I always enjoy hosting outdoor gatherings at my Bedford, New York farm, but it's a lot of work to get everything ready!
Preparing for any special affair takes a lot of effort, a lot of time, and a lot of advanced planning. With so much to do all hands are on deck. Among the many spring cleaning tasks on our list - edge the carriage roads, weed the garden beds, clean the windows, polish the silver, power wash the stable floors and shine up the stalls. Fortunately, Mother Nature cooperated these last couple of weeks and the farm looks gorgeous.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Every year around this time, I often host at least one large party here at the farm. One of my favorite areas to entertain is down by my stable and Carriage House where there is lots of room for guests. But before any gathering, my team and I spend many days preparing so everything is perfect.
I have four miles of gravel-covered carriage road at my farm. Gravel roads are attractive, easy to maintain, and accumulate less pollutants over time. It’s important to edge and shape the roads regularly, so they drain properly and look tidy. Here, Fernando uses a hoe to remove weeds and overgrown grass from the edge.
Here’s a closer look – the edge of this section of carriage road is straight and clean.
Here is the section all done. Spring chores can be tedious, but they are all worth the effort.
Around the stable, Pete uses a long landscape rake to push gravel that has washed to the sides back where it belongs. Over time, rain and traffic cause the gravel to shift or run-off a specific area.
He does this all around the stable, Carriage House and office building. This razor-back aluminum landscape rake has a wide head and teeth to level gravel quickly and smoothly.
Afterward, Fernando spreads a new layer of gravel around the stable, leveling the road and filling in any bare spots. I like to use native washed stone in a blend of gray tones.
Nearby, Carlos cleans the window panes of my giant stable barn doors.
My handsome Friesian Hylke watches all the activity from his stall – he is very curious.
Inside the stable, Cesar carefully power washes the floors. I like to keep the stable as clean as possible.
The stalls are also cleaned so they look their best. The walls of each stall are wiped down with a furniture restoring tonic.
Christophe Pourny is my favorite go-to source for furniture care. His line of specialty tonics, serums, and soaps make it possible to polish, clean, restore, and shine nearly every surface and piece of furniture in the home – and my stable. I’ve known Christophe for years and have used all his products.
Here is Juan cleaning another area of the stall – one can see how different it looks after it is treated with Furniture Tonic. It restores the luster of the wood. And, the tonic is made from natural, non-toxic ingredients that are friendly to the environment.
Carlos is now cleaning the lower windows of my Carriage House – each pane wiped down until it is free of dirt, dust, or any streaks.
Moises is tending the garden beds beneath my linden trees – weeding and edging.
The tree pits are also given a fresh layer of mulch made right here at the farm – look how dark and rich it is. This mulch is also combined with tree mold and manure.
And here’s Brian grooming my Fernspray Hinoki cypress bushes. We planted a group of these conifers last autumn along the carriage road just past my allée of lindens near the entrance to my Japanese Maple Woodland. Everyone loves them here, and they’re doing so nicely.
Phurba is weed whacking under the Asian pear espalier – cutting those pesky tall grasses that cannot be reached with the lawn mower. Details are so important when preparing for any party.
When it starts to get warm, I bring out the potted plants and display them around the farm. Brian and Ryan are carrying one of two giant pots I borrowed for my party – and hopefully a little longer.
And here’s Enma carrying just one of the many bins of supplies and items needed for this first big spring gathering.
Ahead of any entertaining event, big or small, try to get polishing done early – select the pieces needed and polish them days in advance. It will surely save time and worry on the day of.
Spring is such a wonderful time to entertain – the weather is comfortable and all the gardens are coming alive. I hope you enjoy all your spring season gatherings with those near and dear.
If my busy schedule allows, I always try to attend the "Hat Luncheon."
Earlier this week was the 41st annual Frederick Law Olmsted Awards Luncheon hosted by the Women’s Committee and the Board of Trustees of the Central Park Conservancy. More than 1300 attendees filled the park’s Conservatory Garden for what is popularly known as the “Hat Luncheon” - a festive affair where guests don their most extravagant chapeaus. Frederick Law Olmsted was an American landscape designer and widely considered the father of American landscape architecture. Olmsted was made famous for co-designing many well-known urban areas including Central Park. This yearly gathering is among the Conservancy’s most important philanthropic events supporting its mission to preserve, maintain, and enhance New York City's iconic public green space.
Enjoy these fun photos.
Here I am in my “hat luncheon” ensemble. I always wear one of my own hats for the affair. I chose this old fedora and wore it with a Carolina Herrera by Wes Gordon coat and Prada shoes.
It was a bit cool and cloudy on this day, the first Wednesday of May, but hundreds of guests wearing their fanciful toppers came out for the well-known gathering at Central Park’s Conservatory Garden located at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street.
Waiters in white dinner jackets escorted all the ladies down the steps leading toward the awards ceremony venue. The event was held under the giant white tent ahead.
Inside, cheerful tables decorated with bright spring flower centerpieces.
