Removing the Burlap Along My Pergola
It's time to start removing all that burlap.
Every autumn for as long as I’ve been gardening, I’ve covered all my boxwood shrubs to protect them from the heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures, and damaging winds of winter. And, every spring, when the ground begins to thaw, it’s all removed and stored away. The outdoor grounds crew began this task last week when temperatures rose into the 60s. They removed the burlap along my long and winding pergola. The entire process is a big undertaking, but knowing my plants are protected during the cold season is a great comfort. And seeing all the healthy, intact shrubbery and foliage at the start of spring is an even greater delight.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Last week, the weather here in the Northeast was pleasant and mild, so my outdoor grounds crew was able to get a lot done outside in the fresh air. Here are Pasang and Chhiring working on the long and winding pergola.
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- We remove the burlap once the temperatures are consistently above freezing and before Easter. Chhiring removes the wooden strips that help sandwich and secure the burlap around the specimens. These strips are at the bottom of the frames.
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- The strips are collected in one crate and stored for next year.
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- As the burlap is removed, Pasang carefully rolls the fabric for storage. The boxwood has grown so much over the years. Every winter, these burlap tents are made taller and taller to accommodate their size.
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- And every year, we work on improving the structures, so they are more streamlined. This season, we used the same metal rods used for the burlap frames along the Boxwood Allee. The frames are actually part of hoop house kits – strong industrial steel ground uprights and purlin pipes. I ordered all the piping from Growers Solution, a family-owned business in Cookeville, Tennessee.
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- Pasang removes the metal framing carefully, once piece at a time.
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- These pipes are made from rolled galvanized 16 gauge industrial tubing. If cared for properly, these pieces will last a good, long time.
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- As the burlap is lifted, the beautiful green boxwood is exposed once again. Some question whether covering plantings each winter really helps, but look how lush and intact the plantings are when uncovered – I definitely feel it is worth the time and effort.
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- Here, Pasang removes the wooden stakes that hold up the metal support rods. These stakes, which are an inch-and-a-half by an inch-and-a-half, were milled right here at the farm.
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- These wooden stakes are gathered and stored again for use next year. It is important to me that nothing is wasted here at my farm.
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- On one side of the pergola is this weeping copper beech tree characterized by its shape with sweeping, pendulous branches. Here, one can see the trunk of the tree and all its interestingly shaped limbs. These trees can grow up to 80-feet tall and tend to be wider than they are high. I have several of these specimens around the farm.
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- And up close, one can see the growing buds. It will soon be covered in gorgeous dark burgundy colored foliage.
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- Here is Chhiring removing the burlap from one of the taller shrubs. He’s using the end of one of the metal poles. All of the coverings are custom wrapped and sewn to fit each individual shrub, hedge, or bush.
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- Underneath, long bamboo stakes are used to create a frame for the burlap. We had a particularly snowy winter. Because of these well-constructed burlap covers, any snow accumulation simply slid down the sides of the structure.
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- Chhiring removes the bamboo, but look how intact the shrub is – no branches were splayed at all.
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- Pasang rolls up more burlap. We use industrial burlap that’s available in giant rolls of 40-inches or 60-inches wide. These covers are used for about three seasons before being replaced.
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- Here, Chhiring ties the rolled burlap with jute twine. All these rolls of fabric will be placed in our storage shed where it can be kept dry. One of the few downsides to this fabric is that it will start to fray and disintegrate after time, especially if exposed to moisture.
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- Chhiring affixes a label indicating which boxwood shrub it covered, so it can be reused next year for the same planting.
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- In general, burlap is very strong and can withstand weathering and repeated wetting and drying with minimal loss of durability. I also like the natural tan color.
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- Here is a pile of burlap covers properly tied and labeled for storage. My crew has been doing this for years – they have streamlined the process.
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- After all the burlap is removed, all the materials are neatly carried to the truck. Taking down the burlap is a much faster process than putting the burlap up, but it’s still very time-consuming.
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- And here is one section of the pergola once all the burlap is gone – removing the burlap changes the entire appearance of the area.
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- And here is another side. The burlap removal reveals what we hope for every year – green, healthy boxwood. Soon, these beds will be filled with colorful alliums, lilies, camassia, and fritillaria.
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