Another important chore that can be done during winter - pruning the berry bushes.
I love growing all kinds of berries and have been growing them for many years. I currently have large patches of red raspberries, golden raspberries, black raspberries, currants, gooseberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. For the best yields from these plants it's crucial that some berry bushes be pruned regularly. Pruning produces larger berries in greater volumes and helps to control diseases that might otherwise spread. My gardeners pruned many of the berry bushes last week - trimming the old canes and branches back to get them ready for next season.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Fresh, homegrown berries are so delicious. I’ve been growing my own berries for years and am fortunate that all my bushes are so prolific. We harvest trays and boxes of berries every summer. These are black raspberries.
Here’s a box of red raspberries freshly picked with a sweet, tangy, and slightly tart taste. Many berries are best eaten raw, but they can be used in a variety of ways – as ingredients in jams and jellies, pies and tarts, and delicious summer juices.
One raspberry plant can produce several hundred berries in a season. I cook with them and share them with family and friends.
The currant bushes are also prolific. White currants are sweet and tart with floral undertones. Although the fruits are the primary source of food from the plant, the leaves, and tender, young shoots are also edible.
These are called champagne currants. These fruits are blushed with pink, but currants also come in dark purple, bright ruby red, and the white. Currants are still largely unknown here in the United States. They are well-loved in many other countries, and here in the US, they are slowly gaining popularity, especially because of the high antioxidant content. They are now more prevalent at local farms and home gardens.
The color of gooseberries depends on the variety. It can range from red and purple to yellow and green.
These fruits typically start ripening in late June into July. I check the bushes almost every day during these months for ready to pick berries.
But now that it’s winter and all the bushes are bare it’s a good time to prune and groom them in preparation for the next growing season.
When pruning, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew first cut all the dead, diseased, damaged, or deranged branches.
My crew always uses sharp tools, so they leave behind nice, clean cuts. If the pruners cut messily through the stems, the wounds won’t heal as quickly or as neatly.
This is where a dead branch was cut – it’s brown and woody.
Adan also thins out the center of the currant bush, so light and air can circulate properly.
And any crisscrossing branches are also removed.
Nearby, my raspberry bushes – red, golden, and black – are also pruned. These raspberries are located outside my main greenhouse where they get full sun.
Just like the currants and gooseberries, the raspberry canes cut first are those that are dead, diseased, damaged or deranged.
Black raspberries are identifiable by their purple canes. Raspberries are unique because their roots and crowns are perennial, while their stems or canes are biennial. A raspberry bush can produce fruit for many years.
Here at my farm, they are all supported at row ends by these antique Chinese granite posts I purchased. I use them for these berries as well as for my long pergola, and to hold up my apple and pear espaliers.
The heavy gauge copper wire laced through them keeps the canes up. The wire can be tightened or loosened depending on the need.
The canes are lined up along the wire to train them where to grow. Raspberry plants spread by suckers and will spread out far and wide if allowed. Unpruned raspberry bushes will still grow, but won’t yield more berries. Leaving them unpruned also makes them more prone to disease.
Most raspberry plants also have small thorns, or prickles, along their stems and canes – they are part of the rose family.
Raspberries bear fruit on two-year old canes, the canes that sprouted last season. Here, they look much better after pruning.
Here is a bed of currants after pruning. Once they are trimmed, everything looks uniform and level.
All the cut branches and canes are driven to the compost pile where they will be made into mulch. There is a lot of work to do around this busy farm all year round, but one by one the tasks are well completed.
I always like things clean, organized, and in good working condition - it's a standard I try to impress upon everyone who works for me, especially when it comes to valuable tools.
Here at my farm, when it is bitter cold outside, I encourage my gardeners and grounds crew to take care of indoor chores, such as checking the equipment, sharpening the tools, and cleaning and organizing all necessary implements, so they are close at hand and ready to use at any given time. Yesterday, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, tackled an old, industrial baker's cooling rack I repurposed years ago to store gardening items in the head house. Everything was removed, washed, and then neatly returned - categorized and organized on designated pull out wire shelves.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
From time to time, it’s important to take stock of one’s gardening tools to see what needs cleaning, fixing, purging, or replacing. I have an enormous supply of gardening spades, trowels, scoops, bulb planters, watering wands, pruners, etc. Ryan took all them out to inspect, clean and organize.
Every table surface of my head house was covered with tools and supplies. These are all watering wands, hose nozzles, and various shears.
Here are miscellaneous metal drainage saucers, seed starting cups, and pot straps on another table. Ryan separated items that needed cleaning from those that just needed re-organizing.
Ryan also disposed of what was no longer usable and set aside anything needing repair.
Hand tools such as dibbers, scoops, and small rakes were placed in a trug bucket and soaked for several minutes in warm, soapy water to loosen any dirt. Regular dish soap can work.
Next, Ryan uses an old rag to wipe away stuck on soil or other debris.
He uses a bristle brush for those tools needing more scrubbing.
And then everything is rinsed thoroughly.
Here, Ryan places clean tools in a colander trug for drainage.
Newly cleaned items are placed on a towel to dry completely in my warm greenhouse.
