Adding just one type of tree, bush, or plant can totally transform a space.
I enjoy planting interesting and beautiful specimens that add texture and beauty at different times throughout the year. I also like arranging groups of certain plantings to create borders, allées and appealing displays. Last week, I purchased six Ginkgo biloba Goldspire™ Obelisk trees from Select Horticulture Inc. in nearby Pound Ridge, New York. I knew these narrow upright tower trees would look excellent on both sides of my pool. They were delivered, positioned, and planted right away - and they look just perfect.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
There is always so much happening at my Bedford, New York farm. On this day, six Ginkgo biloba Goldspire™ Obelisk trees arrived. Select Horticulture Inc. secures their trees excellently for transport – they came in perfect condition.
Ginkgo Goldspire™ is a highly ornamental, non-fruiting male tree originating in Italy. It has a very upright, tight fastigiate habit, and the foliage tends to be smaller than other species.
Once the trees are delivered, each one is positioned inside the pool area. Each grows about one to two feet per year and prefers mostly sun and well-drained soil.
New foliage on the Ginkgo Goldspire™ emerges a rich shade of green, fan-shaped, and slightly curled. It keeps its color through summer, then turns buttery shades of yellow and gold in autumn before dropping.
I placed wooden stakes where I wanted the trees to go.
My outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, measures the locations and then uses white landscape paint to mark a circle where each tree will be planted. These specimens should have at least 10-feet of space between them.
Chhiring goes over the circle line with our Classen Pro HSC18 sod cutter. The sod cutter goes over the lines smoothly and deeply.
There are different types of sod cutters, but they all essentially cut grass at the roots so entire sections of sod can be removed to expose the bare ground underneath.
Here is the new cleared out area. This will become the tree pit.
All six circles are done in the same way. It’s important to get these trees into the ground before the grass underneath the waiting trees gets burned – it’s been unseasonably warm this week.
The team begins digging. The holes must be pretty wide – each one should be at least two to five times as wide as the root ball, but no deeper than the root ball. Once in the hole, the top of the root ball should just be slightly higher than the soil surface. The hole sides should also be slanted. Digging a proper hole helps to provide the best opportunity for roots to expand into its new growing environment.
A good fertilizer made especially for new transplanted specimens should always be used. This is Miracle-Gro Shake ‘N Feed Flowering Trees and Shrubs Plant Food. A generous amount of the fertilizer is mixed in with the nutrient-rich soil.
Then each tree is placed into its designated hole. When moving heavy specimens, only hold it by the root ball, the base and trunk of the planting – never by its branches, which could easily break. Once the Ginkgo is in its hole it is turned so it is straight and its best side is facing the pool.
This part of the process is very important. Chhiring stands at a distance to make sure the tree is positioned properly. Always look at the specimen from all sides, especially from where it will be seen most often. And because these trees are specially shaped with straight sides, they must all be turned just right, so the sides match.
All the trees are positioned first before any backfilling is done, so adjustments can be made. These trees are now all in the ground and positioned correctly.
The burlap and metal cage wrappings help to support the root ball during loading, shipping, and transplanting. Some leave them in the ground, but I prefer to remove everything completely, so there is nothing blocking the growing roots.
Finally, the crew backfills the holes until they are properly filled. And remember, don’t plant it too deeply – always leave it “bare to the flare.”
Phurba tidies up the tree pit and makes sure there is good contact between the tree and the surrounding soil.
Here are three of the Ginkgo Goldspire™ Obelisk trees on one side. The term “obelisk” refers to the tall, four-sided, narrow tapering which ends in a pyramid shape at the top.
And here is a view looking south. The trees look so beautiful with the staddle stones at one end. I am looking forward to seeing these Ginkgo biloba Goldspire™ Obelisk trees develop and flourish.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I have so many peonies! I cannot wait for them all to bloom.
