It's so important to keep up with the maintenance and care of the many trees here at my Bedford, New York farm. My grove of American beech trees, Fagus grandifolia, is undergoing a soil treatment program to make sure they continue to thrive.
As many of you know, I tour the grounds every day and keep track of what needs pruning, feeding, and mulching throughout the year. Early last month, I noticed something wasn't quite right with my American beech trees. The trees just didn't look as vibrant or as full. I also knew there was a relatively new beech leaf disease that is spreading rapidly through the Northeast killing both mature American beeches and saplings. I called on True Nature tree and soil expert, Sebastian “Rocky” Camarillo, to take a look right away. Rocky assessed the trees, took many soil samples for testing, and started a thorough feeding plan. Yesterday, Rocky came back to see how they were doing.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This is my grove of American beech trees. This grove is located at the east end of my long Boxwood Allee not far from the carriage road leading to my hayfields. This photo was taken last fall when my American beech tree grove looked lush and healthy.
This spring, i noticed the trees were getting bare. I was concerned they had gotten the beech leaf disease that’s been plaguing trees across the country. The disease, which was first spotted in northeastern Ohio, causes parts of leaves to turn leathery and branches to wither and then kill a tree within six to 10 years. I definitely needed to make sure these beautiful specimens survived.
True Nature owner, Rocky Camarillo, came to the farm last month and noticed there was clearly something wrong.
Rocky took many samples of soil from around the trees for testing. Soil helps regulate the water, supports biodiversity, filters pollutants, provides support, and cycles nutrients. Soil tests are available at garden shops and online. It is a good idea to test one’s garden soil every three to five years.
And then he treated the roots around every tree in the grove. It is crucial to feed the roots and the soil in order to feed the trees. Rocky used a solution containing nitrogen, iron, sulfur, magnesium, manganese, boron, and zinc and went all the way out just past the drip-line of every tree.
Unfortunately, the leaves looked withered and many had not grown.
Held up to the sunlight, the leaves also showed dark bands – a sign of the beech leaf disease. An invasive nematode is believed to be responsible for disease. These microscopic worms are present in the leaves and buds of infected beech trees. Hopefully the added nutrients could strengthen the tree and fight the disease.
In the weeks following that first treatment, I already noticed a little improvement. Rocky returned to the farm yesterday to check on the grove.
While many of the leaves still looked diseased, new growth showed green, smooth, healthy leaves. The trees were doing better, but the soil still needed some more nutrients. The soil tests showed a low CEC, or Cation exchange capacity, a property of soil that describes its capacity to supply nutrients for plant uptake.
Rocky’s son, Eric, puts together the AirSpade – a hose attachment for a compressor that can shoot air and uncover sensitive tree roots without harming them.
Using the AirSpade, Rocky clears the area around the tree’s base. The trunk base, where it widens, is called the root flare or root collar or root crown. This is a key area on any tree. The rule of thumb when planting trees is to be sure the tree is “bare to the flare.”
Rocky also cuts any roots that are wrapped too tightly against the flare roots.
This tree now has a well-exposed flare.
Next, Rocky uses the AirSpade to make holes around the tree. Rocky does this in many locations under the canopy and all the way out just past the drip-line of every tree. The drip-line is the area directly located under the outer circumference of the tree branches. When the tree canopy gets wet, any excess is shed to the ground along this drip-line. This is also known as a tree’s critical root zone or root protection zone.
Meanwhile, Eric mixes a solution of compost and biochar, which is the lightweight black residue, made of carbon and ashes.
He then adds bokashi, a fermented organic fertilizer that contains beneficial microorganisms and nutrients. Bokashi is different from compost because it uses fermentation to break organic waste down and compost uses decomposition.
Here, Rocky mixes the elements together.
And then Freddy pushes generous amounts of the mixture into each hole around the tree.
Each hole goes down at least a foot deep into the soil.
The next step is to spray the surface soil with fertilizer. The same liquid fertilizer he used in his first visit.
Freddy sprays the fertilizer generously around each tree. We’re also expecting some rain this week which will hopefully help the tree roots absorb the new nutrients.
The trio stopped for a quick photo – here’s Rocky, Freddy, and Eric.
Rocky will be back again before the summer is over to check on this grove and all the other American beech trees around the farm, including the purple columnar beech trees around my pool, the fastigiate beech trees outside my Winter House, and the weeping copper beech trees. I am looking forward to seeing these trees look even better in the weeks ahead. I will keep you all updated – stay tuned.
I hope you all had a lovely Independence Day weekend. Here in the Northeast, we had excellent weather at my Bedford, New York farm and up at Skylands, my home in Maine, where there are many flowers now in bloom.
