Although cats are naturally meticulous about keeping themselves clean, I’ve always believed that regular brushing, combing, and bathing are important parts of keeping them healthy, comfortable, and looking their best. Four of my seven cats are long-haired and live in my Winter House: Magnolia, my silver-shaded Persian; Dahlia, my dilute-calico Persian; Lilium, my brown Persian longhair; and Chrysanthemum, my chocolate Persian. Every afternoon, each cat is groomed - faces and ears are gently cleaned, nails are checked and trimmed when necessary, and coats are carefully combed.
Enjoy these photos!
This is Lilium – very friendly and always ready for a good rub. The cats know when it is grooming time. Sometimes they go downstairs to their grooming station in the basement on their own. Sometimes it’s a little more challenging to find them.
This is Chrysanthemum, the latest Persian to join my clowder. Here she is in the enclosed porch where the “kitty buffet” is served for all the cats in my Winter House.
This is Dahlia, the youngest of my Winter house cats. On this afternoon, it was pouring outside, so the cats were watching the rain from my enclosed porch.
But first up for grooming is Magnolia. Magnolia’s face is gently cleaned with a cloth to help remove dirt and any stains.
Her ears are also carefully inspected for any abnormalities. Regularly checking a cat’s ears, eyes, and skin helps detect problems early, prevent infections, and catch underlying health issues before they worsen. My cats are very healthy and have no issues whatsoever.
I use ear wipes specifically made for veterinary use to carefully clean around the outside of the ear canal – never inside. Since this is done regularly, there is little dirt, but it is also good practice, so the cats are comfortable being handled.
Elvira combs with one hand and uses the other to hold the fur down where she is combing – this prevents pulling, which could be uncomfortable.
This time of year, as the seasons change, most cats, especially long‑haired, double‑coated, or outdoor cats, tend to shed a little more. This is a normal biological response to shorter daylight hours, and cooler temperatures.
Magnolia doesn’t seem to mind the daily grooming session and stays pretty still the entire time.
Next up is Dahlia. She is the youngest of my felines, but is also very well-behaved on the grooming table.
It’s always good to look for and remove any matted fur. This is important because collected mats can cause irritation and hairballs. My cats are brushed every day to keep their coats as tangle-free as possible. Baths are done only when needed.
Always be sure to introduce a cat to new tools before using them, so they never shy away from grooming time.
Magnolia watches from below – maybe she wants a second turn.
Adult cats primarily meow to humans, not to other cats. I wonder if Chrysanthemum is asking to be groomed next.
Chrysanthemum lies down for her grooming – almost falling asleep.
She does not even need extra support during her grooming time – she enjoys a good brushing.
Afterward, Chrysanthemum is quite content just napping on the grooming table.
The biggest of the four is Lilium. On this day, she needed a little more coaxing to get brushed.
Lilium prefers to watch the other cats get groomed first before her turn.
Soon after grooming, it’s upstairs for Magnolia to get a little drink and snack.
And for Chrysanthemum, a little rest and nap. Grooming cats often and regularly… it’s a good thing.
Every day I am home or before leaving for a busy day at work, I tour the entire property and make detailed lists of everything that needs attention. Maintaining my home as well as a farm of this size is a tremendous responsibility and requires constant care. My gardeners, housekeepers, stable team, and outdoor grounds crew follow an ever-changing list of projects - from pruning and trimming trees and shrubs to weeding and cleaning garden beds, storing seasonal equipment and supplies, bathing and grooming my pets, and so much more. It's the steady, often behind-the-scenes work that keeps my farm beautiful, productive, and running smoothly throughout the year.
Enjoy these photos.
My Cantitoe Corners Farm sits on more than 150 acres. It’s a large property filled with both mature and developing gardens, groves, and allées. It takes a lot of work to keep it all in proper working condition, but I keep on top of all the tasks that need to be done from day to day.
Down in my Japanese Maple Woodland, branches are gathered for pick up and chipping.
Pasang Sherpa is my resident tree pruner. He does a wonderful job overseeing the maintenance of all the trees here at my farm. As he picks up branches, he also trims those that are broken or in need of removal.
In my Equipment Barn, Phurba Sherpa organizes and ties stakes used every summer to support my herbaceous peonies. I designed these myself and had them made specifically for my garden.
Instead of rings that are available at many garden centers, each of these metal supports has two eyes, one at the top and one in the middle. The stakes are about three feet tall. These stakes will be stored until the peonies begin growing again next spring.
Occasionally, I redecorate my homes with items I already have. My housekeeper, Elvira Rojas, carefully moves a collection of pottery from one building to another.
This day was unseasonably warm. My stable manager, Helen Peparo, gives Bond a quick cooling bath after a ride around the farm.
Bond enjoys the cool water, and stays very still for Helen. Helen also uses this time to inspect his coat for any abnormalities.
My Fell Pony, Banchunch, also gets a cooling rinse, but look closely, I think he wants to help.
There’s lots to do inside too. In my Winter House, bed linens are folded right out of the washing machine and before they are ironed to keep wrinkles at a minimum. If you also prefer to iron your bed sheets, take them out before they are completely dry, which makes wrinkles easier to remove.
Sheets are ironed on a mangle, a mechanical device that was designed to apply even pressure to fabrics in order to smooth out wrinkles. Pati irons as soon as the sheets are ready.
Phurba uses our STIHL HSA 140 T Cordless Battery Hedge Trimmer to lightly groom the golden barberry outside my Winter House.
This hedge trimmer is powerful, yet light, making precise cuts with ease.
