It's berry season and here at my Bedford, New York farm, all available hands are busy picking delicious summer berries.
Last week, we picked black currants - those juicy, tangy fruits that grow on thornless understory shrubs. I use them to make jams, jellies, and tarts. They also make wonderful sorbets and they're easy to freeze for later use. And, we picked boxes of blueberries - everyone loves eating blueberries fresh off the stem. Low in fat, yet packed with vitamin-C and antioxidants, it’s not surprising they’re one of America’s favorite fruits to eat.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here at the farm, everyone eagerly awaits the ripening of the blueberries. They are so perfect for snacking fresh off the stem or for making lots of delicious desserts and other treats. Once we see the berries turn this dark blue, we’re all out there with our berry boxes ready to pick.
My blueberries are all from these bushes located near my Flower Cutting Garden and large Equipment Barn, next to my grove of quince trees. The posts are the same 18th-century Chinese granite uprights I use for the clematis pergola, my apple espaliers, and to support my raspberry bushes. I grow many blueberry varieties, including ‘Bluegold’, ‘Chandler’, ‘Darrow’, ‘Jersey’, and ‘Patriot’. Standard blueberry bushes grow about six to 10-feet tall. New shoots grow from the crown under the soil. At the base, blueberry shrubs have multiple canes growing directly out of the soil in clumps. The canes or branches are smooth and thornless. These bushes have done so well here at the farm. I am always so pleased with how prolific they are. A single mature blueberry bush can produce up to six thousand blueberries per year.
Blueberry bushes have glossy leaves that are green or bluish-green from spring through summer. The leaves are ovate, in an irregular oval or slightly egg shape that is wider at the bottom than the top. Blueberry leaves can also be harvested and dried for teas.
Every branch is full. Blueberries are perennial flowering plants. They are classified in the section Cyanococcus within the genus Vaccinium. Vaccinium also includes cranberries, bilberries, huckleberries, and Madeira blueberries.
Blueberries are about five to 16 millimeters large with a flared crown at the end. They are pale greenish at first, and then reddish-purple and finally dark purple-blue when ripe for picking. When harvesting the fruits, select plump, full berries with a light gray-blue color. A berry with a hint of red is not fully ripened.
Blueberries were once called “star fruits” by North American indigenous peoples because of the five-pointed star shaped crown.
They are covered in a protective powdery epicuticular wax known as the “bloom”. These berries are just right. Blueberries are high in fiber, high in vitamin-C, and contain one of the highest amounts of antioxidants among all fruits and vegetables.
And, the blueberry is one of the only foods that is truly naturally blue. The pigment that gives blueberries their distinctive color is called anthocyanin – the same compound that provides the blueberry’s amazing health benefits.
Blueberries don’t actually reach their full flavor until a few days after they turn blue, so a tip to know which ones are the best – tickle the bunches lightly, and only the truly ripe ones will fall into hand. Enma is careful to pick only the bluest of them all, leaving the light green ones and reddish ones to mature.
Blueberries are among the most popular berries for eating. Here in the United States, they are second only to strawberries.
Unfortunately, many blueberries also fall to the ground or get snatched by birds. All those picked are carefully inspected – only the best are saved.
There will be lots of berries to pick for the next several weeks. We check the bushes every day from now through August.
This first harvest was very successful. Elvira is holding a tray of seven boxes – just a fraction of what was picked on this day.
Then it was a short walk to the currants located just behind my main greenhouse near the raspberries where they can get full sun. All these shrubs are full of black currants.
Currant leaves are palmate and deeply lobed, similar to maple tree leaves. The leaves of the black currant are a pale green in color and up to two inches long.
The varieties of black currants in my garden include ‘Ben Sarek’ and ‘Ben Lomond.’
I grow all currant colors – black, white, pink, and red currants, but on this day, we only picked the black ones.
Black currant, Ribes nigrum, is a woody shrub grown for its piquant berries. You can’t miss them in the garden – they are very aromatic. When ripe, black currants are dark purple in color, with glossy skins.