I love Maine - for me, it is a magical place and I always wish I could spend more time there. In May, I go up to carry out my annual task of planting the large ornamental urns and planters that adorn the exterior of my home. And later during the summer I go up there again to spend a few weeks with family and friends. Unfortunately, I don't always get to see all the beautiful flowers that blossom at Skylands, but Cheryl DuLong, who helps me care for Skylands, and Wendy Norling, one of my gardeners, keep me updated by sending photographs from time to time.
Here's a look at what's been blooming over the last couple of weeks, enjoy.
The garden in the center of my circular driveway at Skylands is so lush this time of year. It is planted with hay-scented ferns, purple smoke bushes, and spruce trees, Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’. When I found this variety, I just had to get many to plant up here at MY Skylands.
This columbine plant, Aquilegia, is blooming on the edge of the Council Circle where friends and family love to gather. Columbine is an easy-to-grow perennial that offers seasonal interest throughout the year. Columbines aren’t particular about soil as long it’s well-draining and not too dry. It blooms in a variety of colors and forms, which emerge from its attractive dark green foliage. The bell-shaped flowers are also a favorite to hummingbirds and may be used in cut-flower arrangements as well.
Here’s another columbine in dark purple and white.
The woodland up near my lost pools is filled with beautiful moss. Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants that typically form dense green clumps or mats, often in damp or shady locations. Moss is a slow growing wild plant that should never be harvested in large amounts – in fact, it is illegal to take any moss from national forests without permission. Whenever we use moss, we are always very conscious to return it to the forest once the season is over, so it can regenerate and flourish.
Calendula has daisy-like bright orange or yellow flowers and pale green leaves. Commonly called the pot marigold, Calendula officinalis, the calendula flower is historically used for medicinal and culinary purposes. Like most herbs, calendulas are adaptable and do not require a lot of maintenance. They can be grown in containers or in the garden bed with full sun to shade conditions.
Both my herbaceous peonies and my tree peonies are finished blooming at Bedford, but they’re looking wonderful at Skylands. The peony is any plant in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae.
Here is a gorgeous large white peony flower. Herbaceous peony blooms range from simple blossoms to complex clusters.
Wendy captured this image of the Nicotiana – a genus of herbaceous plants and shrubs of the family Solanaceae that is indigenous to the Americas, Australia, southwest Africa and the South Pacific.
Iris flowers bloom in shades of purple, blue, white and yellow and include many hybridized versions that are multi-colored.
Also looking very vibrant right now is our Astilbes. Astilbes are wonderful shade perennials, known for their dark green foliage and plume-like blossoms.
These lupine flowers are attractive and spiky, reaching one to four feet in height. Lupine flowers may be annual and last only for a season or perennial, returning for a few years in the same spot in which they were planted. The lupine plant grows from a long taproot and loves full sun. The flowers are produced in dense or open whorls on an erect spike, each flower about one to two centimeters long. The pea-like flowers have an upper standard, or banner, two lateral wings, and two lower petals fused into a keel.
Alliums are also growing at Skylands. Allium species are herbaceous perennials with flowers produced on scapes. They grow from solitary or clustered bulbs and come in a broad palette of colors, heights, bloom times and flower forms. They will grow in most any soil, as long as it is well-drained. And they love sunlight and will perform best when planted in full sun.
These little ferns are growing out of the side of the cliff walk. They’re called common rockcap ferns – a native evergreen fern found in moist rocky areas.
Heliotrope is a plant of the borage family, cultivated for its fragrant purple or blue flowers, which are used in perfume.
This is Mountain Laurel. This shade-tolerant North American shrub has beautiful flowers that bloom in late spring and early summer. A close relative of rhododendrons and azaleas, it’s a great option for shady gardens. It’s also evergreen, so after the blooms have faded, its leathery deep green foliage continues to add beauty to any space.
On my large terrace, Cheryl took this photo of one of the agaves we planted just a few weeks ago. Agaves are exotic, deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and make wonderful container plants. It’s not easy dealing with giant, prickly agave plants. One must be very careful of one’s eyes, face, and skin whenever planting them.
Clematis is a genus of about 300 species in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. The name Clematis comes from the Greek word “klematis,” meaning vine. Clematis, pronounced KLEH-muh-tis, are native to China and Japan and known to be vigorous growers.
The hellebores are still going strong in Maine. I’ve had hellebores in my gardens for many years. Hellebores are members of the Eurasian genus Helleborus – about 20 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. They blossom during late winter and through spring for up to three months. Hellebores are widely grown for decorative purposes because they are easy-to-grow and are able to resist frost. It is common to plant them on slopes or in raised beds in order to see their flowers, which tend to nod.
These are the flowers of the golden chain tree at the little chapel at Skylands. Laburnum, sometimes called golden rain or golden chain, is a genus of two species of small trees in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. It has golden-yellow flowers that grow 10 to 20 inches in length. but beware – all parts of the tree contain cytisine and are highly toxic to humans and pets.