I adore peonies and have been growing them for quite some time. I have a long tree peony border planted under the semi-shade of giant sugar maples. I have a giant bed completely dedicated to pink and white herbaceous peonies across the carriage road from my home. I have tree peonies and Itoh peonies in the formal sunken garden behind my Summer House. Late last year, we planted 75 bare root peony divisions in what will be my new cutting garden adjacent to my chickens. And this week, I decided to add a selection of peonies to the flower garden just outside my main greenhouse - a couple of them have already started to show off their gorgeous blossoms.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Earlier this month, I received a large assortment of plants from the wholesale nursery, Monrovia. Among them, a lovely selection of peonies in white, yellow, apricot, coral, and various shades of pink.
I decided they would all look best in my perennial flower cutting garden. Every year, I add more and more plants to this space that would look pretty both outdoors and as cut flowers inside my home.
Before starting my busy day, I placed every potted peony where it should be planted. Peonies should be spaced about three feet apart where they can get at least six hours of full sun daily.
The peony is any plant in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America. Peonies are one of the best-known and most dearly loved perennials – not surprising considering their beauty, trouble-free nature, and longevity.
Here is a flower bud just days from opening. This is a double peony called ‘Paul M. Wild.’ In this garden, we are adding both herbaceous and Itoh peonies. Itoh peonies are hybrids of herbaceous peonies and tree peonies. Dr. Toichi Itoh, a Japanese botanist, was the first person to successfully combine the pollen from a tree peony with the ovary of an herbaceous peony in the 1940s.
The leaves of many peonies are pointed with a shiny, deep green color – some with a tinge of dark purple.
Each hole is at least twice the size of the plant. Peonies are best planted in rich, well-drained soil.
Once the holes are dug, the potted plants are placed into them to ensure they are the right size. These holes are about a foot-and-a-half deep and wide.
Our NYBG gardening intern, Matthew Orrego, sprinkles a good amount of fertilizer in the hole and on the surrounding soil. I always say, “if you eat, so should your plants.”
For these plants, we’re using Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Rose & Bloom fertilizer which contains micronutrients and natural ingredients, to nourish above and below the soil. Itoh peonies are sensitive to high levels of nitrogen, so when fertilizing in spring and summer, be sure to use a fertilizer that contains a low level of nitrogen.
Matthew mixes the fertilizer with the existing soil in the hole.
Next, he gently releases the plant from its container – these peonies are in excellent condition.
And uses a Hori Hori knife to make intentional root cuts that will encourage growth. He does this to the sides all around the pot…
… and then to the bottom of the root ball.
Here he is placing the peony into the hole – the exposed bottoms of the stems should just be level with the ground.
Matthew then backfills the hole and tamps down to make sure it is packed in firmly.
Some of the varieties planted in this garden include this herbaceous ‘Shirley Temple’ double peony with white blooms and a hint of rose surrounded by lush glossy green foliage. (Photo by Doreen Wynja for Monrovia)
This is ‘Bartzella’ Itoh peony. It features extra-large, vibrant yellow blooms. The outer layers are a lighter lemon meringue color, becoming a more rich yellow toward the center. And tucked within the fluffy blossoms are flares of red. ‘Bartzella’ also has a slightly spicy aroma. (Photo by Doreen Wynja for Monrovia)
The ‘Julia Rose’ Itoh peony shows gorgeous, large, double flowers in soft apricot with blended reddish purple tips and yellow centers. (Photo by Doreen Wynja for Monrovia)
And ‘Paul M. Wild’ is a herbaceous peony with velvety, ruby-red, fully double blooms. (Photo by Doreen Wynja for Monrovia)
This peony is the first to to start blooming. The ‘Pink Ardour’ Itoh Peony has large, semi-double flowers in bold pink, with a dark yellow stamen in the center.
When properly planted and cared for, these fragrant specimens can live for 100 years or even more. Soon, my farm will be filled with more blooming peonies than ever before – I’ll be sure to share photos!