By midday, everything is clean – sprinklers, and giant wire storage trays from the rack are also newly washed and left to dry.
Ryan wipes down the industrial baker’s rack I purchased years ago to use for storing tools in my head house. It is located just inside the back door for easy access.
Ryan wipes down every crevice – dirt and grime can accumulate quickly during the growing season. Winter is a good time to clean and sort everything.
Here is the rack all ready to be filled.
My greenhouse cat Blackie is watching all the activity, and patiently waiting for a snack.
First, Ryan organizes all the watering wands. We use these all year round. They’re perfect for watering all the hanging pots as well as harder to reach pots in my greenhouse and hoop houses.
Ryan decides which shelves should house which tools depending on amount of use.
This basket shelf is designated for shears. Everyone on my crew uses these Japanese Okatsune shears specially made for trimming hedges. The shears are user friendly, and come in a range of sizes.
My gardeners use T-handled dibbers for planting many of the spring-blooming bulbs. They are manually pressed into the soil to make appropriate holes for planting.
Here’s a space specifically for garden forks – used mainly for cultivating smaller planting areas.
And nearby, a section of hand trowels. One of my mantras is “use the right tool for the right job.” My gardeners have everything they need here at the farm.
Durable metal scoops are used for soil mixes, fertilizers, and gravel pot dressings.
Gardener’s twine and other miscellaneous tools are also grouped with like items and stored.
By day’s end there’s “a place for everything, and everything is its place.” It’s amazing how much this unit can hold. It’s the weekend – what organizing projects are on your “to-do” list?
It's always enjoyable to eat out, especially when the event celebrates special occasions.
After a busy day at work, I and a small group of friends and colleagues gathered at La Mercerie at the Guild for a January birthday dinner. La Mercerie is a café, bakery, and restaurant located inside the furniture and design store Roman and Williams Guild in Soho, New York. Led by Executive chef Marie-Aude Rose, La Mercerie serves what she describes as "simple, yet refined" French-inspired dishes. We had the most delicious meal, which included phyllo-wrapped shrimp with seaweed and caviar, French onion soup, gratin dauphinois, sole meunière, filet of duck served in a cherry sauce, bœuf bourguignon, and a variety of the most delectable desserts. The next time you're in New York City, please try La Mercerie - you'll love every bite!
Here are some photos, enjoy.
La Mercerie lives inside Roman and Williams Guild – both created and owned by the designing husband and wife duo of Robin Standefer and Stephen Alesch. (Photo from La Mercerie)
Roman and Williams Guild is a design studio and retail space that celebrates fine craftsmanship, organic materials, and age-old art techniques.
Everything in the shop and most items in La Mercerie are for sale including home decorations…
… and more utilitarian pieces for the dining table.
It was difficult to select our drinks, appetizers and entrées – there were many choices and everything looked so good.
Some started with cocktails and wine. This is a mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, usually made with red wine and various mulling spices. It is typically served hot or warm traditionally around Christmas and the winter months.
This is an espresso martini, which is a cold caffeinated drink made with espresso, coffee liqueur, and vodka. It is not a true martini as it contains neither gin nor vermouth, but is one of many popular drinks that use “martini” in its name.
Chef Marie-Aude Rose made us this special shredded phyllo-wrapped shrimp with seaweed and caviar buerre blanc. it was delicious.
This is Huîtres de la Côte Est, a half dozen east coast oysters served with lemon rye toast and a French seaweed butter – so good, we had to share.
Coquille Saint Jacques Normande is scallops served with apple, vegetables, beurre blanc, calvados, and mushroom brioche.
This is Foi Gras Torchon with pear chutney and toasted brioche.
We also enjoyed this favorite – Gratin Dauphinois, sliced potatoes cooked in garlic infused milk and cream, gratiné with Compté cheese.
This entrée is called Filet de Canard aux Cerises – duck with almond pearl onions and cherry sauce – a very popular dish.
This is the Sole de Paris – dover sole Meunière, button mushrooms, and white wine sauce.
Another main course is this Bœuf Bourguignon – tender pinot noir marinated braised beef with bacon, carrots, mushrooms, and pasta.
At least one of us had to try the French Onion Soup, Soupe á L’oignon – this one made with vegetarian broth, gruyère, baguette crouton, and cognac.
Cabillaud à La Moutarde en Cocotte is steamed cod in donabe, grain mustard, leeks and potatoes. Everything was so flavorful.
Here I am with Chef Marie-Aude Rose, a celebrated and most passionate Parisian chef who started cooking as a little girl with her grandparents on the French countryside.
And here’s a familiar face across the room. For those of you who watched my “Living” television show, the one on the left is Blaney Rotanz. She was just a little girl when she joined me on TV, and now she is all grown up.
For dessert, we all tried a variety of sweet treats including this coconut sorbet.
We also had this Galette de rois, a pastry offered only in January. It is made with two circles of homemade puff pastry sandwiching a frangipani filling.
And for the birthday girl, Kim Dumer, who has worked with me for 30-years in several key roles including brand relations and content strategy… Profiteroles au Chocolat – choux pastry, vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce.
Here it is drizzled with sauce and ready to share. Happy Birthday Kim – and thanks for all the great work you do!
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
