British horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll once said, “A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.” Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we've all had to be very patient and careful in planting my new living maze. It's taking lots of time and hard work to create, but now it is about a third complete and it's looking better and better with each new row.
I started this maze a year and a half ago. I wanted to create a maze of mixed hedges, espaliers, and shrubs in the pasture across the carriage road from my Winter House terrace. I started with European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, and espaliered apple trees. I designed the maze with various plantings to add texture and interest. Each row includes pathway options and dead ends - with only one correct route to the center. It's all meticulously planned on a map, and each week, we add another group of specimens.
Here are some of the latest photos, enjoy.
Remember this view looking north through the pasture? The fenced in apple trees are original to my farm. Beyond, one can see my long Boxwood Allée and the chicken coops. On the left is my stable. This three acre parcel is now home to my maze. I chose this paddock located just outside my Winter House, where I could see it from my terrace parterre. I knew it was the perfect space for this garden of trees and shrubs.
In April of 2022, we planted the first rows. They included European beech, European hornbeam, boxwood, and a variety of espaliered apple trees.
For a maze, it’s best to use relatively fast-growing trees that will be at least six feet tall and two feet wide at maturity.
Every few weeks, we add a new row to the maze. Each row is carefully measured according to a map we have for the entire maze.
Earlier this summer, we planted this row of privets. Look at the foreground – still quite a lot of room to fill.
But look, earlier this week we filled in most of the area. One can see the privets behind this newest grouping of European hornbeams.
Every row starts off with a careful measurement of the intended planting space.
Then Chhiring goes over the same lines with our Classen Pro HSC18 sod cutter. The sod cutter goes over the lines smoothly and deeply.
The sod is removed in sections by hand. I never like to waste anything around the farm. I always try to repurpose and reuse as much as possible, so the sections are replanted in grassy areas that have gotten bare over time.
Here is the new cleared out area for the next grouping of specimens – this week, hornbeams and parrotias.
Next, we tilled the soil with our Troy-Bilt Pony Rear-Tine Tiller. Rototilling is one method of turning up the soil before planting. All the plants and trees do very well here at the farm, in part because of the excellent soil. I have worked very hard to ensure my soil is constantly amended and rich with nutrients. If you are unsure of your soil’s quality, have it tested. Kits are available at garden shops, online, and through your area’s cooperative extensions.
These are European hornbeams. Botanically known as Carpinus betulus, the hornbeam is a fast-growing deciduous tree. In fact, it can grow about four to five feet per year. It is native to Western Asia and central, eastern and southern Europe, including southern England. Because of its dense foliage and tolerance to being cut back, this hornbeam is popularly used for hedges and topiaries.
Hornbeams are often confused with the common beech because of their similar leaves; however, the hornbeam leaves are actually smaller and more deeply furrowed than beech leaves. The leaves are deciduous and alternate, with serrated margins.
Then, each hole is dug. Remember the rule of thumb for planting trees – dig a hole that is two to three times wider than the root ball, but only as deep as the height of the root ball.
I always say, “if you eat, so should your plants.” For all of these, we’re using a fertilizer with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
All the burlap wrapping and any twine are removed from the root balls. Some leave them in the ground, but I prefer to remove them completely, so there is nothing blocking the growing roots.
The tree is placed into its designated hole and then turned so its best side faces the path.
Next, the hole is carefully backfilled. Another rule of thumb is “bare to the flare” meaning only plant up to the flare, where the tree meets the root system.
Here is the row all planted – every tree lined up straight.
These smaller trees are young parrotias. Parrotia persica is in the family Hamamelidaceae, closely related to the witch-hazel genus Hamamelis. It is native to northern Iran and southern Azerbaijan and it is endemic in the Alborz mountains. It grows best in USDA Zones 5 to 8.
Some of the leaves are already changing colors. Parrotias have a long-lasting, elaborate autumn color display of ever-changing leaves that show off yellow, orange, burgundy and red hues.
All these trees are doing so well, and the maze is looking better with every planted row.