As a passionate gardener, it's always such a treat for me to visit a well-stocked nursery that deals in beautiful and unusual varieties of plants.
Last week, on Arbor Day in fact, I took some time from my busy schedule to stop in at Select Horticulture Inc. in Pound Ridge, New York and check on their current inventory. Select Horticulture Inc. offers an extensive collection of premium quality trees and shrubs including large sizes, unusual and rare specimens, with both stand-alone and mature espaliered options. I'm always searching for interesting specimens to add to my gardens, and I always find something at Select Horticulture Inc.
Enjoy these photos.
Select Horticulture Inc. has locations in Lancaster, Massachusetts and here in Westchester, New York right off route 137. It is owned by Scott Richard and Jim Freeborn who are often at the nurseries ready to answer any questions.
It was such a beautiful day and a perfect morning for a plants adventure. Here I am with Scott and my head gardener, Ryan McCallister.
The nursery has rows and rows of beautiful and well maintained specimens, which can be seen from the road.
Scott drove us around and showed us the spring inventory. Every row of trees and shrubs is neat, tidy, and every item properly identified.
There are lots of lush evergreen shrubs in all different sizes. It is nice to see such a well organized nursery.
Scott and Jim use gravel underneath many of their plantings to help keep the areas dry and easy to move through.
And every tree is connected to an extensive water irrigation system. There are multiple stakes in each root ball that connect to the water source. With warmer weather on the way, Scott’s team checks all the trees to make sure stakes are properly inserted.
Scott showed us this row of espaliered apple trees – each grafted with about six different apple varieties. Espalier refers to an ancient technique, resulting in trees that grow flat, either against a wall, or along a wire-strung framework. I was tempted to get one, or two, but I didn’t… this time.
Here’s a lovely Japanese maple getting transported for delivery to its new home.
In this row – Magnolia x soulangeana ‘Dark Alexandrina.’ This is a dark flowered saucer magnolia which has large fuzzy flower buds up to an inch long.
Hard to miss this row of giant columnar Carpinus betulus Frans Fontaine – a dense hornbeam with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit.
Standing in front are Pinus Thunderheads, medium-sized evergreen conifers.
These are Styrax japonicus MS, or Japanese snowbells, compact, deciduous flowering trees with horizontal branching and rounded crowns.
These giant trees are loaded for delivery. These trees are very well-supported for transport. They should arrive at their destination in perfect condition.
I love these Ginkgo biloba Goldspire Obelisk trees. These feature narrow upright tower forms with flat tops. The distinctive bright green Ginkgo foliage turns golden-yellow in autumn. I decided to purchase a selection – wait and see where they’ll be planted.
Prunus avium Regina Cherry is a dark sweet cherry bred in Germany. The fruit is dark red with reddish flesh and a sweet tart flavor.
Pyrus calleryana Chanticleer is also known as a Callery ornamental pear. It is an upright-pyramidal tree that is much narrower than others of its kind. The glossy heart-shaped leaves turn deep purple in fall.
When selecting any new planting for a garden always be sure to consider the plant’s preferred hardiness zone, its care requirements, and the specimen’s size at maturity.
Here’s another specimen heading home – it was one of several evergreens.
Prunus serrulata ‘Kanzan,’ is a flowering cherry cultivar. It was developed in the Edo period in Japan and is a deciduous tree that grows up to 30-feet tall. It blooms with clusters of large, double deep pink flowers in spring.
And of course, here’s a beautiful Picea orientalis ‘Skylands.’ Do you know why this is one of my favorite trees? Its name is “Skylands” after all – the same name as my beloved home in Maine. If you’re in search of good quality trees or shrubs, and live in or around Pound Ridge, New York, or Lancaster, Massachusetts, be sure to visit Select Horticulture Inc. You’ll learn a lot and most likely find something you love to take home. Thanks for the time, Scott – see you soon!
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