I have several allées of trees here at my Bedford, New York farm - those beautiful and dramatic roads with a line of selected trees or large shrubs running along each side. It takes a lot of thoughtful planning to design them and a lot of effort to maintain them through the years.
Not long ago, as part of a delivery of plants from the wholesale nursery, Monrovia, I received a number of Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple' - a deciduous shrub that's also commonly known as smoke bush, smoke tree, and purple smoke tree. I love Cotinus and have many planted around my home. I have about 100 planted in an allée along the carriage road through my hayfields. This allée is also planted with a collection of London plane trees. Some of the Cotinus here had died and needed replacing. The smoke bushes from Monrovia were just perfect for this area.
Enjoy these photos.
Smoke bushes, Cotinus, are among my favorite of small trees – they have superlative color, appealing form, and look excellent in the gardens.
This allée was first planted in October of 2019. I chose to plant two rows of London plane trees – 46-trees in all. And then next to them, the smoke bushes. When selecting a location, always consider the tree’s growth pattern, space needs, and appearance.
Here is what the allée looked like the following summer. The smoke bushes grew quite a bit. Cotinus is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, closely related to the sumacs. They are a great choice for massing or for hedges. These specimens were all purchased as small whips – slender, unbranched shoots or plants. I like to nurture them for a year or two in pots before placing them in the ground – this way they are planted as bigger, stronger specimens.
And as the saying goes in gardening, “first sleep, then creep, then leap.” This is what the trees looked like in July of 2021.
Over the next year, both the London planetrees and the Cotinus filled out. This photo was taken in June of 2022.
And this is the allée now. So lush and the bold colors of the specimens look amazing together. The Cotinus can grow to a moderate size – up to 15-feet tall and 10-feet wide. I also love its upright, multi-stemmed habit.
These smoke bushes have stunning dark red-purple foliage that turns scarlet in autumn and has plume-like seed clusters, which appear after the flowers and give a long-lasting, smoky haze to the branch tips.
The leaves of smoke bushes are waxy purple and are one and a half to three inches long, and ovate in shape.
This is one of the London plane trees. This one is about 16-feet tall. The London plane tree, Platanus × acerifolia, is a deciduous tree. It is a cross between two sycamore species: Platanus occidentalis, the American sycamore, and Platanus orientalis, the Oriental plane. London planes grow best in full sun, but they also thrive in partial shade.
The bark is medium gray and smooth. When mature, the bark shows a distinctive camouflage pattern as patches of green or brown outer bark flake off to expose a more creamy inner bark.
The leaf of a London plane is similar to that of a maple leaf – simple with alternate arrangements that have three to five lobes. These leathery leaves are about six to seven inches wide with roughly toothed edges.
Unfortunately, a few of the Cotinus died and needed replacing. This one may have suffered from some of the ponding we’ve had from the heavy rains.
Once the replacement smoke bushes arrived, Brian took on the task to plant them. As with any tree, the hole must be at least twice the size of the plant’s root ball.
Brian then adds a good sprinkling of slow-release all-purpose fertilizer. This formula includes a good balance of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
Before planting, Brian scarifies the roots of every specimen. Scarifying stimulates root growth. Essentially, he teases small portions of the root ball to loosen the roots a bit and create some beneficial injuries. This helps the plant become established more quickly in its new environment. This is a healthy root ball which is root bound at all, so it does not need too much scarifying.
Brian places the smoke bush into the hole with its best side facing the carriage road.
Some specimens still have their stunning “smoke” like plumes.
Next, Brian places it into the hole and backfills, tamping down gently to ensure good contact between the plant and the surrounding soil.
This smoke bush will catch up to the others during the next year. Under optimal conditions, smoke bushes can add about 13 to 24 inches to its height annually.
I love this allée – the bold contrasting colors and the stunning growth habits of the London plane trees and smoke bushes. I’ll be sure to share more photos as these trees continue to grow and flourish.
If you're ever in Bantam, Connecticut, try to stop in and visit my favorite potters, Guy and Ben Wolff.
I first met Guy years ago during one of my many trips through Litchfield County, searching for antiques, plants, and content ideas for my magazine, Living. I was so impressed by his pots, I became a regular customer. Recently, I was in the area again for a television shoot and had just enough time afterward to stop for a brief visit. I love both Guy's and Ben's pots and according to Guy, I have the largest single collection of his beautiful clay vessels. My plants look so pretty displayed in the historical shapes that Guy and his son create - each and every one of them is so very beautifully handcrafted.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Guy’s shop is located in the small borough of picturesque Litchfield County – originally in Woodville and now in Bantam. The front is a restored 1740 post and beam structure, which houses his showroom. An addition on the back is his work space.
Guy and his son, Ben, are both master potters. Here they are at the entrance of the shop. I was so happy to have some time to stop in and visit with them after a long day of shooting.
Outside, Guy displays some of his red terra cotta pots. These pots were made by Guy or his wife, Erica.
Here is the inside of the terra cotta containers. All of the pots are made with proper drainage holes at the bottom.
The term terra cotta comes from the Italian term for “baked-earth,” ceramic pottery. It is made out of a coarse, porous type of clay that is high in iron oxides. These are Guy’s Peabody pots.
The showroom and studio is a charming space, filled with redware and stoneware in the front, and his signature white pots in the back. Redware is an unglazed or dry-bodied stoneware. These redware pieces are etched with animals and trees.