Now that we’ve reached the privets, we’re looking toward our next goal – the London planetrees ahead. Stay tuned…
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are busy gathering all the tropical plants, so they can be moved into their designated heated greenhouses for the winter season. This is also a good time to do any repotting if necessary - and this year, we're transplanting some of my young agaves into larger containers.
Agave is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas. Many of them have elegant symmetrical rosettes made up of succulent, stiff and well-armed leaves with little or no stem. Some plants get up to 20-feet in diameter, while others grow only to dish-size. I love all agaves and have both large and small varieties in my collection. In fact, many of the plants started as offshoots, or pups, which were removed from adult specimens and replanted right in my greenhouse.
Enjoy these photos.
I love agaves and have a pretty large collection. Every summer, I take them out of the greenhouses and display them around the farm.
I collect interesting specimens in all different sizes.
They also come in a variety of different colors. The leaves range from pale green to blue-grey and can be variegated or striped, like this one.
I am especially fond of the blue agave. Do you know… tequila is distilled from the sap of the blue agave? Agave tequilana has sugars named agavins, mostly fructose, in the core of the plant that are suitable for the preparation of alcoholic beverages. In fact, the blue agave is an important economic product of Jalisco, Mexico, where tequila is produced.
Agave plants lend themselves well to container growing since their roots don’t mind being a bit crowded, but several of the younger specimens have outgrown their pots and need transplanting. Ryan and Jimmy removed all the agaves from their existing pots and placed them on this tarp. Using a tarp always makes cleanup much faster.
Agave leaves are fleshy and well-spiked.
Ryan gives the root ball some beneficial scarifying cuts. Never be afraid to give the roots a good trimming – succulents are very forgiving. And, scarifying stimulates more root growth. Do this whenever transplanting any plant.
Ryan uses his hori-hori knife. A hori-hori, sometimes referred to as a “soil knife” or a “weeding knife”, is a heavy serrated multi-purpose steel blade for gardening. The blade is sharp on both sides and comes to a semi-sharp point at the end.
Repotting is a good time to also check any plant for damaged, unwanted or rotting leaves as well as any pests that may be hiding in the soil. Ryan cuts off one leaf from this agave, but overall, it is very healthy. When cutting, grip the leaf and hold it away from the rest of the foliage and carefully cut through at the base.
Here is where the fleshy agave leaf was cut.
Agaves often produce small plant offsets around the base of the parent plant. These perfectly formed miniature plants eventually grow into full-size plants. This baby will be replanted and kept in my main greenhouse until it is more mature.
Here, Jimmy fills half the pot with soil. Agaves grown in pots need a soil that will dry out slowly but offer good drainage. Use a potting mix of equal parts compost and soil. Do not use peat moss; its acidity and its water-holding properties are not desirable for growing agaves.
Jimmy lines up several half filled pots near the plants ready to be repotted. Working in an assembly line fashion is a good way to get the task done if there are many to do.
This agave will be very happy in its new container. These agaves were removed from one-gallon pots and will be transplanted into two gallon pots. A rule of thumb when determining what size is good for transplanting – look for a pot that is about two inches larger than the plant’s diameter.
And always plant agaves so that the crown is well above the soil line and will stay that way when the soil subsides after watering.
Jimmy fills in the pot with more soil, but never overfill – only place potting mix until the bottom of the pot’s rim, so the soil does not spill out when it is watered. This also makes it much easier to lift and carry.
By the afternoon, this entire group of agaves was done and ready to store.
Ryan gives each agave a sprinkling of fertilizer – never forget to feed. It is very important. If you eat, so should your plants.
Use a fertilizer that is specially formulated for succulents – a slow-release granule type food will make nutrients available for up to two months.
These agaves will be very happy in the hoop house for the winter where they will get plenty of light. Potted agave plants will need to be repotted every other year or so to replenish the soil and root prune the plant. Here they are all lined up on a shelf in the greenhouse, where they will remain for the next seven months.