The main mission of the Central Park Conservancy is to preserve and celebrate our iconic New York City Central Park. This is the Conservatory Garden – Central Park’s formal garden and one of the most significant public gardens in New York City.
The event raised more than four-million dollars for the Central Park Conservancy. This year’s event was completely sold out.
Here I am with ceramist and friend, Christopher Spitzmiller. This lamp maker donned a lamp shade for his hat.
There are always all kinds of hats at the luncheon. This is author and television host, Christopher Mason, in his cornucopia of flowers hat.
And look at this hat featuring the Central Park Wollman Ice Rink.
It shows the rink, skaters, and some of New York City’s famous skyscrapers.
Here – Christopher and my neighbor, fashion designer Andy Yu. Andy always creates his own looks. This hat, top, and bag were made from recycled items.
For lunch, everyone enjoyed grilled salmon with a spring salad.
Sitting here are Emily Eerdman and Marina Killery in their fanciful hats.
Here’s a fun photo of Katherine Zeller Gage, the beautiful wife of Chef Daniel Boulud and my longtime publicist and friend, Susan Magrino. The two stopped for this “pretty in pink” photo.
It’s always fun to see all the hats guests wear from year to year. There were colorful puffy hats…
And large flower hats…
… small feathery hats…
… tall hats and short hats, but all very lovely hats.
Here is one with a butterfly theme.
Here is Susan with Sharon Coplan Hurowitz in her McDonald’s themed ensemble.
Is that designer Lela Rose under that hat with the dramatically swooped brim?
And here I am with my banker and close friend, Jane Heller. The annual “hat luncheon” in New York City was another huge success. I am already looking forward to next year’s event.
Two handsome London planetrees now flank the north entrance gate to my living maze.
The London planetree, Platanus acerifolia 'Bloodgood,' is a relative of the mighty sycamore. It is actually a cross between two sycamore species - Platanus occidentalis, the American sycamore, and Platanus orientalis, the Oriental plane. Right now, these trees are about 10-feet tall, but they are fast growing and will reach up to 75 to 100-feet at full maturity with beautiful parasol canopies - a perfect choice for this spot.
Enjoy these photos.
The London planetree is a large shade tree with a broad crown that can be grown with a parasol top like this or with a more rectangular and upright panel like those I planted within the maze last fall.
The leaves of the London planetree are simple and alternate. They grow six to seven inches wide and are leathery leaves that have three to five lobes each, similar to the maple. The leaf color is bright green and the margins are predominantly un-toothed.
I wanted the trees to flank this gate at the north end of my maze. In the distance, one can see my home. At first, I thought the trees would be best inside the gate, but my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, suggested they be planted outside the gate – and we all agreed.
Once the exact locations were measured and marked, the digging began.
The holes must be pretty wide – at least two to five times as wide as the root ball.
The hole sides should also be slanted. Digging a wide planting hole helps to provide the best opportunity for roots to expand into its new growing environment. After the hole is dug, a good fertilizer made especially for transplanting trees is added to the existing soil.
Chhiring measures the root ball to ensure the hole is big enough.
And here he is measuring the hole. The tree is very heavy, so the hole must be the right size before the tree is moved into position.
Next, Chhiring begins to remove the twine securing the wire cage to the root ball.
And here he is cutting the wire from around the the root ball.
Then, securing chains to the bottom of the wire cage still intact, Chhiring carefully moves the tree into position with our trusted Hi-Lo.
Once it is lowered into the hole, the wire cage is removed in its entirety. If left untouched, these wrapping materials could reduce the ability of a tree’s roots to grow out into the surrounding soil. Some gardeners will leave them in the ground, but I prefer to remove everything, so there is nothing blocking its root growth.
And here is the wire and twine completely removed.
Pasang also removes the burlap from around the root ball.
Phurba adds more fertilizer once the tree is in place. It is very important to feed the plants and trees. I always say, “if you eat, your plants should eat.” We use a quality food with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption. Now it is ready to backfill.
The same soil that was removed from the hole is returned around the tree and lightly tamped down to ensure good contact.
The same process is done with the other London plantetree.
The crew rotates the tree on its root ball to make sure it is completely straight and turned with its best side facing out. When moving heavy trees, only hold it by the root ball and the base of the trunk – never by its branches, which could easily break.
Mulch is then placed on top of the tree pit – but remember, “bare to the flare.” The root flare, also called the trunk flare, is where the first main roots attach to the trunk. Do not bury the flare. Tree roots need oxygen to grow. By keeping the root flare above ground level gives tree the best environment.
Phurba rakes the mulch so it looks neat and tidy.
And then Chhiring gives it a good drink. It should be watered regularly after planting to encourage a healthy root system, but then watering frequency can be reduced once established except during periods of extreme heat. Although the ‘Bloodgood” is not considered a drought-tolerant plant, this variety can tolerate short periods without water.
Both trees already look so beautiful here. And they will thrive in full sun. It’s always so exciting to see the gardens evolve around the farm.
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