To stay organized during seasonal transitions here at my Bedford, New York farm, we follow a schedule of tasks from one year to the next.
Several times a week, I tour the entire farm and create very detailed lists of all that needs to be done. Maintaining such a large property is a huge responsibility and a tremendous amount of work. In order for it to thrive, animals and gardens need constant tender loving care. My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew have many projects including pruning and trimming the trees and shrubs, weeding and tilling the beds, planting new specimens, washing the hoop houses, cleaning the gutters, and so much more.
Enjoy these photos…
Some of you know, my Cantitoe Corners Farm sits on 153-acres. It’s a large property filled with developing gardens, groves and allées. This is my long and winding pergola. It runs from my flower cutting garden all the way to my espalier of Gravenstein apples. On the left is a stand of stately bald cypress trees. This area and so many others around the property are constantly being groomed. There is a lot to do to keep the farm looking its best, especially between seasons.
Every day, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are working hard to keep on top of all the maintenance of the beds. Everyone loves my Martha Stewart 48 gallon Multi-Purpose Re-Usable Heavy Duty Garden Tote Bags. They’re available on my Amazon shop. These totes hold hundreds of pounds and can be used for the garden debris and pulled weeds or inside the home for storage.
Here’s Ryan tending the lily and hosta garden beds outside my main greenhouse.
On one side, Ryan also trims the Cotinus trees. Smoke bushes, Cotinus, are among my favorite of small trees – they have superlative color, appealing form, and look excellent in the gardens. Cotinus is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, closely related to the sumacs.
Remember my former vegetable garden? Now that we created my new half-acre vegetable garden closer to my home, I designated this area for pumpkins and corn this summer. Everything has been harvested, so it’s time to clean up the area and rototill it before the cold season.
Here’s Jimmy removing all the old, dead plants and root systems.
All the debris is then loaded onto the dump truck and taken to the compost yard.
And then Chhiring comes in with our Troy-Bilt Pony Rear-Tine Tiller. The purpose of tilling is to mix organic matter into the soil, help control weeds, break up crusted soil, and loosen the earth for the next planting. One doesn’t need to till or break up the soil very deep – less than a foot is fine.
This is the garden all done – and ready to rest for the season.
Nearby, Fernando cleans the hoop house. This structure holds my tropical plant collection during the winter. I have four hoop houses here at the farm. They are constructed from steel frames and these polyethylene panels.
Fernando also touches up any areas of the base that need paint.
Up the carriage road in my herbaceous peony bed, all the peonies are now cut down to the ground and Pasang is weeding around them.
Here he rakes the beds after they are weeded. These peonies have done so magnificently over the years. The plants are thriving and continue to grow wonderfully. I plan to remove every other peony and move it to another space – I’ll be sure to show you how we do this process.
Here is the peony bed completed – so clean and clear.
Outside the flower cutting garden, Ryan trims and grooms the long stemmed anemones and other plants.
Pruning and grooming is also going on at the European Beech trees, which line two sides of a horse paddock and one side of my living maze. European beech trees, Fagus sylvatica, or the common beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae and native to the woodlands of central and southern Europe.
Pasang is our resident tree expert here at the farm. He oversees a lot of the care of my trees.
Here’s Phurba pruning and grooming the boxwood along the allée to my stable. This is mostly done with hand shears to give them a more clean and manicured appearance. Phurba starts from the top of the shrub and works his way down.
I love boxwood, Buxus, and have hundreds of these bold green shrubs. They’ve grown quite a bit this summer. I take very special care of these specimens and make sure they are pruned and groomed regularly.
As many of you know, I am in the process of building a living maze, a botanical puzzle of interesting trees, hedges, espaliers, and shrubs. I started this three-acre maze project in the spring of last year, and it’s already beginning to stump some of those who stroll through its pathways. Byron is weeding underneath the hedges. Weeds in the garden are inevitable – left alone, so many of them quickly overtake healthy flowers and plants, stealing their sunlight, water, and soil nutrients. We are constantly trying to keep up with the weeding.
On another day, Phurba is cleaning the gutters around the farm. Gutters are designed to control the flow of water around the home. Keeping them clear prevents water back-up and moisture damage to the wood, fascia and foundation. This day was particularly wet with rain showers most of the morning and afternoon.
Inside the greenhouse, Ryan grooms some of the potted plants before bringing them into my home. I love all kinds of container plants, and over the years I have amassed quite a collection of specimens. Most of my potted plants are kept in the greenhouse, where they can be nurtured properly, especially during colder seasons and times when I’m traveling. However, I also like to decorate my home with a wide assortment of potted plants that provide interesting and expressive foliage. It’s an inexpensive way to add color and texture to any space.
And at the end of the day, here’s Fernando “raking” the roads. We created this special device to rake the gravel, so it is even and also picks up any debris along the way. This is done every couple of weeks to keep the roads looking neat and tidy. We’re getting a lot done here at Cantitoe Corners. What early season chores are on your list?
