In early summer, my gardeners and I plant lots and lots of pumpkin seeds - many from our favorite seed companies, and some from interesting and tasty fruits I’ve enjoyed over the years. Pumpkins grow on vines, which means they take up a lot of space. I always plant my pumpkin patch in a roomy area that can accommodate a large crop of big, colorful specimens. This year, I decided to grow my pumpkins and winter squash in my vegetable garden. Most varieties take between 90 and to 120 days to grow. We still have a few weeks to wait, but everything is growing so nicely.
Enjoy these photos.
I decided to plant this year’s pumpkins in a new and interesting place – in front of my hornbeam hedge all around the inside of my vegetable garden. This photo was taken in July before the plants had really started to vine. I instructed my outdoor grounds crew to put down a strip of weed cloth to keep the vines and fruit from touching the grass and soil.
From one gate to the other on one side, I planted pumpkins. On the other side I planted winter squash. Pumpkins and winter squash are both edible fruits from the Cucurbita species. Pumpkins are a type of winter squash that are generally round with thick skin and sweet meat.
Once planted, everything started to develop so quickly. Pumpkins and winter squashes prefer fertile, well-drained soil and a sunny location – this vegetable garden is a great place where the plants can be well tended.
Pumpkin and winter squash leaves can look very similar – large, lobed leaves that grow on hollow stems. They are roundish in shape, and often have serrated edges, and are typically dark green in color, but may be light or grey-green, depending on the variety.
Leaves can also be marked.
Here is the patch now. It has grown quite a bit – one can hardly see the black weed cloth because of all the growing vines. It is still too early to harvest, but everything looks great.
It will be time to harvest when the vines and leaves wither and die back – these need at least eight or nine more weeks.
The large leaves cover most of the cucurbits as they form, so it is hard to see the beauties underneath.
But under the leaves, there is lots of evidence of growth.
Pumpkins and winter squash are good sources of nutrition. They are low in calories, fat and sodium and high in fiber. Plus, they are loaded with vitamins A and B and potassium.
These pumpkin vines are already finding their way through the fence. Every plant seems to be healthy and robust.
Right now, there are lots of growing winter squash in different shapes, colors and sizes.
Winter squashes have thick, tough shells that protect the sweet, rich tasting flesh inside. Always pick winter squash that’s heavy for its size. The stem should also be intact, firm and dry. These will be so delicious when they’re ready.
I get seeds from various seed companies, but I also save seeds from specimens I’ve enjoyed over the years.
Here is another young and small winter squash in bright yellow.
Squash has been grown in North America for 5000 years. They are indigenous to the western hemisphere, but today are grown all over the world – except Antarctica.
Tough skinned winter squash can last several months in storage as long as the fruits are protected from cuts, scrapes and dents, and are kept in a cool, dry room with good air circulation.
Pumpkin vines can grow as much as six feet per day and can get as long as 30 feet. On each vine are green tendrils that help to anchor the vine and protect it from the wind. Squash stems are also thick, but much lighter and softer.
Pumpkin flowers are large orange or yellow-colored blooms that grow on the long vines and produce pumpkins. Both pumpkin and squash blossoms can be eaten and have a mild, sweet flavor.
The name pumpkin comes from the Greek word ‘pepon’ which means large melon.
I am very pleased with how well the plants are doing in these garden beds. I am looking forward to a great big harvest come autumn.
My large half-acre vegetable garden just keeps on giving…
This photo was taken in June 2013, four years after I first planted all these trees in a back field adjacent to my compost yard.
By 2015, the trees had grown several feet tall.
Here they are in February 2019.
And this is how they look now – it’s amazing how much they’ve grown. Every tree is so lush and green.
But walking through the rows on the inside of the trees, it was clear many of the inner and lower branches were not getting enough light. Many of the branches grew bare.
And many of the branches died.
So Pasang went to work, cutting all the Ds – dead, diseased, damaged, and deranged or those branches that crisscross or rub against each other causing abrasion.
Pasang uses his hand tree saw carefully cutting from the bottom branches up.
Pasang cuts just outside the branch collar, which is the slightly swollen area where the branch and trunk meet.
It is important to always use sharp tools whenever pruning so that the cuts are clean. Dull tools are difficult to use and could even damage the tree. A straight, clean-cut promotes quick healing of the wound and reduces stress on the specimen.
For small branches, Pasang is able to use his pruners.
