Dozens of beautiful stone pavers that once covered my former East Hampton terrace have new purpose here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Now that I have a new and giant half-acre vegetable garden closer to my home, I needed to figure out what to do with the smaller garden down by the chicken coops. Last year, we used it to grow all our pumpkins. Once they were all harvested, I decided I wanted this space to be a more formal flower cutting garden, where varieties would be organized in sections and size, color, and bloom time would be planned appropriately to maintain a continuous supply of flowers throughout the season. So far, we've tilled the soil, planted a selection of herbaceous peonies, and yesterday, completed the new bluestone footpath down the center of the garden.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This was my vegetable garden in 2016 – in a fenced in space down by my chicken yard.
The garden produced bounties of delicious vegetables for many years, until I decided to create a larger raised bed vegetable area closer to my Winter House.
Last summer, this garden was used as our pumpkin patch. It produced a wonderful harvest of cucurbits – pumpkins, squash, and gourds.
Earlier this year, once the ground was warm enough, we went to work to transform the space once again. The entire enclosure was cleared, cleaned and then Pete rototilled the soil twice.
And then amended the soil with compost.
Along the fence, we planted sweet peas.
On both sides of the center footpath, we planted herbaceous peonies. None of the work interfered with the plants.
I wanted to create a stone footpath. Doing this would look neat and tidy, but also provide good, sturdy, and hopefully dry footing for anyone entering the enclosure. Pete secures landscaping twine from one end to the other on both sides to ensure the finished path is completely straight and matches the measurement of the bluestone pavers.
Using a hoe, Pete removes any leftover weeds, or small rocks from the area.
Pete drops stone dust in the path. Stone dust is a non-porous material, which is good to use under stone. It will stop heavy rain water from seeping below and reduces the risk of shifting or damaging the pavers.
Next, Pete uses the back of a landscape rake to spread the stone dust. It is the perfect width of the path.
… and then he turns it over to level the area. The razor-back aluminum landscape rake has a wide head to level the dust quickly and smoothly.
Before carrying any stone over to the path, Pete measures again – every piece must be 19-inches across.
Once it is brought to the location, Pete carefully lines up the stone paver over the space…
… and then gently drops it in place.
Each piece must be positioned so it is straight with the twine and spaced evenly with the preceding piece of stone.
Pete uses a fork to make minor adjustments to the stone. These pavers are very heavy, so using the right tool is key to avoiding injury.
Bluestone is a natural stone typically found with a blueish color and veins of grey and brown. The colors vary depending on where it is mined. Its durable composition makes it popular for use as stone steps, pool surrounds, terraces, paths, etc.
Here, Pete uses his hand to move extra stone dust underneath, so it is completely secure.
After the stone is in place, Pete steps on it and tests its sturdiness – no teetering allowed.
Here, Pete drops the last paver at the east end of the garden. It fits just right.
I am so pleased with how it looks. This is the full length of the new footpath. The twine farthest left and right marks where the peonies are planted. There are also three hose bibs in this garden for watering.
Outside the gate, Pete spreads native washed stone gravel. It looks great. Follow along and see the rest of the transformation. You’ll love it.
Tulips are among the most popular of all garden flowers - grown for their graceful leaves and bright, cheery blooms.
Yesterday was "Tulip Day" in New York City's Union Square. A pop-up field of 200-thousand tulips were displayed for visitors to create their own bouquets. The event was hosted by Royal Anthos, a Dutch trade association for flower bulb companies, the European Union, and the Netherlands Consulate General of New York. It's part of an initiative to honor the 400-years since the first Dutch settlements were established in the city. My tulips aren't blooming just yet, but to join in the celebration I decided to share some photos of the tulips I've grown over the years.
Enjoy these photos.
Every year, I always plant a variety of tulips in my garden. Tulips are bulbous plants of the genus Tulipa, in the lily family, Liliaceae. The flowers are usually large, showy, and brightly colored.
Tulips have a fascinating history. Although closely associated with Holland, tulips were first cultivated in Turkey. The name tulip is believed to be derived from the Turkish word for turbans, “tulbend,” because of their resemblance. They gained popularity in Europe in the 17th century, peaking in 1636 to 1637. Now, the Netherlands is the world’s largest commercial producer of tulips, with around three billion exported each year.
And do you know… tulips were once as expensive as some houses? In the late 1630s during the Dutch Golden Age, tulips were more popular than ever before creating a ‘Tulip Mania.’ This however, did not last long. After a year, prices had skyrocketed so high buyers could no longer afford them.
There are currently more than 3,000 registered varieties of tulips – separated in divisions based on shape, form, origin, and bloom time.
These are crisp, white tulips. Tulips have been hybridized in just about every color except blue. Most tulips have one flower per stem, but there are some multi-flowered varieties.
I have grown solid colored varieties as well as multi-colored types. Tulip bulbs should be planted in full sun to partial shade. Too much shade will diminish blooming in spring.
The broad, strappy leaves of tulips have a waxy coating that gives them a blue-green color. There are usually two to six leaves per plant.
Here is an image from above. Typical tulips have bell shaped flowers with three petals, three sepals, and six free stamens.
