When does the spring cleaning bug hit you? For me, spring cleaning starts as soon as the New Year arrives.
Spring cleaning is a great opportunity to refresh and re-organize. I have already cleaned out and re-organized my giant Equipment Barn and several basement storage areas. I've also cleaned all my every day stainless steel pots, pans, and steamer baskets - did you see my Instagram post @MarthaStewart48? And last week, my housecleaner Carlos took on the task of polishing my home's thresholds, the horizontal metal strips at the bottom of my entrance doorways.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Dahlia is always so curious. Whenever there is activity at my home, she’s right there watching – or is she conducting an inspection?
For cleaning various metals, I have long used Wright’s Copper, Brass, and Silver Cleaning Creams. These come in small and large sizes.
For this job, Carlos gathers the Wright’s Copper Cream, which comes with an application sponge, an old toothbrush, some cleaning rags, and a tub of water with another sponge for removing the cleaner. I always tell my team to collect all the needed supplies first, so it saves time hunting them down later.
All the thresholds needed a good polishing. Brass and copper thresholds tarnish over time primarily from exposure to environmental factors such as air, humidity, moisture, and use. My thresholds are cleaned at least once a year.
Carlos starts by moistening the area to be cleaned. He uses a wet sponge to loosen the dirt along the threshold. He does this with protective rubber gloves for this cleaning chore.
Then he applies some of the Wright’s cleaning cream and gently wipes the dirt from in between the grooves of this threshold.
Carlos also uses an old soft-bristled toothbrush to get deep into the grooves.
This is a very repetitive process and one that takes patience.
After a few minutes, some areas are looking cleaner. Tarnish ranges in color from a light yellowy gold to almost black, depending on how long it has been allowed to develop.
After about 15 minutes, the threshold is looking much better.
Carlos uses the brush to gently clean the edges, where the door frame meets the metal.
Finally, he wipes it down with a wet sponge to remove the cream and dries the entire area with a soft rag.
Here is another part of the threshold before cleaning.
Carlos uses a generous amount of cream and goes back and forth through the grooves. Whenever polishing metals, be sure you use a product that is specifically made for the type of metal being cleaned.
Once again he uses the soft-bristled toothbrush. Always avoid using highly abrasive scrubbing cloths, metal-bristled brushes, or steel wool; these will scratch the surface of the brass or copper.
It’s a good idea to change the water and replenish the rags with every threshold.
Here, Carlos works on the door to my courtyard.
The sponge starts to darken as the dirt and tarnish are removed.
Carlos also polished the doorknobs. Look how they shine.
Everything glistens once cleaned and polished. The thresholds look so much better. It’s still January, but let the spring cleaning begin!
It's so important to keep up with the maintenance and care of the many trees and plants here at my farm.
Four years ago, I started creating a garden maze of interesting hedges, espaliers, and shrubs in the pasture across the carriage road from my Winter House terrace. I've planted hundreds of different specimens that add texture and interest - all according to a very detailed map I designed specifically for the space. To keep them healthy and looking their best, I make sure I prune and groom them regularly.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
A living garden maze is a puzzle of plantings – most will grow tall enough to prevent walkers from seeing the paths ahead. I designed the maze in this three acre pasture in front of my Winter House, so I could see it right from my window. This is a selection of Platanus acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’ trees, also known as London planes, planted almost in the center of the space. On each side are planted rows that will branch off with various pathway options and dead ends – with only one correct route to this open field.
Here is a row of hydrangeas, still with their dried flower heads intact. I planted a variety of different hedges, espaliers, trees, and shrubs in this maze – hundreds of specimens that add texture and interest, and all according to a detailed map I created specifically for the area.
This is Japanese barberry with its deep burgundy colored foliage.
Paul’s Gold threadleaf false cypress, Chamaecyparis pisifera, has year-round golden green foliage. The soft sprays of Paul’s Gold threadleaf false cypress emerges yellow in the spring and retains its gold color throughout the winter.
And this is holly with bright red berries combined with glossy, dark green foliage. Many varieties of holly, Ilex, have compact habits and glistening leaves that’s excellent for hedges, borders, and yes, mazes. Many of the evergreens in this maze are grown by Monrovia, a wholesale plant nursery specializing in well-nurtured shrubs, perennials, annuals, ferns, grasses, and conifers with several nursery locations across the country.
Completely bare now, but this is one of several Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’ trees, American sweetgums. As these trees mature, they will maintain this erect, columnar form, growing up to 50 feet tall and only about four-feet wide.
When needed, the developing hedges are trimmed. Alex prunes the tops of the European beech that grow along the outermost edge of the maze. He makes sure they are all cut to the exact height by using the STIHL HLA 86 Powered Extended-Reach Hedge Trimmer.
For a maze, it’s best to use relatively fast-growing trees. Many will grow to be at least six feet tall and two feet wide at maturity. These have grown at least two feet since it was pruned last summer. Landscape twine provides a cutting guide.
