If you’re in the New York City area, daytime temperatures are expected to reach the upper 40s this weekend, making it a good opportunity to get some of those spring-flowering bulbs in the ground.
Here at my farm, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew have been busy planting bulbs throughout the property. The bulbs come from Colorblends Wholesale Flowerbulbs, a third-generation wholesale flower bulb merchant based in nearby Bridgeport, Connecticut. This week, the team focused on the garden beds surrounding my stable and those near my Winter House. They planted Spanish bluebells, irises, squill, muscari, alliums, crocuses, and others. They will all look so marvelous come spring.
Here are some photos.
Many of my bulbs are from Colorblends Wholesale Flowerbulbs – a third generation flower merchant in nearby Bridgeport, Connecticut. I’ve been growing their bulbs for many years.
Bulbs are packaged in batches of 50, 100, 500, and a thousand. They come in these breathable sacks. Some are also packed in paper bags, boxes, and plastic pouches depending on the bulbs’ humidity needs. They must be kept moist without being wet.
My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, organizes the bulbs according to where they will be planted.
The crew makes holes in the designated bulb planting areas. These holes were made with a long handled dibber my foreman, Chhiring Sherpa made from timeworn pieces that had been saved.
There are also hand held bulb planters and small auger attachments for drills.
For planting smaller bulbs, my gardeners use T-handled dibbers, which are pressed into the soil to make narrow holes.
I add Bulb-tone to the nutrient-rich soil. The food should be a balanced fertilizer that has a good amount of phosphorous. Fertilizing spring-blooming bulbs also helps them fight off diseases and pests.
The fertilizer can be sprinkled over and worked into the top few inches of soil.
Bulbs come in different sizes and forms. Shown here is a crocus bulb, a squill bulb and a muscari bulb. True bulbs can be either tunicate, with a papery covering or non-tunicate without the covering. On many bulbs, it is also easy to see which end is the top and which end is the bottom.
Ryan mixes a trug bucket of assorted bulbs so they look natural in the bed.
Each bulb is placed in a hole about three to five inches deep. The dibber is perfect for planting these bulbs. Some holes are pre-made in large sections.
Other holes are more randomly spaced, so holes are made wherever the bulbs drop.
One by one, each bulb is carefully placed in a hole.
Bulbs are always positioned with the pointed end faced up, or root end faced down. This is very important, so the plant grows properly from the bulb. Here is a bulb inside the hole.
Wherever new holes are made, the crew is careful not to poke any bulbs previously planted in the area.
And after the bulbs are in their designated holes, the holes are backfilled.
The crew works fast to plant bulbs on both sides of my long Boxwood Allee.
Among the bulbs being planted – crocus. I plant crocus in many areas around the farm. They look beautiful planted en masse. And over time, these bulbs will naturalize and multiply to produce more flowers every year.
Squill or Siberian squill, is also known widely by its botanical name, Scilla. It is a spring bulb with green grass-like foliage and arching flower stalks that support one to three nodding blue or white flowers.
Spanish Bluebells, or Hyacinthoides hispanica, are shade-tolerant plants that bear spikes of lightly fragrant, blue flowers.
I also enjoy irises. The blooms have a very light and subtle violet-like scent. Irises come from a vast genus of plants, but nearly all show the recognizable iris flower form – three standard petals and three hanging outer petals.
And I grow masses of beautiful muscari. Muscari is a genus of perennial bulbous plants native to Eurasia that produce spikes of dense, most commonly blue, urn-shaped flowers that look like bunches of grapes in spring. We have thousands of bulbs to plant before winter sets in, but we’ve made a good start!
If you love horses as much as I do and happen to be in or near West Springfield, Massachusetts this weekend, be sure to visit this year’s Equine Affaire, North America’s premier equestrian exposition. It’s a wonderful opportunity to explore the latest developments, trends, and products in the ever-evolving equine industry.
My stable team attended day one of the four-day event yesterday. First established in 1993 as an educational convention for horse enthusiasts and professionals, Equine Affaire brings together trainers, coaches, and equine experts from across the country. Attendees can participate in informative clinics and demonstrations, meet dozens of horse breeds from around the world, and browse an extensive marketplace of vendors and their equestrian products. It’s a great event for anyone who wants to learn more about horses, their care, training, and the equestrian world.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Helen and the team took care of all the daily horse chores before leaving my farm. Fortunately, the event is not too far.
The main mission of the Equine Affaire is to help educate and improve horse management and care. The event is held twice a year – once in Massachusetts and once in Ohio. More than 30-thousand horse enthusiasts attend the event annually. This is the coliseum at Springfield’s Big E where classes and shows are held.
Helen and the team arrived early to see as much as possible in a few short hours. The group was one of the first seated for this horse show.
The event also features demos on all of the major equestrian sports from dressage, reining, cutting, jumping, driving, eventing, and barrel racing to team penning and sorting, distance competition, western dressage, trail, polo, and sidesaddle. It’s a great way for all riders to gain more information and talk to experts.
Educational programs and clinics remain the cornerstones of the events. These are always well attended.
In between exhibitions, it’s a mad rush for equine product shopping. Dozens of saddles were available for both English and Western riders.
The Dorset Equine Rescue was also there. I adopted two young Friesians through the organization last year. The Dorset Equine Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in southwestern Vermont dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming at-risk horses.
It’s always nice to see a familiar face – here’s Helen with Dorset Equine Rescue’s barn manager, Tiffany Vittum.
Recognize this guy? It’s Jimmy Oliveras, from my outdoor grounds crew. He also helps in the stable when needed, so he attended the event too – on his day off. Nice beret, Jimmy.
Helen stops at the Stabul booth. Stabul is a U.S. based horse treat manufacturer. All their products are made in the United States.
