You know winter is near when various ornamental vessels around my Bedford, New York farm are covered in burlap.
As many of you know, I've been covering shrubs and hedges with burlap for many years to protect them from splaying and breaking from the weight of snow and ice. I have shared posts showing our annual process. I feel it is equally important to protect my outdoor garden ornaments from the harsh winter elements. A winter freeze, alternating with thaws, could crack or crumble any kind of stone or cement, especially if it is antique. During this time, all my outdoor planters, birdbaths, stanchions, etc., are covered in the same burlap used for my live specimens.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This time of year, it is not unusual to see rolls of burlap and other “burlapping” supplies around the farm. My outdoor grounds crew is rushing to get this big annual project done. Aside from the boxwood, I have many outdoor containers and garden ornaments that are covered and protected with burlap and kept in their respected locations for the duration of the cold season. When we can, we reuse burlap from seasons past; however, it is also available in giant rolls of 40-inches or 60-inches wide. Also called hessian, burlap is made in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India from jute, a tall, grass-like plant grown for its strong fibrous stalks.
To sew the burlap, we use jute twine. It is all natural and the same color as the burlap.
Because stone, cement, and clay-based materials can crack from exposure to the winter elements, it’s important to protect them. Here is one of two terracotta pots in front of my Summer House. Phurba first covers the opening with a custom cut piece of plywood.
Then he wraps the entire vessel with industrial strength plastic and secures it with twine.
Next, Phurba cuts the burlap fabric to fit – one long piece that can completely wrap around the urn and begins to sew the ends closed.
Starting from the bottom, Phurba makes small stitches and knots to keep the burlap in place. He also makes sure the burlap protects as much of the bottom as possible.
Once the burlap is secured and the ends are tucked and sewn, Phurba begins stitching the fabric together and pulling the burlap snug at the top and around the pot.
Here is a view from the side. There is a lot of tucking involved, and a lot of stitching and knotting, but my crew has been covering these containers with burlap every year for quite some time – they are all excellent burlap sewers.
And underneath all the vessels are small wooden shims, which keep the urns raised and away from any water or melting snow on the stone surface or ground.
Depending on the size of the vessel and how much sewing is needed, each piece takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. Burlap is so useful for many gardening projects – it is inexpensive, biodegradable, and the color and texture of burlap is so pretty to use.
On the terrace behind my Summer House is where I keep several smaller and very heavy planters as well as a group of seven faux bois containers that also need covering this time of year. Here, they are placed together and covered as one. This burlap remains on the stone objects until early spring, so it must be done very carefully to withstand strong winds and heavy snowfall.
Here is another giant planter in front of my Winter House. The burlap is sewn tightly, but with some space for air circulation.
They look very neat and tidy from the top. This planter is one of two on the steps of the upper terrace parterre.
These two smaller covered urns are on the lower terrace parterre outside my Winter House kitchen.
This burlap cover is protecting the boxwood and the birdbath. We used framing used for the hoop houses to cover the entire area. One can see how much space there is inside for ample air circulation.
The crew knows where every stone container and ornament is located – and never miss a single one.
Here are the covered birdbaths and planters that sit outside the stable office where my business manager, property director and operations manager work.
And these urns are the stately Kenneth Lynch garden urns flanking the entrance to the flower cutting garden. They are more than 500-pounds each. The pair is usually one of the first to get wrapped in burlap before each cold season.
This year, outside my green parlor, we used old hoop house frames to cover these growing boxwood. Every year, our methods change slightly to accommodate the growing plants. Keeping good, usable materials for repurposing is always something I try to do. I am glad these metal frames can still be used – they’re perfect for this space.
All done, the same area now looks like an art installation.
The herbaceous peony bed is also complete – covered all the way around to protect the shrubs for the next several months.
All the burlap does block views of the landscape, but it is comforting to know that come spring, the many shrubs and hedges will look lush, green, and just as beautifully shaped as they did before they were covered. There is still so much “burlapping” to do around the farm, but the team has done most of it already, and winter officially begins tomorrow.