The best time to pick black currants is when they are dry and ripe. Harvest currants by picking the fruit clusters (strigs) rather than the individual berries. After picking, the individual berries can be stripped from the stems.
Black currants are the most nutrient-rich of the currants. They are high in vitamins A, C, B1, B5, B6, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. They are also high in minerals, such as iron, copper, calcium, and phosphorous. They can be eaten raw, but are usually cooked in a variety of sweet and savory dishes.
Currants are still largely unknown here in the United States. They are well-loved in many other countries, and here in the US, they are slowly gaining popularity, especially because of its high antioxidant content. They are now more prevalent at local farms and home gardens.
Enma and Elvira picked lots of great currants – this batch would be used to make sorbet for a summer business luncheon.
Beautiful, colorful dahlias continue to bloom at my Bedford, New York farm.
Dahlias begin to bloom with great profusion just as many summer plants pass their prime, and they last right up until the first frost. My all-dahlia garden was planted in a large bed behind my vegetable greenhouse and we saw our first dahlias of the season already blooming in early June. As they grow it's important to provide tall dahlia stems with good support to help the plants weather any storms and strong winds. Yesterday, my gardener Brian O'Kelly, along with the help of Phurba Sherpa from my outdoor grounds crew, staked every plant using bamboo canes and jute twine.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
My dahlia garden is located behind my large glass vegetable greenhouse, so these plants are already somewhat protected from strong winds. These plants bloomed early this year – we saw the first flower on June 6th. Now it is time to provide the tall stems with more support, so they don’t break in the coming weeks.
Brian cuts the stakes, so they are all about seven feet tall. We reuse bamboo whenever we can, saving and storing the canes from year to year.
And then he pounds each of them down about a foot into the ground. Brian secures one stake every three plants.
Currently, there are about 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. A member of the Asteraceae family of dicotyledonous plants, some of its relatives include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia.
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.
This dark maroon dahlia always stands out in the garden. 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.
Phurba ties one end of the twine to a bamboo stake about two feet off the ground and then stretches it to the next stake a few feet away on one side. He does the same for the other side allowing the stems to sit in between the jute ties.
Then he does the same about eight inches up, so the support is at different heights. This is done three times.
Here is a view from above. The twine opens in a “V” and goes around the plants.
Here, Phurba carefully lifts any listing stems and places them inside the twine loop, so they are all together standing upright.
This process takes some time, but it is worth doing to prevent the stems from breaking.
Jute twine is available in different thicknesses and its tensile strength can reach about 140-pounds, but because it is a natural material, it can degrade over time. Pulling the twine tightly will help it keep its form through the season.
Dahlias are classified according to flower shape and petal arrangement. Flowers come one head per stem. The blooms can be as small as two-inches in diameter or up to one foot across. They are divided into 10 groups: single, anemone, collarette, waterlily, decorative, fall, pompon, cactus, semi-cactus, and miscellaneous.
Dahlia plant leaves grow segments that are ovate to oblong to lanceolate in shape. The leaf margins may be lobed or dentate. Leaves may be green, reddish-purple, or purple-black depending on the variety.
Here is a large yellow dahlia still in the process of opening.
Here is one side completely supported.
And here is a view down one of the rows. Staking keeps the sometimes heavy and large blooms from hitting the ground and rotting.
From this end, one can see how clear the rows are making it easy to reach and cut the flowers for arrangements. The plants on the right are younger and still growing. We just planted them this spring.
Dahlias were first recorded by Westerners in 1615, and were then called by their original Mexican name, acoctli. The first garden dahlias reached the United States in the early 1830s. Today, dahlias are grown all over the world.
Pompon dahlias yield masses of intricate, fully double blooms measuring up to two-and-a-half inches across. This dahlia is a pretty pink to salmon color.
The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers or cultivars, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects.
These dahlias are also fed. Dahlias require a low-nitrogen fertilizer, usually referred to as a bloom food and is available at garden stores.
