The onion, Allium cepa, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. Onions are hardy, easy to grow, and can be grown in a variety of soils and climates. We plant a lot of onions every year. I use them in my cooking, and in sandwiches and salads. I also share many of them with my daughter, Alexis, and my grandchildren, Jude and Truman.
Enjoy these photos.
Every year we harvest lots of wonderful, fresh onions – it’s one of most favorite crops to pick here at the farm.
My onions are started from seed in the greenhouse and then planted outdoors in the garden bed in spring.
This year, we planted two large beds for red onions, white onions, and yellow onions.
Here they are in late June – the plants are now well rooted and established in the bed. The onion, Allium cepa, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. They are planted when temperatures are still a bit cool. Early planting gives the onions time to develop tops and store energy for the bulbs.
In July, the plants are much more developed and the leaves are quite tall, bright green, and sturdy.
In early August, the onions are starting to show through the soil, but they are still small and the top leaves are still very green.
Some of the onion leaves have fallen over, but they are still very green in color. Onions require 90 to 100 days to mature from seed, which is around four months. From sets, onions are ready to harvest after around 80 days, or just under three months.
And this week, the tops of the onion plants have turned brown naturally – an indication they are fully mature and ready to harvest.
The onion leaves are also quite dry. This happens at the “neck” of the onion, where the leaves meet the bulb, and signals that the plant has stopped growing.
To pick, Enma carefully loosens the surrounding soil and then gently pulls the onion up by its top. It’s important to keep the stem intact to prevent the possibility of rot.
Onions can be harvested at any size. Most of these are medium to large.
All the onions are in excellent condition. Fortunately, very few animals eat garden onions.
These onions are left to mature a little more, but they should be ready to pick in another week or so after the leaves fall over.
Enma and Elvira picked lots of red onions, which are most often used for their color and mild flavor in salads, salsas, and other raw preparations.
Here is a tray of yellow and white onions. Yellow onions are full-flavored and are a reliable standby for cooking almost anything. White onions are often used in prepared salads, white sauces, and classic Mexican cuisine. They’re also loved in soups, stews, braises, and rice pilaf.
Enma and Elvira transport the trays one by one – they’re quite heavy with onions.
Once all the onions are picked, they are taken to my carport where they can cure. Curing is a process of preparing the onions for long-term storage. During the curing stage, the outer layers of the onions dry out, tightening around the bulb and creating a protective layer that keeps the onion firm and fresh for a longer time.
Enma and Elvira place the onions in one layer on top of newspaper.
The onions need plenty of space for air to circulate, and can even be turned occasionally to make sure they dry evenly.
We’re expecting warm temperatures the rest of the week – 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They’ll dry nicely here out of the sun.
When cured and stored properly, a good storage onion will retain its eating quality for 10 to 12 months. I can’t wait to try them. How did your onions do this year?
This time of year can be very hectic - my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are busy keeping up with all the growth in the garden beds.
Summer is coming to a close in less than two weeks, but there is still lots of work to be done - weeding, pruning, and grooming the many perennial plants and shrubs. Recently, Phurba Sherpa tackled the boxwood border on both sides of my clematis pergola.
Enjoy these photos.
These boxwood shrubs along both sides of my winding pergola were grown from small saplings nurtured right here at the farm. There are more than 300 boxwood shrubs planted here.
Phurba Sherpa is my resident boxwood pruning expert. He has been with me for many years – in fact, he helped plant these boxwood shrubs seven years ago.
Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. They 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 on boxwood branches are arranged opposite from each other, making pairs.
In September 2017, this pergola went through a big transformation. I decided this area would be great if planted with a row of boxwood on both sides. This photo shows the area all ready for planting.
The boxwood we used had been growing in this patch for about three years. Finally they were ready to transplant to their more permanent spots under the pergola.
Each shrub was placed in a plastic pot and then carefully transported to the pergola. Every boxwood was positioned perfectly, two-feet apart from the next.
The shrubs were only about a foot tall when planted, but every one in excellent condition. Boxwood can grow in full sun and partial shade.
And now they’re thigh high and very full. They are all more than double the size. It is amazing to see the growth difference.
Here, one can see the newest growth. Boxwoods are slow growing compared to many other shrubs, with growth rate depending on the variety. Typically, the growth rate for most varieties is three to six inches per year. These needed a thorough grooming.
To groom the tops and sides, Phurba keeps the shears close to him with his hands midway down the handles. This allows the best control.
He turns the shears upside down to get the lower areas. I prefer this method of trimming because the cuts are very clean and smooth when done by hand.
We groom and prune the boxwood at least once a year.
