Early June is such an exciting time here at my Bedford, New York farm. It's when my herbaceous peony garden is blooming with brilliant pinks and whites!
Every year, I’m always amazed by the dazzling display of these beautiful flowers. It’s definitely one of the most anticipated sights - we all wait patiently for the floral show. Friends and family love the peonies as much as I do and rush to see them in all their splendor. When I first planted this garden, I knew I wanted many, many peonies in one large area. I chose a location across from my Winter House, where there's lots of room and full sun - a perfect spot outside my window.
Enjoy these photos.
In early May, my herbaceous peony bed is filled with knee-high stems and dense green foliage. Everyone is always so excited to see this peony garden explode with color. Before the flowers appear, my outdoor grounds crew puts up stakes, so the peonies are well-supported as they grow. We use natural twine and metal uprights I designed myself for this purpose.
My design includes strong steel stakes with two eye holes – one at the top and one midway. This allows for two rows of supportive twine.
A week later, look at all the buds atop the stems. When I first planted my peony garden, I focused on pink varieties, and planted 11-double rows of 22-peony types. I chose the varieties for their colors, their forms and their long blooming periods.
Here’s a closer look at one of the buds.
By the third week of May, the first blooms appear. One of the reasons these peonies thrive here at my farm is because of the soil. It has a pH of 6.5 to 7.0, which is ideal. It is also amended with superphosphate and Azomite, a natural product mined from an ancient mineral deposit in Utah. These natural additives improve root systems and overall plant vigor, resulting in this fantastic profusion of blooms.
And this week, look at the transformation – rows and rows of gorgeous blooms. The view inside this boxwood hedged garden is breathtaking.
The peony is any plant in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America.
The leaves of the herbaceous peony are pointed with a shiny, deep green color.
Peonies are one of the best-known and most dearly loved perennials – not surprising considering their beauty, trouble-free nature, and longevity.
Herbaceous peonies grow two to four feet tall with sturdy stems and blooms that can reach up to 10-inches wide. We spaced the plants about three to four feet apart to avoid any competing roots.
Peony blooms range from simple blossoms to complex clusters with a variety of petal forms.
The peony’s fragrance can vary, but most have sweet, clean scents. And, do you know… pink peonies tend to have stronger fragrances than red peonies? Double form white peonies are also very aromatic.
Semi-double peonies are those which have single or double rows of broad petals encircling more broad petals and an exposed center crown.
This flower form is more rounded with a large number of petals rising in the center to form a distinct mound.
Here’s another rounded form in a slightly pink hue.
Here’s Enma picking some blooms early in the morning – there are so many from which to choose.
Enma cuts them shorter than other flowers, so they don’t flop over in the vase. And always use sharp pruners or scissors for cutting.
Flower colors come in white, pink, yellow, red, and coral and the various shades and tints of each.
The peony is a perennial flower. The majority of peonies are hybrids and classified as herbaceous, or as deciduous tree peonies. The peony is showy, frilly with tuberous root systems.
Peonies are considered northern flowers – they tolerate and even prefer cold winter temperatures. They are hardy in zones 3 through 8 and need more than 400-hours of temperatures below 40-degrees Fahrenheit annually to break dormancy and bloom properly.
For the most part, peonies are disease resistant. They do, however, take some time to get established, so be patient. And if you happen to see ants crawling on your peonies, don’t worry. The insects are attracted to the sugary syrup produced by the buds. Once the flower opens fully, and the sucrose has been finished, the ants disappear.
Among the varieties in my collection – ‘Elsa Sass’, ‘Victorian Blush’, ‘Fringed Ivory’, ‘Martha’, ‘Madylone’, ‘Lullaby Coos’, ‘Vivid Glow’, ‘Angel Cheeks’, ‘Miss America’ and ‘Flying Pink Saucers’.
This is ‘Star Power’. It has pure white, large blossoms with bold round guard petals and red tipped stigmas. When using peonies for display, cut those whose buds are beginning to show color and feel similar to firm marshmallows. Always cut the stems at an angle and change the water daily.
And here are some on my kitchen counter. Peonies are among my favorite flowers. The only disadvantage of peonies is that each field yields one crop of cut flowers for a couple of weeks only once a year, and then that’s it – until the next season when they bloom with splendor once again.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we're expecting some cooler weather and hopefully a bit of rain over the weekend - good conditions for the recent over-seeding we did in my pastures.
I am very fortunate to have several paddocks where my horses and donkeys can graze. Late winter to spring is the best time to over-seed these areas. Not long ago, my outdoor grounds crew tackled two large enclosures. First, we used our Land Pride aerator to properly loosen the soil and prepare it for good drainage. Then we attached a commercial sized rotary-spin broadcast spreader to our Kubota tractor and distributed our custom high grade grass seed mix from Hancock Farm & Seed Company.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here is a wide view of one of my horse pastures. The best day to overseed is when there is little to no wind, so the application can be done as evenly as possible. This day was perfect – no wind, mild temperatures, and a beautiful blue sky.
The ground was already aerated with our Land Pride tow-behind aerator. I am glad to be able to have all the farm equipment we need to care for our fields. Here I am in front of our Kubota tractor with the aerator attachment behind me.
Here, one can see the holes left behind by the aerating spikes.
Our aerator makes slits in the ground as opposed to core plugs that are removed from the soil. The main reason for any aerating is to alleviate soil compaction. Compacted soils have too many solid particles in a certain volume or space, which prevents proper circulation of air, water, and nutrients. Aerating also improves drainage.
Our seed is from Hancock Farm & Seed Company, a 44-year old business that grows its own seed and ships directly from its Dade City, Florida facility.
