the Inn all summer-long.

They are open by chance or by appointment and we highly recommend a visit when the Dahlias are in blossom, August 1st through till the first frost. For their online catalog, dahlia planting tips or directions visit the Endless Summer Flower Farm Website.

Phalaenopsis (phals), Paphiopedilum (paphs) and Oncidiums (onc) are varieties that Mary Jo finds most easy to grow in the home. These hybrids are usually considered “beginner orchids,” largely because they will re-bloom under the conditions that most windowsill growers can offer. They require less light, about the same as for African violets, and will adapt to the humidity levels that are present in most homes.

Orchids can be grown on a tray of pebbles with water, which prevents the pots from sitting directly in the water while providing needed humidity. Orchids like to be kept warm during the day and a little cooler at night. It’s true that watering orchids does seem to give those unfamiliar with growing orchids the most trouble. Mary Jo waters her orchids once a week. During the summer, they get watered every five days. Basically, the hotter the temperature, the more water they need, and the colder it is, the opposite holds true. It’s all simply a matter of practice.

As your interests grow and you want to acquire more specialized orchids, Mary Jo highly recommends buying from these three fabulous growers: Carmelaorchids.net, Kalapanatropicals.com and Carterandholmes.com.

A great resource for Orchid information is the “American Orchid Society (AOS)”and their website is: orchidweb.org.

For detailed information on Oncidiums (light, fertilizer, water, temperature, humidity) click on the following link to see a PDF file known as a culture sheet. This page will supply you with all of the basic requirements for growing Oncidiums: http://www.orchidweb.org/aos/orchids/documents/cultureintermedoncidium.pdf

At the stroke of midnight we gathered out in front of the Inn as the church bells chimed in the new year. Mary Jo “cut” the top of a Champagne bottle off with my largest kitchen cleaver and we had a New Year’s toast. Following is the menu from the evening. I hope your evening was as memorable as ours. Happy, Happy New Year!!!!

New Years Eve 2007-2008 – Dinner Menu
Amuse – Baked Brie with Frangelico and Hazelnuts

Whole Grain Oak Leaf with a Foie Gras Mousse and Mushroom Duxelle

Maine Lobster Custard with an Arugula Pesto

House Smoked Salmon and Caviar Parfait with Smoked Sturgeon

Australian Lamb Chop with a Grilled Caponata

Crab Bisque with Prosciutto Crisped Monkfish

Blood Orange Sorbet with Champagne

Seared Veal Medallions with a Morel Cream

Eggnog “Baked Alaska”

Hartstone Chocolates

Camden, Maine

Phalaenopsis (phals), Paphiopedilum (paphs) and Oncidiums (onc) are varieties that Mary Jo finds most easy to grow in the home. These hybrids are usually considered “beginner orchids,” largely because they will re-bloom under the conditions that most windowsill growers can offer. They require less light, about the same as for African violets, and will adapt to the humidity levels that are present in most homes.

Mary Jo will be the first to tell you that if you want to cultivate orchids, you need to be willing to experiment and to be prepared to lose some. You should have a place in mind where you intend to place your orchids because some varieties like to sit near a sunny window while others prefer indirect light. Mary Jo says the best advice for someone who wants to start growing orchids is to really look at your environment and see what conditions you will be able to offer. What kind of humidity does your home have? How much light exists in your rooms?

She loves that you can buy affordable orchids. She recommends picking one up at Home Depot or your local grocery store for as little as twenty dollars. If you kill it, it will have already lasted two to three months, which is much longer than cut flowers do. As your interests grow and you want to acquire more specialized orchids, Mary Jo highly recommends buying from these three fabulous growers: Carmelaorchids.net, Kalapanatropicals.com and Carterandholmes.com.

A great resource for Orchid information is the “American Orchid Society (AOS)”and their website is: orchidweb.org.

For further information on Phalaenopsis (aka: Moth Orchids), click on the following link to see a PDF file known as a culture sheet. This page will supply you with all of the basic requirements for growing the most common household orchid, the Phalaenopsis: http://www.orchidweb.org/aos/orchids/documents/culturephals.pdf