There Is So Much to "Burlap" at the Farm
The season's burlap project at my Bedford, New York farm continues in front of and around my Winter House.
It's a race to get all the "burlapping" done around the boxwood and the ornamental urns - winter officially begins in less than a week and the days and nights are getting much colder. I've been covering these shrubs and hedges with burlap for many years to protect the branches from splaying and even breaking from the snow and ice. I also feel it is important to protect the stone planters that are out in the elements all season long. Every year, our wrapping methods become easier and more streamlined, giving me peace of mind during the cold weather months. This week, my outdoor grounds crew covered the boxwood surrounding my herbaceous peony bed and all the ornamental containers around my home.
Here are more photos of our "burlapping" process, enjoy.
-
- Here at my farm all the activity this week is around my Winter House. My gardeners are busy dressing the many garden beds with mulch and the outdoor grounds crew is rushing to get all the boxwood and stone urns under burlap. This is my terrace parterre. The metal supports for the burlap frames are up and these stone planters are about to be covered.
-
- Pete cuts the burlap pieces for the containers. When we can, we reuse burlap from seasons past; however, it is also available in giant rolls of 40-inches or 60-inches wide. Also called hessian, burlap is made in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India from jute, a tall, grass-like plant grown for its strong fibrous stalks.
-
- These planters are already covered in thick industrial plastic. Pete then blankets it with burlap and starts with small stitches and knots at the top and the bottom just to keep the fabric in place.
-
- Then he sews the burlap along the open edge to close it completely.
-
- The burlap is also sewn at the top where the burlap is pulled taut.
-
- Here is the planter completely covered. It will stay here for the duration of the season until it is in uncovered and planted again in spring.
-
- I have many urns around my home. It is easier to cover them than to move them indoors. These two urns on the terrace outside my Winter House kitchen are next.
-
- And here they are all covered. Depending on the size of the vessel, it takes about 20-minutes to cover one of these ornamental containers.
-
- Here are Pete and Fernando tackling the big stone birdbath in the courtyard behind my Winter House.
-
- Fernando works on top and Pete sews the sides. There is a lot of tucking involved, and a lot of stitching and knotting, but my crew has been covering these containers with burlap every year for quite some time – they are all excellent burlap sewers.
-
- To sew the burlap, we use jute twine. It is all natural and the same color as the burlap. We also use five-inch and eight-inch long craft needles specifically made for working with jute.
-
- Here is the top all done.
-
- And in just a few minutes, the entire piece is finished. Many ask if it is truly necessary to cover these birdbaths and planters – after all, they are always outdoors. But because stone, cement, and clay-based materials can crack from exposure to the winter elements, it’s important to protect them.
-
- Here are two more urns located in the same courtyard. The burlap is sewn tightly, but with some space for air circulation.
-
- By lunchtime, Pete and Fernando are working along the carriage road next to my winding pergola. Here is one of six giant square stone planters I purchased earlier this year. First it is carefully covered in plastic.
-
- Then the planter is measured and a piece of burlap is cut to size. Burlap is so useful for many gardening projects – it is inexpensive, biodegradable, and the color and texture of burlap is so pretty to use.
-
- Pete makes small stitches and knots to keep the burlap in place. I remind the crew to wrap them like they would gifts – make the folds tight and even as possible.
-
- Pete also makes sure the burlap protects as much of the bottom as possible.
-
- Pete also runs twine underneath the piece to prevent the wind from blowing the burlap off the urn. And underneath all the vessels are shims or small bricks, which keep the urns raised and away from any water or melting snow on the stone surface or ground. All these burlap covers must last through the season without anyone having to redo them.
-
- Here it is all done. These look like pieces of art along the carriage road.
-
- Meanwhile, here’s one side of the boxwood hedge surrounding the herbaceous peony bed – now enshrouded in burlap. We use the same hoop house framing here as we do for the Boxwood Allée. The frame is at least a foot taller than the tallest shrub to protect any heavy snow from weighing down onto the tender foliage.
-
- Here’s a view from the inside – covered all the way around. With the burlap secure, any snow that accumulates will sit on top or slide down the sides.
-
- Phurba and Pasang are now onto the tall boxwood shrubs in front of my home. These boxwood plantings are covered directly with the burlap – no framing. They covered a group of boxwood and are sewing the opening closed.
-
- All the burlap does block views of the landscape, but it is comforting to know that come spring, the many shrubs and hedges will look lush, green, and just as beautifully shaped as they did before they were covered. There is still so much “burlapping” to do around the farm, but the team has made lots of progress.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
