Pruning chores are in full swing at my Bedford, New York farm.
Pruning is about more than just looks; proper pruning improves the health of the plants, prevents disease, and encourages better flowering. There are different pruning strategies for different times of the year, but overall the goals are the same - to control shape, to keep bushes and trees fresh and open, and to allow for better air circulation through the center of the specimen. Over the last few weeks, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew have been busy pruning various plantings around the farm - the apple trees, the Rose of Sharon shrubs, and the many rose bushes in my Flower Cutting Garden.
Enjoy these photos.
Here is what the rose bushes look like before any of the pruning begins. These roses grow along the fence inside my Flower Cutting Garden. In general, pruning is done before the plant breaks dormancy. This will be early in the year in warm climates, and anytime between January and April in cold climates.
Pruning means to lop or cut off any superfluous branches or shoots for better-shaped or more fruitful growth. These roses have thrived in this location, looking fuller every year – in part because of regular pruning.
When pruning roses, my gardeners assess each bush from the bottom and start cutting out any of the “three Ds” – dead, damaged or diseased branches.
Cutting away the dead wood first helps to see the shape of the plant without distraction. Here, Gavin, who is new to our gardening team, shows where he will prune this branch.
Always just above a bud eye. The “bud eye” refers to the area on the stem where branching occurs. Dead wood is typically brown in color, so it is very easy to identify.
When cutting, look for white inside the stem. If it’s brown, cut further down.
Gavin also looks for any thin or twiggy canes – in general, those that are less than the diameter of a pencil.
Here, Ryan cuts from above – the more detailed branches that give the bush its shape. He also wears good protective gloves – roses are very thorny. These are my Martha Stewart Non-Slip Grip Garden Gloves available on QVC.
Ryan also looks for any stems that cross or rub together.
Removing these from the bottom ensures better growth – when parts of a plant are pruned off it uses its energy to produce new stems and leaves.
And always remove weak canes so that the plant can focus strength into a few strong main canes.
This section is all done. Pruning the roses keeps the bushes in proportion to the rest of the garden. It is a time consuming task, but a very crucial one for the wellness of these specimens.
Not long ago, Chhewang also tackled the apple trees near the Contemporary House. I have many, many apple trees at the farm, and a good number of them are at least 50-years old, so they were already here when I purchased the property. On healthy trees, about a third of the growth can be pruned. Spur branches where the apple tree flowers and sets fruit are the most preferred.
Here’s Gavin on another apple tree in this area. Pruning encourages the tree to grow more of these fruiting spurs by eliminating competing suckers and unproductive wood. Some branches that are tougher to cut with regular hand pruners are carefully removed with sharp shears.
Here’s Chhewang tending to the gooseberry bushes, which are also pruned regularly to encourage productivity.
The Rose of Sharon shrubs also needed some attention. Rose of Sharon flowers on growth from the current year, so pruning may be done in late fall, in winter, or now – early spring – before any buds form. Chhewang carefully selects his cuts, making sure to cut branches where they appear overcrowded.
He also removes older, inner branches that block sunlight or disturb an open and airy appearance. Chhewang has become an excellent pruner, and oversees a lot of the smaller tree pruning projects at the farm.
Here, you can see the healthy wood – it is always greenish white.
All the cuttings are collected neatly on a nearby tarp and taken to the pile for chipping.
Elsewhere around the farm, the crew rakes away lots of leaves and debris that have accumulated on the beds during winter.
Because spring has arrived and flowers are beginning to sprout everywhere – the areas need to be cleared so the light can reach these plants. I can’t wait to see everything in bloom! Do you see signs of spring emergence around your home?
We’re preparing for this year's growing season here at my Bedford, New York farm - my gardeners are busy starting all the many vegetables and flowers from seed.
We sow thousands of seeds every year - all those wonderful seeds I enjoy purchasing during my travels, and seeds we order from our favorite sources. Among them - Floret, a family farm and floral design studio specializing in organic, handcrafted arrangements for special events. Located in the Skagit Valley, outside of Seattle Washington, owner Erin Benzakein has created a thriving business - in fact, she was one of our American Made Honorees in 2014.
This week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, planted a selection of Floret seeds, including pincushion flowers, soapworts, ornamental grasses and many more. Here are some photos - enjoy.
