It's always so nice to repurpose materials and put them to good use in projects around my Bedford, New York farm.
Recently, my outdoor grounds crew used dozens of pressed red clay bricks that used to surround my pool at my former East Hampton home to line a footpath inside my Silkie chicken pen. It looked so good, I decided to create a similar path outside the yard. I also thought the bricks would look pretty edging the garden bed in front of the enclosure, where we planted a hedge of European beech trees, Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Gold' - a deciduous and relatively low-maintenance tree with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. The area now looks entirely different and more manicured.
Here are some photos of the project.
I have thousands of these red clay bricks. “Pressed red” is the general term given to solid red bricks traditionally manufactured from clay, pressed into individual molds by hand, and then heated at very high temperatures. Each of these antique bricks measures about eight and-a-half inches by four inches.
Before this project, we were using these flat pavers as a footpath to the pens; however, we didn’t have enough for all the footpaths I wanted to create, so I decided to use the bricks and pea gravel. I wanted everything to look uniform. Here, Moises removes the old stones. They will be saved and used for a future project.
Twine is secured to make sure the edges of the bricks are completely straight. We use a lot of twine for our outdoor projects here at the farm – it is easy to put up and creates a straight and accurate line every time.
Once again, Pete removes the grass and some soil along the line, creating a narrow trench just wide enough for the bricks and about five inches deep.
And then one by one, he angles the bricks and positions them in a sawtooth style, laying one on another at a 45-degree angle. It isn’t hard to do, but it must be done carefully, so everything is straight and perfect. The string also helps to make sure the points are at the same level.
Pete uses the end of the hammer to gently tap the brick into place. In time, the soil will fill in any gaps and keep the bricks secure.
From this angle, one can see how helpful the twine is to keeping the bricks straight. Using bricks to line the footpaths handsomely defines the boundaries between grass and path.
On this side, Pete uses the side of the air conditioner pit as his guide for laying the bricks.
Once all the bricks are in place, Fernando cuts the weed cloth to size within the path.
And then Pete follows behind to hammer in sod staples at various points.
These sod staples secure the weed cloth and are easy to get at any garden shop or big box store with gardening supplies.
Next, is the gravel. All around the farm, I like to use quarter-inch native washed stone. Each stone is about the size of a pea. This same gravel stone is also used to line the paths in my flower cutting garden. It s nice to keep everything uniform when possible.
Fernando uses our trusted Scenic Road wheelbarrow to transport the gravel from the truck to the path. We have more than a dozen of these wheelbarrows – they’re great for so many jobs around the farm.
The gravel is spread evenly with a hard rake. Afterwards, Fernando will go over it with a gravel tamper. A tamper is a tool with a long handle and a heavy, square base used for leveling and firmly packing gravel, dirt, clay, sand, and other similar materials.
Next, Pete digs another trench along the garden bed, where I planted a long European beech hedge three years ago.
The ganders are watching every move – guarding their mates. Here’s “Bear” coming to the front of the pen to see what is going on.
These two are also watching all the activity from inside their enclosure. The birds are always so curious.
Pete places the same bricks in the sawtooth pattern along the garden bed.
Every so often, Pete looks at the bricks from above to make sure they are all in alignment. He uses his feet to gently press any that look out of place.
These bricks look great marking the edge of the bed. They will also look very pretty this spring when the grass grows.
And here is the footpath leading to the Silkie chicken yard – so much neater and more tidy. Spring officially starts next week – what do-it-yourself projects are on your list? Share them with me; I’d love to hear from you.
Here in New York City, one of the first signs spring is coming is the start of the annual Orchid Show at The New York Botanical Garden. I love attending this show every year. Held inside the magnificent Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, it is known as the nation’s largest exhibit of its kind.
This year, the show's theme is "Natural Heritage" designed by landscape artist, Lily Kwong. It features a wide array of colorful orchids, both popular and rare. If you’re in the area, I encourage you to visit - the show runs through April 23rd. And please watch my latest episode of "Martha Gardens," a Roku Original, when I walk through this exquisite display of stunning blooms and talk with Marc Hachadourian, the director of glasshouse horticulture and senior curator of orchids at the NYBG to review how to best care for these amazing plants at home.
Here are some photos and a short video, enjoy.
The Orchid Show is held in NYBG’s elegant Conservatory every year. As the nation’s largest Victorian glasshouse, it is among the grandest indoor spaces in the world.
In addition to the Orchid Show, this enormous glass structure is home to a tropical rain forest, a cactus-filled desert, and an ever-changing landscape of flowers and foliage.
This beautiful display of mixed orchids is enchanting. One walks in and is immersed in a glorious array of colorful orchid blooms. There are tens of thousands of plants. Orchids thrive in warm temperatures and moderate light. And although generally thought of as a tropical plant, orchids grow on every continent, from the Arctic Circle to the southernmost jungle, except Antarctica.
Among them is this Phalaenopsis Timothy Christopher x KS Snow Lip. Phalaenopsis, the moth orchid, is perhaps the best orchid for growing in the home and is a favorite with greenhouse growers. Well-grown plants can flower often, sometimes with a few flowers throughout the year, though the main season is late winter into spring. The key to growing these plants is to keep the root systems strong and healthy. These plants have no bulbs or stems to store moisture and nutrients, so it is important to maintain their roots.
This is Phalaenopsis Giant Lin Duo Er-Guen – a beautiful dark coral to fuchsia colored hybrid.
Rule of thumb – orchids that receive a proper balance of light, humidity and temperature will have healthy bright green leaves. Too little light would make the leaves very dark. The size, shape, and texture of leaves depend on the habitat. Orchids that live in dry climate have large, thick leaves covered with wax, while species that live in warm and humid areas have thin, elongated leaves. And certain species of orchids do not have leaves at all.