This area was once used for growing grapes. I had placed granite posts years ago with heavy gauge copper wire laced through them for added plant support. I designed them, so the wire can be tightened or loosened depending on the need. We are still able to use the wire to support the taller dahlia stems.
These plants are developing so nicely. I am looking forward to seeing more and more of the gorgeous blooms later this season.
Dozens of pressed red clay bricks and stone pavers I had been storing from previous homes and projects have found new purpose here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Not long ago, I decided it was time to create some new footpaths around my Stewartia garden just outside my Tenant House. For the last few weeks Pete Sherpa and Fernando Ferrari from my outdoor grounds crew have been working hard clearing the designated areas, cutting the sod, laying down stone dust, bricks, and pavers, and finally spreading a layer of nutrient-rich mulch around the garden beds to give it all a beautiful and finished appearance.
Enjoy these photos.
Many of our outdoor projects start with a small stake and some twine.
This most recent project involves making footpaths to go around this garden bordered on one side by the majestic stand of bald cypress and dotted with gorgeous perennial plantings, Cotinus, and of course Stewartias – after all, my name is Stewart.
On the east side of the Stewartia garden, Pete secures lines from one end of the designated path to the other, to ensure the finished path is completely straight.
Then, using the twine as a guide, Pete starts to detach the sod from the marked area with our new Classen Pro HSC18 sod cutter.
Pete rolls up the sod in sections, so it is not too heavy to transport.
Here are several pieces of sod neatly rolled and placed in a row for moving. It will be used in another section of the farm. Good, healthy sod is always repurposed and transplanted.
I have lots of these bricks left over from my previous home in East Hampton – they used to surround my swimming pool. “Pressed red” is the general term given to solid red bricks traditionally manufactured from clay, pressed into individual molds by hand, and then heated at very high temperatures. I decided we would line this path using these bricks – it’s always nice to use materials already here at the farm.
This is a view after a few bricks have been laid down. They will hold the path filler in nicely.
Once all the bricks are in place, Fernando levels a layer of stone dust in the path. Stone dust is a non-porous material, which is good to use under gravel. It will stop heavy rain water from seeping below and reduces the risk of shifting or damaging the bordering bricks.
Afterward, Fernando goes over it with a gravel tamper. A tamper is a tool with a long handle and a heavy, square base used for leveling and firmly packing gravel, dirt, clay, sand, and other similar materials such as the stone dust.
On this side, Fernando removes the sod sections from another designated path.
This path leads to the area next to my Basket House on the left. And on the right, a path behind my Stewartia garden.
Here is one side of the path all cleared. This too will be lined with red bricks and filled with the stone dust. It leads to the carriage road.
This is the cleared footpath in the back of my Stewartia Garden. Mature perennials are on both sides of this footpath. Among them, hostas, lady’s mantle, Thalictrum with its lacy bluish-green foliage and airy clusters of lavender-pink flowers set on tall sturdy purple stems, ferns, Syneilesis, Astilboides, and many others.
Here, I wanted the path made with large flagstone pavers placed several inches apart and surrounded with mulch. I have many stone materials already here at the farm and knew these would be perfect for this space.
Pete positioned all the pavers before securing them in the ground, so he knew he had the perfect amount for the space.
Meanwhile, here is the last section of path lined with bricks and ready for stone dust.
Here, one can see the thin layer of stone dust now along the path. It is just an inch or so thick.
The two paths running north-south are filled in with 3/8-inch native washed stone – the same stone used on my carriage roads.
Next, Pete brings in lots of mulch to place around the paths as a finishing detail for the surrounding garden beds.
Pete removed some more grass from the sides and added mulch. My goal is to have less lawn to save on mowing. These areas will be filled in with plants.
Here is the area just in front of my Basket House. What shall I plant here?
And here is another area where I am looking forward to planting more shade-loving specimens and spring blooming bulbs.
This is where two of the paths meet just outside my gym building. These paths make the area look so much more manicured.
Everything looks so beautiful. It’s now a favorite area for guests to walk and see all the gorgeous perennials growing in the garden. I will share more photos of this garden in an upcoming blog.
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