Less than a week before Christmas and everyone here at my Bedford, New York farm is getting into the holiday spirit - even the horses.
I have 10 residents in my stable - four Friesians, a Fell pony, and five Sicilian donkeys. Every day, during my tour around the property, I always stop in to see them. Caring for equids is a huge responsibility, but it brings me great joy to know that they are happy and in the best possible health. They get lots of exercise, good food and vitamins, regular grooming, and plenty of attention. Recently, we also took photos of them in their yuletide best.
Enjoy these images.
This is my stable located at one end of my long Boxwood Allèe. It is in the center of a cobblestone courtyard flanked by two other buildings – my carriage house and my property office. If you look closely, above the main barn doors is an ornamental cast iron horse head gifted to me by my friend, antiques dealer Jim Klinko, owner of Furniture on Consignment II in Westport, Connecticut.
Inside my stable feed room, the horses’ dinner bowls are set out every afternoon and filled with the appropriate supplements for each equine.
These are commercial flour bins from a bakery. I use them in the stable for storing grains, and in my greenhouse head house for storing and organizing different planting mediums.
Along with their various supplements, each horse gets a cup of their favorite grains.
We also add a special veterinarian-developed performance powder that supports joints, muscles, hooves, skin, and coat. The horses all love it.
The horses each get a couple flakes of hay. It is crucial that we monitor the amount of hay the horses consume, so they don’t become overweight or develop digestion issues. My stable crew is very mindful of the horses’ hay intake. Most of the horses like their hay wet, so we soak it about 30-minutes and then let it drain completely before feeding. Soaking also cuts down on the amount of dust generated by the hay. We’re using a Scenic Road wheelbarrow designed with a special custom drainage hole that works so well for this purpose and for washing my dogs.
A smaller tub is used to soak alfalfa for Rinze. Alfalfa is nutritionally dense. It contains high levels of calcium, as well as magnesium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, lysine, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folic acid. It is also high protein forage, so it makes an excellent supplement for senior horses.
All the other horses get a few soaked alfalfa cubes in their bowls as an added treat.
Here’s Fernando bringing Hylke and Geert back to the stable from their paddock. These horses are so active, they love being outdoors, even when it’s rainy or cold.
And here’s Banchunch already eating his grains and supplements. Because horses have small stomachs relative to their size, they eat little and often. A horse needs food spread out, preferably in two to three feedings a day.
On this rainy day, after eating, their legs and feet are given a quick wash with tepid water to remove any mud and debris.
And then indoors, all the equines got into a bit of holiday spirit. Here’s Hylke with a Christmas cap – made just for horses.
Bond walked through the stable with his – so handsome.
And Geert showed this holiday cheer out the window of his stall.
My Fell Pony Banchunch also joined the fun.
This is Rinze, the patriarch of my stable – he is a gorgeous and faultless steed.
Even the donkeys participated – here’s Billie, one of two jennys or females, in my stable.
And here’s Jude “JJ” Junior, the other pretty girl.
Wait, what about the boys? They’re wondering what all the activity is next door.
Not to worry, they all got a turn. This is Truman “TJ” Junior. I think he likes the holiday hat.
And Clive, the tallest of my Sicilian donkeys.
And here’s Rufus wishing everyone a joyous holiday season. Just six days to go before Christmas. I hope you all have a safe and festive week ahead.
There are always so many beautiful antique and vintage planters to see at The Tropics, Inc. in Hollywood, California - it's definitely become one of my favorite stops whenever I am in the Los Angeles area.
During a recent business trip, I paid a visit to Ron Horziencik, CEO and President of the 20,000 square foot gallery. You may have seen the post on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48. Ryan and his team offer plants and accessories for both residential and corporate use, real estate staging, and television and film projects. I always find something interesting and inspiring whenever I walk through the space.
Here are some photos from my latest visit, enjoy. And if you're in the area and want to browse The Tropics, Inc. nursery, please call and make an appointment.
