Outdoor wood furniture requires regular oiling to maintain its natural beauty.
In 2021, after a large yew tree was removed from my former East Hampton home, I decided to give the wood a second life by turning it into a large dining table for the pavilion beside my pool. I created its design and enlisted master artisan Peter Billow, owner of Peter H. Billow Fine Woodworking in Brooklyn, New York to make it. The craftsmanship is evident in every detail, but to keep it looking its best I make sure to care for it properly. It is stored indoors during the winter season and oiled twice a year.
Here are some photos.
Yew wood, Taxus Baccata, is a species of evergreen tree in the conifer family. It is also known as common yew, European yew, and English yew. Here is the lumber after the yew was cut. Wood from the yew is classified as a closed-pore softwood, similar to cedar and pine. Yew is easy to work with and is very flexible.
Here is a section of the table at the shop after pieces are selected and laid out.
Holes are made in the criss-crossed center of the trestles for the horizontal support.
This is one base after the cross piece was secured to the trestles. A trestle is a framework consisting of a horizontal beam supported by two pairs of sloping legs to hold up a flat surface such as a tabletop.
The tables were finished and brought to my farm the following spring. English Yew ranges from durable to very durable when it comes to decay resistance. And, it is also resistant to insect attack. I knew it would be perfect here at the pavilion.
Peter did not use any epoxy to fill the knots and natural holes in the wood – he left them as is.
The top peg on the trestle is made of walnut, a very strong and stable wood that can take intricate carving.
Each table weighs about 300-pounds – wind will not bring it down!
The heartwood of yew tends to be an orange-brown, at times a darker brown. It is often used for cabinetry and tool handles. The hard, slow-growing wood is also used to make gates, furniture, parquet floors, and paneling.
To maintain its beauty, I treat it with Christophe Pourny’s Teak Tonic, which cleans, restores, and protects the wood. I’ve been using Christophe’s products for many years.
Here is one of the trestles yesterday before oiling – it’s gotten a bit dull in color.
Here is another “before” look.
Elvira pours some Teak Tonic onto a dry cloth.
And then rubs the cloth together to spread the oil.
Next, she slowly wipes down the table, applying the oil on every surface of the legs and base.
She also makes sure to gets into the corners and crevices, removing any accumulated dust while restoring its shine.
Elvira oils the tops of the tables as well, Here, she does it twice, so the surface is extremely clean as well as polished.
It doesn’t take long to see the difference. It looks brand new! Elvira is so pleased with the results. This treatment should be done at least twice a year.
Look at the legs after they are completely cleaned and oiled. The oil is left to dry and then the table is wiped with a dry cloth the next day to remove any excess.
And here is the table completely done – and ready for my next gathering. In fact, I’m entertaining later this week!
A consistent grooming routine is one of the best ways to keep pets healthy, comfortable, and looking their very best. My dogs are brushed daily and checked carefully for ticks and fleas, and they get regular baths every couple of weeks.
I actually love to do this task myself when I am home, but since I was away on a business trip, Carlos was happy to do the job. When bathing any pet, I always recommend using lukewarm water and a gentle shampoo formulated specifically for animals.
Here are a few photos of my handsome Chow Chow Emperor Han getting bathed, enjoy!
Emperor Han is ready for a good summertime bath. My dogs are outdoors every day, so it is important to bathe them regularly.
My Chows get washed in the stable. This horse shower stall is located at one end. It is a large stall with padded lower walls for animal safety. The faucets are housed in a cabinet on the right to keep them out of the way. The boom sprayer is very flexible and can swivel around easily.
Carlos gathers everything he needs first, so there is no scrambling during the process. Here he has shampoo, the pet dryer, and a stack of towels.
Carlos starts with wetting Han’s coat. My dogs are very accustomed to being bathed. They’ve had many baths, but always keep an eye on any dog who is getting washed – just in case they want to make a quick move.
Once he feels the lukewarm water, Han starts to relax. Han is such a good boy.
When the coat is thoroughly wet, Carlos applies the shampoo specifically formulated for pets. Carlos also gives Han a little massage and feels for anything unusual that could have gotten in the coat.
Han loves the attention and stays still the entire time.
And don’t forget the feet. Carlos makes sure to clean the feet, legs and underneath where dirt can accumulate.
After applying the shampoo and letting it soak into the coat a few minutes, Carlos rinses well with lukewarm water. It is very important to get all the shampoo out – a rule of thumb is to keep rinsing until there are no visible bubbles on the coat – and then rinse a little more.
The water needs to penetrate all the layers of the dog’s heavy coat.
Work from the top down to the legs. This is also a good time to check for any skin abnormalities. Emperor Han’s skin and coat are in perfect condition.
Here he is all rinsed and waiting for his towel.
Carlos dries Han very, very well. Here he is getting wiped down with a large terry towel. Train the dog to shake on command, so it can shake when the towel is there and no one gets wet in the process.
Carlos also towel dries Han’s underside.
The benefit of using a hair dryer specifically for pets is that it is not really drying the dog by heat so much as blasting the water out of the fur. The powerful dryer also blows loose fur from their undercoat which means less shedding later.
Drying the coat completely is crucial. Otherwise, the hair closest to the skin will pack down, retain dirt and moisture, and cause skin irritations.
