It's that time of year when the first spring flowers emerge from the soil - among them are the delicate white early season snowdrops.
Snowdrops, Galanthus, are the nodding, crisp white flowers that dangle above clumps of strap-shaped leaves from January through March. I love Galanthus and have many different varieties here at my farm. The hardy fall-planted bulbs are easy to grow and multiply naturally providing carpets of stunning blossoms every year.
Enjoy these photos.
This is a snowdrop, Galanthus. The genus name refers to the white color of the flowers – gala is Greek for “milk,” while anthos is Greek for “flower”.
Snowdrops are characterized by three small inner petals and three outer petals, which are spoon shaped and longer than the inners.
Snowdrops should be planted in light to moderate shade and moist but well-drained soil.
When they start to push through the soil, two or three dark green, strap-like leaves come up first and grow four to 10-inches tall.
Galanthus is a small genus of approximately 20 species of bulbous perennial herbaceous plants in the family Amaryllidaceae. They are native to Europe and the Middle East.
One of the most cultivated is Galanthus nivalis, usually known as the garden snowdrop. Here is a view from above the base of the flower, where it begins to nod.
These flower heads can be ‘single’ – one layer of petals – or ‘double’ – multiple layers of petals. And notice the inner petals – they can be blotched heavily with green…
… or just tipped lightly with color.
On this snowdrop, both the inner and the outer petals are blotched. These markings are what make the snowdrops unique.
Some of the varieties I grow include ‘Hippolyta,’ elwesii ‘Mount Everest,’ elwesii ‘Polar Bear,’ nivalis ‘Magnet,’ ‘Sam Arnott,’ ‘ woronowii, plicatus Dionysus, nivalis ‘Viridi-apics,’ ‘Turncoat,’ ‘George Proverbs,’ and ‘Little Ben.’
And do you know… Galantamine, a substance found in the plant, is used to treat Alzheimer’s disease symptoms? Galantamine is found in a variety of plant sources, such as Amaryllis, Leucojum, and Narcissus.
However, snowdrops are toxic plants for humans, dogs, and cats.
Plant snowdrops in groups to create an eye-catching display come spring.
I’ve planted snowdrops in many different areas around the farm – outside my Winter House, in beds surrounding my Tenant House, under the large London plane trees in my maze, and in many other areas where they can be seen and enjoyed during the early days of spring.
This snowdrop is a double, making it even more interesting.
Underneath, one can see the multiple petals tinged in emerald green.
Snowdrops multiply by offsets – new bulbs that grow attached to the mother bulb.
Snowdrops are a pest-free plant. Rabbits and deer won’t eat them, and most chipmunks and mice leave them alone.
Snowdrops typically begin to bloom in late winter to early spring, usually from February to March in many regions.
Finally, don’t get them confused with this charming flower, the snowflake, Leucojum. Snowflakes, which are typically more lantern-shaped, with pointed, out-curved, green-blotched tips and segments that are each about the same length, will start blooming in April.
With a little patience and elbow grease, one can easily revitalize timeworn wooden furniture.
Antiques restorer, conservator, author, and entrepreneur, Christophe Pourny, is my favorite go-to source for furniture care. His line of natural tonics, serums, and soaps make it possible to clean, restore, and polish nearly every surface and piece of wooden furniture in the home. Yesterday, I noticed my kitchen cabinets needed some attention - they were looking slightly dull and small nicks and scratches were noticeable along drawer edges. I wiped each one down with a damp cloth, dried them thoroughly, and applied a coat of Christophe's Furniture Tonic. In just a few hours, all my kitchen cabinets shined like new.
Enjoy these photos.
I’ve been using Christophe Pourny’s furniture care products for many years. They were inspired by the same products he uses in his own furniture restoration studio in New York City.
I noticed my Winter House kitchen cabinets were looking a bit timeworn. Notice the wear on the bottom of the drawer.
This is called harewood, a type of maple with a curled or “fiddleback” figure – a pattern that shows wavy lines perpendicular to the wood grain. It’s the custom made wood used on all my drawer and cabinet fronts.
The first step was to remove any surface dirt. Enma wipes down each wooden drawer and panel with a damp cloth.
It is important to ensure all the surfaces are completely clean before applying any tonic. Enma goes over it multiple times.
And then she follows it up with a dry cloth – don’t forget the wood edges and underneath the drawers also.
Next, Enma dips a section of a soft microfiber cloth into the non-toxic Furniture Tonic. This tonic restores and enhances the shine. It’s even better knowing all the ingredients are natural and safe for the environment, and around children and pets.
And here, Enma begins to apply a thin coat on all the wood. All Christophe’s products are so easy to use – any one of them can be applied with a clean, soft cloth.
The wood absorbs the tonic so quickly – these drawers are very thirsty.
And look at the drawer edges – the nicks and scratches have disappeared.
Enma goes over the surface multiple times to ensure every area is covered.
These drawers are in my servery and house some of my silver forks and spoons – what a difference.
With just an application of Christiophe Pourny’s Furniture Tonic, these pantry doors look lustrous and new.
The Color Reviver adds a boost to the furniture finish and also helps hide any nicks and scratches on darker wood. Once a year, my stable team cleans and coats the stalls.
These beautiful wooden stable walls and gates often get kicked and marred by hooves. They need to be scrubbed down and treated regularly.
Here, the walls are sprayed with Christophe Pourny’s dark Furniture Tonic.
