Wrapping Garden Ornaments and Urns with Burlap
The season's burlap project at my Bedford, New York farm is in progress.
As many of you know, I've been covering shrubs and hedges with burlap for many years to protect the branches from splaying and even breaking from the weight of snow and ice. Every season, our wrapping methods become easier and more streamlined, giving me peace of mind during the cold weather months.
I feel it is equally important to protect my outdoor garden ornaments from the harsh winter elements. A winter freeze, alternating with thaws, could crack or crumble any kind of stone or cement, especially if it is antique. During this time, all my outdoor planters, birdbaths, and troughs are drained and covered in the same burlap used for my live specimens.
Here are some photos of our process - enjoy.
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- This is one of two hand-casted metal antique fountains in the lower terrace parterre outside my Winter House kitchen. I wanted to be sure to protect these along with the stone containers around the farm. Before wrapping it or any outdoor vessel, it is first completely emptied of water. Then the fountain basins are covered with industrial strength plastic.
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- Next, the fountain is covered with a piece of plywood. The plywood is cut to fit the top opening, and can be used from year to year. Pete places wooden stakes around the fountain and secures them in the ground. These will create a frame around the vessel.
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- The stakes are then tied to fit tightly around the fountain.
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- Because stone and cement can crack from exposure to the winter elements, Pete covers the entire fountain with another piece of heavy duty plastic. Rolls of this plastic can be ordered online or purchased at local hardware and home supply stores.
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- Pete cuts the burlap fabric to fit – one long piece that can completely wrap around the fountain.
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- When we can, we reuse burlap from seasons past; however, it is also available in giant rolls of 40-inches or 60-inches wide.
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- To sew the burlap, we use jute twine. It is all natural and the same color as the burlap. The needles are specially designed for sewing jute. These five-inch long needles have large eyes and bent tips. Every member of the outdoor grounds and gardening crews has his own needle.
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- This piece is also big enough to cover the top of the fountain. Also called hessian, burlap is made in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India from jute, a tall, grass-like plant grown for its strong fibrous stalks.
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- Starting from the bottom and working his way up, Pete makes small stitches and knots to keep the burlap in place and then sews the burlap together.
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- Here is one fountain all finished. This may seem like a lot of work, but it takes just one cracked piece from the elements of winter to learn this lesson. For me, it’s all about precaution.
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- Pete moves to the urns at the front of my flower cutting garden. There is a lot of tucking involved, and a lot of stitching and knotting, but my crew has been covering these containers with burlap every year for quite some time – they are all excellent burlap sewers.
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- Again, this container is covered with plywood, a sheet of industrial strength plastic and a layer of burlap.
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- Pete uses a couple of cable ties to keep the burlap together as he works.
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- Chhewang works on the other container. We have already had one snow storm hit the area, so it is important to get everything covered quickly. Once the burlap is secured underneath, Chhewang stitches the fabric together, pulling the burlap snug as he goes.
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- The burlap should be sewn tightly, but with some space for air circulation.
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- This burlap remains on the stone object until early spring, so it must be done very carefully to withstand strong winds and heavy snowfall.
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- Here is a closer look – very simple and easy. The main objective is to make sure every part of the vessel is covered.
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- Here are the two large planters – completely enveloped in their burlap shrouds and ready for the cold season ahead.
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- Here are two smaller covered urns on the terrace outside my Winter House kitchen. The stainless steel bowls on top filled with water are for visiting birds.
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- Behind my Summer House, six smaller and very heavy planters are also covered every fall. These containers are grouped together and covered in the same way as all the others and then tucked to the side of the patio, where they will stay until we pot them up with boxwood in the spring.
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- Chhiring also covers the stone faux bois support for the sundial. If you’re unfamiliar with how a sundial works, it tells the time of day by the apparent position of the sun. The sun casts a shadow onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hour of the day.
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- These two covered birdbaths sit outside the stable office where my business manager, property director and personal assistant work.
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- Nearby, Chhiring covers the opening of this large stone trough located outside the stable. Again, all the plywood pieces are cut to fit each piece exactly.
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- And just like the other pieces, this too is covered in thick plastic.
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- The ends of the burlap are folded over in the same way a gift is wrapped. Chhiring carefully stitches each side creating a well-fitted corner.
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- Very nice sewing, Chhiring.
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- And this is the trough all finished. Depending on the size of the vessel and how much sewing is needed, each piece takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete.
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- This is an antique cement birdbath in the courtyard of my house. It is also covered in the same way – so neat, tidy and snug.
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- And finally, here are two stone garden ornaments atop pillars flanking the gate to my Winter House courtyard. My Chow Chow, Emperor Han, and my French Bulldogs, Creme Brulee and Bete Noire, are very good guards. The Frenchies are wearing Fleece Wrap Pullover Dog Coats from my collection on QVC – check them out on the web site. How do you protect and store your outdoor vessels? All your comments are so interesting – I always look forward to reading all of them. goo.gl/etR9bp
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