I have long admired allées and have incorporated several into my farm's landscape over the years.
In landscaping, an allée, or avenue, is traditionally a straight path or road lined with trees or large shrubs on either side. Typically, the plantings are of the same species or cultivar, creating a uniform appearance along the entire length of the allée. In 2019, I decided to establish an allée along the carriage road through my lower hayfields. I planted a combination of London plane trees and approximately 100 Royal Purple smoke bushes, Cotinus coggygria. The allée is maturing beautifully and so quickly with the smoke bushes growing more than three feet each year. This week they were pruned and groomed.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Along the carriage road adjacent to my Equipment Barn, I have a mature allée of pin oaks. It is one of the first allées I planted when I purchased my farm. One of the tree’s most distinguishable traits is that its lower branches hang down, while the middle branches reach out horizontally and the upper branches grow upright.
This is one of two allées of linden, Tilia – medium to large shade trees that are easy to maintain and beautiful in any landscape. This one starts up near my Winter House and extends to the Boxwood Allée and then to the chicken coops.
Here is the other half. I love how these trees have developed over the years.
And here is my long Boxwood allée leading to my stable. Buxus is a genus of at least 70-species in the family Buxaceae. It is a very versatile plant that provides strong shape and rich green color.
Among the newest allées at my farm is one planted with London plane trees and smoke bushes along both sides of a carriage road to my woodlands. I planted 46 London plane trees in this allée, but with all the growth of the Cotinus, it’s hard to see them. The smoke bushes are so healthy – they’ve grown about three feet in just one year. This is a section before pruning.
To share some of the development, here is the allée in 2022, three years after it was first planted.
Here it is in 2024.
And this year, they’re in need of a good pruning. These are pruned every summer. The smoke bushes all around the farm have grown so much because of careful and consistent care.
Cutting it back regularly can help the Cotinus retain its most colorful foliage.
The name “smoke bush” comes from the billowy hairs attached to the flower clusters which remain in place through the season, turning a smoky pink to purplish-pink and then light brown as the weeks progress.
Pasang Sherpa is my resident tree pruner. He does a wonderful job overseeing the maintenance of all the trees here at my farm. I like as much of the pruning and grooming to be done by hand, so Pasang trims every branch with his pruners – one by one.
Pasang goes deep into the plant to lop or cut off any superfluous branches or shoots for better shape and better growth.
He cuts off any dead or crisscrossing branches first. The rule of thumb when pruning is to cut the dead, diseased, damaged, non-productive, structurally unsound, or otherwise unwanted plant material.
Here, one can see where he pruned the branch last year and the new branches that have grown since.
As the branches are cut, Pasang gathers them in neat bunches, so they are easy to collect later and take to the compost yard.
Here is a pruned smoke bush.
Here, one can see what Pasang pruned and what he has to prune next.
And here is a section done – the London plane trees are now easier to see.
The London plane tree, Platanus × acerifolia, is a deciduous tree. It is a cross between two sycamore species: Platanus occidentalis, the American sycamore, and Platanus orientalis, the Oriental plane. London planes grow best in full sun, but they can also thrive in partial shade. These are growing excellently.
These leathery leaves are about six to seven inches wide with roughly toothed edges.
After every pruning, the Cotinus grows bushier with larger leaves. Both the Cotinus and London Planes grow fuller every year.
Planting evergreens is a great way to bring year-round color, texture, and structure to the garden.
Here at my farm, I have a special area I call my pinetum, an arboretum devoted to pines and other conifers that I began developing soon after moving to the property. Over the years, the trees and shrubs have thrived and I continue to expand the collection with new additions each season. Recently, I purchased a group of junipers that I knew would be perfect for the space. Once they arrived, markers were placed where they would be planted and the crew got to work.
Enjoy these photos.
I started my pinetum about 20 years ago. Now it extends to the carriage road under the partial shade of my pin oaks and weeping willow trees.
This is a very healthy juniper, Juniperus virginiana. Its upright growth habit and beautiful color make it a great addition to any garden. For my pinetum, I got six from nearby Hardscrabble Farms in Westchester County, New York.
Leaves on the tree are soft, scale-like blueish-green or green sprays, growing compactly on their stems. Female trees produce berry-like cones.
I decide where the trees will be placed and then markers or flags are put in the approximate planting positions. My gardeners also check each individual plant’s space and light needs and adjust accordingly.
First, all the holes are dug at least twice the size of the plant.
Each specimen is placed by its designated hole.
I use Miracle-Gro Shake’n Feed Flowering Trees & Shrubs plant food which has done so well for my plants. It contains natural ingredients such as kelp, earthworm castings, bone meal, and feather meal, which will feed the plant and maintain its deep, lush green foliage throughout the season.
A generous amount is sprinkled into the hole and mixed with the existing wet soil. Remember what I always say, “if you are eating and drinking today, so should your plants.”
Arnold removes the protective wire or rope from the root ball. If left untouched, these wrapping materials could reduce the ability of a tree’s roots to grow out into the surrounding soil.
And then he removes the bottom of the burlap covering.
