This time of year can be very hectic - my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are busy keeping up with all the growth in the garden beds.
Summer is coming to a close, but there is still lots of work to be done - weeding, pruning, and grooming the many perennial plants and shrubs. Recently, Phurba Sherpa tackled the boxwood border along one side of my clematis pergola.
Enjoy these photos.
These boxwood shrubs along both sides of my winding pergola were grown from small saplings nurtured right here at the farm. There are more than 300 boxwood shrubs planted here.
I love boxwood and grow a lot of it around the farm. Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood. The boxes 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.
Some of you may recall, I planted the boxwood in September 2017. I decided this area would be great if planted with a row of boxwood on both sides. This photo shows the area all ready for planting.
The boxwood we used had been growing in this patch for about three years. Finally they were ready to transplant to their more permanent spots under the pergola.
Each shrub was placed in a plastic pot and then groups of potted boxwoods were carefully transported.
Every boxwood was positioned perfectly, two-feet apart from the next. It was a big project for the entire crew.
These were some of the first ones planted. Boxwood can grow in full sun and partial shade.
At the time, these shrubs were only about a foot tall, but every one in excellent condition.
Exactly six years later, they are all more than double the size and every one is touching. It is amazing to see the growth difference.
Here, one can see the newest growth. Boxwoods are slow growing compared to many other shrubs, with growth rate depending on the variety. Typically, the growth rate for most varieties is three to six inches per year. These needed a thorough grooming.
The crew does most of the hedge pruning around the farm by hand. Everyone uses Japanese Okatsune shears specially made for trimming hedges. These shears are user friendly, and come in a range of sizes.
To groom the tops and sides, Phurba keeps the shears close to him with his hands midway down the handles. This allows the best control.
I prefer this method of trimming because the cuts are very clean and smooth when done by hand. Look closely here and see where some of the leaves have been clipped. It is also very important that the tools be sharp.
Here, one can see the right is pruned while the left is not. We groom and prune the boxwood at least once a year.
As Phurba works his way down the border, he stops occasionally to check his work and to make sure the boxwood looks evenly done.
Once a large section is done, the entire space looks markedly different. Here is a row of mature boxwood after trimming – they look so much better.
Behind the pergola is this giant weeping copper beech tree – I love these trees with their gorgeous form and rich color.
In the back bed, I also have Perovskia atriplicifolia, commonly called Russian sage, growing. 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.
It looks so pretty planted in masses.
Mixed in is catnip, which I have grown for many years, especially for my cats. Catnip herb grows best in well-draining soil in the full sun but will tolerate part sun and a wide variety of soil types.
And here’s a closer look at the newly groomed boxwood. I am so pleased with how it’s developing. My gardens are constantly evolving. 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.
What is your take on okra, the young seed pods of Abelmoschus esculentus?
For some, this warm-weather vegetable also knowns as lady's fingers, is particularly slimy in texture, but for others this finger-shaped pod is versatile and delicious, with a mild almost grassy flavor. Okra is part of the mallow family along with cotton, hollyhock, and hibiscus. It is popularly grown in tropical climates around the world, including Asia, Southern Europe, and the southern United States. I also grow lots of okra every year and pick when the pods are small and tender. It adds a wonderful crunch to soups, stews, and so much more.
Enjoy these photos.
This year in my new and very large vegetable garden, we grew a variety of okra seeds. Many were from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company. We also grew seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, a seed source I have been using for quite some time.
My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, planted the okra seeds in early June. These seeds should be planted about a half-inch to one-inch deep in nutrient-rich soil.
We dedicated an entire bed for our okra crop. These plants need lots of room to grow. Ryan made two big trenches and spaced the okra seeds at least 10 inches apart.
Here, okra can actually be seeded directly into the garden in an area of full sun as late as July and still produce a good late-summer crop. Ryan rakes over the trenches, covering all the seeds.
Just a couple of weeks later, we had a bed full of young okra sprouts. Ryan then assessed the condition of each one and pulled any that were weak to give the others more room to mature.
By the beginning of August, these plants are already waste high with giant leaves. Okra plants mature in about 55 to 65 days. It’s good to keep the soil moist, but not soggy, and water plants deeply once a week if there’s no rain.
Okra leaves are very large – up to eight inches across. They are also heart-shaped and lobed.
Depending on the variety, okra leaf margins vary from slightly wavy to very deeply lobed.
And last week, the okra plants were more than six-feet tall. Okra will continue to grow until the first frost.
Here is a view of the two rows. We grew green okra on one side and red okra on the right. There’s not much difference between red and green okra other than color.
Okra is self supporting and rarely needs staking. The strong stems are about an inch in diameter.
Upon close inspection, the stems can be either bristly or hairless depending on the variety.
Okra flowers begin to appear 50 to 60 days after planting. The flower petals are generally pale yellow to white with purple to red ring markings midway down each flower petal.