Outside, there is still so much more to be moved and stored. Wait until you see all the plants we fit into these hoop houses. I’ll be sure to show you photos.
As cooler weather sets in, my outdoor grounds crew rushes to complete our long list of fall gardening tasks around my Bedford, New York farm.
This week, one of our main projects is to prepare all the tropical plants for winter storage, including all the specimens potted up in decorative planters. Every spring, I always display interesting plants on my terraces, in giant urns along the carriage road, and on the cobblestone courtyard in front of my stable. At the end of the warm season, these plants are removed from their pots, trimmed where necessary, and then repotted in plastic containers before they are put away in one of four greenhouses here on the property. It's quite an undertaking, but it's the best way to ensure my plants are ready for the cold months ahead.
Here are some photos and tips, enjoy.
My gardeners and I select the various locations for all the potted plants displayed around the farm – it’s a little different every year. Here is a collection of potted specimens in the courtyard in front of my stable.
Some of these plants are actually “faux” planted – meaning we placed the potted plant in the giant container and planted ground cover around it. This Bismarkia palm is underplanted with Helichrysum petiolare, the licorice plant. Brian places a tarp below to catch any soil or debris while working – doing this saves a lot of time cleaning up later.
First, Brian removes the Helichrysum petiolare from the base of the plant.
Helichrysum is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to South Africa — where it is known as imphepho — and naturalized in parts of Portugal and the United States. I underplant many of my potted tropicals with Helichrysum – it comes in silver or white but can also be found in a variety of soft hues of green, gold, or variegated foliage. It actually gets its pale coloring from numerous dense hairs that cover the plant, giving the plant a soft texture.
Brian removes the plants in sections. They will be repotted into smaller pots and then stored in the greenhouse until next summer.
Look at the roots – they’ve grown considerably during the season. Helichrysum can grow as much as a foot or two in one season and spread up to three feet.
Once most of the Helichrysum petiolare is removed, Brian pulls out the potted palm. If plants are kept in containers for a short while, it is okay to pot them up this way to save on time, effort, and soil.
This palm can now be taken to one of the tropical hoop houses for winter storage.
Brian moves onto a King palm underplanted with lotus, another trailing perennial.
Lotus has soft silver grey needle-like foliage. It is great for pots and containers where the trailing branches can cascade over the sides.
The lotus roots are also very strong and healthy.
Look closely – this plant’s roots have tiny nitrogen fixing root nodules. The bacteria live inside the root nodules where they trade nutrients with the plants. Bacteria provides nitrogen and the plant provides sugars from photosynthesis. Not all plants can make nodules, but lotus can.
Again, once the ground cover is removed, the large potted palm can be pulled out.
Brian and Jimmy take a moment to smile for this snapshot before gathering their strength to lift this giant king palm, Archontophoenix alexandrae, also known as Alexandra palm, northern Bangalow palm, or feather palm. It is a palm endemic to Queensland, Australia.
The entire pot is now removed and the remaining soil can now be repurposed.
The king palm tree is one of the most popular palms in tropical and subtropical climates. It has a single smooth grey-brownish trunk ringed by the scars from the fallen fronds. The trunk is a little wider at the base and has about 15 to 20 arching evergreen fronds that emerge from the graceful crown. The leaves are bright green above and below and they have about 100 to 150 leaflets that are six to 12 inches long. At maturity, this tree can grow up to 40 feet tall and 15 feet wide.
We always save the plastic pots that come with new plants. These pots are very helpful for winter storage and for potting up our bare root seedlings.
Here, Jimmy pots up the saved lotus.
Here is some of the Helichrysum also getting planted into a pot. These pots will be placed in a sunny area of the greenhouse. Helichrysum is easy to maintain. It prefers warm, dry conditions and well-drained soil.
Autumn cleanup is well-underway here at the farm. I am fortunate I have the room to store all these plants for the cold season and visit them in their temperature and humidity controlled enclosures when it is cold and dreary outside. Is it getting cold where you are? How do you winterize your plants? Share your comments with me.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
