Temperatures at my farm today are expected to reach 80-degrees Fahrenheit - unseasonably warm, but great for continuing our planting projects in my living maze.
Last week, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew started working on another big section of this garden. I designed an area that includes a long boxwood border across the maze and an allée running perpendicular to it leading to a small, open space. Yesterday, the sod was removed, a trench was dug, and 52 boxwood shrubs were planted - it's coming along very nicely.
Enjoy these photos.
These ‘Green Mountain’ boxwood shrubs are all from Select Horticulture Inc. in nearby Pound Ridge, New York. They’re lined up next to the bed where they will be planted.
My outdoor grounds crew clears the designated beds for more maze planting. This is what the cleared area looks like once all the two-inch thick sod is pulled up. The area will also be tilled.
My trusted Kubota M62 tractor loader and backhoe are positioned to dig a trench where the sod was removed. When there is enough room to work, we dig trenches – it’s faster when planting a number of specimens in a row compared to individual holes.
Digging a large trench like this is also good for breaking up more of the soil for new roots to grow and for better circulation of oxygen and water.
José removes any excess soil and manually smooths out the trench as needed. He also removes any rocks that would be in the way.
The crew works efficiently and quickly. Adan is very skilled with the backhoe, making it the precise depth for the boxwood, about a foot.
It doesn’t take long before the entire trench is dug. Adan also places the removed soil on a tarp, so it is easy to clean-up later.
The entire area is sprinkled with fertilizer. The crew uses an all purpose plant food from Miracle-Gro.
The plastic is then removed from each specimen.
The wire caging and burlap are also removed from each root ball before being placed in the trench.
It is very important to ensure all the protective materials and coverings are removed to prevent any risk of damage to the roots.
To place each one into the trench, José slowly rolls the root ball into position.
‘Green Mountain’ boxwood is a woody, broadleaf, evergreen shrub with an upright, pyramidal form similar to a small tree. It also has
dense, rich, green foliage that holds well through the year.
Cesar measures three feet from the center stem to where the center stem of the next plant should go.
All of the boxwood is placed into the trench before any backfilling is done. This is when they can all be counted and checked carefully to make sure they are both straight and properly positioned. All these shrubs are healthy, but we always position plantings with the best side facing the walking path – in this case, the center of the allée.
Once everything is checked, the boxwood is then backfilled and the area is raked.
Here is a side view of the new boxwood allée. Each one is directly aligned with the one across.
The new row runs perpendicular to the one just finished last week. Once they’re all planted, they are given a very deep and thorough drink. It’s been hot here and very dry and dusty – we’ve been watering everything quite a bit.
And here is a view looking south to the rest of the maze. ‘Green Mountain’ Boxwood is a slow-growing evergreen that matures to four to five feet tall and two to three feet wide. It’s all coming together. We have about a third of the maze left to go. What do you think?
Here in the Northeast, the plants and trees continue to show off their gorgeous fall colors.
This time of year, because of the changes in temperature and length of daylight, the leaves stop their food-making process. When this happens, the chlorophyll breaks down and the green color disappears, making way for all the shades of autumn. Here at my farm, we're still waiting for a hard frost. In fact, today's temperatures are expected to be in the high 70s, but the colors across the landscape are beautiful - various shades of orange, yellow, brown, red, and evergreen.
Enjoy these photos.
There are leaves everywhere this time of year. Some trees change early, others late – usually from mid-October to mid-November here in the Northeast.
Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs.
At my farm I planted many different types of trees in hopes that they would shade, provide climate control, and change color at different times, in different ways. It’s so beautiful to see them change through the seasons.
And what a difference a couple of weeks make. These tall sugar maples above my tree peony garden are now nearly bare of leaves. Just a couple of weeks ago, they were filled with gorgeous shades of yellow, burnt orange, and red.
The colors change daily, Warm, sunny days and cool nights produce the most spectacular colors.
Here is one of my ginkgo trees. These trees show a dramatic change every fall when the bold green leaves turn golden bright yellow.
At the edge of the back hayfield is the giant sycamore tree – the symbol of my farm. The foliage of American sycamore trees is a vast crown of large leaves. In autumn, sycamore tree leaves turn shades of yellow and brown.
Nearby, the early evening sun shines through the golden leaves above the dark evergreens.
Here is a look through the woodland – so beautiful with its palette of gold, green, and auburn.
And this is what one sees on the other side of the same giant field – beautiful shades of red.
It is fall here now, but in Australia and New Zealand, autumn begins in March and ends in May, while those who live near the equator miss this season entirely because their regions get a consistent amount of sun.
