Removing Burlap Covers
And just like clockwork, this time every year my outdoor grounds crew begins the process of removing all the burlap around the farm exposing the lush green boxwood that has been covered all winter long.
Every autumn for as long as I’ve been gardening I’ve covered my boxwood shrubs and outdoor ornamental urns to protect them from the season’s heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures, and damaging winds. Then, every spring when the ground begins to thaw, it’s all removed and stored away. The entire process is a big undertaking; however, knowing my plants are protected in the cold is a great comfort. And seeing all the healthy, intact shrubbery and foliage at the start of a new season is an even greater delight.
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- For about four months of the year, all the boxwood shrubs and hedges are covered in this natural colored fabric. We remove the burlap once the temperatures are consistently above freezing and before Easter. All of the coverings are custom wrapped and sewn to fit each individual shrub, hedge, or bush. This is the biggest stretch of burlap-covered boxwood at the farm, the Boxwood Allée, which runs from outside my stable all the way down to the intersection leading into the woodland.
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- One of the first steps is to remove the wooden strips that help sandwich and secure the burlap.
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- The strips and screws are collected and stored for next year. We keep all the pieces grouped separately and neatly.
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- When all the small strips are removed the burlap is ready to be pulled off.
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- Phurba peeks underneath to check the condition of the boxwood – everything looks very green.
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- We use industrial burlap that’s available in giant rolls of 40-inches or 60-inches wide. Some pieces are sewn together to accommodate the large and growing boxwood.
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- Here, Phurba, Chhiring, and Alex pull a long section and begin to fold the burlap.
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- Once the length of the burlap is folded to a manageable size, they fold the sides in to make it more narrow.
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- And then they roll it neatly. Team work is necessary to complete this task quickly and efficiently. The burlap covers can be used for two seasons. Once they are no longer useable as covers, they are repurposed in the gardens to prevent weeds.
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- Phurba and Alex tie the large, heavy rolls of burlap with jute twine – we use this natural twine for many projects at the farm.
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- Phurba labels each roll of burlap indicating what it covers and where. The label will make it easy to identify next fall when the boxwood is covered again.
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- The rolls are ready to be loaded onto the truck and taken to the Stable Barn for storage. Taking down the burlap is a much faster process than putting the burlap up, but still time-consuming. All the rolls of burlap must be kept dry when not in use. One of the few downsides to this fabric is that it will start to fray and disintegrate after time, especially if exposed to moisture.
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- It’s always so nice to see the boxwood once the burlap is removed. For the frames we use the same metal used to make hoop houses – strong industrial steel ground uprights and purlin pipes. These materials not only provide the necessary support frames for the burlap but also accommodate any plant growth. These frames will be removed next.
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- The boxwood looks so beautiful and green. Under heavy snow, these shrubs could suffer branch damage and splaying. Thankfully we did not have too bad a cold season this year.
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- On my terrace parterre, more burlap is removed and ready to roll up and store.
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- All the greenery was well-preserved under the protective winter coverings.
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- Removing the burlap changes the entire appearance of the area and reveals what we hope for every year – green, healthy boxwood.
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- The lighter hedge is golden barberry. It looks so pretty in contrast to the bold green boxwood.
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- This is an outside view of a section of my herbaceous peony bed and the exposed green boxwood. And notice how much room there is between the shrub and the metal – these metal frames can be used for many more years.
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- Burlap is also removed from the boxwood hedges and shrubs in my Summer House garden. My sunken Summer House Garden is a more formal garden with both English and American boxwood. In just a few more weeks, this garden will once again look different. All the ginkgo trees will be filled with gorgeous green leaves.
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- Some question whether covering plantings each winter really helps, but look how lush and intact the plantings are when uncovered – I definitely feel it is worth the time and effort.
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- And here is part of my long and winding pergola. The boxwood is all uncovered here also. I can’t wait to share photos of the gardens in bloom.
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