My garden maze continues to evolve with each row of interesting plantings. It now includes a beautiful Blue Atlas Cedar and a row of Physocarpus opulifolius, known as common ninebark.
Earlier this month, I received a large delivery from First Editions Shrubs and Trees, a brand of evergreens and perennials from the fifth-generation, family and brand owner Bailey Nurseries in St. Paul, Minnesota. I knew some of the plants would make excellent additions to my growing maze, such as ninebark, the spring-flowering shrub with its unique exfoliating bark. The Blue Atlas Cedar was gifted to me by a longtime fan. This tree, with its silvery blue to green foliage will reach a height of about 60-feet when mature. Both will provide great color and interest to the vast array of plantings already thriving in the space.
Enjoy these photos.
While we are in big need of rain here in the Northeast, we’ve been lucky the weather has been so warm and pleasant. My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew have been able to get many plants in the ground including these Physocarpus opulifolius, known as ninebark.
My maze is drawn out on a map, so it is important to refer to it every time something new is added. The area is measured multiple times before the actual sod is cut and removed.
The sod strips are divided into sections, so it is easier to roll and lift. Here are pieces of sod neatly rolled up and ready to be repurposed in another area of the farm.
José rakes the stripped bed of any extra sod or debris.
And then Phurba follows with our Troy-Bilt Pony Rear-Tine Tiller. Rototilling is one method of turning up the soil before planting. All the plants and trees do very well here at the farm, in part because of the excellent soil. I have worked very hard to ensure my soil is constantly amended and rich with nutrients. If you are unsure of your soil’s quality, have it tested. Kits are available at garden shops, online, and through your area’s cooperative extensions.
Meanwhile, here is the Blue Atlas Cedar sent to me this week from one of my devotees. It is transported to the maze in the bucket of my Kubota M4-071 tractor.
Blue Atlas Cedar has a bold, pyramidal form with sparkling silvery blue foliage. It is among the most popular evergreen conifers.
I decided the tree would be planted at the end of a row. Now it’s time for the hole to be dug. Remember the rule of thumb for planting trees – dig a hole that is two to three times wider than the root ball, but only as deep as the height of the root ball.
All the burlap wrapping and any twine are removed from the tree’s root ball. Some leave them in the ground, but I prefer to remove them completely, so there is nothing blocking the growing roots.
José drops generous handfuls of fertilizer on bare soil. Use food that promotes faster establishment, deeper roots, and good soil structure.
I use an all-purpose granular water soluble food from Miracle-Gro.
The tree is placed into its designated hole and then turned so its best side faces the path.
Next, the hole is carefully backfilled. Another rule of thumb is “bare to the flare” meaning only plant up to the flare, where the tree meets the root system.
This tree is easy to care for, have a slow-to-moderate growth rate of about one to two feet per year.
The ninebark is a deciduous spring-flowering shrub often planted en masse. I have ninebark varieties surrounding my pool, in front of my pool house and in other areas of the farm. This variety is Little Devil Ninebark, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Donna May.’
It has a compact upright habit with burgundy leaves. It features small pinkish-white spirea-like flowers in late spring followed by subtle reddish fruit, and interesting peeling papery bark.
Cesar measures the spacing – four feet in between these plants. Ninebark is fast-growing, so plan for its full width.
Each holly hole is dug with enough room for the plant’s root ball. Ninebark thrives best in an area that gets full sun partial shade and where it can live in well-draining soil.
Cesar scarifies every plant. I have the crew scarify all root balls, meaning make beneficial cuts, before planting to encourage new growth and make the plant more stable. This is even more important if the plant is root bound, meaning the roots have grown too large and too plentiful in its container.
The hole is dug as deep as the container it was grown in so that the crown will be even with the existing ground or slightly above the existing ground.
Cesar backfills, tamping the soil lightly at the end to ensure good contact.
Finally, José gives all the planted ninebarks a good, soaking drink. It’s been so very dry here at the farm. We’re watering all the gardens as if it’s mid-summer. Hope we get some rain soon.
Ninebark can grow 12 to 18 inches per year, but it can also tolerate hard pruning when needed. It will look perfect in this row. We’re still planting – stay tuned to see what’s next.
Temperatures at my farm today are expected to reach 80-degrees Fahrenheit - unseasonably warm, but great for continuing our planting projects in my living maze.
Last week, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew started working on another big section of this garden. I designed an area that includes a long boxwood border across the maze and an allée running perpendicular to it leading to a small, open space. Yesterday, the sod was removed, a trench was dug, and 52 boxwood shrubs were planted - it's coming along very nicely.
Enjoy these photos.
These ‘Green Mountain’ boxwood shrubs are all from Select Horticulture Inc. in nearby Pound Ridge, New York. They’re lined up next to the bed where they will be planted.
My outdoor grounds crew clears the designated beds for more maze planting. This is what the cleared area looks like once all the two-inch thick sod is pulled up. The area will also be tilled.