And here’s a view that never gets tiring. Taken through the woods, this view looks at Seal Harbor and Sutton’s Island in the distance. I can’t wait to return to Skylands for my next visit. Thanks for the photos, Wendy and Cheryl!
The dahlias are growing so nicely this season, and some are already beginning to show off those colorful flowers that bloom from midsummer right through the first frost.
The dahlia garden is tucked behind my vegetable greenhouse in an area exposed to full sun and protected from strong winds. My dahlias are from Floret, a family farm and floral design studio in the State of Washington. We also have some from Swan Island Dahlias in Oregon, a family owned business and the largest and leading dahlia grower in the United States. And, a selection comes from The Flower Hat, based in Bozeman, Montana.
Enjoy these photos of some of the season's first dahlia blooms and have a lovely July 4th weekend.
Dahlias grow more blooms when they get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. This spot was previously used for growing grapes, but it has now turned out to be a perfect place for our dahlias.
Dahlia plants have slender erect stems which are not always capable of holding up the large flowers, so they must be well-supported. This year we used bamboo stakes and jute twine. The twine is looped around the bamboo, so the flower stems can grow between the strands.
The array of flower colors, sizes, and shapes is astounding. Dahlias come in white, shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, shades of purple, and various combinations of these colors – every color but true blue. Do you know… in the 19th century, a London newspaper offered a pound, or a little more than a dollar, to the first breeder to create a blue dahlia? Interestingly, the reward was never claimed, but there have been many attempts that are near-blue. Like many flower varieties, there is also no pure black variety—only dark red and dark purple.
Dahlias are named after 18th-century Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. He actually categorized dahlias as a vegetable because of their edible tubers. The tubers are said to taste like a mix between potatoes and radishes.
Dahlia plant leaves grow opposite each other and are simple to pinnately compound with segments that are ovate to oblong to lanceolate in shape. The leaf margins may be lobed or dentate. Leaves may be green, reddish-purple, or purple-black depending on the variety.
Currently, there are about 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. A member of the Asteraceae family of dicotyledonous plants, some of its relatives include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia.
This cactus variety is called ‘Park Princess’ with tightly rolled rich, vibrant pink petals. It is a prolific re-bloomer and an excellent cut flower.
Dahlias are classified according to flower shape and petal arrangement.
This is a single dahlia with just one row of petals surrounding the center disc. They range from a charming single, daisy-like flower to the popular double varieties which can be two-inch-pompons to 12-inch dinner plate size. They are divided into 10 groups: single, anemone, collarette, waterlily, decorative, fall, pompon, cactus, semi-cactus, and miscellaneous.
Pompon dahlias yield masses of intricate, fully double blooms measuring up to two-and-a-half inches across. This dahlia is a pretty light salmon color.
Dahlias thrive in rich, well-drained soil with a pH level of 6.5 to 7.0 and slightly acidic.
The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers or cultivars, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects.
Dahlias are very attractive to bees and hummingbirds.
Here is an elegant dahlia which produces large blossoms with fully double, slender, deep pink petals with creamy throats that produce a frilled effect-hence the name Fimbriata meaning frilly.
The genus Dahlia is native to the high plains of Mexico. Some species can be found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador & Costa Rica as well as parts of South America where it was introduced. This lavender-pink dahlia also has frilled petals.
This dahlia is creamy yellow with a bold yellow center – a lovely and perfectly formed bloom.
And here is one in dark burgundy.
This dahlia is named ‘Bashful’ with its dark burgundy petals, hot pink tips, and golden stamens in the center of the flower. The three-inch flower blooms on a plant that grows to two-and-a-half feet by the end of the season. This is a great dahlia for bedding, containers, and cut flowers.
Dahlias are herbaceous perennials, but often grown as annuals. We used to dig up our dahlias at the end of the season and then replant them in the spring. The key to maintaining dahlia tubers for the winter is making sure they stay dry, have good air circulation, and are in a cool, dark spot. This past winter, we covered them with bales of hay to protect them from the winter elements – and it worked. Click here to see the blog on how we protected our dahlias.
This dahlia bud is just about to open. When the flowers grow, they emerge small and pale green at first. And gradually they get larger and more detailed.
Dahlias produce an abundance of wonderful flowers throughout early summer and again in late summer until the first frost. I am looking forward to many arrangements.
Many of you often These gorgeous flowers were used for a recent photo shoot. The color combinations look so pretty in these glass vessels. When arranging, always strip off all the leaves that would be below the water line in the vase. This is true for all flower arrangements, not just dahlias. When leaves stay underwater, they decay and release bacteria that shorten the vase life of the flowers. And change the water daily so they look fresh and last longer. These dahlias should last through the holiday weekend.
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