Optimum temperatures for orchids in winter are 45 to 55-degrees Fahrenheit at night and 65 to 75-degrees Fahrenheit during the day. When plants are in bud, temperatures must be as constant as possible.
Here’s another moth orchid, Phalaenopsis Fuller’s Gold Stripe.
This one is Phalaenopsis Chi Yueh Purple Smile with its beautiful white and pink-purple blooms.
Phalaenopsis Fuller’s Sunset is an award-winning hybrid with bright, fresh yellow flowers and a lovely contrasting pink lip.
This Phalaenopsis orchid shows off pristine white petals and deep pink and yellow markings.
Vanda orchids are fragrant and have flat petals. This is Vanda Huifen Chan “Kaleidoscope.” It features butter yellow flowers with dark chocolate spotting and a burgundy lip.
Vanda Yano Blue “Ploenpit” orchids have large white petals with intense violet markings.
Paphiopedilum orchids are often called ‘lady slippers’ or ‘slipper orchids’ because of their unique pouch-like flowers. This is Paphiopedilum Winston Churchill “Indomitable” x Hamana Freak g. ‘#1’.
Paphiopedilum Vanguard is a hybrid – this one with a purple pouch and yellow-green petals with dark purple spots and markings.
Cattlianthe Gold Digger ‘Orglade’s Mandarin’ is also a hybrid which blooms in a cluster of golden yellow flowers with a densely spotted red throat. This orchid is also quite fragrant.
This is called Phalaenopsis Little Gem Stripes – a wonderful orchid with white and red petals with faint pink stripes.
Dendrobium is a large orchid genus, with more than a thousand species. This is Dendrobium Jaquelyn Thomas ‘Uniwai Mist’ – a medium sized orchid variety with charming white blooms.
The NYBG also offers orchid evenings as part of the exhibit. Here is the Conservatory at sunset. Originally constructed in 1902, the steel and glass Conservatory includes an impressive 90-foot tall domed Palm Gallery. If you’re in the area, please go see NYBG’s Orchid Show. And be sure to go to the Roku Channel right now and stream “Martha Gardens.” You’ll learn so much about these exquisite plants!
If you didn't catch this on my social media platforms, here's a preview of my orchid show on "Martha Gardens" only on the Roku Channel. Be sure to tune in.
Dozens of pressed red clay bricks that used to surround my pool at my former East Hampton home now have new purpose at my Bedford, New York farm.
Recently, I decided to use the bricks to edge a new footpath in a bird enclosure outside my stable. This yard and its coop are currently being used for my Silkie chicks. The bricks run from the entrance of the pen all the way to the coop and around the back. The area now looks entirely different. This project took a couple of days to complete, but my crew did a great job and it looks wonderful.
Enjoy these photos.
This pen had large stone pavers leading from the entrance to the coop door ahead; however, the stones were far apart, and after a rain, the area would be very muddy and difficult to walk through. I decided it would function better with some good draining gravel and a proper footpath. Earlier this week, Pete and Fernando went to work.
Many of our outdoor projects start with a nail and some twine.
Pete secures the line from one end to the other, to ensure the finished path is completely straight.
I have thousands of these bricks. “Pressed red” is the general term given to solid red bricks traditionally manufactured from clay, pressed into individual molds by hand, and then heated at very high temperatures.
This photo shows some of the bricks when they surrounded my pool in East Hampton. I am glad I saved them so they could be repurposed here at the farm – they are perfect for the Silkie chicken yard.
Then, using the twine as a guide, Pete removes the grass and some soil along the line, creating a narrow trench just wide enough for the bricks and about five inches deep.
And then one by one, he angles the bricks and positions them in a sawtooth style, laying one on another at a 45-degree angle.
Here is a view from the side. Each brick is carefully placed and pounded securely into the trench. The string also helps to make sure the points are at the same level.
Fernando follows behind and uses a scrap piece of wood on top of the bricks to pound them securely in place. The wood protects the bricks from getting damaged in the process.
Then, using the same piece of wood, Fernando makes sure the edge of the bricks is completely straight.
Pete and Fernando do this along the entire path.
And then Fernando rakes the path of any loose dirt and grass.
Here is the path once all the bricks are in place. Path edging helps to keep the structure of the path defined and the gravel contained. It looks markedly different already.
Next, Fernando and Pete put down a strip of industrial strength weed cloth along the entire space.
Fernando uses sod staples every few feet to keep it secure.
Next, is the gravel. I chose quarter-inch native washed stone. Each stone is about the size of a pea. This same gravel stone is also used to line the paths in my flower cutting garden. It s nice to keep everything uniform when possible.
Fernando uses our trusted Scenic Road wheelbarrow to transport the gravel from the truck to the path.
The gravel is spread evenly with a hard rake.
And then pressed down with a gravel tamper. A tamper is a tool with a long handle and a heavy, square base used for leveling and firmly packing gravel, dirt, clay, sand, and other similar materials.
Closer to the coop, Pete turned the bricks slightly to round the corners. Here he is spreading more gravel in front of the coop door.
Here is the side of the coop all done and looking great. The geese and peafowl pens are next door to this one.
Here is the rear of the coop – also with a leveled layer of gravel. The ramp connects to a little chicken door for rear access and egress.
And here is the front – it looks fantastic. It will be so nice to walk in here and visit the birds this spring. Next, Pete works on laying bricks outside this enclosure and around the garden beds. Just a couple of days and some good elbow grease and this entire bird yard is transformed. Another great project completed at my farm – nice job,Pete and Fernando!
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