Daytime temperatures are only expected to rise into the 20s for the rest of this week with more snow expected this weekend.
This last winter storm Fern dropped more than 21 inches at my farm with drifts topping two-feet in some areas. Thankfully we were well-prepared. All the tropical plants are tucked away in temperature-controlled greenhouses, and most of my precious boxwood shrubs and hedges are draped in burlap. The days following have been bitterly cold, with winds at a minimum allowing everyone a chance clean up --- before the next storm system arrives.
Here are more photos, enjoy.
This photo was taken two days after Winter Storm Fern dropped debilitating amounts of snow over much of the eastern United States. Thankfully my farm did not suffer any damage. Here is a stand of eastern white pines, Pinus strobus. White pines are the tallest trees in eastern North America.
Also standing strong are these dawn redwoods, Metasequoia, with their straight trunks. They are impressive trees by any standard, and beautiful in any season.
This is a view from the bottom end of my vegetable garden – completely covered in untouched snow.
This view between the paddocks shows an allée of lindens with my carport in the distance. This linden tree-lined allée runs from my Winter House down to the chicken coops.
Here is my orchard that surrounds the pool. More than 200-fruit trees are planted in this space.
After it snows, my crew sweeps the snow off the burlap that covers most of the boxwood here at the farm. This time of year, I am very relieved the hedges and shrubs are protected. Heavy snow could splay the branches. This snow was light and fluffy and caused by colder temperatures leading to less moisture in the air.
This shows the base of one of my mighty pin oaks, Quercus palustris, that grow alongside my Equipment Barn. My pool house is in the distance.
Notice the holes in the burlap. It’s a “Good Thing” I developed to help our avian friends during winter – they love to take cover inside, especially during storms.
Along many of the stone walls hang icicles. This week is expected to be brutally cold with nighttime temperatures in the single digits.
This is a row of six weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus Pendula. They line one side of the soccer field I set up for my grandson, Truman. These are such graceful and shapely specimen trees, very rare and densely branched.
Here is the little Basket House nestled in the grove of bald cypress, Taxodium distichum.
This corn crib has been here since I purchased the farm. Located near my Winter House and long pergola, it’s become a favorite photo for guests. I love how snow collects on this 100-year old white spruce fencing I purchased in Canada. This fencing is what surrounds all my paddocks at the farm.
These small shrubs which I nurtured from bare root cuttings are planted along the carriage road across from my pergola. At about 16 inches tall, these were completely covered in snow and had to be swept clean one by one.
Walking paths for man and beast are dug out through the cobblestone courtyard in front of my stable.
It’s true – birds of a feather flock together. Here is my gaggle of geese walking single file into their shelter. Less than five minutes later, they also walked out – together.
A walk up the carriage road one sees young azaleas peeking through the snow – a totally different look than in spring when these shrubs are full with foliage and blooms. Azaleas go dormant during winter, allowing them to tolerate the colder temperatures more easily.
Whenever it snows, I am always grateful for the stakes we put up delineating the carriage roads. We paint the tips of those stakes that mark the catch basins, so if needed, the side openings can be cleared.
Phurba uses a roof snow rake to remove snow off the tall American boxwood surrounding my sunken Summer House garden. While I do not cover these in burlap, I do wrap them in netting to prevent any snow from splaying the branches.
By late afternoon, it was snowing again. All the bird feeders are full. A series of these feeders hangs from the carport roof for all the 125-varieties of birds that visit my farm.
My donkey, Truman “TJ” Junior, doesn’t seem to mind the winter weather at all, though I do think he may be hungry for a snack.
My outdoor grounds crew is doing a great job digging out the farm from under all the snow. Let’s see what the next storm system brings. If you’re affected, be careful and stay warm.
Winter is a good time to cover the garden beds with a rich layer of organic compost.
Fortunately I am able to make compost right here at my farm. During the course of the year, my outdoor grounds crew amasses large amounts of organic debris - felled trees, branches, underbrush, etc., but none of the material goes to waste. The wood is either repurposed quickly as milled lumber, chipped and returned to the woodland as top dressing, or mixed with other biodegradable materials including chicken and horse manure to make compost - that nutrient rich “black gold” that's spread generously over all the gardens to protect plants and growing bulbs and keep them insulated until spring.
Enjoy these photos.
Before the huge weekend snow storm, my outdoor grounds crew was busy covering garden beds around my home with beautiful compost.
This area is just outside my archive studio just off the carriage road to my Winter House.
And further up the road, the viburnums across from my carport are top dressed so nicely with compost.
Here’s a closer look at the compost – so full of nutrients for the existing soil.
