What chores are you doing this weekend? Now that the days are getting colder and all the trees are dropping their leaves, my outdoor grounds crew is busy with fall cleanup.
To stay organized during seasonal transitions, I create very detailed lists of all that needs to be done around my farm. My team has been working hard blowing leaves, covering air-conditioner pits, bleeding and storing hoses, moving cold sensitive plants indoors, and emptying raised garden beds. Autumn specific tasks take weeks to complete, but so far, the weather has cooperated and allowed us lots of time to ready the property for the cold season ahead.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
It is so beautiful this time of year when all the deciduous trees show their stunning autumn colors before dropping their leaves. Here at my farm, it is also weeks of hard work to clean up all the fallen leaves. This is the carriage road outside my home – freshly blown.
This is an allée of lindens. As the weather grows colder and sunlight decreases, the trees seal the spots where the leaves are attached – this process is what causes them to change color and fall to the ground. Rather than expend energy to protect these fragile organs, trees shed leaves to conserve resources for the next year.
Adan, who takes excellent care of my lawns has now split his time between mowing grass and blowing leaves.
Alex uses a soft rake to gather any debris from the carriage road. After the season, it is also a good idea to clean any well-used summer tools before storing.
It takes a lot of time to cut down and remove all the old, dead plants, and root systems. When cutting back perennials this time of year, they should be trimmed to a height of one to two inches above the ground, close to the base of the plant. These deciduous ferns are being cut down to the crown.
Alex is nearby cutting back the dead, brown or yellow foliage from the hosta plants.
Removing these yellow leaves prevents disease and maintains a tidy and clean appearance. Cutting them back also signals the plant to focus energy for the dormant period.
Adan blows the leaves to one area, so he can mow the grass in front my studio. Here he is using a battery powered handheld blower from STIHL – powerful, but much quieter than other blowers.
Fernando, who has worked with me for more than 30 years is bleeding and coiling up the hoses in preparation for storage. Proper maintenance and storage will prevent the hoses from cracking and extend the life of the hoses.
The small pergola outside my main greenhouse is being restored. The old wooden beams and rafter tails are removed and replaced. Luckily, a lot of the wood is still usable. Once complete, the entire pergola will get a fresh coat of paint – Bedford Gray, of course.
Here’s my property manager, Doug, securing a beam and checking all the cross pieces being used. He is also an excellent carpenter and will cut any new rafter tails needed for the project.
A new path to my pond is groomed and topped with a layer of wood chips made right here from down trees. Wood chips look neat and tidy, but they also prevent any soil erosion from runoff and enrich the soil as they decompose.
I keep all my air conditioners in large pits, where they are well hidden behind each house. These air conditioner pits are covered with industrial strength plastic, plywood, and then burlap to protect them from the winter elements. Covering these pits also makes them easier to maintain. Any snow or debris that falls can be brushed to the side before accessing the units below.
My long and winding pergola garden beds are all weeded and cleared of old plant material. Soon, they will be planted with spring-blooming bulbs.
Here’s Phurba picking up some of the fallen feathery brown foliage from the bald cypress trees. Oftentimes, I also like to bag the foliage and use it as mulch – I always try to reuse and repurpose whenever possible.
My dependable Kubota tractors are always at work. Here’s another load ready to be taken to the compost pile.
Pasang is using one of my trusted STIHL backpack blowers down by my production studio house. I’ve been using STIHL’s blowers for years here at my farm. These blowers are powerful and fuel-efficient. The gasoline-powered engines provide enough rugged power to tackle heavy debris while delivering much lower emissions.
Once the leaves are blown into a manageable pile, they are directed to the opening of a vacuum tube connected to a dump truck. The leaves are then taken to the compost area, where they will decompose and get used again as mulch.
I am fortunate to have an indoor greenhouse, where I can grow fresh vegetables during winter. The 16 beds have been cleaned, fed, and prepared for the next crops to be planted. I also use this greenhouse to store some of the tropical plants that cannot fit in the hoop houses because they are so tall.
Do you know what’s in the back of the Polaris? These are all the old asparagus ferns. Once they turn brown and have used all their energy for the roots below ground, it’s time to cut them down.
Every member of my outdoor grounds crew has a bag for tools and other necessary supplies. I always encourage them to bring whatever they may need to the project site to save time later.
And of course, there’s always time for some autumn decorating. These are the season’s harvested pumpkins from my garden – all displayed nicely along the wall in front of my Winter House. This fall has been very productive. I hope you’re getting all your fall chores done too.
Change is constant in a garden and a good time to remove and replace plants is now - during the dormant season.
Yesterday, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew removed a patch of Solomon's Seal, Polygonatum, from a small area outside my citrus hoop house. Removing it during the dormant season minimizes shock and gives the plants time to get established in their new location before the growing season begins. I replaced the Solomon's Seal with Birchleaf Spirea, Star Magnolia, and FlowerFull smooth hydrangeas - all from First Editions Shrubs and Trees. These plants will thrive here where there is full sun to part shade.
Enjoy these photos.
Solomon’s Seal is a perennial known for its slender arching stems and small, white, bell shaped flowers that bloom in spring. I grow a lot of Solomon’s Seal here at the farm.
To remove it, Cesar uses a spade and carefully inserts it around the edge of the plant root balls to loosen them.
