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.
Earlier this week, my co-founder, dermatologist Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali, and I celebrated the launch at Ladurée SoHo in New York City with more than 200 guests. Elemental Lip Serum is our next-generation, peptide-infused formula created to address the visible signs of lip aging. It combines peptides and antioxidants with deeply nourishing and conditioning ingredients to help smooth the appearance of lip lines, improve softness, and leave lips looking healthy, hydrated, and beautifully polished - all with a sheer wash of color and shine. I am so very proud of this lip serum and excited to share it with you. Order yours today!
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Lips are one of the first places to show visible signs of aging. I am thrilled to offer my Elemental Lip Serum to address those signs, such as lip lines, dryness, and volume loss. And this serum comes in four colors – blush, mocha, clear, and petal.
The special peptide-infused formula has changed my lips. They feel softer, fuller, and healthier.
The event was held at Laudurée Soho, the brand’s flagship store. A fun cart was set up outside to welcome guests.
Here I am with Dr. Bhanusali ready to introduce our next-generation serum developed with Elm’s advisory panel of dermatologists, scientists, and researchers.
The evening started with a moderated interview. I told guests about Elm Biosciences and living well. Fashion, beauty, and entertainment journalist, Zanna Roberts Rassi, interviewed me.
I spoke to a full audience. Attendees included dermatologists, influencers, members of the media, and friends. Sitting here is entrepreneur Charlotte Palermino.
Here is Zanna – we had such a fun and interesting conversation.
After the interview, the event opened its garden doors for a reception. Some of the passed hors d’oeuvres included mini sliders, smoked salmon, mushrooms with spinach, goat cheese and honey,
mini croque-monsieur sandwiches, and vegetarian bites.
Laudurée macarons in various flavors were also served to all the guests.
Businessman John Demsey was among our guests.
Chef and author Candice Jumai was also there along with nutritionist and wellness chef, Shauna Faulisi.
And here is fashion designer, writer, and social media personality, Emily Kammeyer.
There was lots of time for photos. Many posted images of the event on their own social media platforms.
If you haven’t already, order your new Elm Biosciences Elemental Lip Serum today! And be sure to shop my other products – my A30 Elemental Serum, my A30 Elemental Night Cream, and my Inner Dose Daily Skin Supplement. There’s nothing like Elm Biosciences – just try it!
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