Compost also includes some of the organic debris from the woodland. During the course of the year, these felled tree limbs and branches are piled neatly by the side of the carriage road. When possible, it is either chipped and returned as dressing in the woods, or carted away and brought to the compost yard and saved for the tub grinder.
Here is the animal waste and hay collected in another area – this also gets processed.
And here are other piles – leaf mold, or composted leaves, and other organic brush and plant debris – all carbon-rich materials in various stages of decay.
After it is all run through the tub grinder multiple times, it is left to decay naturally under giant tarps and made into garden compost – filled with nutrients.
This compost is well decayed. The rich, dark, and crumbly compost can now support proper soil structure, improve water retention, and promote beneficial microbial life back in the gardens.
The task of composting the gardens is done efficiently by several members of the crew. Here, Chhiring fills the wheelbarrows full of compost.
Weeds are removed before any top dressing is applied. Covering the garden beds with compost will also help deter future weeds… I hope.
And as each wheelbarrow is filled, it is brought to the cleaned bed and unloaded in piles. Here is Phurba delivering more compost to the beds behind my Tenant House.
Phurba drops small manageable mounds of compost in the area.
And by hand, a three to four inch layer of compost is spread over all the beds. I prefer this done in winter when flowers are not in bloom and the crew can gingerly walk through without disturbing any growth.
All of it is done carefully and thoughtfully to make sure it is spread in a neat and even layer.
I also use evergreen boughs to provide more insulation over sensitive plants.
This is a garden bed outside my home – not only do the boughs protect plants from harsh weather conditions, but it also looks pretty. And I am reusing and repurposing what I already have.
This is the garden surrounding my Basket House below the towering bald cypress trees – all bare of their feathery fern-like foliage.
This area is part of my Stewartia garden, where I plant various perennials, spring blooming bulbs, and of course, Stewartia trees.
Covering the gardens with a good layer of compost is nature’s best soil conditioner and a wonderful way to beautify the gardens and give back to the earth.
If you are snowed in this morning like many others in the eastern portion of the United States, what are you doing? For those indoors, it could be a nice time to complete another spring cleaning task.
Like many of you, my kitchen is the main "hub" of my home. It's where I eat meals, meet with staff, and do a lot of my paperwork - all on my marble kitchen counters. And while they get cleaned frequently every day, after time they do get marks and rings typically caused by acidic substances that react with the calcium carbonate in the marble. Cleaning them with the right products was the next big chore on my list.
Enjoy these photos.
While marble counters are stunning, they do come with some disadvantages. To start, marble is very porous making it prone to staining and etching. Marble is also softer than other countertop materials which causes them to be more susceptible to scratches.
If you have marble kitchen counters, look closely – do you see marks like these?
Or look from a distance, can you see rings like these? Even after cleaning?
I asked my friends at Precision Stone, Marble & Granite what they recommended I use to clean my countertops. Owner Mark Galazzo suggested a quick process for cleaning the marble, removing any marks, and lightly sealing the surface using acetone, waterproof 400 grit sandpaper, Stonetech Revitalizer, Cleaner and Protector, and Stonetech BulletProof Sealer.
Enma clears the counters and starts by pouring a small amount of acetone onto a rag. Acetone is a colorless, flammable liquid used to dissolve various substances. It is commonly used in nail polish removers.
Enma wipes the counter thoroughly with the acetone.
Here is the rag after using the acetone. My counters are wiped down many times a day, but there is still dirt left on the marble.
Next, Enma pours water onto the counter. This is important for the next step of the process.
She uses a 400-grit sandpaper to remove the acid etching marks. Doing it on a wet surface prevents any scratching. The sandpaper is waterproof, so it is very effective on this counter. It is available online.
Enma spends at least 10 minutes going over the table with the sandpaper. It doesn’t need too much pressure, but it does necessitate repetition to be sure the marks are removed.
The sandpaper is an ultra-fine abrasive that removes the scratches easily and effectively. The paper can be used several times before disposing.
Next, Enma wipes the counter again to remove the water.
Here she sprays the Stonetech Revitalizer, Cleaner & Protector, also available online. This product cleans the surface and protects against future stains and bacterial growth.
Using another clean rag, Enma spreads the cleaner on the surface and wipes the entire area.
She does this several times over to make sure the counter is completely covered and then she wipes it until clean and dry.
Look at the dirt removed. this step may need repeating until the rag ends up clean.
After a thorough wiping, Enma pours a bit of the Stonetech BulletProof Sealer onto the marble.
And she wipes it again – carefully and thoroughly. This adds a very light layer to seal and protect the surface.
And look at the end result. No marks or rings at all.
Here is the area near my sink – so clean.
And here is the end of my marble counter – it looks just as it did when it was first installed more than 20 years ago. It’s great to get these jobs done.
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