More terra cotta pots are displayed here. Fine quality terra cotta clay is fired at 2000 degrees Fahrenheit in the kiln.
These shelves display his collection of stoneware. These pieces are waiting to go to their final homes.
And on the other side – dozens of beautiful white clay vessels. The antique wide boards and beams are a lovely backdrop for the pottery.
Some are made with plain rims and others with more decorative edges.
On the side of his pots, Guy also stamps his name and the wet weight of the clay used. This standardized system for horticultural pots was adopted by Victorian potters.
Any pot with this pottery stamp was made by Guy’s wife or someone visiting under Guy’s personal teaching, and was fired and sold by Guy from the Connecticut shop. this is also stamped with the pot’s wet clay weight and the year it was made.
Through a small doorway is the additional room where all the pots are created. Look closely – the corner wall behind the potter’s wheel is filled with small tools called coggles, roulettes, or rolling stamps, which are used to decorate the pottery.
On the opposite side of the room are the kilns, manufactured by Skutt, that fire up the pots.
The inside of each kiln is lined with electric coils that provide the high temperatures necessary for firing pottery.
Once a pot is made, it is left to dry. These pots are some of the newest creations.
Ben also makes a large selection of pots using different clays, glazes and finishes. Here are some of his gray pots also marked with the wet weight of the clay.
Of course, I noticed the gray pieces right away. Here I am with Ben holding some of his beautiful pottery.
On this shelf are stacks of pot saucers also made by Ben.
And here is one of Ben’s orchid pots. A good orchid pot will have holes on the sides to promote water drainage and encourage proper air movement around the plant’s root system.
All of Guy’s and Ben’s pots are hand thrown, so no two are exactly alike.
I encourage you to purchase some of Guy’s and Ben’s pots. Follow them on Instagram and visit their web sites. My plants grow better in their pots – I know yours will too. Happy gardening!
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I always encourage my crew to "use the right tools for the right jobs." Among our favorites are the tractors and mowers from Kubota, a leading manufacturer of farming machinery, hay tools and spreaders, and other turf products.
If you follow my blog regularly, I am sure you've seen our Kubota equipment used all over the property - to mow the pastures and fields, pull the hay wagons and aerators, transport compost and mulch, and many, many other chores. I’ve been using Kubota products for years and love how easy they are to maneuver. These machines are dependable, efficient, and great additions to my working farm. #KubotaUSA #KubotaCanada #KubotaTractor #Loan #LandPrideDoesThat
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I always enjoy doing work around the farm – it provides good exercise and allows me to spend quality time outdoors in the fresh air. Here I am on our new Kubota M4-071 tractor – a vehicle that is used every day here at the farm to do a multitude of tasks.
I am very fortunate to have two tractors – the M4-071 and the M62. Both of them have front loaders, and one of them is equipped with a backhoe.
The bucket attachment is used for so many things – from transporting mulch and compost to carrying heavy potted plants to delivering heavy stone.
Many of our pieces are delivered from Kubota through Marshall Machinery, Inc. an equipment distributor here in the New York.
This is our Kubota M62 Tractor Loader Backhoe. This is essential for planting all our large trees. We’ve been using it quite a bit, especially in the maze. It has a 63 horsepower engine, a front loader with a lift capacity of 3,960 pounds, and a powerful Kubota backhoe with 169.8 inch digging depth.
Here’s Chhiring extending the tractor’s stabilizing feet in our maze to keep it well balanced and safe.
Chhiring controls the backhoe from the safety of the tractor’s cab. He can turn and sit facing either direction to maneuver the backhoe or the loader.
And here’s the backhoe lifting some of the soil from the trench where our new privets were planted.
After the field is aerated, Chhiring switches the attachment for our 3-point spreader to drop the grass seed in one of my paddocks.
On another day, Chhiring uses the M4-071 tractor to mow and condition the hayfields, so the hay can be cut for my horses.
Then the same tractor is used to bale the hay a few days later. Here it is pulling the baler and the hay wagon.
The tractor pulls it around and around the field. This year, we filled the wagon multiple times and had more than 2600 bales from our first cut – the most we’ve ever had!
Pete attaches our Land Pride PR1690 Power Rake to the back of our tractor earlier this week. This piece of equipment has a 90-inch rake. We use it to rake and grade the carriage roads, but it is also capable of windrowing soil, rocks, and debris in a field.
Kubota also makes excellent mowers. Here’s our Zero-Turn ZD1211 mower. Its ergonomic design and high-back seat make it so comfortable to drive – and look at all the front legroom.
With all my horse pastures and fields, this mower really covers a lot of ground quickly and efficiently. The powerful engine delivers 25-horsepower. It’s also equipped with a rugged transmission for the wheels and mower deck.
This is my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, on our Kubota SZ22 Stand On Mower. He’s heading into my new vegetable garden to mow in between the raised beds.
This machine has a smaller frame and can maneuver around the wooden garden beds with ease. We actually designed this garden with the mower in mind, so we were sure to space the beds properly for mowing.
But the stand on mower can also do open areas. Here’s Chhiring again – this time on his way to mow my “soccer field” party lawn, where my grandson, Truman, can often be found playing whenever he visits.
And here is the lawn after a fresh mowing. When mowing, remember it’s always best to do when the grass is dry. And during summer, cut it a bit higher. Having the “right tools for the right jobs” is definitely important and definitely a very “good thing.”
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