A selection of yew trees, Taxus, a coniferous evergreen, related to pines, spruces, firs, cedars, and cypress now fills another section of my living maze.
My three-acre living maze is located in a pasture just outside my Winter House. As many of you know, I designed this garden maze last year, and already we've planted more than a third of the space. The area is a growing puzzle of tall plantings - tall enough to prevent those walking through from seeing the paths ahead. The maze includes rows, openings, and various dead ends, but only one true route leading to the center - all according to a very detailed map I created. It's a huge undertaking, but I am so pleased with its progress.
Enjoy these photos.
We picked up the yew trees from Select Horticulture in nearby Pound Ridge. The yew, taxus, is a small to medium sized evergreen that grows up to 65-feet tall. Yews are incredibly long lived – in fact they can survive for 900 years before becoming ancient.
The leaves are flat, dark green, and arranged spirally on the stem.
The maze is drawn out on a map, so the area is marked according to the map’s specifications. The first step is to remove the sod from where the yews will be placed.
And then in the same location, a trench is dug out for the yew trees.
My outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, removes all the plastic shrink wrap from around the root ball of each yew.
He also removes any twine that is used to keep the root ball intact.
And then he removes the wire cage that supports the root ball. Some gardeners will just cut and then leave the wrapping in the ground, but I prefer to remove everything around any trees that are planted at the farm, so there is nothing blocking its root growth.
Chhiring then rolls the yews into the trench, carefully positioning and spacing each one.
Here are the yews all inside the trench, lined up perfectly.
Yews are known for being slow-growing, but in the right conditions, yew hedge trees can grow about 30-centimeters per year. These yews are spaced closely, so they become a closed hedge in time.
It’s very important to give the trees a good feeding. I always say, “if you eat, so should your plants.” Chhring sprinkles a generous amount down the trench.
First on the root ball itself…
… and then on the surrounding soil that will be backfilled into the trench. The best type of fertilizer for yews is a complete, slow-release fertilizer labeled for trees or shrubs and evergreens.
Then the soil is backfilled. With any tree, it is crucial to plant it properly in the ground. The rule of thumb is “bare to the flare” meaning only plant up to the flare, where the tree meets the root system. If a tree is planted too deeply, it will often have branch dieback, splitting bark, and overall reduced growth rate.
These yews were quite dry, and it was also a very warm and humid day, so a hose is also placed into the trench at the same time to make sure the trees get a good drink as they are planted.
The paths within the maze are six feet wide to accommodate those who enter the maze – on foot or on horseback. The maze will take some time before it is complete, but I am so happy with how well it is turning out so far.
Here, Chhiring fills a wheelbarrow with compost. We always top dress the planting beds with a thin layer of compost to add more nutrient rich organic matter to the soil, which provides for proper drainage. The compost also also gives it a finished and groomed appearance.
Chhiring spreads the compost around and between all the yews in a level two inch layer.
Here is the row all done and another area complete.
I add a variety of plantings to make sure the maze is interesting – there is a variety of different hedges, espaliers, and trees. Some of the other specimens planted here include European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, parrotias, espaliered apple trees, American sweetgums, barberry, London planetrees, privets, holly, and yews. What else would you plant in a living maze?
It's dahlia season and here at my Bedford, New York farm we have lots of gorgeous, bright, and colorful dahlia blooms indoors and out.
Dahlia is a genus of tuberous plants that are members of the Asteraceae family and are related to the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia. They grow from small tubers planted in the spring. And from late June until the first autumn frost, these flowers give off a stunning show with blooms ranging from small to giant dinner-plate size. Earlier this week, we cut some of them to make bright summer arrangements for my home.
Enjoy these photos.
Here at my farm, we all love seeing the gorgeous dahlia flowers every summer. This year, we have many, many blooms – new ones open every day.
My dahlias grow in a bed behind my vegetable greenhouse. This location gets great sun. Dahlias grow more blooms when they get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. And because this spot is behind this large structure, it is also protected from strong winds. In addition, these dahlias are planted in well-draining soil, which is crucial to keeping the tubers in good condition.
The array of flower colors, sizes, and shapes is astounding. Dahlias come in white, shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, shades of purple, and various combinations of these colors – every color but true blue. In the 19th century, a London newspaper offered a pound, or a little more than a dollar, to the first breeder to create a blue dahlia—the reward was never claimed, but there have been many attempts that are near-blue. Like many flower varieties, there is also no pure black variety—only dark red and dark purple. Here is one in pink with a cream center and one in off-white.
Dahlias are named after 18th-century Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. He actually categorized dahlias as a vegetable because of their edible tubers. The tubers are said to taste like a mix between potatoes and radishes.
The genus Dahlia is native to the high plains of Mexico. Some species can be found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador & Costa Rica as well as parts of South America where it was introduced.
Currently, there are about 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. It is a member of the Asteraceae family of dicotyledonous plants.
Dahlias produce an abundance of wonderful flowers throughout early summer and again in late summer until the first freeze. This large bloom is another beautiful creamy white with a hint of yellow and pink in the center.
These tuberous plants have slender erect stems which are not always capable of supporting the large flowers, so they must be well-supported. We use strong metal and wood stakes to keep them up through the season.
