Maintaining a productive orchard is a lot of work.
The large orchard surrounding my pool includes more than 200-fruit trees. There are apple trees, plum trees, cherry trees, peach, apricot, pear, medlar, and quince trees. Since it was first planted in 2017, these trees have provided so many wonderful fruits. They are all pruned and fed regularly through the year. Unfortunately, even with excellent maintenance and care, sometimes trees need to be replaced due to disease or damage. I also like to add trees whenever I can. This week, an order of bare-root fruit trees arrived from Trees of Antiquity in Paso Robles, California. Right away they were placed in water, left to soak, and then planted in the ground.
Enjoy these photos.
This is my orchard in summer when all the trees are leafed out and filled with sweet, juicy fruits.
I grow lots of peaches. Peach trees thrive in an area where they can soak up the sunshine throughout the day. Growing peach trees are self-fruiting, which means the pollen from the same flower or variety can pollinate the tree and produce fruit.
Some of the many pears in the orchard are Bartlett, Columbia, D’Amalis, Ginnybrook, McLaughlin, Nova, Patten, Seckel, Stacyville, and Washington State.
And of course, I have a section of delicious apples. I already grow hundreds of apple trees here at the farm – some that were here when I acquired the property and others I planted soon after moving here. These orchard apple trees include Baldwin, Black Oxford, Cortland, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Esopus Spitzenburg, Fuji, Golden Russet, Grimes Golden, Honeycrisp, Liberty, Redfield, Roxbury Russet, and Windham Russet.
This is the orchard now. Early spring is the best time to plant bare-root trees in the ground, when it is no longer frozen and before buds break. It also gives them time to get established before the peak of spring growth.
I just received my order of bare-root fruit trees to fill in spaces where trees were removed. When selecting fruit trees, be sure to get tree species and varieties that will thrive in your climate and soil conditions.
After the trees arrived, they were placed in buckets of water right away to soak. Soaking the roots for at least four to 12 hours ensures they are fully hydrated and ready to absorb water and nutrients once planted.
They were also given a solution specifically for transplants. This is Miracle-Gro Quick Start. It provides the nutrients they need to thrive and develop strong roots.
In the orchard, holes are already dug. It should be twice the width of the tree’s roots.
Matt sprinkles a generous handful over the composted soil.
And then mixes all the elements together. This helps ensure the tree roots will develop using all the soil in the space and not just the layer of newly added compost.
Matt also creates a mound out of the soil a few inches high in the bottom of the hole. This will give some support to the root system.
Fruiting ‘scion’ wood is often grafted onto resilient rootstocks. The graft point looks like a ‘knuckle’ at the bottom of the trunk. When planting, this point must be at least a few inches above soil level.
Here’s a closer look at the grafting point. It is pretty easy to find no matter how old or big the tree is.
Ryan shows Matt how to position the bare-root in its hole. He also advises him to step back from the tree at several points to make sure it is planted straight.
These bare-root fruit trees have strong main stems with fresh growth.
Ryan carefully places the fruit tree into the hole, centered on the mound. He spreads its roots so they grow outward.
He holds the tree upright in position with one hand and slowly backfills the hole with the other, so the soil falls back around the roots.
Here, one can see that the graft is above the soil line. This union area is delicate. Positioning the graft union above the soil preserves the rootstock and allows for better growth and productivity.
Here, Matt compacts the soil around the plant to ensure good contact around the roots.
I always try to grow interesting and unique varieties. This selection includes: English Morello Cherry, Purple Guigne Cherry, Lake Duke Cherry, Black Pearl Cherry, Sweetheart Cherry, Indian Blood Peach, Rio Oso Gem Peach, Polly White Peach, Nectar Peach, Suncrest Peach, Blenheim Apricot, Mountain Roast Apple, Christmas Pink Apple, Winekist Apple, Muscat de Venus Apple, Grenadine Apple, Pink Parfait Apple, Strawberry Parfait Apple, Niedwetzkyana Apple, Rubiyat Apple, and Surprise Apple. I’m looking forward to seeing the fruits develop and tasting each and every one.
It's always a joy to see beautiful potted plants displayed around the farm during the warm season.
Every year, I take out many of my outdoor ornamental urns and fill them with plants. They do so well outside in the summer months and look great arranged around my home. Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, planted several containers with an assortment of plants including English lavender, Dusty Miller, Lamb's Ears, and ferns. He also planted a pair of urns with hens and chicks - those charming mat-forming succulents with fleshy pointed leaves arranged in rosettes. Planting season is here!
Enjoy these photos.
It’s always so much fun to visit local nurseries and select plants for one’s own gardens and terrace containers. Neighborhood shops sell what grows best in the area and experts on staff are there to answer any questions.
Every urn has a drainage hole at the bottom. Ryan places a layer of weed cloth first to protect the vessel itself. This will also make it easier to remove the plant next autumn, when it is put back in the greenhouse for the cold season.
The container is filled two-thirds of the way up with a good quality potting soil. Using a proper soil mix will help to promote faster root growth and give quick anchorage to young roots.
Ryan decides the plant’s placement first. Always try to arrange specimens strategically, so they look best.
Remember, whenever transplanting always scarify the root ball, meaning tease or loosen the roots, so they are stimulated. This will help the plant roots grow and form a good foundation in the pot.
