We're expecting cloudy skies and snow showers here in Bedford, New York this morning. Tomorrow, temperatures are expected to rise into the high 40s. It's been quite an erratic winter, and although we still have several more weeks of this cold season, the first blooms of spring are starting to emerge here at the farm.
Over the last few weeks, we've seen daffodils, crocuses, hellebores, and winter aconite pushing their way through the soil. The witch hazel is also blooming. It won’t be long before bursts of spring color cover every border, orchard, and allée.
Here are some photos showing the early spring activity, enjoy.
In the Northeast region, it is still very much a winter scene. Deciduous trees are still bare, and here at the farm, all my boxwood is still wrapped in protective burlap. Yesterday, the skies were bright blue, but the chill is in the air and snow is on its way.
But there are signs of the warmer spring season ahead. Small patches of color are emerging from the soil. Crocus is among the first flowers to appear in spring, usually in shades of purple, yellow and white. This cluster is just outside my gym building.
These are darker purple croci. Crocus is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae comprising about 100 species of perennials growing from corms.
Here is a hellebore flower just beginning to open. Hellebores come in a variety of colors and have rose-like blossoms. It is common to plant them on slopes or in raised beds in order to see their flowers, which tend to nod. Hellebores are members of the Eurasian genus Helleborus – about 20 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae.
Helleborus orientalis, or Lenten roses, get their ecclesiastical nickname from their growing season. It begins in winter and extends into spring.
These are the leaves of another hellebore – a stinking hellebore, Helleborus foetidus. It is an evergreen with its dark leaves, sprouting from a thick stem. Although ‘foetidus’ means fetid, or smelly, the plant does not smell too bad; however, the leaves, when crushed or bruised, give off a smell that many describe as unpleasant.
Snowdrops are another sure sign of spring. Snowdrops produce one very small, pendulous bell-shaped white flower which hangs off its stalk like a “drop” before opening.
There are bunches of snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis, in various beds around the farm. These flowers are perennial, herbaceous plants, which grow from bulbs. I love galanthus and plant many bulbs every autumn. I will share lots of our snowdrops in an upcoming blog.
The witch hazel is also blooming nicely. It grows as small trees or shrubs with clusters of rich yellow to orange-red flowers. Witch hazel flowers consist of four, strap-like petals that are able to curl inward to protect the inner structures from freezing during the winter.
Witch hazel is great for splashes of winter color. They’re very hardy and are not prone to a lot of diseases.
Witch hazel is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae. Most species bloom from January to March and display beautiful spidery flowers that let off a slightly spicy fragrance.
Most are familiar with witch hazel as a medicinal plant. Its leaves, bark and twigs are used to make lotions and astringents for treating certain skin inflammations and other irritations.
Eranthis, or winter aconite, is a genus of eight species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae – the Buttercup family.
Winter aconite produces such cheerful yellow flowers that appear in late winter or earliest spring. And, they are deer resistant.
Looking closely, some of the trees are showing off their buds. These buds are on the cascading branches of the weeping cherry trees – I have two just behind my stable. When flowering, they are covered with white flowers – big eye-catchers when guests are lucky enough to see them in bloom.
These are the bold green leaves of Rohdea japonica, also known as Japanese Sacred lily, or Nippon lily – a tropical-looking evergreen herbaceous perennial that has an upright, clumping, and vase-like form. Its leaves are thick, rubbery, and measure from about a foot long and two to three inches wide.
The Nippon lily produces bright red berries that persist into the winter. I have several of these outside my Tenant House.
And of course, the daffodils never fail. Here, one can see how the daffodils pushed through the soil.
I have daffodils in many areas of the farm, but the original daffodil border was begun in 2003. It now stretches all the way down from my Summer House, past the stable, and ending at the Japanese maple grove.
The daffodils near my allée of linden trees are developing so nicely. There are several varieties planted here – all in large groupings, providing a stunning swath of color when in bloom. I can’t wait to see all the spring blooms covering the farm. It won’t be long…
It’s always so satisfying to check off home-keeping tasks from the "to-do" list - one of ours was to oil the soapstone kitchen counters.
Soapstone is a naturally quarried material that is metamorphic, like marble, and comes from magnesium rich mineral talc. Its colors vary from light gray and darker black, with some having green and blue undertones. I love soapstone and have long used it as a surface material in my kitchens. I chose soapstone for all the countertops and sinks in my studio kitchen located in a guest house here at my Bedford, New York farm. It is easy to care for and only needs a light treatment of mineral oil every few months to keep it looking its best.
Here are some photos and tips, enjoy.
This is my studio kitchen. A couple of years ago, I painted all the cabinetry black and replaced all the appliances. I love how the black gives the kitchen a more modern feel. It also looks great with the soapstone counters.
The kitchen has long soapstone counters along two walls of the kitchen and a large soapstone island. These crocks house wooden spoons and other cooking utensils for easy access and sit in one corner.
I also have two large soapstone sinks. To coordinate with all the black, I used brass finishes including two Waterworks “Regulator” style faucets. Both have single spouts with black spray nozzles. I also display many pieces from my copper collection in this kitchen.
The countertops are in great condition in part because of the maintenance we do. Periodic application of mineral oil will help it develop a dark patina and enhance the natural aging process of the soapstone.