Floret works hard to find the very best cut flower varieties – their selections are based on scent, stem length, and overall quality. https://www.floretflowers.com/
Some of the seeds we received include Phlox ‘Creme Brulee’ – petite, star-shaped flowers, some bearing a dark center eye, and others marbled and speckled. The plants produce abundant flowers with a sweet candy fragrance from mid-summer through autumn. (Photo from Floret)
Larkspur ‘Splish Splash’ is unique. The flowers are striped violet, fuchsia, and amethyst – a combination that creates an almost iridescent effect. Larkspur is easy to grow, cold tolerant and early to bloom. (Photo from Floret)
Foxglove ‘Dalmatian Peach’ produces soft peachy-apricot blooms – a great choice for bouquets. While most foxgloves are biennials, this new hybrid flowers the first year from early sowing of seed then produces again the second year if left in place. Just remember, all parts of the foxglove plant are toxic if ingested, so always wear gloves when handling, and keep pets and small children away. (Photo from Floret)
Shirley Poppy ‘Supreme’ flowers all summer with a mix of white, scarlet, soft pink and watermelon-orange. Each stem shoots up at least a half dozen buds, and as soon as one flower fades, another comes up. And pollinators love them. (Photo from Floret)
Mignonette ‘White’ provides long, upright stems with snow-white flowers and a strong vanilla fragrance. Do you know… according to legend, Napoleon sent mignonette seeds from Egypt to France for his darling Empress Josephine in the early 1800s? (Photo from Floret)
Poor Man’s Orchid ‘Angel’s Wings Mix’ is extremely easy to grow, and includes flowers in shades of violet, candy-pink, rose and apple-blossom. This variety is great for flower arranging and tall enough for mixed bouquets. (Photo from Floret)
China Aster ‘Lady Coral Chamois’ with its peachy-blush blooms, is a popular favorite. Each plant produces at least a dozen stems topped with ruffled, delicate flowers. (Photo from Floret)
Malope ‘Queen Pink’ is another easy to grow cultivar. Vigorous and long flowering, Malope is a must have cutting garden staple. Each plant is loaded with vivid magenta and pink flowers that resemble hibiscus. (Photo from Floret)
Pincushion Flower ‘Summer Sangria’ is a stunning variety with rich sangria colored blooms. These hardy annuals are easy to grow and are very prolific – another favorite of pollinators. (Photo from Floret)
Ornamental Grass ‘Bunny Tails’ show off compact plants and graceful gray-green blades with elongated heads that turn cream and soft as they age. (Photo from Floret)
Soapwort ‘Beauty Pink’ is an airy, delicate filler that grows fast in the garden. The miniature pink blooms are eye-catching when grown en masse. (Photo from Floret)
When starting from seed, it is helpful to use seed starting trays – ours are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. It’s also best to use a pre-made seed starting mix that contains the proper amounts of vermiculite, perlite, and peat moss. https://www.johnnyseeds.com/
Because we seed so many plants, Ryan works in a production line manner in order to get as many trays started as possible. Here he is filling the trays with soil, ensuring each cell of the tray is filled to the top.
Using a finger or the end of a closed thick marker pen, make a shallow hole in each cell.
The hole just needs to be big enough for the seed to be dropped in and then covered with more soil mix.
Our favorite greenhouse kitty, Blackie, loves to watch all the activity.
Some seeds are very small – be very careful when pouring them out of the packet.
Here, Ryan drops the seeds into the cells by hand – about two for each cell. Germination is never guaranteed, so multiple seeds are always planted. This provides a better chance at least one will take root. Seeds are usually started about two months before the last frost in the area. If you’re not sure, check online or ask garden center associates when the last frost usually occurs in your location.
Once the entire tray has been filled, Ryan adds soil and covers the seeds.
And then he lightly pats the soil down, so the seeds have good contact with the soil.
Some trays go into our commercial-sized Urban Cultivator. It is kept in the head house of my main greenhouse. It weighs 545-pounds and can hold up to 16-flats. The Urban Cultivator’s pre-programmed control center adds just the right amount of water, light, humidity, and air. http://www.urbancultivator.net
Urban Cultivator provides humidity domes for each tray. The humidity dome remains positioned over the seed tray until germination begins. Each tray receives about 18-hours of light a day.
