What projects are on your "to-do" list this weekend? Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we always have a long list of projects to complete - among them, putting shelves up on a bare wall of my guest house studio prep kitchen.
Mounted shelves free up needed space in any room. Since shelves are intended to bear weight, it's crucial they be installed correctly. One must take the time to locate the wall’s studs and to fasten the shelves securely to supportive brackets.
Here are some photos and helpful tips for getting the job done.
As part of the set-up in my guest house studio prep kitchen, it was important to ensure there was enough storage space to accommodate all the necessary equipment – all the many tools, supplies and table top appliances. My property manager, Doug White, is a very skilled carpenter. I asked him to make shelves to fit a space and the above bare wall in one corner of the kitchen. Here are the shelves ready to be installed.
These brackets are from one of my previous home collections. I knew they would be perfect for the above counter shelf.
I instruct everyone on my crew to always have all the right tools for the right jobs. Doug gathers all the supplies he needs before starting the project.
The first step is to find the wall studs. Nowadays, one can use a stud finder to locate the wall studs. These handy tools are available from hardware stores and home improvement centers. Dough holds the stud finder flat against the wall and slowly slides the tool until it beeps and flashes – this means it’s detected a stud underneath. Most wall studs are spaced 16 to 24 inches apart.
Using a pencil and tape measure, Doug makes a light mark where the shelf bracket screw should go.
Doug holds up one of the shelf’s mounting brackets to make sure it is at the desired height.
Doug then drills the two inch screw into the marked spot and then into the wall stud.
Because the bracket has a keyhole on the back for for the screw, Doug avoids over-tightening it. Instead, the screw should just be about an eighth of an inch from the wall.
Doug secures the bracket onto the wall – it is a perfect fit. If it wiggles slightly, tighten the screw just a bit and secure the bracket again until it is completely secure. He does the same for the other side.
Finally, the shelf is put in place on top of the brackets and then checked for level. It is very straight and level.
These shelf brackets are so handsome – they look wonderful in this location.
To secure it even more, Doug places two screws through the shelf from the top and into the brackets.
Here’s Doug next to the new shelf.
Just underneath the counter, Doug prepares battens for two more shelves. Here he is drilling pilot holes where they will be fastened to the wall.
A pilot hole is a small hole drilled as a guide for the insertion of a nail or screw.
For one side, which is a metal cabinet, Doug uses self-drilling screws which can go through the metal without needed a separate drilling step.
Here is the self-drilling screw next to a wood screw. One can see how the base of the screw has the drill bit shaped point.
Doug fastens the self-drilling screw through the batten to secure it to the metal cabinetry behind it.
He fastens two other battens on the other side with regular screws into the wall studs.
Lastly, Doug checks for level and plumb.
And the shelves are placed into the space – they’re also a perfect fit.
Here’s the above counter shelf which also looks great. It holds and stores our often used appliances nearby without using up needed work space below. This job took less than an hour to complete and will serve years of good use. What home projects are you tackling this weekend? Please share them with me in the comments section. I love hearing from all of you.
The flower garden beds here at my Bedford, New York farm abound with gorgeous, bright and fragrant lilies.
Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants that grow from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. The beautiful blooms can be enjoyed as cut flowers in an arrangement or growing in the garden - some at two feet, and others as tall as eight feet. I love lilies, and have been growing them for years - Asiatic, Martagon, Candidum, American, Longiflorum, Trumpet and Aurelian, Oriental, and various interdivisional hybrids.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Many of my lilies are planted in my large flower cutting garden just behind my main greenhouse. I also have lilies growing along the winding pergola, outside my Winter House kitchen, in the sunken garden behind my Summer House, and in the formal garden outside the front of the greenhouse. Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants grown for their very showy, often fragrant flowers.
Lily flowers are large and come in a range of colors including yellows, whites, pinks, reds, and purples. They may be planted in early spring or fall. Both planting times will give flowers in mid to late summer. This Turk’s cap-type lily has white blooms with raised, dark red spots and warm yellow-orange centers.
Lilies are native to temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere.
The true lilies are erect plants with leafy stems, scaly bulbs, usually narrow leaves, and solitary or clustered flowers.
The lily has a diversity of symbolism throughout the world. In fact, different colored lilies represent different things. While the white lily represents purity, the spotted tiger lily represents pride or confidence. In Japan and China, lilies are a traditional symbol of good luck, whereas Greek lore associates the flower with motherhood. These bright white blooms marked with soft yellow centers are so pretty en masse.
Here’s a beautiful orange lily growing in my flower garden. Lilies like to have their “head in the sun, feet in the shade,” and should be planted where they can get at least six hours of full sun per day.
It’s important for their foliage to be exposed to plenty of light – and not be shaded by other plants.
Over time, most lilies will multiply and the plants will grow into large clumps with many stems, but don’t worry they don’t mind being crowded.
Lily flowers consist of six petal-like segments, which may form the shape of a trumpet, with a more or less elongated tube. The segments may also be reflexed to form a turban shape, or they may be less strongly reflexed and form an open cup or bowl shape.
When it comes to water, lilies prefer moist soil but not wet feet. Choose a well-drained site, preferably not too dry.
When cutting flowers, the best time to do it is early in the morning before the sun and wind have a chance to dry the flowers. One can also cut late in the evening after they are rehydrated.
This one has yet to open.
