I look at the jungle in the backyard of my turn-of-the-century house and I can see (through the vines) English boxwood as old as my house. Daffodils spring up each year in swaths as well, and clearly, there was intent behind where the azalea bushes were placed. The overall plan, however, is no longer discernible. Looking at it makes me wonder how the professionals manage to restore the landscape design of a historic site.

Some have waited all year in anticipation. For others, the date's snuck up on them. The Curtain Call Home & Decor Consignment Sale is finally gearing up for 2010.

Curtain Call is an enormous consignment sale blowout of high-end draperies, furniture, rugs, pillows and just about anything else you can think of that goes in the home. You can drop off your items this weekend, March 6 and 7, from 1 to 5 p.m., in back of Victoria's Secret outside Willow Lawn. Items need to be new-ish, in excellent condition and clean. The folks there will price your items and you'll get 50 percent of the price after your item sells.

The best part of consigning, however, is that it grants you the opportunity to attend the special preview sale that's for consignors only. That'll take place on Friday, March 12 from 1 to 5 p.m.

The rest of the sale will run next weekend, March 13 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and March 14 (noon to 5 p.m.) and into the following week, March 17 to 18 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), and March 19 to 20 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Wrapping things up, on March 21 everything will be 30 percent off (noon to 5 p.m.) as well as on March 26 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

For all of the details, follow this link.

Last week, designers got a chance to take a look inside this year's Symphony Designer House and to decide which space they'd like to transform.

Actually, it's a little more complicated than that. Each designer will have to make a presentation of their design to the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League, and its members will then decide who will receive which coveted spots.

We visited the Rothesay Circle house along with all of the designers and were immediately impressed — and overwhelmed. It's a massive home — 6,708 square feet — on eight acres right by the river. It's the kind of old-fashioned mansion that you really never see anymore — or at least, you never see them as private homes. It has a smoking study, servants' quarters and a butler's pantry as big as my kitchen — and the kitchen itself is restaurant-sized. In fact, the landing at the top of the stairs might be a little larger than my living room, and this house's living room is aproximately 24 feet by 24 feet (that would be 576 square feet for those of you who don't want to do the math).

I really would love to just swoon a little over the numbers (the master bedroom is 23 feet by 24 feet, and the guest room is 20 feet by 26 feet), but suffice it to say, this place is enormous. Built in 1913 and designed by Duncan Lee, with grounds designed by Charles Gillette, Rothesay was acquired by the owner's father, George Anderson, in 1934. It has remained almost entirely intact since then and is a virtual time capsule of a way of living that doesn't exist anymore.

Twenty-eight of the rooms will be transformed, and eight local landscape architects began working on the grounds in the fall. Richmond magazine would like all of you to come along for the ride as we chart the house's transformation. We'll be updating our site with behind-the scenes stories and photographs in the upcoming months until the house gets unveiled at the Gala Preview Party on Sept. 11.

We hate mistakes. We hate it even more when we make them.

In the March/April issue of R•Home (on newsstands now), in the article titled "Craftsman Classic," we inadvertently credited contractor Steve Chenault with the fabrication of the newel post and bannister in the foyer of the Stonewall Court house we featured. In fact, Tim McCready of Bankston & Bailey built and installed not only the newel post and bannister but also the window seats, the cherry mantel and the porch handrail as well. We apologize for the error.

I need flowers and I need them now. The snow's been washed away, and all I can see is a vast expanse of dirt in my yard. With dogs standing in it. Dogs with muddy paws who will want to come in and run all around my house.

But there are flowers in Richmond — all you have to do is get into your car and drive to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden to get a glimpse of them. Growing in their crazy* Victorian-style conservatory are hundreds (thousands?) of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in full-color bloom. It's a special display in honor of Valentine's Day and doesn't end until Feb. 28.

Drink in the color, gardenistas; it's going to be a while before we see the outside kind around here.

*Crazy in the sense that this glass house is 11,000 square feet and has a dome that's 63 feet tall. I can't imagine how they keep it clean.