And then a sponge is used to spread the tonic on the wood surfaces.
Look at the wall after a few minutes.
On the bottom of this gate, one side is treated with tonic and the other is not.
This stable has eight stalls, so the entire project takes a full day, but the results are wonderful.
Treating the wood not only returns it to its original lustre, but it also creates a protective layer that adds to the wood’s durability.
Whether you use Christophe’s light or dark Furniture Tonic, I know you’ll love the results. And please look at his web site to see all his other furniture care products, including wood and leather cleaners, conditioners, waxes, serums, and soaps. And be sure to get his book, “The Furniture Bible” now in its ninth printing. His book offers a comprehensive guide to furniture restoration you’ll refer to time after time.
From mid-winter to early spring, it's mating season for my geese.
I share my farm with an interesting gaggle of geese - Sebastopol geese, Toulouse geese, African geese, Chinese geese, and of course my Pomeranian guard geese. They live in a large enclosure outside my stable. Because geese prefer to breed in water, we lined up several pools on one side of the pen, which are cleaned and refilled a couple times a day. In another corner, they have a shelter that provides ample shade, protection from strong winds, and a safe place to nest and lay eggs. In general, males will court the females, but it is the goose that chooses her gander.
Enjoy these latest photos of my geese.
Geese are both smart and entertaining. And although these domestic birds are not good fliers, they do love to spread their wings. During breeding season, a gander’s pre-mating behavior also consists of wing spreading, stretching, and flapping.
Here is my pair of Chinese geese. The Chinese goose is refined and curvaceous. Its bill is relatively long and slender, with a large, rounded, erect knob that attaches to its forehead. The Chinese goose holds its head high. Its head flows seamlessly into a long, slim, well-arched neck which meets the body at about a 45 degree angle. Its body is short, and has a prominent and well-rounded chest, smooth breast and no keel. Mature ganders average 12 pounds, while mature geese average 10 pounds.
Sebastopols are considered medium-sized birds. Both males and females have pure white feathers that contrast with their bright blue eyes and orange bills and feet. Sebastopol geese have large, rounded heads, slightly arched necks, and keelless breasts. And what is most striking is the plumage. The plumage of the head and upper two-thirds of the neck is smooth, while that of the breast and underbody is elongated and well-curled.
These are African geese – a breed that has a heavy body, thick neck, stout bill, and jaunty posture which gives the impression of strength and vitality. The African is a relative of the Chinese goose, both having descended from the wild swan goose native to Asia. The mature African goose has a large knob attached to its forehead, which requires several years to develop. A smooth, crescent-shaped dewlap hangs from its lower jaw and upper neck. Its body is nearly as wide as it is long. African geese are the largest of the domestic geese. In nature, geese pairs bond and stay together for life.
This buff-brown goose is a Toulouse. On this breed, the bill is stout, the head large and broad, and the moderately long neck is thick and nearly straight. Often suspended from the lower bill and upper neck is a heavy, folded dewlap that increases in size and fullness with age. The body is long, broad and deep, ending in a well-spread tail that points up slightly. The Toulouse has a rounded breast, and often exhibits a wide keel. The abdomen is double-lobed and often brushes the ground, particularly in females during the early spring.
These are my Pomeranian geese – the oldest of all my geese. They guarded my chickens for several years, but seem very happy to be with their goose friends.
My geese have a large yard, but they love to gather close together most of the time. I am very happy that all my geese get along so well. A group of geese on land is called a gaggle. This is because when geese get together they can get quite noisy and rowdy.
And being highly social helps them stay safer from predators.
Waterfowl don’t need roosts – they are very happy sleeping on the ground, but this shelter in one corner of the pen does protect them from strong winds. This area is also lined well with hay for laying eggs.
This gander is “Bear.” He was hatched as a singleton a couple of years ago. He and a Sebastopol goose seem to be very happy together.
“Bear” and the other sentinels come honking and hissing at anyone who comes near. Thanks to their honks, these geese make excellent guardians. They can scare off any animals on the ground and they’re great at spotting aerial predators, such as hawks and falcons.
The tail of a goose is relatively short – just a few inches. And while the tail itself may not be very strong, the overall strength of a goose is attributed to its powerful body muscles and bones.
Geese also have impressive visual capabilities. The way their eyes are structured allows them to see things in much finer detail at a further distance than humans. They can also see UV light and can control each of their eyes independently.
Where one goes, the others tend to follow.
Geese also prefer to mate in water. It is safer to provide these shallow containers. They seem to like them.
However, geese don’t require a pond or large swimming pool – they swim much less than ducks and are content with a small dipping pool where they can dunk and clean their noses and beaks.
Each pool has steps, so it is easy for the geese to get in and out whenever they please.
Geese are grazing birds that eat a variety of different items. They look for roots, shoots, stems, seeds, and leaves of grass and grain, bulbs, and berries. They also eat small insects.
In addition to the fresh greens I give all my birds, I fortify their diet with a mix specifically made for waterfowl.
They always have access to fresh, clean water. Because geese do not have lips or cheeks, they drink by filling their bills with water and then tilt their heads back to swallow, using gravity to send the liquid into their digestive tract.
My gaggle of geese is fun, friendly, personable, and protective. Geese are also very hardy and adaptable to different climates. I’ve kept geese for many years. My farm wouldn’t be complete without them.
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