Everyone on my crew uses Japanese Okatsune shears specially made for trimming hedges. These shears are user friendly, and come in a range of sizes.
Phurba also tackles the big boxwood located at the end and center of the pergola. There are four of these giant specimens.
Any clippings are blown away with our battery operated STIHL blower. It’s lightweight, compact, and so easy to use.
In the back bed, I also have Perovskia atriplicifolia, commonly called Russian sage, growing. This plant shows tall, airy, spike-like clusters that create a lavender-blue cloud of color above the finely textured, aromatic foliage. It is vigorous, hardy, heat-loving, drought-tolerant, and deer resistant.
In a matching lavender hue are these charming asters that bloom during the late summer months and into the fall.
Behind the pergola is this giant weeping copper beech tree – I love these trees with their gorgeous form and rich color.
It’s admired greatly for its weeping glossy purplish leaves.
Look how beautiful the border is after the shrubs are all groomed. They’ve grown so well here and continue to thrive.
My pergola garden is constantly growing and evolving – in spring when it blooms with gorgeous
shades of blue; in summer when it features all the bright orange lilies; and, in autumn, with all its bold greenery.
There is always so much to see and learn about at my Bedford, New York farm.
Over the years I have designed many gardens around my home. One area that is constantly evolving is my pinetum - an arboretum of pine trees and other conifers I planted in a field behind my large Equipment Barn and near my weeping willow grove. This collection has grown extremely well and I continue to add additional specimens every year.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
When I first bought my farm, I knew I wanted to plant many, many trees – young trees, to replace the older ones when their lives ended. This collection includes pine trees, but I have also included many spruces, firs, and other interesting evergreens.
Once trees are mature, they need little maintenance except for regular mulching and removal of dead or diseased branches. I keep the ground well-mulched using material made right here at the farm.
On one side of this pinetum are the tall and gorgeous weeping willows. Weeping willows are wide and tall with beautiful curtains of drooping branches that sweep the ground. I have several groves of weeping willow trees growing at my farm.
Their graceful branches “weep” into an arch, creating a round canopy.
The leaves are long and narrow with a light green color and a finely toothed margin.
Weeping willow trees can grow to be 30 to 50 feet tall, with a spread of roughly 30 to 40 feet. They’re often planted near damp areas, but can also grow in other places as long as they get enough water and sun.
Other trees growing here include this dwarf white pine tree. If you’re not sure how to tell some of these popular trees apart, here are some key tips: pines have needles that are arranged and attached to the branches in clusters of two, three or five. Spruce and fir trees have needles attached individually to the branches.
The needles on this dwarf white pine are soft and blue-green in color.
Picea abies ‘Pendula’ is used as a collective term that describes the myriad weeping and pendulous forms of Norway spruce. The Norway spruce or European spruce is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central, and Eastern Europe. Its uniquely trained form adds so much interest in this pinetum.
This is a baby blue spruce, Picea pungens ‘Baby Blue.’ This dwarf blue spruce tree stays under 25 feet.
This is a fir. Firs, Abies, have needles that are softer, flatter, and cannot be easily rolled between the fingers.
Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’ has bright yellow needles in full sun or yellow-green needles in part shade. The yellow color typically fades as summer progresses. The interior needles are always green. This is one of my favorite trees in this pinetum because of its name, but the name ‘Skylands’ has no relation to my home in Maine. Actually, this tree was introduced by Skylands Botanical Garden in New Jersey, in 1979.
These are the branches of a Japanese Yew, Emerald Spreader, a cold hardy, evergreen shrub that is strong, sturdy, and retains its green color even in winter.
Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera’ is commonly known as Sawara cypress, a large, pyramidal, evergreen conifer that grows in the wild up to 70 feet tall. In cultivation, it more typically matures to a much smaller 30 feet tall. It is native to the Japanese islands of Honshu and Kyushu.
Picea orientalis is a medium to large tree that commonly grows up to 50 feet tall. It has a dense narrowly conical form, horizontal to upward sweeping branches, and drooping lateral branches.
Callitropsis nootkatensis ‘Pendula’ or weeping Alaskan cedar, is a slender, strongly weeping form that grows to as much as 35-feet tall.
It has widely spaced ascending to horizontal branches with flattened sprays of blue-green leaves.
This is a Cedrus deodara ‘Wells Golden’ – an upright true cedar with rich, golden color, which is beautiful in winter. It can grow up to 30-feet tall.
I add more specimens to this collection every year – some are very rare and slow growing, but I love the variety of plantings I’ve amassed.
Over time, this area will fill out more and more. I am so pleased with how it looks, and so happy these trees are thriving here at the farm.
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