Spring Trees Around My Farm
Here in the New York City area, we're expecting rain and possible thunderstorms with temperatures in the upper 60s - a good watering over the gardens after a couple of days in unseasonably warm weather.
It always amazes me how quickly plants and trees grow from day to day. And, while many of the flowers are erupting with vibrant color, we've also been taking photos of the various trees and all the precious buds just beginning to open on their branches.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- Every single day I am home, I tour the farm to see how all the trees and plants are doing. Every specimen is special. Here are two of many Japanese Maple trees on the property showing off their vibrant red spring foliage.
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- In my soccer field, a large stretch of lawn where my grandson Truman enjoys playing when he is here, are these weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus ‘Pendula’ – the branches of these trees gracefully weep creating umbrellas of foliage that reach the ground.
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- This is my Pin Oak Allée. The trees are beginning to leaf out, but at this time it is easier to see its recognizable branch habit, where the lower branches hang down, the horizontal middle branches flare out and the upright upper branches point up.
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- My orchard surrounds three sides of my pool. I planted more than 200-fruit trees here, many of which started as bare-root cuttings.
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- These are the pink buds of one of my peach trees – so many of them are blooming.
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- Fruiting pear trees bloom from April to May, with stunning white flowers.
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- From a distance, it is easy to notice the golden-yellow weeping willows. This grove is at the edge of my pinetum. The golden hue looks so pretty against the early spring landscape.
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- These medium-sized trees have arching branches that sweep down to the ground.
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- When the tree blooms late winter to spring, yellow catkins such as these appear. The catkin flowers are one to two inches long, and each blossom consists of hundreds of hairlike protrusions. The flowers mature to yellow before they are disbursed by wind or rain.
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- This is a weeping larch, Larix decidua ‘Pendula’. It has bright lime green needles in spring, which turn gold before dropping in fall.
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- Here, one can see how the foliage grows on the tree giving it an elegant sculptural effect. This tree is planted at the intersection between my pin oaks and my great Allée of Boxwood.
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- Aesculus hippocastanum is a large deciduous tree commonly known as the horse chestnut or conker tree. I have two of these large specimens in front of the stable at the foot of the Boxwood Allée.
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- Here are the leaves of the horse-chestnut. Even at this early stage, one can clearly see leaves and developing flowers. By mid-May to early June, these trees will be in full flower.
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- Outside my vegetable garden is a grove of mature crabapple trees. In spring, these crabapples bloom with bright magenta blossoms that can be seen from April to May, depending on the variety. These flowers are often fragrant and create a stunning display in garden.
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- Down outside my chicken coops is this cherry tree. Cherry trees belong to the genus Prunus and are in the family Rosaceae. These trees are famous for their sweet or sour stone fruits called drupes and their eye-catching blossoms. Unfortunately, we all wait with anticipation for the fruits, but oftentimes squirrels beat us to them.
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- This is a weeping Japanese cherry tree in pink, which does not bear edible fruit. This was gifted to me a couple of years ago and is planted at the east end of my Boxwood Allée.
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- I have several Cercis canadensis ‘Merlot’ trees, or eastern redbuds. They’re all just starting to show off their beautiful early season purple-pink flower buds.
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- Growing as large shrubs or trees, Magnolias produce showy, fragrant flowers that are pink, white, cream, red, purple, or yellow.
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- Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol.
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- Look how bold and bright these flowers are. The magnolia family is one of the oldest trees in existence. Because of this, their flowers do not have true petals and sepals; instead, they have petal-like tepals. Also, the flowers do not produce real nectar, but attract pollinating beetles with fragrant and sugary secretions.
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- Up near my Winter House, just outside my kitchen, is my dwarf apple espalier – also showing gorgeous spring flowers.
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- The majority of apple tree blossoms begin as pink buds and bloom as crisp white flowers.
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- Across the carriage road are the beautiful Malus ‘Gravenstein’ espalier apple trees, also flowering. I am hopeful we will have a very productive apple season this year.
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- On my terrace parterre and on one side of my home are weeping katsura trees, one of my favorites. Cercidiphyllum japonicum f. pendulum has pendulous branches that fan out from the crown and sweep the ground. Caramel-scented foliage emerges bronze or purple-red, turns blue-green, then fades to gold or apricot in autumn.
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- And here is one of two Camperdown Elms outside my kitchen. Camperdown Elms slowly develop broad, flat heads and wide crowns with weeping branch habits.
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- Its leaves are broad oblong-obovate to elliptic, rough-textured and serrated. Spring has sprung with such energy and growth. I hope you appreciate something new in the garden every day.
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