The garden maze here at my Bedford, New York farm is transforming more and more with each row of plantings.
My three-acre living maze is located in a lush pasture just outside my Winter House. I started planting it one year ago with a variety of different hedges, espaliers, trees, and shrubs to add texture and interest. All of the specimens will grow tall enough to prevent walkers from seeing the paths ahead. So far, I've planted European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, parrotias, espaliered apple trees, American sweetgums, barberry, and London planetrees. Most recently, I added more European hornbeams and a selection of yew trees, Taxus, a coniferous evergreen, related to pines, spruces, firs, cedars, and cypress. The trees are placed according to a very detailed map I designed specifically for this maze.
Enjoy these photos.
We picked up 30 yew trees from Select Horticulture in nearby Pound Ridge. I selected all the specimens myself – they are all healthy and lush. The yew, taxus, is a small to medium sized evergreen that grows up to 65-feet tall. The leaves are flat, dark green, and arranged spirally on the stem.
We also picked up 50 European hornbeams, Carpinus betulus – a fast-growing deciduous tree. I have many hornbeams here at the farm. The tree is native to Western Asia and central, eastern, and southern Europe, including southern England. Because of its dense foliage and tolerance to being cut back, the hornbeam is popularly used for hedges and topiaries.
The maze can be seen from my Winter House. Here is the area designated for the newest grouping of yews and hornbeams.
The first step is to mark exactly where the trees will be planted. The maze is drawn out on a map, so Fernando and Pete set up the landscape twine according to the map’s specifications. This day was quite hazy because of the Canadian wildfires – one can see the difference in these images.
Here, Pete secures the twine on the other end of the designated row.
Once the area is marked, Pete uses our edger to cut the lines for the bed.
Pete gets up right next to the twine, so everything is completely straight.
Here, one can see where the line of sod is cut.
Next, Pete goes over the same lines with our our new Classen Pro HSC18 sod cutter. Since the area is already edged, the sod cutter goes over the lines smoothly and more deeply. Everything must be done as precisely as possible for the maze.
Pete rolls up the sod in sections, so it is not too heavy to transport.
Here are several pieces of sod neatly rolled up. It will be used in another section of the farm.
Pete continues to cut the sod to make the bed wider. This sod cutter works quickly and efficiently. It doesn’t take long to cut the entire bed for the yews.
The bed is now wide enough for the yew trees. Yews do best in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to full shade.
Meanwhile, holes are dug in a nearby bed for the European hornbeams. These trees are very adaptable and also do well in full sun to full shade.
In assembly line process, each tree is placed into a designated hole, still in its pot. This way, we can make sure there are enough holes for each tree and all of them are lined up perfectly. Afterward, the trees are removed from the pots and positioned into their new hole with the best side facing the path.
Hornbeams are often confused with the common beech because of their similar leaves; however, the hornbeam leaves are actually smaller and more deeply furrowed than beech leaves. The leaves are deciduous and alternate, with serrated margins.
And a trench is dug out for the yew trees and all of them are carefully positioned and equally spaced in the trench.
Once all the trees are in place, the burlap and ties are removed. This is very important. Some gardeners will 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. Some burlap is also treated to prevent it from disintegrating in the ground.
Here is our pile of burlap – all the tree root balls are now bare.
I always say, “if you eat, so should your plants.” For all of these, we’re using Plant-tone, an all-purpose organic fertilizer for trees, shrubs, lawns, flowers and vegetables. It’s made from only natural organic ingredients and fortified with beneficial microbes to improve soil structure without burning.
The fertilizer is made of insoluble granules that release nutrients as it biodegrades.
The yews are carefully backfilled. Another rule is “bare to the flare” meaning only plant up to the flare, where the tree meets the root system.
And here they are all planted and mulched. These yews are ready for a good, deep drink.
And so are the hornbeams. The maze will take some time before it is complete, but I am so happy with how well it is turning out so far – it’s already stumping some of those who walk through.
I'm always looking for interesting and healthy plants and trees. I love visiting different nurseries to see what specimens they have for my ever-evolving Bedford, New York farm.
Not long ago, I visited Select Horticulture Inc. in Pound Ridge, New York to purchase a selection of European hornbeams and yews for my living maze. Select Horticulture offers an extensive inventory of premium quality trees and shrubs including large sizes, unusual and rare specimens, with both stand-alone and mature espaliered options.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Select Horticulture Inc. has locations in Lancaster, Massachusetts and here in Westchester, New York right off route 137.
The nursery is filled with beautiful and well maintained specimens. Every row of trees and shrubs is neat, tidy, and every item properly identified.
There are lots of evergreen shrubs and mature trees.
I always notice the boxwood – these boxwood shrubs come in a variety of sizes from small to these medium-sized specimens to mature giants.
These are apple trees, Malus domestica ‘Red Delicious,’ the most widely planted apple tree in North America. It grows at a fast speed of more than 24-inches per year. Its mature height and width vary from 10 feet for the dwarf, 12 to 15 feet for the semi-dwarf, or 20 to 25 feet for a standard.
Every tree is connected to an extensive water irrigation system. There are multiple stakes in each root ball that connect to the water source.
Acer griseum is the paperbark maple or blood-bark maple – a species of flowering plant in the family Sapindaceae, native to central China. It is a small, deciduous, oval to oval-rounded tree with slender upright branching.
Most interesting is this tree’s bark – copper orange to cinnamon reddish-brown bark which exfoliates.
These are Bloodgood Japanese maple trees – several being trained on this trellis. In its maturity, the Bloodgood Japanese maple will reach between 15 to 20 feet tall, with a small narrow trunk. One of the most attractive features is its ability to retain its color throughout the seasons – a deep burgundy in spring that lasts throughout summer and then changes to a bright red in fall.