Here is the upper terrace parterre after the barberry is trimmed. Golden barberry can grow more than a foot every year. It is good to trim and shape hedges regularly, so they do not become too unruly.
Phurba also uses a battery powered handheld blower from STIHL to clear any barberry debris. This blower is less noisy and perfect for around my Winter House.
Matthew tends to a newly planted Metasequoia or dawn redwood – securing it to a bamboo stake so it is more sturdy as it becomes established. Don’t confuse the Metasequoia from the bald cypress. To tell the apart, Metasequoia leaves are bright‑green needles arranged in opposite pairs, while bald cypress leaves are feather‑like needles arranged alternately along the stem.
Matthew uses nylon tree straps to secure the young tree to the bamboo. I always teach every member of the crew to twist the twine into a figure eight before knotting, so the tree or vine or cane is not crushed or strangled.
Every day, Elvira cleans the faces of every cat in my Winter House. Not only does this keep them tidy, but it’s also a good way to make sure there are no present irritants or skin conditions affecting them. Dahlia is very good when groomed.
Daily brushing is especially important for long‑haired cats, whose fur is prone to knots and mats. Chrysanthemum loves to be brushed.
At the end of the day, Enma wipes down the ovens in my kitchen. Doing this regularly saves time and effort later.
In the late afternoon, rain showers fell over the farm, giving all the gardens a good drink. I hope you’re getting all your early autumn chores done this weekend.
If you live in an area where the foliage changes with the seasons, you know how beautiful and exciting this time of year can be.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, the peak of fall color is still several weeks away, but the changing leaves are already producing touches of gold, amber, and red. Over the years, I’ve planted thousands of trees across the property, making it even more rewarding to watch the landscape transform as autumn unfolds.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
One of the prettiest times of year to walk the four miles of carriage road around my home and through the woodland is now, when the foliage on so many trees and shrubs begin to show off their fall colors.
Late September to early October is when the fall foliage starts to turn here in the Northeast.
The range of colors is influenced by several factors, including the type of tree, environmental conditions, and the timing of the leaf drop. Weather also plays a part – cooler nights and sunny days are ideal for the brightest reds and oranges.
Because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to gold and orange colors come out and give the leaves part of their fall splendor. This maple is just up the carriage road from my chickens and near three of my hoop houses.
Here are the horse chestnuts at one end of my long Boxwood Allée. The one on the right is turning beautiful shades of amber.
Even within the same species, the timing of color change can vary from tree to tree. Both trees will turn shades of yellow, orange, and reddish-brown before all the leaves drop.
Here are the weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus Pendula, planted between my long pergola and my orchard. I love these weeping hornbeams – the branches of these trees gracefully weep creating an umbrella of foliage that reaches the ground. The leaves are just beginning to change – the foliage turns a bright yellowish color this time of year.
Up close, one can see the seed catkins hanging from the branches, holding about 10 to 30 seeds each.
Deep in my woodlands, many of the trees are showing off their bright green to yellow gold color palette.
Some of the lindens in my maze have also started to turn. Lindens, also called basswood or Tilia, are known for this uniform yellow fall color.
These lindens are also just starting to change. This section extends from my long pergola all the way to the Boxwood Allée. In 2017, I lengthened the allée all the way down to the chicken coops.
Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as ginkgo or gingko, and also known as the maidenhair tree, is the only living species in the division Ginkgophyta. It is found in fossils dating back 270-million years. Native to China, the ginkgo tree is widely cultivated, and was cultivated early in human history. Here’s a close look at the leaves showing the changing colors from bright green to yellow.
Here is my Allée of Pin Oaks, Quercus palustris. These have done so well over the years. The leaves are changing to yellow and reddish bronze. Once its fall color display is done, pin oaks often retain brown leaves, which persist on the trees through winter.
Just behind my large Equipment Barn in my pinetum is this American larch, Larix laricina. This tree is commonly called tamarack, eastern larch, American larch, or hackmatack. Here is one of its bright yellow fall branches. This deciduous conifer will drop all these showy needles just as winter approaches.
Autumn leaves have already started falling. My outdoor ground crew will soon be blowing all around the farm.
The trees around my hayfields display such wonderful shades of orange, yellow, amber, brown, and green. I love the layers of color created by the changing leaves. Although some autumn coloration occurs wherever deciduous trees are found, the most brightly colored foliage is seen in Canada, the northern United States, Scandinavia, northern and western Europe, the Caucasus region near the Black Sea, Russia, eastern Asia, Argentina, Chile, southern Brazil, Korea, Japan, and New Zealand’s South Island.
Some of the berries persist into early fall, such as these kousa dogwood fruits, which are edible. The soft pulp is sweet with a similar flavor to a ripe persimmon but it also has hard seeds inside.
In fall, crabapple trees offer a dramatic show of vibrant foliage and colorful fruit. I have a grove of crabapple trees outside my stable.
The older, innermost needles of Eastern white pines often turn yellow all at once. The needles are usually a paler and more yellowish color than other pines, but still quite attractive this time of year.
Viburnum leaves also change colors in the fall, and may turn red, burgundy, and yellow, depending on the species.
Persian parrotia or Persian ironwood is a small upright tree or large, rounded, multi-stemmed shrub. It is related to witch-hazel. The oblong green leaves turn various shades of red, orange and yellow in the fall, often lasting into the winter months.
I planted many different types of trees in hopes that they would shade, provide climate control, and change color at different times, in different ways. It’s so beautiful to see them change through the seasons. I hope you can stop and appreciate some of the colors of fall this weekend.
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