Then, using a shovel he carefully lifts the plants out of the ground. Solomon’s Seal has shallow roots, making it pretty easy to lift up. And, do you know the difference between a shovel and a spade? Shovels are designed for scooping and moving loose materials, while spades are better suited for cutting through compacted soil. I always say, “use the right tool for the right job.”
Cesar places the Solomon’s Seal plants carefully into a crate, so they can be transplanted in another bed.
Once all the Solomon’s Seal is removed, the area is raked and new plants are placed strategically around the bed. Always consider mature plant size when placing and make sure there is enough room for them to grow.
Ryan positions each potted specimen. It is important to also take note of the plant’s light needs and growth habit.
Using a narrow shovel, Matthew starts digging all the holes.
The rule of thumb in gardening is to make a hole two to three times wider than the original pot and slightly deeper.
Cesar uses a knife to make beneficial cuts around the root ball to stimulate growth. This is called scarifying.
A good all-purpose fertilizer is sprinkled in the hole and on the surrounding soil.
I use Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed All-Purpose plant food, which contains natural ingredients such as kelp, bone meal, earthworm castings, and feather meal.
In the ground, the plant should sit at the same depth it was in the pot.
This is FlowerFull® Smooth Hydrangea, which has bold blooms and strong stems that don’t flop in the wind and rain.
Pink Sparkler™ Birchleaf Spirea is a lovely, rounded shrub that blooms in early summer with large pink flowers.
Centennial Blush Star Magnolia shows off a floral display of fragrant, delicate pink flowers covering the entire plant in spring. Its medium green leaves turn shades of yellow and bronze this time of year.
Cesar spreads a fresh layer of Miracle-Gro All-Purpose Garden Soil around the entire bed.
Then he sprinkles more food on top of the garden soil.
And using a soft garden rake, he rakes everything thoroughly around all the plants, making sure they are all planted properly.
These plants should thrive here and flower next spring.
It doesn’t take long before my handsome peacocks find the new bed. I think this “blue boy” approves.
It is the peak of autumn here at the farm, but there is still time to plant in the garden.
One doesn't have to wait until spring to enjoy the fragrance and beauty of springtime blooms - just force some bulbs indoors.
Forcing is the process of speeding up a bulb’s development by simulating the conditions of winter and spring - it's a way of fooling Mother Nature and tricking the bulb to bloom before its natural time. Recently, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, planted several separate containers - some with amaryllis and some with narcissi bulbs - all of which will erupt with beautiful color later this season.
Enjoy these photos.
Forcing bulbs is one of the easiest gardening processes. Any waterproof container can be used for forcing bulbs – just be sure there is about three to four inches of space below the bulbs to accommodate root growth.
I’m forcing several different varieties of narcissi paperwhite bulbs and amaryllis bulbs from Colorblends Wholesale Flower Bulbs in Bridgeport, Connecticut and John Scheepers in Bantam, Connecticut. Varieties include Amaryllis ‘Red Victory,’ Amaryllis ‘White Candle,’ Amaryllis ‘Mandela,’ Amaryllis ‘Flamenco Queen,’ Amaryllis ‘Alfresco,’ and Narcissus ‘Ziva.’
The first step is to gather the right materials. Ryan uses a potting mix that includes perlite and vermiculite for good drainage. I use Miracle-Gro Potting Mix formulas.
We save all the shards from broken clay pots for covering the inside bottom holes when planting.
The shards help with drainage and to keep the soil from leaking out of the vessel.
Ryan starts to fill the pot with potting mix – this mix is very light with good aeration, which is crucial for healthy root growth.
Ryan fills the pot to just about an inch under the rim. Depending on the size of the bulbs, one can fill a bit less.
Next, using his hands, Ryan carefully places each bulb. The bulbs should be placed deep enough so they can be fully covered. Ryan gently pushes each bulb down into the soil, so it is well-anchored. And remember, pointed end faced up and root end facing down.
Ryan uses enough bulbs to fill the container. They can be crowded together or spaced out.
There are two types of bulbs for indoor growing: those you need to chill and those you don’t. These bulbs do not need chilling. These can either be forced using soil or by using gravel and water. Ryan uses soil. These bulbs will grow easily in well-drained soil and good daylight.
Ryan fills the pot with more potting soil mix to cover the bulbs.
He spreads the soil evenly over the bulbs with just the tips showing through the soil.
Here he fills a smaller pot with bulbs. When planting bulbs, be sure any bulbs used are heavy and free from mold, mildew, discoloration, or a peeling outer shell.
Make sure the bulbs are all facing upward and are straight.
Ryan adds more soil mix to this container and then pats it down to anchor the bulbs. He also adds a generous amount of Miracle-Gro Osmocote fertilizer – small, round, yellow coated prills covering a core of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
To some pots, Ryan also adds some gravel as a decorative top dressing. Gravel can help to keep the bulb stems in place.
And that’s it. Ryan planted a good number of pots in less than an hour. The pots will be placed on shelves in my hoop house where they will get light, humidity, and water to help them grow.
Here are the pots just days later in my hoop house. They are already showing some new growth.
Paperwhite narcissus produces clusters of flowers on 12- to 18-inch-tall stems.
Amaryllis bulbs usually measure about three to six inches across and when in bloom should have beautiful large colorful flowers atop 12- to 24-inch straight stems. When forcing, be sure to keep the soil moist but not wet. Water only when the top inch or two of the potting mix is dry to the touch. Overwatering at the beginning of the growth cycle will cause the bulb to rot. I’ll have pots of gorgeous blooms in several weeks.
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