It's winter and bitterly cold here in the Northeast, but I'm already preparing for the next growing season here at my farm.
I start sowing seeds indoors soon after the New Year. Starting from seed is not difficult to do, but it does require careful attention and patience. And once the seedlings start to develop, it’s important to keep up with maintenance care - thin out seedlings that are weak, prick out those that are growing too big for their seed starting trays, and transplant them into larger pots and flats. This week, Ryan transplanted the artichokes.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Artichokes are in season late spring and early summer. The globe artichoke is an heirloom vegetable grown for its tender, edible flower buds. I love artichokes and grow many every year.
I like to pick them young and small, but always look for those that are plump, firm, and heavy for their size. Artichokes are among the finest sources of dietary fiber and antioxidants. They are also an excellent source of vitamins C, K and B6 as well as folic acid, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.
Here at my farm, all my delicious artichokes start as seed. It’s important to start vegetable seeds early, so they are ready in time to plant outdoors once the weather is right.
I enjoy trying seeds from various vendors, but Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds are two of my go-to sources.
Artichoke seeds are small, so one must take time dropping them – one per cell. It’s a good idea to keep a record of when seeds are sown, when they germinate, and when they are transplanted. These observations will help organize a schedule for the following year.
After a few weeks, the tiny seeds have sprouted and grown enough to move into bigger containers.
These tools are great for transplanting seedlings. The tools include small cutters to remove any dead leaves, a pair of large tweezers, and a widger from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. It has a convex stainless steel blade that delicately separates the tiny plants.
Use a pre-made seed starting mix that contains the proper amounts of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss. Seed starting mixes are available at garden supply stores.
I use Miracle-Gro Seed Starting Potting Mix.
Blackie sits nearby and watches Ryan working.
Ryan fills the pots to the top. A good quality mix designed for seedlings will be fast draining and light. These mixes are formulated to encourage strong, healthy growth in new plants.
Using the widger, Ryan carefully removes the seedling from the tray. All of these are in excellent condition.
Ryan is very careful so as not to break the small root ball.
Using his fingers, Ryan makes a small hole in the pot for the seedling.
Then he places the seedling in its new container.
Once the seedling is in its hole at the same depth it was in the seed tray, Ryan positions it so it is straight and secure.
And then gently firms up the surrounding soil. He avoids handling the seedling by its tender stems, which can bruise easily. The strong and healthy plants now have more room to grow.
The purpose of transplanting is to provide enough room – overcrowding can stress the young sprouts.
The pots are watered thoroughly and fed next door in the greenhouse.
They will sit on one of the long sliding tables where they can be checked every day. The plants will have good exposure to light and can continue to grow until they are ready to plant outdoors.
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.
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