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we're expecting more showers this morning after an entire day of heavy rains and flash flooding. It's been a very wet start to autumn, but there are still some beautiful surprises out in the gardens.
Most of the flowers are gone, but there are a few perennials showing off their late summer-early fall colors - the Russian sage, Japanese anemones, nasturtiums, phlox, asters, and of course, the autumn crocus.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
The common name for Colchicum is autumn crocus, but they are not true autumn crocus because there are many species of true crocus which are autumn blooming. Also, Colchicum flowers have six stamens while crocuses have only three. Colchicum is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coast, down the East African coast to South Africa and the Western Cape.
The scientific name comes from Colchis, a region on the coast of the Black Sea. The name Colchicum alludes to the poisonous qualities of the species. The plant contains an alkaloid known as colchicine, which is found in all parts, but mostly in the seeds. Colchicum typically blooms from September to November. Here are some flowers just beginning to open.
And then once open, Colchicums produce large, goblet-like blooms in shades of pink, violet or white. They are large striking flower heads, with white at the base leading to pale pink at the apex.
Some of the varieties we’ve planted include ‘Lilac Wonder’, ‘Waterlily’, ‘Dick Trotter’, Colchicum byzantinum, and Colchicum bornmuelleri. This one is “Waterlily” – a double petaled cultivar.
When the weather is mild, colchicum’s nearly perfect cup-shape flowers begin to unfurl. Most Colchicum plants produce their flowers without any foliage. This is why these flowers were first known by the common name “naked boys.” In the Victorian era, they were also called “naked ladies.”
Colchicums are quite delicate but spread nicely in the autumn garden. Colchicum is a good pollen source for bees in fall when little else is available for them. And, because Colchicums are toxic, they provide a natural way to repel animals such as deer, mice, squirrels, and moles.
These flowers look so beautiful grown in clumps. I have them in various gardens near the carriage roads, so they can be seen by visiting guests.
When in bloom, phlox are covered with groups of small, sweet-smelling, star-shaped flowers from clean white to pale pastel, including pink, red, lavender, and purple.
Phlox species have tubular flowers with five distinct petals.
Aster is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Asters have daisy-like flowers and come in a variety of colors. They are easy to grow and require very little maintenance. They typically bloom in the late summer and fall, and they add color to the garden as the seasons change.
The name Aster is Greek, meaning “star,” and refers to the appearance of the flowers.
White Wood Aster, Aster divaricatus, bears clusters of small white flowers in late summer. These are herbaceous perennial wildflowers with an upright and mounding growth habit.
Tricyrtis hirta, the toad lily or hairy toad lily, is a Japanese species of hardy herbaceous perennial plant in the lily family Liliaceae. Toad lilies are hardy perennials native to ravines and woodland edges in India, China, Japan, and other parts of Asia. Toad lily flowers bloom in a range of spotted colors in the axels of the plant.
Most Tricyrtis begin blooming in September or October, depending on the cultivar and the weather, and remain for three or four weeks or until they are wilted by frost.
Under my long pergola, there are still some beautiful passion flower blooms showing off their color and unique form. They bloom from spring through late fall, The passion flower genus includes more than 500 species of mostly tendril-bearing vines in the family Passifloraceae.
Also in my pergola garden is Perovskia atriplicifolia, commonly called Russian sage. It shows tall, airy, spike-like clusters that create a lavender-blue cloud of color above the finely textured, aromatic foliage. It is vigorous, hardy, heat-loving, drought-tolerant, and deer resistant.
In the nearby flower cutting garden – morning glory. I have some growing on the fence. The brightly colored trumpet-shaped flowers have a slight fragrance and are popular with butterflies and hummingbirds. The buds are twirled up tightly and unfold when the sun hits them in the morning, giving them their unique name.
This is a Nasturtium. Nasturtium plants, Tropaeolum, are loved for their rich, saturated, jewel-toned colors. Planted in the spring after the threat of frost has passed, they are fast and easy to grow. Nasturtium is a genus of about 80 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants. It was named by Carl Linnaeus in his book Species Plantarum, and is the only genus in the family Tropaeolaceae.
These flowers can vary in shade, but the most popular versions are orange, yellow, pink, red, or mahogany. There are also varieties in subdued shades of butter yellow and cream.
Here’s a look at the interesting leaves of Nasturtium. The leaves are circular, shield-shaped and grow on a trailing plant. They are fragrant, with a mustard-like scent. And, do you know… all parts of the nasturtium plant are edible. The flowers, leaves, stems, and young seed pods can be eaten. All of these parts have a distinct peppery flavor similar to radishes.
There are still a few hydrangea flowers in the garden also – these are across the carriage road from my chicken yard. Hydrangeas are popular ornamental plants, grown for their large flower heads, which are excellent in cut arrangements and for drying.
The anemones are also holding strong. Anemone is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Most anemone flowers have a simple, daisy-like shape and lobed foliage that sway in the lightest breezes.
Depending on the species, anemones can bloom from the earliest days of spring into the fall months. These blooms sit atop upright, airy stems and grow two to three feet tall.
