Preparing for the Cold Season Ahead
Now that the days are getting colder, and all the trees are dropping their leaves, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are busy with fall cleanup.
To stay organized during seasonal transitions, I create very detailed lists of all that needs to be done. Current projects include cleaning the garden beds, covering the air-conditioning pits and hoop house vents, bleeding and storing the outdoor hoses, blowing and collecting the many leaves, and so much more. So far, this autumn has been quite mild here in the Northeast. The weather has allowed us ample time to ready the farm for the cold season ahead.
Here are some photos, enjoy. And don’t forget, Daylight Saving Time ends tomorrow morning, November 5th, so set the clocks back one hour before going to bed tonight. Those living in participating states across the US will get an extra hour of sleep. Daylight Saving Time occurs in many states and territories except Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Island.
-
- It is so beautiful this time of year when all the deciduous trees show their stunning autumn colors before dropping their leaves. Here at my farm, fall chores are now in full swing. This is my long and winding pergola. It runs from my flower cutting garden all the way to my espalier of Gravenstein apples. On the left is a stand of stately bald cypress trees. These bald cypress trees are changing so beautifully. Although many conifers are evergreen, bald cypress trees are deciduous conifers that shed their needle-like leaves in the fall. Their autumn colors include tan, cinnamon, and fiery orange.
-
- One of the biggest fall chores is blowing the leaves. Leaves can change their color from as early as mid-September all the way through mid-November. As colder weather approaches and sunlight decreases, the trees seal the spots where the leaves are attached – this process is what causes them to change color and fall to the ground. Rather than expend energy to protect these fragile organs, trees shed leaves to conserve resources for the next year. Here’s Phurba blowing leaves outside my vegetable garden. He is using our trusted STIHL backpack blower.
-
- I keep all my air conditioners in large pits, where they are well hidden behind each house. These air conditioner pits are covered with industrial strength plastic and plywood to protect them from the winter elements. Covering these pits also makes it easier to maintain. Any snow or debris that falls can be brushed to the side before accessing the units below.
-
- All the hoses around the farm are gathered, drained, recoiled, tied, and then stored away for the season.
-
- Do you recognize this structure? it’s my pavilion outside my pool. During the warmer months, I have a long custom made yew table here and my large staghorn ferns hanging from the rafters. Everything is now stored away for next year.
-
- … And the pool is now covered.
-
- Around my hoop houses, bales of hay are stacked around the structures for added insulation. This is older hay my horses won’t eat, but they still come in very handy.
-
- Any vents on my hoop houses are also covered. Fernando measures the industrial strength plastic that will cover the vent slats.
-
- Pete lines up a piece of wood, cut from a downed ash tree here at the farm, that will be used as a frame for the vent cover. This will help to keep any additional drafts from getting into the structure.
-
- Here is what the covered vents look like. Burlap is placed over the plastic to give it a more finished appearance. And everything is screwed down securely.
-
- The crew blows leaves along both sides of the carriage road to my Summer House. Leaf blowers are noisy, but they are the most effective for gathering leaves into large piles.
-
- Any leftover vegetables in the outdoor gardens are harvested for both me and my hardworking team. We put buckets of fresh peppers and beans on the lunchroom tables for anyone who wants them.
-
- After removing all the old squash and pumpkin vines, this large garden – my previous vegetable garden – is rototilled several times. It is all ready for next year.
-
- Large urns where I display tropical plants during summer are emptied and covered with plywood. In a few weeks, these containers will also be covered with burlap as part of our big “burlapping” project.
-
- Here’s Brian cleaning the dahlia bed. We had our first frost this week. Dahlias are not frost hardy, so when temperatures plummet the leaves and remaining blooms collapse and brown.
-
- While they were still in bloom, I went through all the dahlias and decided which ones we would keep for next year. Others were gathered for giveaway.
-
- Here’s the dahlia garden all cleared. The remaining dahlia tubers are still in the ground and will be covered with burlap and a thick layer of hay for the winter. This method has proven to be a great solution for protecting the plants here at the farm, so we have viable dahlias come spring.
-
- And, more blowing… Phurba and Cesar are now blowing the azalea and daffodil borders. Blowing leaves will continue for a few more weeks.
-
- Once the leaves are blown into a manageable pile, they are directed to the opening of this vacuum tube.
-
- The leaves go through the vacuum tube and into our dump truck. The leaves are then taken to the compost area, where they will decompose and get used again as mulch next year.
-
- Meanwhile, our annual bulb planting project is about to begin. Our bulbs have arrived from Van Engelen Inc., a wholesale family-run flower bulb business located in Bantam, Connecticut, and are ready to get into the ground. We have thousands of spring-blooming bulbs to plant in the coming weeks.
-
- And here’s Blackie, our greenhouse cat – tired after watching all the activity. What autumn chores and tasks are you completing this weekend? Share your comments with me below. And, if Daylight Saving Time is ending where you live, don’t forget to “fall back” and set your clocks back one hour before going to bed tonight.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
