Are you getting all your outdoor home projects done this summer? Here at my farm, one of this year's big tasks includes maintenance work on all the stone walkways, steps, and walls that have shifted or moved over the years.
Over the last couple of weeks, the crew from Luppino Landscaping and Masonry in Mount Kisco, New York, has been evaluating all the stonework and making any necessary repairs. They have re-leveled pavers, realigned stone paths, and repointed any deteriorated masonry joints on my greenhouse, my stable, and along any building steps. Regular upkeep like this not only restores the physical integrity of the stone, but also helps to increase the longevity of the structure.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Bluestone pavers are a type of natural stone often used in outdoor design applications. They are made from basalt, an igneous rock, and are composed of quartz and sand.
Some of the work being done is on the bluestone pavers in this footpath. These pavers shifted over time because of inclement weather and growing tree roots underneath.
Oscar uses a tuck pointer, or joint filler, to scrape out old stone dust and debris from the joints. This loosens the paver, so it could be removed.
Here is the same area after all the old material was scraped out.
Oscar then brushes all the debris out of the way. There’s no set schedule for repointing pavers, but one should consider maintenance work if pavers are cracked, mortar or stone dust is crumbling, or if weeds begin growing between the slabs.
Once lifted, it is easy to see what is needed to make it level again. A lot of the stone dust underneath the paver clumped on one side making it difficult for the paver to sit flat on the ground. There are also weeds growing in the joint cracks.
The area is cleaned of debris and clumps of old stone dust.
Stone dust is actually the finest type of crushed stone. It is crushed nearly into a powder. It forms a strong, non-porous surface, so it not only protects the areas from moisture, but it also helps to keep most weeds and grass from growing in between the stone pavers.
Using a trowel, the area is leveled with a one-inch fresh layer of stone dust.
The paver is repositioned, dropped carefully in place, and checked for level. If it is not perfectly level, it is removed again and stone dust is added or removed as needed. It is a trial and error process that takes lots of patience. These three-inch thick bluestone pavers can be very heavy. Large pieces could easily exceed 100-pounds each.
Here, a crowbar is used to help lower the paver and save the stonemason’s fingers from getting pinched.
The crew checks the level on the paver again – this time it is just right.
Here, the same crowbar is used to make minor adjustments to ensure spacing between the pavers is even.
Any repositioned pavers are tamped down with a mallet on a piece of scrap wood, so the stone is not damaged. This packs the stone dust down and sets the paver comfortably and securely in place.
New stone dust is applied to the joints where it was removed.
And any excess is swept away into another joint until all the voids are filled.
All neighboring pavers are also checked. Here is where an adjacent paver was also removed. Alfonso adds a fresh layer of stone dust, so this slab is at the same height as the others. If pointing is done correctly, it should last about 10 years before needing major repairs.
Again, once the paver is returned, it is tamped down securely in place.
And spacing is checked all around, with slight adjustments being made where necessary.
Here is the stone path after it’s all done. The natural bluestone looks looks great.
A lot of work has been going on inside my main greenhouse - cleaning, organizing, and giving many of my potted plants some much needed attention.
Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, repotted a variety of specimens including the very interesting and popular Sansevieria. Sansevieria is a genus of about 70-species of flowering plants, native to Africa, Madagascar and southern Asia. You may know it as one of its common names such as mother-in-law's tongue, devil's tongue, jinn's tongue, bow string hemp, snake plant, and snake tongue.
Enjoy these photos.
While working in my main greenhouse I noticed these beautiful sansevieria plants needed repotting. Ryan removed them from their pots and prepared all the necessary supplies.
Certain cultivars of sansevieria have striped, elongated, smooth, greenish-gray leaves like these. Look closely – they are accented with lighter green bars going horizontally across each leaf.
Ryan begins by slicing about an inch off the bottom. This will help to stimulate new root growth after it is repotted.
This plant outgrew its pot, so Ryan uses a knife to divide the plant into sections. Sansevieria plants are rapid growers and may need repotting or dividing annually. A well-grown sansevieria can split a pot with its mass of underground shoots.
It is not difficult to divide sansevieria. Dividing is a good option for large plants. It also provides an opportunity to provide new soil for the main plant if its root bound.
These pots will fit the newly divided sansevieria sections nicely. Clay pots provide a healthy environment for plants because of their porosity, which allows air and moisture to reach the roots and encourage growth.
As always, a shard or stone is placed at the bottom of the clay pot to cover the drainage hole to prevent soil from falling out.
It’s important to use the proper soil mix. The right soil mix will help to promote faster root growth.
Next, Ryan adds a generous scoop of the slow-release fertilizer, Osmocote. The beige shell on the prills coats a core of nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Mirale-Gro Osmocote Plus feeds container plants for a good six months with beneficial micronutrients.
Ryan divides another large sansevieria. He basically creates divisions with at least a handful of strong leaves and their roots in each section.
Always be sure to use sharp instruments to keep cuts clean and to prevent root damage.
The leaves do not mind being crowded. This pot will do nicely for the sansevieria.