I am always on the lookout for quality food, equipment, and supplies for all my animals. It’s important to me that I provide what I can to keep them in the best condition. Stabul specializes in nutritional, high‑fiber horse treats that are low‑starch, low‑sugar, and molasses‑free.
Footing First is a sports surface footing provider that designs, supplies, and installs premium horse arena solutions for equestrian facilities, competition venues, and private barns. Helen learned a lot about what kind of footing materials are best.
Footing First displayed a variety of sample footing materials for passersby to look at, feel, and compare while learning. Proper footing materials balance firmness, cushioning, and grip so horses can move safely.
These are Nelson horse waterers for use inside the stalls and outside in the paddocks – they are durable, reliable, and easy to maintain. They also have a heating feature which prevents water from freezing during cold months.
Equi-Analytical is a specialized laboratory service that provides nutrient analysis for forage, feed, and related horse products. It is crucial to know what nutrients one’s horses are offered, so feed protocols can be adjusted based on actual needs.
And, for those who appreciate horse photography, award-winning wild horse artist and photographer, Caroline Christie, also had a booth at the event to sell prints of wild horses and burros.
At night, more horse shows in the grand coliseum. This one is called “Fantasia,” and shows a musical celebration of the horse through horsemanship, breeds, and equestrian artistry.
The show blends music, drama, action, and the beauty of horses.
It displays a variety of different performance acts to exhibit horsemanship in many disciplines. It’s great for horse fanciers of all ages. So, please go to the Equine Affaire web site to learn more and buy tickets. You and your family will be informed, inspired and entertained!
Here at my farm, I have thousands upon thousands of trees. Many were already well established when I purchased the property, but I planted all the others — in beautiful allées, in groves, along privacy hedges, and in carefully arranged rows throughout my living maze. This time of year, one particular type of tree always captures my attention - the magnificent ginkgo.
Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as the ginkgo or maidenhair tree, is the sole surviving species of an ancient plant division, Ginkgophyta. Fossil records show that ginkgo trees date back more than 270 million years. Native to China, they have been cultivated there for centuries and are now grown throughout the world. In the sunken garden behind my Summer House stands a spectacular ginkgo that's probably about 250 years old. Ginkgos have distinctive fan-shaped green leaves that turn brilliant golden yellow in autumn. Then, usually after the arrival of a hard frost along the East Coast, the leaves on my ginkgos and countless others in the surrounding area drop almost all at once. It is one of fall's most spectacular natural displays, and one I look forward to seeing every year.
Here are some photos of the ginkgos at my farm, enjoy.
The ginkgo’s beautiful leaves are so unique – no other broadleaf tree has the same distinctive combination of shape, vein pattern, and growth habit as the ginkgo.
These ginkgo trees are in my sunken Summer House garden. The giant tree in the back is a female and the main focal point of this formal space. It is quite large and probably more than two and a half centuries old. This photo was taken just a few days ago.
The trunk of the ginkgo tree is a light brown to brownish-gray bark that is deeply furrowed and highly ridged. The ridges become more pronounced as the tree ages. The trunk circumference of the giant female tree measures more than 14-feet.
These ginkgo trees are also in my Sunken Garden – full of autumn color.
All the ginkgo trees have changed. One can see a tinge of green still left on this tree. The entire transformation process can take about a week or two.
The change of color happens after the breakdown of chlorophyll, the pigment responsible for the green. As the days get shorter and temperatures drop, plants prepare for winter by shutting off chlorophyll production.
Here the leaves are mostly yellow.
And here they golden yellow. The leaves are fan-shaped, up to three inches long, with a petiole that is also up to three inches long. This shape and the elongated petiole cause the foliage to flutter in the slightest breeze.
These are three of six Ginkgo biloba Goldspire™ Obelisk trees that surround my pool. I planted the narrow upright tower trees in the spring of 2024 and I am so pleased with how they are doing.
Here are the other three on the opposite side of the pool. In November, these trees are also golden yellow. Ginkgo Goldspire™ is a highly ornamental, non-fruiting male tree originating in Italy. It has a very upright, tight fastigiate habit. These are also starting to drop leaves.
Ginkgo trees are dioecious, meaning that male and female reproductive parts develop on separate plants. Ginkgo trees typically reach sexual maturity around 20 to 30 years old. This ginkgo tree is in one corner of my herbaceous peony bed.
This tree is in another corner of my herbaceous peony bed, which is surrounded by boxwood. The leaves look so pretty on the bold green boxwood shrubs.
Ginkgos are among the last trees to turn color, often after maples have peaked, reaching a uniform golden yellow before shedding.
These ginkgo trees are in a grove not far from my chicken coops outside my fenced pastures. The leaves are still holding on. The first significant hard frost is the main trigger for mass leaf drop, which could happen very soon. The exact date shifts year to year with climate patterns, but the synchronized drop is a normal seasonal occurrence.
Mixed with the fallen leaves below the female tree are newly fallen ginkgo tree seeds, covered with the foul‑smelling, apricot‑like outer flesh. The outer, nasty smelling pulp is known botanically as sarcotesta.
Here, Enma picks up a handful to show their size. They may look like fruits, but technically they are flesh-covered seeds.
The ginkgo seeds contain urushiol, which is the same chemical that causes poison oak, ivy, and sumac, so always wear gloves and protect your skin whenever handling.
Inside the fleshy outer layer is a single hard-shelled seed enclosing an edible kernel. The kernels are often roasted and used in Asian cuisines.
Look closely and this tree – it is still full of seeds just waiting to fall.
I often collect the seeds and give them to chef friends for use in their Asian dishes – they are always excited to receive them. Enma shows just one bucket full.
I have so many this year! What a bounty.
What are the ginkgo trees doing where you live? Have they dropped their leaves and seeds?
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