Spring Jobs Around My Farm

April 17, 2026

Here in the Northeast, we’re expecting a little break from the unseasonably warm weather we've had the last few days. Forecasters say it should be more pleasant with temperatures in the 70s - perfect for continuing all the tasks that need to be done around the farm.

There's always so much to do this time of year. My outdoor grounds crew is busy moving and planting smoke bushes in my middle field allée, transplanting boxwood shrubs outside my greenhouse, planting large arborvitae evergreens, clearing sod and tilling soil for new flower beds, uncovering the dahlias, and of course, beginning the task of aerating and mowing the lawns.

Here are some photos, enjoy. What's on your to-do list this weekend?

: Thuja plicata ‘Green Giant’ is a fast growing evergreen that provides lush, soft foliage and works great for privacy borders. It is commonly known as arborvitae.

: When planting anything, it’s always a good idea to scarify the root ball, or make intentional cuts to stimulate root growth.

: The tree is placed into the hole at the proper height. When choosing trees or plants, be sure to consider the size of the specimens when mature. These trees will grow pretty wide, so they need a good amount of space.

: Matthew backfills and then rakes the area so it is neat and tidy.

: Here’s Pete moving a group of Cotinus trees that had outgrown their spaces outside my Tenant House. I decided they would do better in the allée of smoke bushes in my middle hayfield.

: The trees filled in areas where others had died. Don’t be afraid to move trees – as long as the trees are in good condition and the transplanting process is done carefully, this should be an easy task.

: The trees are planted at the same depth, “bare to the flare,” which means covered with soil only until the point where the roots meet the main trunk of the tree.

: Phurba rakes the area after the trees are planted, fed, and backfilled.

: This allée of London plane trees and smoke bushes is doing well. They will look great when full of foliage.

: Another one of our time consuming spring tasks is the removal of all the burlap and metal framing surrounding the boxwood. The burlap fabric was removed a few weeks ago to expose the plantings to the sun, but now the metal framing and wooden supports are dismantled and stored for the season.

: Pete uses our trusted Hi-Lo to hold and move the metal arches.

: These young boxwood shrubs were nurtured right here at the farm. I grow them from bare-root cuttings and they all develop so nicely. Now it’s time to plant them in the gardens.

: I decided to plant them here in front of my main greenhouse where they will border two garden beds.

: Phurba plants them carefully – measuring their distance from each other with thought and precision.

: Behind my vegetable greenhouse, Chhiring maneuvers the Kubota tractor bucket to carefully remove the compost that has been protecting the dahlias all winter.

: Back in the woodland, Pasang works carefully to cut dead limbs from the trees.

: Weeding has also begun in the gardens. Here, spring weeds are pulled from the perimeter of the vegetable garden.

: And in another area, sod is removed in preparation for a new garden. I can’t wait to show you what I am doing in this space. The sod is transplanted in the the chicken yard.

: Here is where the sod was removed.

: The area is then rototilled, which is the process of tilling the soil with a gas-powered machine equipped with tines that cultivate the soil in preparation for planting.