And the two-and-a-half inch wide circular flowers come in white, pink, or mauve. Flowers can be single, double, or semi-double and add great late season color to the garden. I hope wherever you are this weekend, you can stop to appreciate the beautiful flowers that are still showing off their gorgeous colors and forms this time of year.
My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew continue to check off big tasks from our long to-do list here at the farm - among them, cleaning the sunken garden behind my Summer House.
Some of you may recall, I began planning this formal garden more than 10 years ago. The focal point is the great old ginkgo tree at the back of the space that is original to the property. Over time, I've planted American and English boxwood, smaller ginkgo trees, smoke bushes, Siberian weeping pea shrubs, peonies, hostas, lilies, alliums, and so much more. Yesterday, Ryan and Brian tended to the beds - weeding, raking, and cleaning the entire area.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
The former owner of my farm, Mrs. Ruth Sharp, occupied two houses on the property. She called this house the Summer House, where she stayed during warm weather. Adjacent to it is the Winter House which had a better heating system and where Mrs. Sharp was comfortable during the cold months. I kept the names of the buildings, although major changes were made to both. Today, the Summer House serves as a library and entertaining space. Behind the house is this formal sunken garden “room.”
The main focal point is the mighty old ginkgo tree. This tree is about 250-years old. Although not as large as others I’ve seen, my tree is quite massive and sits at the north end of the garden, very visible from the Summer House terrace.
Surrounding the sunken garden on three sides is a tall American boxwood hedge. I love how it encloses the space. And because the Summer House faces a rather busy intersection, the wall of boxwood also provides a good deal of privacy.
In the center, where the stone footpaths converge is a giant millstone – one of three I have here at the farm. A millstone is a circular stone used in gristmills or triturating, crushing or, more specifically, grinding wheat or other grains.
There is also this antique sundial. A sundial is any device that uses the sun’s altitude or azimuth to show the time. It consists of a flat plate, which is the dial, and a gnomon, which casts a shadow onto the dial.
Here’s Brian cleaning and weeding one of the beds.
In this garden I also have smaller ginkgo trees on both sides of the main footpath. The ginkgo biloba is one of the most distinct and beautiful of all deciduous trees. It prefers a minimum of four hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. The ginkgo has a cone-like shape when young, and becomes irregularly rounded as it ages.
The leaves are unusually fan-shaped, up to three-inches long, with a petiole that is also up to three-inches long. This shape and the elongated petiole cause the foliage to flutter in the slightest breeze. Ginkgo leaves grow and deepen color in summer, then turn a brilliant yellow in autumn.
Ryan is raking some of the early autumn leaves that have fallen from the silver maple tree above. The garden beds are freshly weeded showing the low boxwood hedges.
A couple times a year, we groom and prune these hedges to give them a more clean and manicured appearance.
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. The leaves on boxwood branches are arranged opposite from each other, making pairs.
I also have these boxwood shrubs. Boxwood is naturally a round or oval shaped shrub that can reach up to 15 feet in height. I love the tapered tops.
Behind the boxwood, one can see the tree peony plants. Tree peonies are larger, woody relatives of the common herbaceous peony, growing up to five feet wide and tall in about 10 years. They are highly prized for their large, prolific blooms that can grow up to 10 inches in diameter.
I also grow itoh peonies in ths garden. Itoh peonies or intersectional peonies are crosses between the herbaceous and tree peonies. These peonies die back to the ground in the fall which means that the new buds in the spring are less likely to be killed by frost than tree peonies.
On the terrace, I have several potted Norfolk Island pines, Araucaria heterophylla, a species of conifer.
Also potted are ferns. This one is a variegated Boston fern with strikingly patterned fronds.
Across the terrace – potted aloe plants.
There are also six weeping Siberian pea shrubs with cascading weeping branches.
These are the beautiful deep-colored leaves of the chocolate mimosa tree. These leaves are bronze-green, fern-like leaves that appear in late spring and then become a deeper rich chocolate-burgundy color in summer.
I have two of these gorgeous mimosa trees growing beneath the large ginkgo tree. The chocolate mimosa tree is a fast-growing, deciduous tree with a wide, umbrella-shaped canopy.
In the back of the garden, I also have these large leaf hostas. Hostas are a perennial favorite among gardeners. The lush green foliage varying in leaf shape, size and texture, and their easy care requirements make them ideal for many areas. Hosta is a genus of plants commonly known as hostas, plantain lilies and occasionally by the Japanese name, giboshi. They are native to northeast Asia and include hundreds of different cultivars.
Here are the leaves of the smoke bush, Cotinus. I have many smoke bushes around the farm – it is among my favorite small trees. These can grow to a moderate size – up to 15-feet tall and 10-feet wide.
Here’s Brian using our battery powered handheld blower from STIHL. Soon, there will be lots of leaf blowing going on here at the farm now that it’s fall.
I am so pleased with how my Summer House garden has developed over the years. I really should entertain here more often. What do you think?
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