Rose lilies are lush, double-flowered, gorgeous blooms. Their layered blooms are pollen-free and their aroma is pleasantly light.
And before bringing them indoors, be sure to gently pull those anthers off of each flower. Pollen is notorious for staining flesh and fabric. Removing the anthers prevents any pollen from getting on the flower petals, which can eat away at the delicate flower parts and shorten the life of the blooms.
When handling lilies, it’s a good idea to wear gloves and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. If you happen to get a pollen stain on your clothing, do not rub! Instead, reach for a roll of tape and use the sticky side to gently dab the area – the particles will adhere to the tape.
Lilies have one of the longest in-vase lifespans of any cut bloom and the flowers will continue to mature after they’ve been cut.
The cultivation of lilies dates back to 1500 B.C. Many of the bright colors and forms of lilies were found on botanical expeditions during the 1800s in Asia. The Chinese and Japanese lily species were exported to Europe and hybridized to create new varieties that are popular today as cut flowers and as garden plants.
Many lilies smell stronger at night. This is because during the reproduction of lilies, pollen has to get inside the pistil, which usually happens at night and as an immediate response, the fragrance is released.
As the blossoms begin to fade, snip them off to keep the plants looking neat. When all the flowers are spent, remove the entire cluster, but leave the rest of the stem in place. Allow the stem and the leaves to continue growing until they turn yellow in late summer or fall. Then the stems can be cut back to within a couple inches of the soil surface.
These lilies will continue blooming through mid-August – I am looking forward to enjoying many lily arrangements in the weeks ahead. What are your favorite lilies? Share your comments with me below.
I always enjoy seeing photos from others taken during their vacations, especially when they travel to interesting places.
Not long ago, a member of my outdoor grounds crew, Pasang Sherpa, traveled with his family for one week to Europe - London, France, and Switzerland. Pasang, who has many friends in the French Alps region, used to go there every year, but this was his family's first trip. They visited the Jardin Anglais in Geneva, hiked around Chamonix-Mont-Blanc and Sixt-Fer-á-Cheval in France, visited the famous Rouget waterfall, and walked deep into the Grotte de Grace ice cavern.
Here are a few of his photos, enjoy.
Pasang and his family flew at night from New York’s JFK International Airport to London. This is a night view from their plane.
Many of you may recognize Pasang from this blog. He is our resident tree expert here at my farm. Here he is in London at the beginning of his trip.
One of their big stops was in Geneva, Switzerland. Here, on the western most tip of Lake Geneva, or Lac Léman, Pasang quickly took a photo of these swans. Lake Geneva is the largest lake in central Europe, straddling the border between Switzerland and France.
This is the famous flower clock at the Jardin Anglais. Planted in 1955, it is the biggest clock in the world made exclusively from flowers. It was built at the park’s centennial to pay homage to Switzerland, watchmaking and horticulture. The Jardin Anglais is also home to several hundred-year-old trees, such as a ginkgo planted in 1863 and a red beech planted in 1895 for the National Exhibition.
Here’s a photo of Pasang’s daughter, Sonam, and his wife, Ihemi at Jardin Anglais.
The family also visited Chamonix-Mont-Blanc – a resort area near the junction of France, Switzerland and Italy. Les Praz is a charming picturesque village just outside the center of Chamonix. From this vantage point, one can see the beautiful snow-capped mountains in the distance.
Another highlight was a visit to the Grotte de Glace ice cave in Chamonix – more than 500 steps down. The Grotte de Glace cave is carved into a glacier…
… And all done by man to form the one and only glacier museum in France. This cave meanders through the Mer de Glace glacier and has many rooms and tunnels.
The cave is reshaped every year and has been for the past half-century, in order to provide safety and interest for visitors.
Not far is the Cascade du Rouget – a gorgeous waterfall in Haute-Savoie, in the Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval area. Also known as the “Reine des Alpes” or Queen of the Alps, this waterfall has two drops and it’s more than 296 feet.
Surrounding the waterfall are these gorgeous views. The area is just filled with flora and fauna.
Among the highest mountains in the area is Mont Buet, also called “Women’s Mont Blanc” which reaches 10,167 feet.
Sixt-Fer-a-Cheval has miles and miles of trails and paths among alpine meadows, forests, and waterfalls.
At the end of their hike, Pasang and his family enjoyed fresh omelettes made right on the hillside.
Followed by a short nap.
And then it was time to hike back to the base. Pasang and his family enjoy hiking. In fact, Sherpas live in the most mountainous areas of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. They are renowned in the international climbing and mountaineering community for their hardiness, expertise, and experience at very high altitudes.
Along the way, the group saw a large herd of sheep grazing.
This photo includes Pasang’s son Tash, Sonam, and Pasang’s brother Dawa, who is a three-time Winter Olympics cross-country skier.
The area around the village of Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval belongs to Sixt-Passy, one of the most beautiful nature reserves of the Haute Savoie. There are glaciers, high cliffs, waterfalls, alpine meadows, streams, and rivers. Here are Tash and Sonam by one of the ice formations.
And here is Ihemi in one of the camping “cabins” available to hikers. This one is just big enough to sleep in after a long day’s trek.
When closed, it is safe from inclement weather and curious animals. Although the family did not stay on the mountain, they did enjoy a short rest before heading back to the village. Pasang’s wife and children are already thinking about their next trip abroad. Thanks for sharing your photos, Pasang!
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