I always add The Tropics, Inc. to my list of must-see places whenever I travel to Los Angeles. It’s a trove of beautiful items. Ryan’s father, Ronald J. Hroziencik, started the business selling junk at a swap meet with his college roommate. Occasionally, they would have plants to sell, and customers loved them. Now, it’s a successful establishment with a large inventory of unique and beautiful plants, containers, and more.
Ryan has a variety of planters for sale inside and out – in all different sizes, forms, and materials. Here is an assortment of vintage vessels inside the showroom.
Some of his interesting pieces are planted. This is a Sanseveria “Featherwood” Forest in a low iron ceramic disk planter.
Here is an Abromeitiella brevifolia mound in a vintage French faux bois planter. Abromeitiella plants are mat-forming succulents with spined leaves arranged in numerous rosettes. They grow slowly and sometimes form cushion-shaped colonies. In their natural environment, they almost never get water, and have developed the capacity to absorb water from the humidity in the air.
In another area are these specimen sculptural aged Aloidendron dichotomum, formerly Aloe dichotoma, the quiver tree or kokerboom – a tall, branching species of succulent plant, indigenous to Africa, specifically in the Northern Cape region of South Africa, and parts of Southern Namibia.
This is a vintage Willy Guhl planter. Willy Guhl was a pioneering Swiss furniture designer and one of the first industrial designers in Switzerland. He designed a wide range of objects and furnishings, from chairs to door handles, church pews, and vases. He is probably best known for his chairs, especially the Loop Chair. In 1951, the Swiss company Eternit commissioned Guhl—along with his students at the School of Applied Arts in Zurich—to create a line of attractive and durable planters for use indoors or out. These planters were made using concrete. This Willy Guhl tulip planter is resting on a vintage French faux bois table with chair.
Here is a miniature Tylecodon bonsai in a low vintage French concrete bowl planter. Tylecodon butter tree is a robust succulent shrub with a caudiciform trunk and usually well-branched.
Perhaps some of you recognize this – I have several at my Bedford, New York farm. It is a giant vintage steel sugar kettle. Sugar kettles were used on 19th century Louisiana plantations for the production of sugar. Sugar cane was placed in the large, spherical vessels and cooked down to make syrup. Because they could withstand such high heat, they were also used for cooking. They also make instant and effective fire pits and can be used as planters.
As many of you know, I am a big fan of faux bois planters and always spot them wherever I go. Faux bois is from the French meaning “false wood” and refers to the artistic imitation of wood or wood grains in a variety of mediums. It was probably first crafted with concrete using an iron armature by garden craftsmen in France called “rocailleurs” using common iron materials such as rods, barrel bands, and even chicken wire. This large vintage French faux bois planter has handles and the original patina.
This is an aged Ficus nuda bonsai “forest” in a vintage steel disk planter. Ficus is one of the most popular trees for indoor bonsai. It is an excellent grower and needs little care.
Here’s another vintage French faux bois planter.
And in this corner, a smaller vintage faux bois planter on a faux bois stand. In Mexico and Texas, this style is sometimes known as “el trabajo rústico” meaning the rustic work.
And yet another vintage French faux bois planter – I admired them all.
In the back, I spotted several assorted vintage Willy Guhl planters.
This is a vintage French concrete garden table with a wooden base.
This vintage French faux bois planter is rectangular – they can be found in all shapes and sizes.
Here is a pair of rare Willy Guhl geometric planters – mid-century abstract triangular vessels made from eternite, a durable and lightweight fiber cement.
Here’s a vintage French faux bois branching planter.
And a vintage Betty Cobonpue basket planter. Betty Cobonpue is a Philippines-based designer. She describes her design sensibility with a simple mantra: “No hard edges.” This piece is very smooth all the way around.
This is a vintage French concrete planter with encrusted seashells.
And perfect for the holidays – a vintage French concrete deer sculpture. The Tropics, Inc. is a one-of-a-kind botanical gallery full of amazing and interesting pieces. If you are ever in the Hollywood area, please visit.
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