Here at my farm, we’re in the midst of a very busy fall planting season, making the most of the mild weather before the ground becomes too cold.
I make a point of planting many trees every year - the more, the better - for the environment and for my developing landscape. A recent project involved planting a variety of evergreens near my pond. In addition to adding year-round color, texture, and interest to the area, these trees will eventually create a lush, green privacy screen.
Enjoy these photos.
Among the evergreens already planted here are these arborvitae, Thuja plicata ‘Green Giant’ – fast growing evergreen conifers with pyramidal growth habits.
The foliage is dense, rich green, scale‑like, and arranged in flattened sprays, often turning a slight bronze color in winter.
In the most ideal conditions, these trees grow about three to five feet a year, topping at a mature size of up to 60-feet tall and 20-feet wide.
These trees are now established and doing very well in this area not far from my small pond.
They are planted about six to seven feet apart to provide ample room and good privacy screening when mature.
Planting continues with an assortment of spruce, white pines, red pines, firs, and others. First the hole is dug at least twice the size of the plant.
Fertilizer is sprinkled in the hole and in the surrounding soil.
I use Miracle-Gro Organic All Purpose Plant Food. It’s good for both outdoor container and in-ground plants and feeds for up to three-months.
This young tree is removed from its pot and the root ball and its roots are scarified. Scarifying helps promote healthy growth and nutrient absorption by loosening the roots and allowing them to expand into the new soil.
It is then placed into the hole and checked for proper depth. Planting a tree too deep can kill it. Plant it only at its flare – the bulge just above the root system where the roots begin to branch away from the trunk.
Next, the hole is back filled and the top soil is groomed neatly. In time, this tree will fill out nicely in the space.
This white pine tree was also just planted. In most managed landscapes, these trees typically reach heights of 50 to 80 feet, but can grow much taller in undisturbed forests.
Pine leaves are long, needle-shaped and typically grow in bundles.
In contrast, blue spruces are cone‑shaped evergreens with stiff, silvery‑blue needles arranged radially around the branches, giving the tree its dense appearance.
I also have viburnums in this space. And while many viburnums are deciduous and lose their leaves in winter, they show off spectacular displays of fragrant flowers that bloom in early to mid‑spring.
Trees planted in varying sizes creates visual interest and depth in the landscape.
Larger trees provide partial shade and some windbreak for the trees below.
I’ve planted most of the trees here at my farm – thousands and thousands of trees. This time of year, the evergreens stay green while nearby deciduous trees turn yellow, orange, or red – all creating seasonal contrast and beauty.
It’s been a wonderful apple season here at my farm! This year’s harvest has yielded more than 60 quarts of fresh cider, and now I'm putting more delicious apples to good use by making homemade applesauce.
I have many apple trees throughout my property, including some original to the farm that continue to produce flavorful fruit, espaliered trees I planted shortly after moving here, and, of course, the many varieties growing in my orchard. Yesterday, my housekeeper Enma began preparing batches of fresh, naturally sweet applesauce.
Enjoy these photos and the easy process for making your own.
Once fall arrives, it’s time to harvest the crisp, juicy apples from the hundreds of trees throughout my farm. We pick many off the ground along with those hanging from the branches.
Enma starts picking the apples for the applesauce. A mix of tart and sweet varieties will do nicely.
The apples used don’t have to look pristine, but they should be free from spoilage, moderately firm — not too hard and not too soft or mealy — so they break down smoothly.
Enma washes the selected apples thoroughly with cold water.
She cuts each apple in half.
Next, she cuts them in quarters.
Here she removes any seeds she sees. This is important because seeds are tannic and cooking with them will impart a bitter taste. Enma leaves the skins on them. Cooking the apples with their skins saves time and provides a nice color to the sauce.
All the discarded pieces will go straight to my chickens – they love pecking at the sweet fruits.
Enma places the apple pieces directly into a heavy-bottomed pot. Apples, Malus domestica, are low in calories, rich in dietary fiber and full of antioxidants.
She adds the juice of half a lemon for every dozen or so apples. Lemon juice helps keep the apples from browning, because it is full of ascorbic acid and has a low pH level. It also helps bring out the color from the skins.
Next, Enma also adds about a cup of water before cooking.
And look who’s watching – Luna Muna and her daughter, Half Moon. Good girls.
She sets the pot over medium to high heat just until they start to cook. And, guess what? That is all you need – no sugar at all. The apples will start to cook right away.
Within minutes, they start to soften.
Occasionally, Enma stirs the apples with a wooden spoon to prevent burning.
Here’s another pot that has been cooking for a bit longer. The process doesn’t take long – the skins fall off after about half an hour to 45-minutes.
The apples in this pot are all cooked down.
The apples are scooped in small batches into this stainless steel multi purpose food mill ricer with strainer over a bowl.