Among the seed varieties we are using is this custom seed blend that includes orchard grass, tall fescue, and Timothy. Good quality grass is important for horses. It helps provide proper fiber requirements and keeps their digestive systems healthy.
Here’s a close look at the quality grass seed we use.
This is a 3-point spreader, which can be attached to a variety of tractors to spread seed or fertilizer. My outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, hooks it up to the center rear of our Kubota M4-071 tractor.
Our spreader features an opening system with split levers that allow distribution control.
Chhiring fills the spreader with the first batch of seed.
And then he heads out to the pasture. The other end of the tractor has our trusted Kubota L1154 front loader that helps us transport so many things around the farm and cuts down plenty of time going back and forth to the Equipment Barn.
Chhiring starts by going around the field counter clockwise from the outer edge working inward. He also overlaps his passes, so he doesn’t miss any areas.
Broadcast spreaders distribute seed in a fan-like pattern in all directions and cover a wider area per pass than drop spreaders. As the tractor moves, the fan throws the seed that falls out of the bottom of the spreader.
Over-seeding is a process where grass seed is added to an already existing area which after germination serves to increase the density of the grass plants. This process reduces the aging process or natural decline of the turf.
One can see the seed level in the spreader – it holds enough for this entire enclosure.
Looking closely at the ground, one can see the tiny seeds.
Meanwhile, Cesar is in another enclosure distributing seed by hand over some bare spots in the goose yard. Everything starts from a seed. Choosing high quality varieties truly makes a difference for my grazing water fowl and equines.
Once Chhiring is done with this pasture, he will move onto an adjacent field that also needs some over-seeding.
The entire process takes a couple of hours to do, but it is well worth it to make sure my pastures are seeded with the best grass possible.
These particular paddocks will remain empty for a couple of weeks until the seeds germinate and grow – and then they’ll be beautiful, lush, and ready for grazing once again.
Tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum, have long been one of America’s favorite garden vegetables. Those bold red, sun-ripened tomatoes bring on the taste of summer with every bite. And, they’re filled with excellent antioxidants and vitamins.
Just a handful of healthy plants can produce a bounty of delicious fruits within six to eight weeks. The best time to plant tomatoes is when daytime temperatures are consistently above 65-degrees Fahrenheit. Last week the weather was perfect and my gardeners planted our tomato crop - about 120-plants. Many of them were grown from seed right here in my greenhouse. They're all doing excellently in my new large half-acre garden.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here are some of the season’s young tomato plants ready to go into our beds. We always start our tomatoes from seed in my greenhouse. We don’t use any pesticides or chemicals of any kind, so we know we’re nurturing the highest quality plants. We always grow an abundance of tomatoes – I love to share them with family and friends and use them to make all the delicious tomato sauce we enjoy through the year. This season, we also have tomato plants that were gifted to me by a friend and some from one of our trusted growers.
Phurba is bringing all of the plants into our new half-acre vegetable garden. Everyone here at the farm gets so excited for the planting of our tomatoes.
Ryan decides how many tomato plants will be planted in each bed. He takes into consideration how big each plant gets and how much room each plant needs to grow properly. Here he is measuring the width of the bed to determine how many rows can fit.
Then Ryan sets all the plants in the rows where they will be planted, making sure all the plants are equally spaced along the bed.
To ensure all the plants are spaced equally, Ryan uses a two foot long piece of bamboo as a marker.
Meanwhile, Phurba starts planting. Here he is digging the hole for one of the plants. Each hole is at least eight to 10-inches deep.
Transplanted tomatoes that are kept free of weeds for the first four to eight weeks can usually outcompete emerging weeds later. Most tomato plant varieties need about 100-days to mature, but there are some that only need 50-60 days. One can also stagger plantings for early, mid, and late season tomato harvests.
Phurba teases the roots of each tomato plant before putting into the ground. This stimulates growth.
And then each plant is carefully placed into the hole and backfilled. All these beds were already well fertilized when we put in the soil. The best fertilizer for tomato plants contains a relatively low concentration of nitrogen. High nitrogen content promotes the growth of stem and leaves, but not the fruit and flowers. Instead, tomato plants use phosphorous and potassium to produce fruit. Apply the fertilizer before the tomato plant is placed in the hole. A fertilizer with a 5-10-5 ratio of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium is good for the young plants.
Because these beds were all tilled and filled with new soil, Phurba is able to plant pretty quickly.
Two-thirds of the plant should be underground, meaning all but the two top most leaf sets should be buried. Planting deeply helps the plant to develop more roots, and more roots mean more ability to take up water and nutrients.
Keep in mind, the stronger root system also helps the plant better survive the hot weather. This applies to tomatoes planted in the ground, in a raised bed or in a container.
Here, Phurba looks across the bed to make sure the tomato plants are all in line.
Meanwhile, Pete is working on a trellis for all our growing peas. Here he is cutting rebar to use as posts. I decided that would be the strongest material that would last year after year.
Rebar, short for “reinforcing bar” or “reinforcement bar”, is a metal bar often used with concrete settings. It is inexpensive and can be found at building supply shops.
Pete measures the rebar going into the long bed – it should be 73-inches exactly.
Here is a row of rebar secured to the side of the middle garden box.
And here it is with the fencing he put up – an easy way to support the vining pea plants.
This is galvanized wire fencing. It’s easy to find in six foot rolls. We placed it on both sides of the long center bed – it’s perfect for the growing peas.
And here’s Phurba almost done planting our tomatoes – most of the large garden beds are now filled.
As with all our plants, they’re all given a good drink of water once they’re in the ground.
This garden is looking so wonderful. I can’t wait until our first big harvest!
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