As branches are taken down, they’re gathered and placed into tidy piles, so they can be cleaned up easily and quickly. After the job is done the crew will chip the branches and use the wood chips as top dressing in another area of the farm. Everything is always reused, repurposed or recycled when possible.
There are a lot of branches cut from these evergreens, but already there is more light and air circulating through the rows, and one can see more clearly underneath the trees.
Pasang is doing what is called “limbing-up” the trees and removing any low inner branches that block sunlight or disturb an open and airy appearance.
Adan helps to move the branches that are cut down. My crew always works in teams, so there is always help for every project.
Remember, this is what it looked like before – dark and overcrowded.
… And this is how they look after. Pasang cleared the entire space.
One can now walk in between every row.
This view is the center row looking all the way down. One can see end to end. It’s just gorgeous. Thanks Pasang.
Another big summertime task is checked off the list.
Along one side of my home overlooking the farm, I have a large stone terrace constructed with formal hedged gardens. For the upper parterres, I selected contrasting evergreen shrubs – boxwood, and golden barberry. To provide interest, these shrubs are sheared to different heights, creating a step effect. In the lower parterres, carefully designed and manicured boxwood hedges surround two hand-casted antique fountains. On one side, a low hedge shaped with an inverted V pattern, or chevron. Maintaining all these plantings requires extra maintenance and grooming from time to time, but I think it’s well worth the effort.
Enjoy these photos.
I am so pleased with how well these formal gardens have developed over the years. I’ve worked hard to maintain the detailed shapes of the hedges and shrubs. This is the lower terrace that is located just outside my Winter House. It’s a lovely place to sit and conduct meetings or enjoy a lovely summer lunch.
It’s important to groom the specimens every few months when they all appear overgrown.
This is the golden barberry before it is trimmed. Golden barberry takes on its brightest coloring when it gets at least six hours of direct sun a day.
Golden barberry, Berberis thunbergii, is a deciduous shrub that is compact, adaptable, very hardy and shows off striking small, golden yellow oblong leaves.
Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood. The boxes are native to western and southern Europe, southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The leaves are arranged opposite from each other, making pairs.
Both barberry and boxwood are known for being robust. Phurba is excellent at trimming these shrubs and takes on the task whenever it’s needed.
Phurba works on the lower parterre, shaping the boxwood by hand.
These are Okatsune 30-inch long Hedge Shears. Okatsune shears are light and precise, and come in a range of sizes.
This pair has shorter handles and longer blades.
Phurba uses STIHL hand-held HSA 26 garden shears to trim the sides and top of this low hedge. I love this tool and use it often around the farm. The hedge shear attachment with double-sided cutting blades cuts in both directions.
There are always lots of clippings to clear away, but that’s because these hedges are doing so well. Good, regular pruning stimulates new growth, controls unwanted growth, and removes dead or damaged branches.
Pruning is also important to keep these defined shapes. Boxwood is a popular choice for formal gardens because of its versatility, ability to be pruned, and year-round bold green foliage.
Here, Phurba works on the upper terrace quadrants, again hand trimming the big boxwood shrubs.
To reach the tops of the boxwood shrubs, Phurba uses an orchard tripod ladder. One can see where he has trimmed, and where he still has work to do.
Phurba makes sure to cover every side of the shrubs and hedges, sometimes carefully having to walk in tight spaces.
Every so often, Phurba stops to sharpen his tools. Here he is using his STIHL pruner, axe, and tool sharpener. It is crucial to always work with sharp tools in the garden. They make cleaner cuts that allow plants to heal faster and resist disease, insects, and poor weather. Dull blades can crush and tear plant tissue, which makes healing more difficult and increases the risk of infection.
This entire chore is time-consuming and takes a few days to complete.
Every so often, Phurba stops to assess his work from a distance. He considers the overall shape of each hedge and shrub as well as how all four quadrants look together.
Finally, Phurba covers all the beds with a two inch layer of compost made right here at the farm.
These gardens look so excellent after a good grooming.
It takes time to develop formal gardens. When planning, one must consider type of plants, their size at the time of planting and at maturity, the level of care, the environment, and local weather conditions. It can take up to 10-years for a formal garden to be fully established.
All the hedges are all level around the boxwood. These plants have filled out the areas so nicely.
And here is a look at all four quadrants with my antique sugar pot in the center. Sugar kettles were used on 19th century Louisiana plantations for the production of sugar. In the winter, I use it as a fire pit when entertaining. The terrace looks great. Thanks Phurba.
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