The various forms range from charming single, daisy-like flowers to the popular double varieties which can range from the two-inch-pompons to 12-inch dinner plate size. They are divided into 10 groups: single, anemone, collarette, waterlily, decorative, fall, pompon, cactus, semi-cactus, and miscellaneous.
Dahlias are classified according to flower shape and petal arrangement. This single dahlia has purple and pink petals with a bold yellow center.
This is a big favorite here at the farm with its striking pink and white colored petals.
The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers or cultivars, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects. When cutting, to prevent wilting, cut only in the early morning or late afternoon. And only cut them after they open to mature size – dahlias will not open after cutting.
Enma picks enough dahlia blooms for several arrangements. Experiment with the varieties – dahlias look great arranged in different colors.
Once the dahlias are indoors, Enma carefully pours water into the vase as quickly as possible.
For the first arrangement, Enma chooses shades of pink.
And then adds a few cream flowers – the color combinations look so pretty in these glass vessels. When arranging, always strip off all the leaves that would be below the water line in the vase. This is true for all flower arrangements, not just dahlias. When leaves stay underwater, they decay and release bacteria that shorten the vase life of the flowers. And change the water daily so they look fresh and last longer.
Here is another arrangement all complete. I love displaying arrangements on my servery counter, where I can enjoy them every day.
Here is one in all dark burgundy and purple – so many different kinds of dahlias and every one of them pretty.
And this arrangement is on another counter in my servery – just a handful of light pink dahlias in a vase. Flower arrangements do not have to be elaborate to be stunning.
These dahlias are on my kitchen counter, which like yours is the hub of my home, where I often take calls, have meetings, and gather with guests – everyone can enjoy them as soon as they come inside.
I also display flowers in my entrance hall just inside my enclosed front porch.
This arrangement is placed on a side table in my sitting room under an arrangement of beautiful Wedgewood drabware.
And nearby is this arrangement on a coffee table tray in the same room. At the end of the growing season, dig and store dahlia tubers for the winter to replant next year. If you don’t already, I hope this inspires you to grow your own dahlias. You’ll love every one.
Recycling felled trees into valuable, usable lumber is always a big priority here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Over the years, I've planted thousands and thousands of trees. Unfortunately, I've also lost many trees - they've fallen during storms, or had to be cut down because of damage or disease. I always save the logs and have them milled into usable boards. Some time ago, I decided to gift myself with a portable sawmill, so I could cut the lumber right here at the farm when needed. Last week, my property manager, Doug White, and Pete Sherpa from my crew, got a lesson on how to use it - our new Hud-Son H360 Hydraulic Portable Sawmill.
Enjoy these photos.
This is our new Hud-Son H360 Hydraulic Portable Sawmill. It can turn any log into usable lumber within minutes, and any wooden board to the exact size needed for a project.
This piece of equipment comes with a 23-horsepower engine, an adjustable power feed, a power throttle, power height adjustment, a hydraulic log loader, hydraulic log turner, and a heavy-duty 24-foot trailer.
The sawmill is controlled from a stationary position at the front of the mill where all the mechanicals and functions of the mill can be closely and safely monitored.
Here, one can see the carbon steel blade on the sawmill. If used properly, one blade can cut hundreds of board feet before it needs replacing.
And here is the hydraulic motor which makes the sawing fast, accurate, and nearly effortless.
The sawing mechanicals and blade are well guarded. The machine moves up and down the sawmill as it cuts the logs into dimensional lumber.
Here is where the wood is placed for cutting. The bed is equipped with clamps to hold the wood in place.
Right now, Pete is working with ash tree wood, Fraxinus – deciduous, dense hardwoods. The logs were already cut into boards, but they need to be cut to more exact sizes. Ash trees are very strong trees, but also quite elastic, and popular for making instrument parts, tool handles, and baseball bats. We lost a lot of ash trees at the farm due to the emerald ash borer larvae which kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves water and sugars up and down its trunk. I am happy we can still recycle and repurpose the lumber.
We also have some hemlock boards, Tsuga. Hemlock is a softwood native to North America. It produces a lustrous pale timber that is an attractive choice for carving.
The board is placed on the bed where the machine’s hydraulic arms can hold it tightly. Most mills are designed to hold pieces at least eight feet long.
The board is then secured by the hydraulic loading arms and clamps with a scrap piece of wood to protect it as it moves.
Here, the blade is adjusted to the desired position and measurement and checked several times before it cuts. Remember the old adage, “measure twice (or multiple times) and cut once.”
Pete positions himself at the head of the machine with the proper safety equipment ready to go. The machine can be loud, so it is best to use some ear protection as well as eye protection to shield his eyes from any sawdust.
The guides for the blade are checked to make sure they are level and true. The blade must be parallel to the sawmill’s guides.
The saw is turned on and it works its way down the entire length of the board.
Pete watches the movement of the saw very carefully to be sure everything works properly.
The boards are perfectly cut to the proper thickness.
It took exactly one minute to cut this lumber to the desired thickness.
Here, Pete uses the sawmill to cut three boards width-wise. He secures the wood on the sawmill and tightens the clamps once again. It is amazing to see how technology has allowed us to create these pieces so easily.
One can see the line where the blade has cut through very straight and smooth. I am so glad to be able to cut usable lumber whenever we need it right here at the farm. I already have so many projects in mind.
And here is a short video showing the sawmill in action.
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