Ryan places a variety of plants in this large faux bois urn. When planting different specimens in one pot, be sure to consider the growth habits of each plant to ensure there’s enough room to last all season.
Lamb’s Ears, Stachys byzantina, is named after its soft and velvety, silver-green leaves that resemble the ears of a lamb.
This is Dusty Miller ‘New Look,’ Senecio bicolor cineraria – an annual loved for its silvery-gray foliage. It grows about 12-inches tall and wide and will fill in the pot nicely along with the other plants.
In this container, Ryan also adds Scabiosa, the Pincushion flower, a charming perennial flowering plant.
This is an autumn fern, Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance.’ It is a handsome coppery red color that matures to a dark green.
Lysimachia is a fast growing perennial groundcover with small, round, yellow-green leaves. It complements the greens and silvers in this container.
Ryan adds more soil to fill to just under the lip of the container.
The soil is gently tamped down to ensue good contact.
And then Ryan trims the excess weed cloth around the pot, so it cannot be seen.
This antique faux bois planter is displayed on the wall outside my carport where it can be seen and enjoyed every day.
This container is one of a pair that is located on the steps of my terrace parterre outside my Winter House kitchen. It is planted with lavender and dichondra, another creeping groundcover. Displaying potted plants is an easy way to add color, texture, and nature to any space.
On the other side of my terrace parterre, two planters are potted with hens and chicks. Hens and chicks are members of the Sempervivum group of succulent plants. They are also known as houseleeks. Hens and chicks are so called because of the rosette shape and habit of the plant to produce numerous babies.
If you decide to display some plants outside your home, be sure to check them regularly. Weed them if needed, and don’t forget to water them if the soil is dry. Potted plants in pretty outdoor containers are a very good thing.
Developing any garden, big or small, takes time, planning, and lots of patience.
Four years ago, I decided to create a giant azalea border along both sides of the carriage road between my Summer House and my stable. I wanted to plant lots of colorful azaleas - a variety of unique specimens in shades of pink, orange, crimson, and white. I already have many mature azaleas flourishing in this area, but I wanted to expand the collection. That first year I started with about 200 plants on each side. Hundreds more have been added since. I watch how the plants grow, assess which varieties do best, and every spring I add a few more wherever they're needed. I am looking forward to seeing this garden bloom.
Enjoy these photos.
This time of year, I often visit local nurseries to select new plants for the gardens. I pay close attention to what gardens need filling and do it a little at a time. It’s important to also understand the growth cycles of each plant in order to predict how long it will take a garden to flourish. This collection of new plants includes some azaleas for my border.
My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, places the azaleas strategically -keeping like colors together and with the plant’s mature size in mind. When buying azaleas, always select plants that are sturdy, well-branched, and free of insect damage or diseases. And, avoid plants with weak, spindling growth and poor root systems. Azaleas are generally healthy, easy to grow plants. Some azaleas bloom as early as March, but most bloom in April and May with blossoms lasting several weeks.
If the planting area has already been mulched for the season, carefully move the mulch out of the way first, so it is not mixed with the planting soil. It will be easy to move the mulch back around the plant later, so it looks neat and tidy.
Matt starts by digging the hole at least twice the size of the plant. Azaleas thrive in moist, well-drained soils high in organic matter.
Then he removes the plant from its pot and scarifies. Scarifying stimulates root growth. Essentially, one makes small cuts along the root ball to loosen the roots and create some beneficial injuries. This helps the plant become established more quickly in its new environment.
Matt also scarifies the bottom.
My gardeners love using the Japanese hori hori knife. It’s durable, comfortable, and very versatile. It has a serrated edge on one side and a sharpened edge on the other. Aside from cutting, it can also be used for troweling and digging out weeds.
Next, Matt sprinkles a generous handful of good, water-soluble fertilizer to the existing soil.
The plant is placed into the hole and then checked to be sure it is at the right depth. Planting too deep could eventually cause bark deterioration at the soil line and kill the plant.
The azalea is backfilled and the soil is lightly tamped for good contact with the root ball. Azaleas have short root systems, so they can easily be transplanted in early spring or early fall.
Matt also returns the beautiful mulch that had been recently spread around the area. Among these new azalea plants are ‘Girard’s Kathy,’ ‘Blaauw’s Pink,’ and ‘Firestar.’ Azaleas prefer morning sun and afternoon shade, or filtered light. These plants will fit in so nicely with the others.
On the other side of the carriage road, Alex drops another wheelbarrow of mulch. Unloading mulch in manageable amounts makes it easier to spread.
Here is one section where the crew is working. I am very proud to be able to make this mulch right here at the farm.
Chhiring carefully spreads a two to three inch layer of mulch around all the plants. I removed all the surrounding grass, so there would be less to mow and maintain.
These azaleas do so well here. Some azaleas, including native types, can reach towering heights of 20 feet or more. Dwarf azaleas grow two to three feet tall, and many garden azaleas stay four to six feet in height with as wide a spread. Read the labels, so they can be placed appropriately in the garden.
It’s also important to keep azaleas where they can be protected from midday and winter sun to prevent leaves from drying out and burning.
Azaleas are native to several continents including Asia, Europe, and North America. These plants can live for many years, and they continue to grow their entire lives.
I am excited to see both sides of this carriage road burst with colorful azaleas in another four or five weeks.
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