Getting Lots of Work Done at My Farm
After days of hot, humid weather with temperatures in the high 80s and 90s, we're finally getting a brief respite here at the farm - a noticeably cooler day in the 70s with a little less humidity.
My crew is always busy. Once a week, I create very detailed lists of all that needs to be done. Right now, the focus is on pruning the trees and boxwood shrubs, grooming the roses, weeding the garden beds, harvesting peaches and vegetables, mulching, and most importantly, watering.
Enjoy these photos.
-
- It takes a lot of close monitoring to stay on top of our watering tasks this time of year. We’ve had sporadic showers and thunderstorms, but sometimes they’re just not enough to keep all the gardens well irrigated.
-
- One of my favorite sources for watering is Gilmour, a Madison, Wisconsin-based company. I use several of their products at my New York farm and at Skylands, my home in Maine. Mornings are the best times to water – when water pressure is high, evaporation is low, and the soil can absorb the water before the sun heats up the ground.
-
- I keep the sprinklers near the hoses, so they’re always readily available. And when not in use, they are neatly rolled up near the hose bib.
-
- Among the many summer chores is mulching. Here is Chhiring mulching the tree pits under my majestic pin oak trees. The pin oak allée is the first allée guests see when entering my farm. These trees are tall and impressive.
-
- And do you follow me on Instagram @MarthaStewart48? I’ve had such an excellent peach season – lately, I’ve been picking peaches every day. Here’s Enma picking more.
-
- In no time – Enma and Andres pick trays and trays of sweet, delicious fruits.
-
- Behind my greenhouse, I have a 68-foot by 30-foot rose bed that includes floribunda, hybrid tea, and shrub roses – all with gorgeous color, form, and fragrance. Matthew is pruning and grooming each bush. This time of year, I like to prune them lightly and selectively to shape the bushes and control any unwanted growth.
-
- Not far, Phurba gets all his needed gear to prune the boxwood allée shrubs. It’s a huge task to prune all the boxwood. Phurba is my resident boxwood pruning expert. He has been with me for many years.
-
- Here he is cutting and shaping one of the shrubs. One can see the newest growth. Phurba keeps the shears close to him with his hands midway down the handles. This allows the best control.
-
- And occasionally he stops to sharpen the blades – it’s important to keep tools in their best condition to get the best results.
-
- In the vegetable garden, Cesar helps to secure the growing tomato vines to the bamboo supports using jute twine.
-
- Meanwhile, Ryan harvests some beans – it’s also a very good bush bean season.
-
- There’s more pruning down behind my chicken coops. Pasang is working on the row of hawthorns. I planted these in 2020 and they’ve done very well here. Hawthorns, Crataegus, commonly called hawthorn, quickthorn, thornapple, May-tree, whitethorn, or hawberry, is a genus of several hundred species of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae.
-
- But beware, this tree is also known as cockspur thorn because it sports numerous long, sharp thorns along its trunk and horizontal branches. A grouping of these trees makes an excellent protective barrier or living fence.
-
- Here’s Chhiring spreading compost around the Little Darling® Lilacs recently planted from the wholesale nursery Monrovia.
-
- I am fortunate to be able to make such excellent compost here at my farm – weed free and so nutrient-rich.
-
- It’s also important that the animals are well hydrated in this warm weather. Here’s Truman “TJ” Junior taking a refreshing drink under the shade of the giant pines.
-
- Here’s Jimmy walking my Friesian, Geert, back to the stable for grooming and a meal.
-
- Clive is waiting patiently for his dinner. Don’t worry, Clive, it’s coming soon.
-
- Around the farm, much of the detritus from the gardens is hauled away using the dump trucks or these Polaris off-road vehicles, always so handy and durable. it’s never a dull moment here at my farm, but my hardworking crew is getting it all done!
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