Here is one of the soapstone sinks that could also use a coating of mineral oil.
First, Carlos cleans everything with regular dish soap and a soft sponge. I like using an unscented non-abrasive dish soap, but if needed, one can use a harder scouring soap to remove any stuck on food – it won’t hurt the stone.
Carlos goes over every area of the counters and the sinks. It’s important to clean the tight corners and edges.
Next, he uses clean cotton towels to dry the surface thoroughly.
This part of the job may take a few towels, so be sure to have several on hand.
Next, Carlos oils the counters and sink with mineral oil. Mineral oil can be found in any hardware store, grocery store, or pharmacy; it’s nontoxic, and not harmful if ingested. Basically, mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, such as petroleum. It is often used as a lubricant and a laxative.
One can just pour the mineral oil on a section of counter and rub it in evenly with a low-lint rag.
Once mineral oil is applied, the stone turns a very dark charcoal gray, sometimes black. Some stone varieties contain a hint of green and when oil is applied turn a rich deep green color.
Carlos is very careful to coat every area and every crevice of the soapstone.
This is the inside of the sink after it is oiled – looks as good as new.
After everything is covered, Carlos goes over every surface again with a clean towel to remove any excess oil. Because soapstone is made primarily from talc, it has an extremely high resistance to chemicals and acids. It does not absorb water and soapstone retains heat and will not scorch when in contact with any cookware.
Carlos uses wide even strokes, so any oil remaining covers the surface or is evenly removed.
Soapstone, being softer than granite and marble, is prone to scratches, but scratches can be easily removed with a light sanding and coating of mineral oil.
Carlos wipes any excess oil from the sinks.
And every time the countertops are oiled, the stone will hold the oil longer than the last time.
On new soapstone, oiling it once a month for the first year will give it a beautiful dark appearance, but for maintenance, we do this treatment every few months. This counter looks great and with the proper care, is sure to last many more years to come. If you have soapstone counters, maybe it’s time give them a little oil this weekend.
Winter chores continue at my Bedford, New York farm. In fact, we're getting so many outdoor tasks done because of the mild winter weather.
My outdoor grounds crew has been working tirelessly clearing the woods of dying or broken trees, knocking down weeds, brambles, and thorny barberry bushes, and picking up the many fallen branches. Yesterday, a large grapple truck from Central Tree Service, Inc. in Rye, New York came by to move all the heavy logs and stumps to my compost yard. Some of the wood will be repurposed as milled lumber, while the rest will be set aside for the tub grinder and made into mulch - everything is always put to good use.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
During this time of year, my very skilled outdoor grounds crew takes down the dead or diseased trees around the farm. It always saddens me to see the trees go, but I always re-use or re-purpose the wood and then plant new, younger trees in their place. Once the trees are taken down, they are placed in various piles around the farm.
We try to keep all the piles as neat as possible so as not to block any carriage roads or damage the ground beneath them.
The trees are carefully marked before they are taken down. Here is one showing a large “x” – it is important to only remove those trees that are already dead or are dying.
Many of the trees are ash trees – infested and killed by the emerald ash borer.
The borer larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves water and sugars up and down its trunk. This is a closer look at the damage done by the emerald ash borer under the bark. The ash borer, also known by the acronym EAB, is responsible for the destruction of tens of millions of ash trees in 30 US states since it was first identified in this country in 2002.
I enlisted the help of Central Tree Service, Inc. This company in nearby Rye, provides full arbor care for all trees and shrubs including the removal of any logs and stumps.
Juan drove a big grapple truck used for carting away large debris. Here he is at the first pile of logs along the carriage road between my hayfields.
Juan is very skilled at using this hydraulic grapple attachment. He carefully lifts each piece of wood from the pile and places it into the truck bed.
Juan maneuvers the grapple from a seat above the truck. The grapple has four fingers and can be rotated as needed.
When the truck is full, it can weigh up to 20-tons. This is a heavy load. Juan said even the tires looked a bit compressed from the weight.
Meanwhile, my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, uses our trusted Hi-Lo to transport logs from various areas around the farm to the carriage road, where they can be retrieved by the grapple truck.
Here, Chhiring moves some of the logs from the hayfield near my pond.
Once the grapple truck is completely full, Juan drives it ever so carefully to the compost yard. I feel very strongly about composting. In fact, this entire corner of my farm is devoted to this important process. During the year, the crew amasses quite a large pile of organic debris – bark, stumps, logs, and brush. The grapple truck is positioned by the pile designated for logs and stumps for the grinder.
Stabilizers secure the truck during all the work being done.
Juan slowly lifts the logs out of the truck and piles them up.
In another area, Juan places two logs perpendicular to this pile earmarked for milling. The ground logs will keep the stacked wood from rotting before they are milled into usable lumber.
For this particular pile, Juan looks out for logs that are in good condition and very straight and separates them from all the rest.
This day’s loads brought in a lot of good logs for our sawmill. These are very heavy, but Juan makes the job look so easy.
These will be made into beautiful floor boards and planks for future projects.
Here is the pile for the tub grinder. And it will grow even bigger before the tub grinder arrives. I like to call in the massive machine once a year or once every two years, to reduce the size of our debris pile into much finer, usable wood chips and mulch. We’ll see how big this pile is by summer.
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