Linden tree leaves turn a spectacular bright yellow color in fall. Lindens, Tilia, are also known as basswoods, and have sturdy, straight trunks and profuse foliage. This allée of lindens below the tall white pines runs from the chicken coops up to my allée of boxwood and then again from the boxwood to my long pergola.
Here beneath my dawn redwoods, the hostas are also changing. Hosta leaves turn yellow, brown, and soft orange and then die back as the plants prepare for winter dormancy.
I also get many compliments on the fencing – it is antique spruce fencing I bought in Canada, and it surrounds all my paddocks for the horses, pony and donkeys. This is my grove of American beech trees, Fagus grandifolia.
This is one side of my allée of pin oaks, Quercus palustris. They are starting to turn a gorgeous russet brown.
Just a week ago, this beautiful Nyssa sylvatica, or black tupelo, was still predominantly dark green, but now its foliage is turning bright red, purple, yellow, and orange – all colors that may appear on the same branch.
On the other side of my terrace – an apple tree, now completely bare except for a few fruits.
Redbud trees, with their heart-shaped leaves display a variety of fall colors, including yellow, golden, and crimson.
We’ve already begun placing old bales of hay around the hoop houses to add insulation for the coming cold.
This time of year is always so magical. Here are my horses grazing in their run-in pasture surrounded by the beautiful foliage. I hope you are able to enjoy some of these autumn colors where you are.
It's mid-October and the ground is still pretty soft, so planting projects continue here at my farm.
The three-acre lush pasture just outside my Winter House is the setting for my living maze, which I started in the spring of 2022. I've planted a variety of interesting trees, hedges, espaliers, and shrubs - rows of plantings that branch off with pathway options and dead ends, with only one correct route to the center. It's now more than half way complete. Most recently, I decided to add a beautiful row of 'Green Mountain' boxwood as part of a newly designed space within the maze. It will look so pretty once it's all finished.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This large collection of boxwood is from Select Horticulture in nearby Pound Ridge, New York. I get many of my bigger specimens from Select Horticulture – they are always very healthy and lush.
Pete and Ryan go over my sketches and instructions for planting the boxwood.
It’s important to take the time to plan out a new garden bed and put up lines so plantings are straight and properly measured.
I wanted these boxwood shrubs to be placed in a row east to west in this maze next to my tall London plane trees. Pete measures and runs the bright landscape twine across the field.
Next, Pete cuts the sod with our Classen Pro HSC18 sod cutter. He goes up and down twice to cut the sod in two long strips.
Alex cuts the sod in sections, so it is easier to pick up.
And then José rolls up the sections, so they can be removed. The sod is two inches thick, and with the soil can be quite heavy.
All these sod pieces will be used in another section of the farm, so nothing is wasted.
Phurba sprinkles generous amounts of fertilizer along the entire length of the area. Remember what I always say, “if you eat, so should your plants.”
And then he starts tilling the bed with our Troy-Bilt Pony Rear-Tine Tiller. The machine is set to till the soil at about six to eight inches deep. On some tillers, the speed of the rotating tines helps determine the speed of the machine.
Meanwhile, Pete transports small groups of boxwood to the planting area.
Meanwhile, the boxwood is lined up next to the bed where it will be planted.
Buxus is a genus of at least 70-species in the family Buxaceae. ‘Green Mountain’ boxwood is a woody, broadleaf, evergreen shrub with bright green foliage that retains good color throughout winter.
And then the digging begins. Our Kubota M62 tractor loader and backhoe are positioned to dig a trench for the boxwood. Digging a trench is not only faster when planting a number of specimens in a row compared to individual holes, but it also allows more break up of the soil for new roots to grow and for better circulation of oxygen and water.
Phurba follows to remove any excess soil and manually smooths out the trench as needed.
The wire caging, plastic, and burlap are removed from each root ball as it is placed into the trench.
Here’s Phurba placing one of the boxwood shrubs. All these shrubs are in good condition, but when planting, my crew knows to always face the best looking side out.
José measures the space between each boxwood – not once, but twice. It should be three feet from center stem to center stem.
Also check the height of each one against its neighbors and line plants accordingly to create a cohesive and attractive row.
The shrubs are then backfilled. A good tip is to “plant bare to the flare,” meaning do not bury above the flare, where the first main roots attach to the main stem or trunk. The roots need oxygen to grow. By placing the root flare at or slightly above ground level when planting gives the shrub the best chance for survival, growth, and development.
The bed is raked and blown, so it looks tidy.
Next, these newly planted shrubs will get a good and deep drink.
When fully mature, ‘Green Mountain’ boxwood can grow to be three to seven feet tall and two to three feet wide. Eventually, the boxwood will create a handsome hedge. This is still a work in progress – wait until you see what happens next!
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