The tree is rotated on its root ball closer to the hole and then into it. When moving heavy trees, only hold it by the root ball and the base of the trunk – never by its branches, which could easily break.
Once the tree is positioned where it should be – with its best side facing the carriage road – the rest of the wire cage is removed.
And the rest of the burlap is also pulled. Some leave wire and burlap in place; however, I prefer to remove everything, so there is nothing preventing root development.
Here is the pile of wrapping from just one tree.
Arnold backfills the tree and tamps down to establish good contact between the root ball and the soil.
The area is then raked, so it is neat and tidy.
Finally, it is given a good drink. The soil is already wet from recent storms, but it is always a good idea to give newly transplanted specimens water once in the ground.
All of them are planted and watered before lunch.
Other interesting plants in this pinetum include this Burke’s Variegated Red Japanese Pine, Pinus densiflora, a multi-stemmed evergreen with a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. It features striking wide, horizontal, creamy yellow bands on each needle, which are visible year-round on rough branches.
The dawn redwood has feathery, fine-textured needles that are opposite each other and approximately a half-inch long. Don’t confuse them with the bald cypress needles, which grow alternately. These dawn redwood needles will turn shades of red and brown before falling – it is one of the few deciduous conifers.
This is a variegated false holly, a tree-form version of the Goshiki Osmanthus. It is a well-loved specimen for its radiant, variegated, holly-like leaves of creamy white, yellow, and dark mint green.
This is a dwarf pine tree. If you’re not sure how to tell some of these popular trees apart, here are some key tips: pines have needles that are arranged and attached to the branches in clusters. Spruce and fir trees have needles attached individually to the branches.
I add more specimens to this collection every year – some are very rare and slow growing, but I love the variety of plantings I’ve amassed. I’m looking forward to watching this garden mature. I hope this inspires you to try planting more unusual plants that can add both texture and color to your garden.
Late summer remains one of the busiest times on my farm. My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are hard at work keeping up with the season's abundant growth.
I’m especially fond of boxwood, Buxus, and have hundreds of these handsome evergreen shrubs across the property. I take great care in maintaining them year-round. They are fed and mulched regularly. In winter, they are wrapped in protective burlap, and by late summer many are ready for careful pruning and grooming. Most recently, Phurba Sherpa meticulously trimmed the boxwood bordering both sides of my clematis pergola.
Enjoy these photos.
These boxwood shrubs along both sides of my winding pergola were grown from small seedlings and nurtured right here at the farm. There are more than 300 boxwood shrubs planted here.
Phurba Sherpa is my resident boxwood pruning expert. He has been with me for many years – in fact, he helped plant these boxwood shrubs nine years ago.
Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. They are native to western and southern Europe, southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The leaves on boxwood branches are arranged opposite from each other, making pairs.
In September 2017, this pergola went through a big transformation. I decided this area would be great if planted with a row of boxwood on both sides. Every boxwood was positioned perfectly, two and a half-feet apart from the next.
At the time, these shrubs were only about a foot tall, but every one in excellent condition. Boxwood can grow in full sun and partial shade.
Today, they’re thriving. Here, one can see the newest growth. The growth rate depends on the variety; however, for most varieties the growth rate is three to six inches per year. These needed a thorough grooming.
Phurba uses Japanese shears to groom the boxwood shrubs. I prefer hand held tools – it’s a slower process, but they make cleaner, neater, more detailed cuts compared to powered versions.
In order to do the jobs best, it is important to keep the shears as sharp as can be. Phurba carries a sharpener with him, so it’s easy to maintain the blades while working. He holds the shear blade firmly and places an even and gentle pressure drawing the sharpener along the blade from hilt to tip.
He also removes any debris that may have gotten stuck on the blades. Doing this is important to ensure the cuts are clean.
He does the same to both sides of each blade.
And then continues trimming, knowing well that the shears will cut quickly and efficiently.
Everyone on my crew uses Japanese Okatsune shears specially made for trimming hedges. These shears are user friendly, and come in a range of sizes.
Every so often, Phurba stops to assess his work. I instructed him to shape the shrubs as round as possible.
Here, one sees what he has done and what he has left to do!
To groom the sides, Phurba holds the shears with his hands midway down the handles. This allows for the best control.
Here, close to the top, he changes his grip and holds the shears pointed down, using different muscles to cut.
Once a large section is done, the entire space looks markedly different. Here are a few shrubs after trimming. The cuttings on the ground show how much was removed.
In the back bed, I also have Russian sage, growing, Perovskia atriplicifolia. This plant shows tall, airy, spike-like clusters that create a lavender-blue cloud of color above the finely textured, aromatic foliage. It is vigorous, hardy, heat-loving, drought-tolerant, and deer resistant.
There are even a few clematis still showing off their blooms.
Here’s one side of the pergola, pruned, groomed and raked – the boxwood looks so much better.
And each one is shaped beautifully.
By late afternoon, it’s all done. The entire border is just so beautiful – in spring when it blooms with gorgeous purple and blue; in summer when it features all the bright orange lilies; and, in autumn, with all its bold greenery.
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