The okra flower opens for one day only, after which a small pod forms and grows behind the dead flower.
Pods appear approximately four to five days after the flowers. Once the pods reach two to three inches long and are vibrant in color, then it’s time to harvest.
Here is one of the red okra pods. Okra is also very healthy – it’s high in fiber, vitamin-C and full of antioxidants.
In ideal conditions, okra plants can produce up to more than 30-pods per plant.
A common mistake is harvesting the pods when they are six to eight inches long, when most will have a woody taste.
Okra is a “cut-and-come-again” vegetable. Keep cutting the pods every day or two, and they will keep on growing. Because okra roots have a fragile hold on the ground, it’s best to snip rather than snap the stems cleanly above each pod, leaving a bit to grasp
Ryan harvested a trug bucket full of okra. We’re looking forward to many more bounties of this delicious and interesting fruit through September! What is your take on okra? And how do you enjoy it? Share your comments in the section below.
Autumn is still officially one week away, but one of our favorite fall activities here at my Bedford, New York farm is picking pumpkins. It's hard to resist harvesting when one sees lots of gorgeous, colorful fruits growing under the vines.
Pumpkins are cucurbits, members of the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes squash, gourds, cucumbers, watermelons, and cantaloupes. Recently, I asked my housekeeper, Elvira Rojas, to pick some beautiful pumpkins from the garden - a number of them were ready. In just a short while, we had an excellent variety of shapes, sizes, and colors to display in front of my home.
Enjoy these photos from our first pumpkin harvest of the season.
Many of you already know, this garden is where I grew the majority of my vegetables. Now that I have a new and giant half-acre vegetable garden closer to my home, I decided to designate this area for our pumpkins. Pumpkins are one of the last crops we plant because the soil must be thoroughly warmed to at least 70-degrees Fahrenheit – pumpkins are very sensitive to the cold. This is why the seeds are also planted on mounds or small hills, which warm up fast in the spring, hastening seed germination.
This is our pumpkin patch now – filled with vines. Pumpkin plants grow on long vines, which can easily reach 20 to 30 feet long in the course of a growing season. The pumpkins are ready to harvest when the foliage on the vines begins to wither and turn brown. These leaves are beginning to turn – indicating some are ready to pick.
The large leaves cover most of the cucurbits as they form, so it is hard to see the beauties underneath.
Pumpkin flowers are large orange or yellow-colored blooms that grow on the long vines and produce pumpkins.
Under all the foliage, there are many wonderful pumpkins. This variety is a round, medium-sized jack-o’-lantern type with well-defined ribs.
The name pumpkin comes from the Greek word ‘pepon’ which means large melon.
Pumpkin seeds should be planted between the last week of May and the middle of June. They take between 90 and 120 days to grow. Their seeds can be saved to grow new pumpkins the next year.
Elvira is pleased with some of the great pumpkins that grew this year – there are lots of good sized fruits.
Elvira carefully snips the pumpkins from the vines with pruning sheers. It’s important to leave a stem. Leaving at least a couple of inches of stem will increase its keeping time. I also think the pumpkins look much better when the stems are intact. And never pick a pumpkin up from the stem! It may break off.
Here’s a dark green pumpkin. Green pumpkins are select cultivars of round Curcubita winter squash with green-colored skin. Green pumpkins range from dusky-green heirlooms to mottled or striped varieties.
There are also pumpkins that feature warts. This type of pumpkin is called a knucklehead, and as the name suggests, is reminiscent of the knuckles on one’s hand.
Here is another knucklehead pumpkin. These more textured and unusual pumpkins are very popular for decorating.
Josefa Palacio, who helps with some of our television and book shoots, also picked pumpkins – she found this bright orange knucklehead.
When picking, it is also important not to injure the rind as decay and fungi will attack through the wounds. Here is a traditional orange pumpkin – great for Halloween carving.
And here is a very smooth, bright orange pumpkin. All pumpkins are a good source of nutrition. They are low in calories, fat and sodium and high in fiber. Plus, they are loaded with vitamins A and B and potassium.
Modern pumpkins grow commercially in the United States, China, Mexico, and India. Farmers in the United States grow more than a billion pounds annually, with Illinois growing the most.
After a good selection of fruits is harvested, they are placed in the back of one of our Polaris vehicles and brought up to my Winter House driveway.
I am always trying to grow different and unusual specimens along with the more traditional varieties. We grow some pumpkins and squash from heirloom seeds. Heirlooms are old-time varieties, open-pollinated instead of hybrid, and saved and handed down through multiple generations of families.
Up outside my carport, Elvira wipes each one down with a damp cloth to remove any dirt and debris left from the garden.
And then the fruits are all carefully arranged on this stone wall – all clean and intact. No ‘decorating’ is required. Just lining them up makes a wonderful display. I can’t wait until our next big pumpkin harvest!
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