Covering My Long and Winding Pergola for Winter

December 15, 2022

Covering My Long and Winding Pergola for Winter

The season's "burlapping" project at my Bedford, New York farm continues at my long and winding pergola.

I've been covering my shrubs and hedges with burlap for many years to protect the branches from splaying and even breaking from the weight of the winter snow and ice. Every season, our wrapping methods change to accommodate the growing plants, but the process also gets easier and more streamlined. The entire project takes weeks to complete, but my outdoor grounds crew has already gotten a lot done - and just in time... winter officially begins in less than one week.

Here are some photos, enjoy.

: The long and winding pergola located along the carriage road leading to my Winter House is about to go “under cover.”

: This pergola goes through several transformations during the year. Here it is in April just as the first spring plants start coming up.

: By late May and into June, the pergola is filled with Camassia and alliums in an eye-catching palette of purple and blue – just stunning.

: In late July and into August, the colors turn bright orange with all the hundreds of brightly spotted tiger lilies.

: And here is the pergola in November after the boxwood hedge was pruned and groomed. We planted more than 300 boxwood shrubs here in 2017. They were grown from small cuttings and nurtured in one area of my vegetable garden for about three years before getting transplanted.

: And now the hedge is covered every year along with all the other tender boxwood hedges and shrubs around the property. Domi begins to build the frame on top of the hedge. The frames are built at least several inches above the plants so even the heaviest snow doesn’t weigh the burlap down and crush the foliage.

: These wooden stakes are placed in between every three of the boxwood shrubs.

: And the horizontal piping is screwed to the vertical stakes along the entire length of the pergola.

: Because the burlap covers are custom fit for each hedge and shrub, every burlap cover is labeled, so it can be reused in the same exact location the following season.

: Here, Domi unrolls the the piece of burlap saved from the previous season. When storing burlap, be sure to keep it in a dry place. Because it is an all-natural fabric, it will disintegrate in moisture.

: The entire piece is lined up next to the boxwood before it is draped over the frame.

: Domi checks that the center of the burlap cover is positioned properly over the boxwood.

: After the burlap cover is in place, Domi and Pasang pull it taut over the small stake hammered into the ground every two to three feet at the base of these specimens.

: Then the burlap is sandwiched and secured with a small wooden strip which is screwed to the wood in the back.

: The strips are four to six inches long – just long enough to accommodate two or three screws that will keep the burlap secure. These are also reused year after year.

: Here is Pasang covering and securing the burlap at the end of the row.

: Here is one side all done – it looks great. Any snow that falls will just slide off the burlap cover.

: The larger boxwood shrubs are also enveloped in burlap.

: Phurba sews the openings closed, so the entire shrub is protected. Every member of the crew has their own embroidery needle for “burlapping” – they’re all pretty good sewers also.

: These five-inch long needles have large eyes and bent tips.

: To sew the burlap, we use jute twine. It is all natural and the same color as the burlap.

: Our burlap covers last up to three seasons depending on the weather, but remember, these boxwood specimens also grow a little more every year, so the covers and frames have to be adjusted each time.

: When we use new burlap, the fabric is measured, cut and sewn perfectly to fit the rows and plants.

: And the pergola was covered just in time – we had the first snow of the season last weekend. We only got a couple inches of light, white powder, but it was nice to know my pergola boxwood is safely tucked under these protective coverings.