Tulips need well-drained soil. Sandy soil amended with some organic matter is perfect. They also prefer a slightly acidic soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5. I am so fortunate to have such great soil here at the farm.
Here is a bright yellow tulip with double flowers.
Inside this one is a touch of soft yellow.
And look how stunning they are planted en masse. Most tulip plants range between six to 24 inches tall.
When in bloom, I always enjoy cutting flowers and bringing them indoors to decorate my home.
When cutting, select those that are just about to open fully, when they have about 75-percent of their full color.
These yellow tulips with bright red streaks are striking for cut arrangements.
I displayed these in my sitting room on a table. Keep cut flowers in a cool area as heat reduces the bloom time.
These tulips were displayed in my entrance hall. Tulips follow the sun even when they’re in a vase. Watch them. Tulips also continue to grow even after they’ve been cut.
I also display flowers on the counter in my servery, where I can see them every morning on my way to my kitchen.
Last November, we planted several beds of tulips in my new 1/2-acre vegetable garden. They will all bloom before we plant the vegetables.
Tulips grow best in zones 3 to 8 where they can get eight to 12 weeks of cold temperatures while under the soil.
Here they are now. Tulips usually begin emerging from the ground in late winter or early spring. The beds are filled with healthy bold green tulip leaves. In a few weeks, these beds will be overflowing with colorful tulip blooms – wait and see!
The garden beds at my Bedford, New York farm continue to evolve.
I'm always looking for ways to improve my gardens. I love planting interesting and rare specimens that add texture, growth and beauty at different times throughout the year. I also enjoy arranging large groups of certain plantings to create borders and appealing displays. Recently, I decided to make some changes to the garden bed near my front gate. I finally removed the remaining trunks of a stand of white pines that were battered by Super Storm Sandy in 2012. I will plant something beautiful in their place, but in the meantime, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew planted a row of lovely boxwood along the edge of the bed.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I love boxwood, Buxus, and have hundreds of these bold green shrubs growing all over my Bedford, New York farm. I take very special care of these specimens – they are regularly pruned and groomed, and in winter they are covered in a layer of protective burlap. It’s so nice to see them thrive in the gardens.
Down near my chicken coops I set up a boxwood “nursery” where we plant bare-root cuttings and nurture them for several years before they are planted around the farm. Here, Phurba is grooming some of the more developed young shrubs. This is easier to do before they are moved. These shrubs will be perfect for our newest project.
Outside my main greenhouse, one can see where the trunks had been removed. The space looks so different already.
I called in the professionals to grind up the stumps. The grinder has discs that spin at high speeds gradually cutting further down the stump until there is nothing left.
This machine is controlled remotely from a handheld unit. In just minutes, the stump is reduced to wood chips and shavings. Any old roots will eventually decay into the soil.
Here is the bed after the stumps are completely gone – a top dressing of composted mulch covers the entire space.
On another day, Phurba begins removing some of the plantings where the boxwood will be placed. These will be saved and replanted.
Holes are dug twice as wide as the boxwood root balls, but no deeper. Once in the hole, the top of the root ball should be a half-inch higher than the soil surface. We’ve had a lot of rain lately, so the soil is quite moist and soft.
Remember what I always say, “if you eat, so should your plants.” We’re using Miracle-Gro Shake ‘N Feed Flowering Trees and Shrubs Plant Food. It contains natural ingredients to feed microbes in the soil and provide continuous release feeding to maintain deep, lush green foliage.
Once a hole is dug, Phurba thoroughly mixes the fertilizer with the soil. This is important, so the fertilizer does not have too much direct contact with the roots, which could burn them.
The boxwood is planted right away in the spot. Landscape twine is also positioned to ensure the shrubs are lined up perfectly where the bed is straight.
Phurba backfills wherever necessary. Boxwood shrubs have shallow root systems, so proper mulching after they are planted will help retain moisture and keep the roots cool.
Boxwood prefers well-drained soil with a lot of organic matter. Loamy soil or sandy conditions are best. Most boxwoods like some shade, but some varieties handle full sun exposure better than others.
Here is the border so far. It starts in front of my main greenhouse and will extend around a corner along the carriage road.
Each hole is dug carefully, especially as the bed curves. Phurba makes sure every shrub is positioned properly.
The outdoor grounds crew cut a piece of bamboo to help space the plants as they’re planted.
The shrubs are planted exactly two-feet apart and one foot from the edge – better to measure repeatedly to avoid any replanting later.
Phurba tamps down around each specimen to establish good contact with the soil.
Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood. The boxes are native to western and southern Europe, southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Boxwood shrubs are slow-growing with dark green glossy leaves arranged opposite from each other, making pairs. Leaf shape depends on the variety; some are round while others are elliptical. This is Buxus ‘Green Mountain.’
Known as “man’s oldest garden ornamental” according to the American Boxwood Society, ancient Egyptians used boxwoods as decorative plants as early as 4000 B.C. Here is one side all done.
Boxwood has upright, naturally cone-shaped habits making them excellent candidates for planting free-form or for a sculpted hedge or border.
I am even more excited to see how this border develops over the next couple of years. And wait until you see what’s planned for the center of the bed. What do you think?
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