Carlos begins on the top and works his way down to the feet.
He uses a brush as he goes, getting all the loose, dead hair out.
Carlos dries the feet thoroughly, including in between the dog’s pads. Never use high heat on a dog’s coat. Dogs are much more sensitive to external heat than humans are and have a far more difficult time dissipating heat.
Drying is important especially in any small folds such as behind the ears.
Han enjoys his “spa” treatments.
According to the breed standard, Chows must have a lovely thick mane, with small rounded ears, giving it the appearance of a lion. A clean, well-maintained coat highlights the breed’s signature thick coat. Han is such a handsome boy.
Han looks great. A well-bathed and groomed Chow Chow is not only strikingly beautiful but also healthier and more comfortable. One dog down and four more to go!
My flower cutting garden continues to reward me with beautiful blooms.
This perennial garden lies just beyond my main greenhouse, at the foot of my long pergola. My gardeners and I devote many hours to its care - grooming and weeding it through the season and thoughtfully planting each new specimen. This time of year there are hollyhocks, Shasta daisies, balloon flowers, Black-Eyed Susans, yarrow, coneflowers, lilies, and more.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here is one of many kinds of lilies that bloom in my flower garden. In summer I also have lilies along my pergola, outside my Winter House kitchen and in the sunken garden behind my Summer House. My collection is a combination of Oriental, Asiatic, trumpet, and Orienpet lilies. Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants grown for their very showy, often fragrant flowers.
Lilies come in a variety of colors with multiple blooms per stem. This is white with bold yellow.
Yellow tiger lilies are vibrant, medium-yellow lilies with characteristic dark spots, known for their striking appearance and ease of cultivation.
The phlox is thriving in the garden. Phlox has superb heat and mildew resistance. Phlox is a tall and upright grower that’s great for the back of the border, or even planted at the edge of the garden among the shrubs.
Phlox also comes in a range of colors from pure white to lavender to even red, and grows happily in most parts of the country. If properly planted and sited, phlox is largely pest and disease free too – a perfect perennial.
Echinacea purpurea, or purple coneflower, is a hardy perennial. Echinacea purpurea has a large center cone, surrounded by colored petals that brighten the garden in mid-summer. Echinacea is a genus, or group of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family.
Butterflies are attracted to Echinacea, including this swallowtail. They love coneflowers for their vibrant colors and nectar-rich blooms.
This is Alcea rosea, also known as the hollyhock. These plants can reach five to eight-feet tall and up to about four feet across.
Shasta daisy flowers provide perky summer blooms with the look of the traditional daisies along with evergreen foliage. They are low maintenance and great for filling in bare spots in the landscape.
These are the showy flowers of rudbeckia. Rudbeckia’s bright, summer-blooming flowers give the best effect when planted in masses in a border or wildflower meadow.
In general, rudbeckias are relatively drought-tolerant and disease-resistant. Flower colors are yellow and gold with dark centers. The plants grow two to six feet tall, depending on the variety.
Growing on one side of the fence surrounding the garden are these dainty perennial sweet pea or everlasting pea flowers. The sweet pea is a herbaceous climbing vine with beautiful bright flowers that grow up to 10 feet long.
Here is one in pink. The old-fashioned varieties of sweet pea are grown for their vibrant colors and intense fragrances. Most sweet peas will begin blooming in late spring or early summer.
Looking carefully, one can still spot a poppy or two. Poppies require very little care, whether they are sown from seed or planted when young – they just need full sun and well-drained soil.
This is a seed pod of the poppy. It is what’s left on the stem once the flower blooms and the petals fall off. As the seed heads turn brown with ripeness, it’s time to cut them and harvest the seeds. One can tell when pods are ripe by shaking the stem. If the pod rattles, it’s ready.
This is a balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus – a species of herbaceous flowering perennial plant of the family Campanulaceae, and the only member of the genus Platycodon. It is native to East Asia and is also known as the Chinese bellflower or platycodon. The opened flowers resemble those of bellflowers, and while most are deep blue or purple, white and pink varieties are also available.
Balloon flowers get their name from the unopened buds, which swell up prior to opening and resemble little hot-air balloons.
This interesting foliage is Pulmoniaria. Pulmonaria are members of the Boraginaceae family and first cousin to other well-known garden favorites such as myosotis, brunnera, symphytum, and mertensia, the Virginia Bluebell. The name Pulmonaria come from the greenery, which is often green with white spots, resembling a diseased lung. In fact, its common name is lungwort. The silver spots on Pulmonaria leaves are actually the result of foliar air pockets used for cooling the lower surface of the leaves.
Just outside the flower garden, I have dark pink Astilbe – it adds whimsical texture to every space with its fluffy, pink spikes of flowers. Astilbes are wonderful shade perennials, known for their dark green foliage and plume-like blossoms. Flowers bloom mid-summer and make charming fresh or dried cut flowers.
Achillea millefolium, commonly known as yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a hardy perennial with fernlike leaves and colorful blooms. The large, flat-topped flower clusters are perfect for cutting and drying.
The flower clusters or corymbs are made up of dozens of tiny daisy-like florets. Here’s yarrow in light pink. Yarrow flower colors range from white and soft pastels to brilliant shades of yellow, red, orange, and gold. Enjoy the flowers around you this weekend.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
