Another interesting building project is underway at my farm.
In a back corner of my farm, I have a small woodworking shop, a dedicated space where I store and use some of the equipment and tools needed for various building tasks. For the last several weeks, carpentry master Dmitri Logvinski of Logvinski Construction LLC, has been working there to create beautifully carved cedar rafter tails, or tailpieces, for an upcoming pergola restoration project. So far he's hand cut about 80 pieces - all based on a design I conceived and drew.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Up in the loft of my workshop are all the finished rafter tails. Rafter tails are also called outlookers, outriggers, lookouts, or tailpieces. They are the decorative edges where the rafters cantilever outside a pergola’s frame.
The beautiful 13-foot wooden boards I’m using are from Medford Cedar Products in Southampton, New Jersey.
Dmitri works in pairs. Here are two undone pieces of timber on the workbench.
First, Dmitri measures out the wood and determines how much to cut off at one or both ends.
Some of that decision depends on the board’s visible knots. These areas are much harder to cut through than the rest of the wood and are best left avoided if possible.
Dmitri draws the design at the end of the piece of wood using a template.
I designed this tail myself and drew it out for Dmitri. He and I agreed it was the best look for our project.
Dmitri uses a Skilsaw, or handheld power circular saw, to cut the extraneous wood off.
Then he uses a jigsaw to cut out the design. A jigsaw is another handheld power tool that cuts curves, shapes and lines in wood metal, plastic or ceramic.
Dmitri has a very steady hand. Notice he also holds the end of a vacuum hose, so the dust created is contained right away.
Any leftover pieces are saved for other projects – any ideas?
This is the wood after it is cut, but it is not done yet.
Here, Dmitri uses a belt sander to smooth out the widest areas of the wood.
He also sands down the edges. A belt sander is good for aggressively shaping and finishing the wood. It uses an electric motor and a continuous loop of sandpaper to smooth out the surfaces.
A finer sander is used next to get into smaller crevices.
Here is the tail after it’s been sanded with the portable tools.
Dmitri then uses a sanding sponge, which is a foam block wrapped with fine sandpaper. He goes over the edges again by hand to make it even smoother.
And then finally, he sands down the area with sandpaper.
Dmitri does the same process for both sides of each board. It takes time and precision to get them all complete, but each one comes out perfectly.
And here is Dmitri with one of the finished products. And it’s just the beginning. In future blogs, I’ll share the building process. Be sure to stay tuned.
Fine craftsmanship is art. It involves manual dexterity, technical knowledge, and a passion for the job. Take time to appreciate the craftspeople in your area. Thanks, Dmitri.
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?
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