One eld is tied to a sturdy yet temporary stake and then stretched down the row, to another pole. Good, thoughtful preparation is crucial to any pruning job.
Pasang and Alex also use hand tools including Japanese shears and the portable 24-inch handle loppers made by STIHL.
The Japanese Okatsune shears are specially made for trimming hedges. These shears are user friendly, and come in a range of sizes.
Proper and regular trimming promotes new growth, improves air circulation and light through the branches, and keeps them looking aesthetically pleasing.
Here is a section pruned, groomed, and trimmed precisely.
Pasang follows to rake all the cut branches and leaves. My crew works in teams of two for good team work and safety.
Any clippings and late season leaves are discarded in my giant compost yard.
Pasang moves onto the apple espalier, trimming any new growth and suckers. I grow a variety of wonderful apples. And, at the right time, those walking through can pick a fruit while they meander through this botanical puzzle.
An espalier refers to an ancient technique, resulting in trees that grow flat, either against a wall, or along a wire-strung framework. Many kinds of trees respond beautifully to the espalier treatment, but fruit trees, like apple and pear, were some of the earliest examples. Espaliered trees can grow between four and eight feet apart – enough to allow them room as they grow, but still be close enough for a proper espalier. Among the apples in my maze are Liberty apples, Gala apples, Braeburn apples, and Yellow Delicious apples.
Pasang and Alex also tended this row of boxwood – shaping and trimming every one square.
Each shrub or bush is planted appropriately with enough space to accommodate its full grown size. As these plantings mature, they close up the spaces in between making it a true maze, with only one correct route to the intended destination.
There is still a lot of pruning work to be done in the maze, but my team is getting through it quickly and so efficiently.
This time every year my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, starts the vegetable seeds indoors in preparation for the coming growing season. Among the first - the onions.
Starting onions from seed isn’t difficult. They can be planted closely together in seed starting trays and because they are shallow-rooted, they can be pulled apart easily when ready for transplanting outdoors. Many of our trays, supplies, and seeds are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds - I've been using Johnny's for years. Once planted, the onion seeds remain in the greenhouse until they’re moved to my vegetable garden. By mid-summer, I'll have bounties of beautiful, flavorful, fat onions to enjoy and share.
Enjoy these photos.
It’s not unusual to see all kinds of seed packets on my head house tables this time of year. It’s important to start vegetable seeds early, so they are ready in time to plant outdoors once the weather is right.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds catalog provides detailed seed variety information to help in choosing the best seeds for one’s garden.
Seed starting trays come in all different sizes and depths. I use trays with shallow compartments for planting onion seeds. These are 20-row seed flats from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. They keep varieties separate and make the removal of seedlings easy for transplanting to larger celled trays or pots later.
Because I use a lot of onions for cooking and for sharing with my family, I plant many trays of onion seeds. My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, fills the seed starting tray with an appropriate mix.
It’s best to use a pre-made seed starting mix that contains the proper amounts of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss. Seed starting mixes are available at garden supply stores. I use Miracle-Gro Seed Starting Potting Mix.
The soil should be level with the top of the tray. Ryan fills several trays first and works in a production line process.
Ryan uses the edge of a wooden ruler to make quarter-inch deep furrows.
Here, one can see the indentations in each cell.
Blackie sits nearby and watches Ryan working.
On one side of the marker Ryan writes the vegetable variety so we can keep track of what grows well and what doesn’t.
On the other side, Ryan indicates what color this particular onion variety is – R for red, W for white, and Y for yellow.
Ryan places a marker into one of the cells, so it is clear what variety is growing in what tray.
Onion seeds are very small, so be sure to take time dropping them into the tray cells.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds offers a Hand Seed Sower to help drop the seeds into the trays.
But one can also do this by hand – slowly and carefully, so they are evenly distributed along the rows.
The pellet coating on these seeds helps in seeing, handling, and sowing.
These are easier to drop by hand. The sprouts will be selectively thinned in a few weeks. This process eliminates the weaker sprouts and prevents overcrowding, so seedlings don’t have any competition for soil nutrients or room to mature.
Ryan also adds another thin layer of soil mix to this tray and tamps down lightly.
The trays are watered thoroughly next door in the greenhouse.
And then Ryan uses a kitchen flour sifter to drop a thin layer of fine vermiculite on the seeds. Vermiculite is a lightweight mineral that holds water, but prevents water logging.
Vermiculate will also aid germination, protecting the seeds and creating idea conditions for sprouting.
Once the seed trays are done he places them into our trusted commercial size Urban Cultivator growing system – it has water, temperature and humidity all set-up in the refrigerator like unit. Seeds are usually started about two months before the last frost. We will be planting seeds well into March. Follow along to see what other vegetables are started from seed right here in my greenhouse. I hope these blogs help remind you what you can do to get ready for the next gardening season.
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