Enma places a couple of ladles full of apples into the hopper and turns the handle that presses them through small holes to create a light, lump‑free sauce, leaving the skins.
And, what you end up with is pure, naturally sweet and delicious applesauce.
Enma scrapes any bits off the bottom of the mill.
And look how much sauce is made. And there are still so many more apples to go!
Once done, the sauce is left to cool on the counter before going into the refrigerator. Applesauce is a versatile ingredient that works in baking, breakfasts, savory dishes, and even as a healthy substitute for oil, butter, or eggs, making it useful far beyond snacking.
This time of year, my grove of Japanese maples is ablaze with autumn color, displaying a palette of brilliant yellows, glowing oranges, and rich reds.
Many of these trees are varieties of Acer palmatum, a species that has been cultivated in Japanese gardens for centuries. Over the years, I’ve planted an extensive collection in a section of my shade garden, not far from my chicken coops and tropical hoop houses. This garden was planted in honor of my late sister, Laura Plimpton, who was especially fond of Japanese maples. Each fall, I look forward to seeing them put on their spectacular display. With their remarkable diversity of sizes, leaf shapes, and colors, these beautiful specimens create a landscape full of texture and visual interest that only becomes more stunning with each passing year.
Enjoy these photos.
Every year, all of us here at my farm wait for this woodland to burst with color. Few trees are as beautiful as the Japanese maple. With more than a thousand varieties and cultivars including hybrids, the iconic Japanese maple tree is among the most versatile small trees for use in the landscape.
Japanese maples are native to areas of Japan, Korea, China, and Russia. In Japan, the maple is called the “autumn welcoming tree” and is planted in the western portion of gardens – the direction from which fall arrives there.
The contrast between the colors in this grove is stunning.
But the brilliant fall colors aren’t a guarantee. The colors are a result of climate, weather, and environmental conditions. Here in the Northeast, fall weather usually arrives in September, with temperatures cooling off rapidly at night even when the days are still warm. These cool nighttime temperatures trigger the leaf-changing process. Unusually warm early fall weather may even prevent the leaves from turning red. This is because the color changes occur with gradually cooling temperatures – not cold snaps.
Leaf color best develops when nighttime temperatures remain above freezing but below 45-degrees Fahrenheit. A sudden cold snap could turn the leaves more plum-brown seemingly overnight, skipping the vibrantly orange and red stage altogether. Weather here at the farm has been excellent for the Japanese maples this season.
Red leafed cultivars are the most popular, followed by green shrubs with deeply dissected leaves.
I also have more rare varieties. These leaves are deeply divided, but each lobe is also dissected, giving them a lacy effect.
Japanese maples are divided into categories based on their distinct leaf structures. Among them is palmate, which is the classic maple-shaped leaves with bold lobes. Another is dissectum characterized by deeply cut, feathery foliage. Atropurpureum contains some of the most recognizable Japanese maples that are upright with deeply lobed red leaves containing “five fingers.” There are also variegated varieties with multi-colored leaves. There are 17 different groups in all.
The leaves range from about an inch-and-a-half to four-inches long and wide with five, seven, or nine acutely pointed lobes.
Japanese maple forms also vary. They can be weeping, rounded, dwarf, mounding, upright, or cascading.
Japanese maples typically grow about one-foot per year for the first 50-years and can live to be more than a hundred.
Any heavy pruning should be done in late winter before leaf buds begin to open. Cut out scraggly interior twigs and branches, but leave the structural branches alone. Small, corrective cuts can be made any time of year. If I can, I like to prune and groom these Japanese maples myself.
Japanese maple trees are particularly suitable for borders and ornamental paths because their root systems are compact and not invasive. Through this woodland grove, they line both sides of my carriage road.
They can withstand very cold temperatures, but in summer, they should be watered deeply during dry spells and cut back in late summer to intensify the autumn color.
As young trees grow, their colors become even more vibrant. It’s exciting to see how they develop through the seasons – many have such interesting growth habits.
With the right conditions, the fall colors of the Japanese maple may last for several weeks. Unfortunately, as it gets colder, the colors begin to dull.
These trees are hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 8 and thrive in slightly acidic, well-draining soil.
If growing in containers in colder zones, allow the plants to go fully dormant outside and then bring them into an unheated garage or other sheltered, cool area. In warmer zones, place them in a shaded location where they can be protected from drying winds.
The best location is a sunny spot with afternoon shade. Red and variegated leaves need relief from hot afternoon sun in summer but need the light to attain full color.
I purposely planted my Japanese maples beneath larger trees. The varying heights and layers make the grove so much more interesting. I love this woodland and continue to add more and more Japanese maples to this collection. If you can, stop and enjoy the magnificent colors of the Japanese maples where you live.
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