My trusted Kubota M62 tractor loader and backhoe are positioned to dig a trench where the sod was removed. When there is enough room to work, we dig trenches – it’s faster when planting a number of specimens in a row compared to individual holes.
Digging a large trench like this is also good for breaking up more of the soil for new roots to grow and for better circulation of oxygen and water.
José removes any excess soil and manually smooths out the trench as needed. He also removes any rocks that would be in the way.
The crew works efficiently and quickly. Adan is very skilled with the backhoe, making it the precise depth for the boxwood, about a foot.
It doesn’t take long before the entire trench is dug. Adan also places the removed soil on a tarp, so it is easy to clean-up later.
The entire area is sprinkled with fertilizer. The crew uses an all purpose plant food from Miracle-Gro.
The plastic is then removed from each specimen.
The wire caging and burlap are also removed from each root ball before being placed in the trench.
It is very important to ensure all the protective materials and coverings are removed to prevent any risk of damage to the roots.
To place each one into the trench, José slowly rolls the root ball into position.
‘Green Mountain’ boxwood is a woody, broadleaf, evergreen shrub with an upright, pyramidal form similar to a small tree. It also has
dense, rich, green foliage that holds well through the year.
Cesar measures three feet from the center stem to where the center stem of the next plant should go.
All of the boxwood is placed into the trench before any backfilling is done. This is when they can all be counted and checked carefully to make sure they are both straight and properly positioned. All these shrubs are healthy, but we always position plantings with the best side facing the walking path – in this case, the center of the allée.
Once everything is checked, the boxwood is then backfilled and the area is raked.
Here is a side view of the new boxwood allée. Each one is directly aligned with the one across.
The new row runs perpendicular to the one just finished last week. Once they’re all planted, they are given a very deep and thorough drink. It’s been hot here and very dry and dusty – we’ve been watering everything quite a bit.
And here is a view looking south to the rest of the maze. ‘Green Mountain’ Boxwood is a slow-growing evergreen that matures to four to five feet tall and two to three feet wide. It’s all coming together. We have about a third of the maze left to go. What do you think?
Here in the Northeast, the plants and trees continue to show off their gorgeous fall colors.
This time of year, because of the changes in temperature and length of daylight, the leaves stop their food-making process. When this happens, the chlorophyll breaks down and the green color disappears, making way for all the shades of autumn. Here at my farm, we're still waiting for a hard frost. In fact, today's temperatures are expected to be in the high 70s, but the colors across the landscape are beautiful - various shades of orange, yellow, brown, red, and evergreen.
Enjoy these photos.
There are leaves everywhere this time of year. Some trees change early, others late – usually from mid-October to mid-November here in the Northeast.
Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs.
At my farm 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.
And what a difference a couple of weeks make. These tall sugar maples above my tree peony garden are now nearly bare of leaves. Just a couple of weeks ago, they were filled with gorgeous shades of yellow, burnt orange, and red.
The colors change daily, Warm, sunny days and cool nights produce the most spectacular colors.
Here is one of my ginkgo trees. These trees show a dramatic change every fall when the bold green leaves turn golden bright yellow.
At the edge of the back hayfield is the giant sycamore tree – the symbol of my farm. The foliage of American sycamore trees is a vast crown of large leaves. In autumn, sycamore tree leaves turn shades of yellow and brown.
Nearby, the early evening sun shines through the golden leaves above the dark evergreens.
Here is a look through the woodland – so beautiful with its palette of gold, green, and auburn.
And this is what one sees on the other side of the same giant field – beautiful shades of red.
It is fall here now, but in Australia and New Zealand, autumn begins in March and ends in May, while those who live near the equator miss this season entirely because their regions get a consistent amount of sun.
Linden tree leaves turn a spectacular bright yellow color in fall. Lindens, Tilia, are also known as basswoods, and have sturdy, straight trunks and profuse foliage. This allée of lindens below the tall white pines runs from the chicken coops up to my allée of boxwood and then again from the boxwood to my long pergola.
Here beneath my dawn redwoods, the hostas are also changing. Hosta leaves turn yellow, brown, and soft orange and then die back as the plants prepare for winter dormancy.
I also get many compliments on the fencing – it is antique spruce fencing I bought in Canada, and it surrounds all my paddocks for the horses, pony and donkeys. This is my grove of American beech trees, Fagus grandifolia.
This is one side of my allée of pin oaks, Quercus palustris. They are starting to turn a gorgeous russet brown.
Just a week ago, this beautiful Nyssa sylvatica, or black tupelo, was still predominantly dark green, but now its foliage is turning bright red, purple, yellow, and orange – all colors that may appear on the same branch.
On the other side of my terrace – an apple tree, now completely bare except for a few fruits.
Redbud trees, with their heart-shaped leaves display a variety of fall colors, including yellow, golden, and crimson.
We’ve already begun placing old bales of hay around the hoop houses to add insulation for the coming cold.
This time of year is always so magical. Here are my horses grazing in their run-in pasture surrounded by the beautiful foliage. I hope you are able to enjoy some of these autumn colors where you are.
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