Ryan places the sansevieria firmly in the pot. Do you know… these plants absorb toxins, such as nitrogen oxides – they work great for improving indoor air quality? In fact, it is one of the best air purifying plants to keep.
Ryan trims the plant of any old, dead or shriveled leaves, so there is ample room for all the new growth.
Ryan backfills and tamps the soil down around the plant to prevent any air holes. Although they are very forgiving, sansevieria plants prefer indirect but steady light with some direct sun. They can adapt to full sun conditions, and will also survive quite dim situations.
This plant prefers warm conditions and should not be exposed to temperatures below 50-degrees Fahrenheit. It does not take long to pot up several sansevierias.
I wanted them in the glass hallway connecting the greenhouse and head house, so they can be closely monitored. Ryan positions them with their best sides facing inward.
Plants can be watered about once every two to six weeks, depending on the temperature, light levels, and humidity.
I think these sansevieria plants will do so nicely here where they can be monitored, seen, and enjoyed.
Here at my farm, we're picking lots of wonderful and nutritious vegetables from the garden.
Yesterday, my housekeepers Enma Sandoval and Elvira Rojas harvested a bounty of beautiful vegetables - beans, artichokes, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, radishes, and more. Despite some very uncomfortable summer weather the last couple of weeks, the vegetables are thriving.
Enjoy these photos.
I am so pleased and so proud of my new vegetable garden. It’s been so productive and all the vegetables look fantastic. It’s important to check it every day – there’s always something ready to pick. On the left are the growing vines of my pumpkins.
I grow many peppers to share with family and friends. If you grow a variety of peppers, be careful when picking them – always keep the hot ones separated from the sweet ones, so there is no surprise in the kitchen.
These are birds beak peppers – they need a little more time. Birds beak peppers, also known as Pimenta Biquinho, are small, round peppers with a tapered tip that resembles a bird’s beak. They originated in Brazil and are known for their tangy, fruity flavor and mild heat level. Birds beak peppers can be eaten raw or used as a garnish – I like to pickle them.
I have a large bed of eggplants and there are so many ready to pick. Eggplants are ready to harvest when they are firm, glossy, and shiny.
It is good to pick eggplants when they are young and tender. Try to pick a little early, which will encourage the plant to grow more, and will help to extend the growing season.
Sweet bell peppers are popular in the garden – all grassy in flavor and crunchy in texture. I love making stuffed peppers – so easy and so delicious.
Look at the many tomatoes developing on the vines. So many are bright red and ready to pick. Most tomato plant varieties need between 50 and 90 days to mature. Planting can also be staggered to produce early, mid and late season tomato harvests.
As the tomatoes are harvested, I like to place them on baking sheets to keep them from getting bruised.
Many of the bigger tomatoes are ready too! I grow about 120 tomato plants every year – different varieties for different cooking and eating qualities, as well as early and midseason varieties to ensure a good supply from midsummer to fall.
These will ripen in the coming weeks. Tomatoes are heat loving plants, so all the hot weather we’ve had has really helped our crops – the tomato vines are laden with fruit.
Bigger tomatoes should be placed stem side down, which help them last longer, prevent moisture loss, and make them juicier.
This entire tray of artichokes was harvested in just a few minutes. Artichoke harvest starts in late July or early August and continues well until frost. The globe artichoke, Cynara scolymus, is actually a flower bud, which is eaten when tender.
There are also a lot of beans. Beans grow best in full sun and moist soil. Bush beans are second only to tomatoes as the most popular vegetables in home gardens. Bush beans are eaten when the seeds are small. They are also called string beans because of a fibrous string running the length of the pod.
They also come in yellow. Bush beans grow on shrubby plants and are very prolific producers. They can continually produce throughout the season with the proper care. In general, bush beans should be ready in 50 to 55 days.
Everything is collected in buckets, trays, and large plastic bags. Look at the bounty – and there’s still more to harvest.
The beetroot is the taproot of the beet plant, and is often called the table beet, garden beet, red or golden beet or simply… beet. Beets are highly nutritious and very good for maintaining strong cardiovascular health. It’s low in calories, contains zero cholesterol, and is rich in folates, vitamin-A, B-complex, and antioxidants.
Many radishes are also ready. The radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, and mostly eaten raw as a crunchy salad vegetable. Have you ever tried radish and butter with pinch of flaky salt? It is a popular French low-carb snack, and it’s delicious.
Radishes come in many varieties – both long and round. The flavor can range from very mild to very spicy, depending on the kind.
Radishes are easy to pick – one can just pull the entire plant straight up from the soil.
Celery takes a while to mature – 130 to 140 days.
This is celeriac, also known as celery root. Celery and celeriac are basically the same plant, Apium graveolens, with celeriac being a variety cultivated for its root rather than for its stalks. While they have similar flavors, celeriac and celery have different textures and shapes.
There is so much growing in the garden – we will be harvesting wonderful vegetables every week for the rest of the season.
All the freshly picked vegetables are loaded up and brought to my flower room, where they can be washed if needed, then bagged and stored in the refrigerator. I am looking forward to eating all the fruits of my labor.
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