This is Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca Pendula’ – a weeping blue atlas cedar. This is a beautiful, pendulous evergreen tree. And because it is a free-form weeping plant, it can be trained, trellised, espaliered, and even grown as a bonsai to fit various garden spaces.
This is Sciadopitys verticillata, commonly called a Japanese umbrella tree. It has a dense, narrow, conical to pyramidal habit when young, but tends to open up with age. It gets its common name from the umbrella-like whorls of needles that grow at the ends of the branchlets and branches. In its native habitat in Japan, this evergreen conifer may grow to 90-feet tall. In cultivation in the U.S., however, it typically matures to about 30-feet tall over many years.
Each whorl on the Sciadopitys verticillata contains 20 to 30 soft, flattened, dark green needles that radiate outward – almost like the ribs of an opened umbrella.
Six Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ trees were pulled out and prepared for pick up. This tree is commonly called an eastern redbud – a deciduous, often multi-trunked understory tree with a rounded crown that typically matures to 20 to 30 feet. It features purple-leaves and has an attractive red-orange fall color. Its common name, Judas tree, comes from legend. Biblical literature records that after betraying Christ, Judas Iscariot hanged himself from this kind of tree.
Eastern redbud leaves are alternate, simple, broadly heart-shaped and three to five inches high and wide.
Cercis canadensis ‘Vanilla Twist’ is a small tree with beautifully cascading branches.
And it has the same charming heart-shaped leaves.
There are many hornbeams, Carpinus betulus, of all sizes including this giant specimen.
And these giant columnar Carpinus betulus Frans Fontaine – a dense hornbeam with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit.
Here are our European hornbeams – all stacked in our dump truck and ready to go back to the farm to get planted in the maze.
If you’ve ever looking for a selection of quality trees or shrubs, and live in or around Pound Ridge, New York, or Lancaster, Massachusetts, be sure to visit Select Horticulture Inc. There’s something for everyone.
One thing I love is the intoxicating scent of a garden rose.
I hope you saw my latest episode of "Martha Gardens" exclusively on the Roku Channel. In the show, I share my tips for planning, planting, and caring for roses. Not long ago, I redesigned a new rose bed behind my main greenhouse. The area was previously planted with some rose varieties, foxglove, and lots of tulips, but we moved them and prepared the 68-foot by 30-foot space for three types of roses - floribunda, hybrid tea, and shrub roses - all with gorgeous color, form, and fragrance. The roses came from Danielle Hahn, author of the new book "The Color of Roses," published by Ten Speed Press. It was a big project, but our entire team worked together and got it done excellently.
Enjoy these photos.
Here is the garden bed once it was cleared of old plant roots and weeds. This bed is located just behind my main greenhouse where it can be closely watched and maintained.
We already planted large boxwood to mark the middle and main footpath to the garden. Here, a line is put up to mark the four sides so it could be re-edged.
The entire garden is surrounded with boxwood. Large boxwood shrubs anchor the corners. These smaller boxwood, which I’ve nurtured from bare-root cuttings fill in the rest of the perimeter.
Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood. Boxwood is native to western and southern Europe, southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
And here are all the roses – more than 120 – still in boxes and ready to plant. Danielle says she prefers to plant potted roses because “one can see what one gets” – look for healthy, robust leaves that are free of disease and insects.
Using landscape twine as a guide, they were all lined up in straight rows according to mature growth pattern, variety, and color.
Each rose is placed exactly where it will be planted. And here the digging begins. Watch “Martha Gardens” to see the map of this beautiful and formal rose garden.
When planting, make sure the hole is slightly wider but equal in depth to the rose’s root ball. This will generally be about 15 to 18 inches deep by 18 to 24 inches wide.
Nutrient rich compost or garden conditioner is added to each hole.
And then some good quality fertilizers. The primary nutrients that all plants need are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen encourages healthy, vigorous leaf growth. Since a rose’s ability to make flowers is in its leaves, healthy foliage results in more flowers. We also added a specific rose fertilizer Rose-Tone, azomite, and bone meal.
Here, Pasang removes a rose from its pot, teases the roots to stimulate growth, and then places it into the designated hole.
Pasang makes sure the top of the root ball is about an inch above the edge of the hole. He also looks to see that the plant is straight and the best side faces the front of the garden.
With so many plants to get into the ground, it was all hands on deck – we had a large team digging and planting.
Here, Phurba stands from a distance to make sure all the rose plants are planted in straight lines.
We planted floribunda roses, hybrid tea roses, and shrub roses. This one is a soft apricot color.
Hybrid tea roses, also called large-flowered roses, usually have only one flower per stem and tend to flower in three flushes from summer to late autumn. Floribundas or cluster-flowered roses have many flowers per stem and tend to repeat-flower continuously from summer to late autumn.
We included a variety of different colors from pink to apricot to lavender and even yellow and creamy white.
And here’s a darker pink rose. A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae. There are more than a hundred species and thousands of cultivars.
Here is a beautiful light yellow rose blooming. When selecting a location, plant roses in a sunny spot where it can get at least six hours of sun and good drainage. Fertilize them regularly and water them evenly to keep the soil moist.
Here is a white rose with a hint of pink. We also planted strong disease resistant varieties. Many roses are bred and selected to resist the most common rose problems.
This rose bed is sure to bring years of color and beauty from hundreds and hundreds of roses. Watch “Martha Gardens” on Roku to get more of my tips and to see the entire process of planting the garden – it’s a great show.
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