Ryan is filling up our Urban Cultivator. In several weeks, these young plants will be moved into larger celled trays, and then finally out into the cutting garden. If you haven’t already, I hope I inspired you to start some of your favorite plant seeds – maybe even this weekend! And, if you haven’t ordered any, don’t worry, you still have time.
Spring cleaning is now underway, especially at Skylands my home in Maine - it is growing busier there as we prepare for the coming season of entertaining.
Cheryl and Gretchen, who help me care for Skylands, are in the process of cleaning the shelves and washing all the precious crystal and china I store in my butler’s pantry - beautiful pieces left there when I bought the home, as well as my own antique and vintage collections. It’s a tedious chore, but an important one that's done every year around this time - I host a lot of gatherings during the summer months. I can't wait until my next visit.
Enjoy these photos.
Off the kitchen is my butler’s pantry, where I store many of my formal and special dishes, glasses, serving platters, etc. Each shelf is emptied one by one and each piece is washed by hand in this room. Do you remember my Wedgewood Drabware? On the counter are some of my cups and saucers in the distinctive olive-colored glazed earthenware. Also ready to wash – antique brown transferware and pieces from two Ginori sets left at Skylands by the Leede Family.
Gretchen measures a fresh piece of freezer paper to line the shelf. She also uses natural rocks to weigh it down. Gretchen is wearing my Quilted Down Short Sleeve Puffer Jacket in tide water blue – available from my collection on QVC.
Each column of four shelves is slightly different in size, so Gretchen measures for one shelf and then cuts four pieces to the same dimensions. She’s also using my Martha Stewart All-Purpose scissors available at Michaels.
The shelves are well-dusted.
And then covered with the freezer paper.
Each piece is perfectly cut to fit.
This is Ginori china in the Amalfi pattern. Richard Ginori Amalfi or antique rose is an example of the classic Ginori rosebud design that was originally commissioned by the House of Savoy in 1830. The roses are all hand painted.
These are Ginori salad plates ready to be washed.
Gretchen places a smaller bin in the sink and then carefully washes each bread plate by hand using warm water and a gentle dish soap.
Then they are placed in the drying rack.
Cheryl is on the other side of the sink hand drying each plate with a soft tea towel. Cheryl is wearing my puffer jacket in olive.
These Ginori sets are complete because we take such good care of the pieces. We keep a service for 14 in the pantry, but the entire set is a service for 24.
Here, Cheryl begins to put the plates back into the cabinet. It’s a good idea to also take quick snapshots of how the plates and platters were positioned on the shelves before they were removed, so you know exactly how to put them back.
Next to be washed – antique Theodore Haviland Limoge plates, platters, gravy boats, and terrines that were left here by Mrs. Eleanor Ford – every piece, still in perfect condition.
Here’s Gretchen preparing another shelf – this entire process takes several days, but it is nice to know everything will be ready for this summer of dinner parties.
More Ginori Amalfi on the bottom, and on the top, Ginori Italian Fruit. Italian Fruit is another hand-painted porcelain, in continuous production since 1750. Delicate fruits and flowers adorn this lovely collection, with gold borders and handle trims.
This is Chinese Export Armorial Orange Fitzhugh – very rare. It is one of the most expensive examples of porcelain exported from China from 1775 to 1850. This collection was also left here by Mrs. Ford.
Cheryl and Gretchen also tackled my large collection of Baccarat cut crystal glasses.
My Baccarat collection includes many glasses, goblets, decanters, pitchers, and more. They are all hand washed and returned to their shelves.
On the lower shelves of this cabinet – Venetian glass. These glasses have such a beautiful tint of yellow.
When storing plates in stacks, you can also use protective felt rounds to place in between each piece, so they don’t scuff each other.
On the counter are also my vintage blue, green and black Spode Bar Harbor dinner and lunch plates. I purchased them from a little housewares store right in town. They include different scenes of the area. These plates are quite fragile, but I love using them.
Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Leede left a lot of plates, and glassware here at Skylands, but I have also added my share to the collections – it is certainly a lot of dishes to keep clean. I hope this inspires you to do a little spring cleaning this weekend. Let me know your projects in the comments section below.
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