Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we’re expecting rain throughout most of today with temperatures in the low 60s - good weather for all the seeding we've done in the hayfields and pastures.
When I moved to this farm, I designated three separate areas as hayfields and planted them with a mixture of timothy, orchard grass, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, and clovers - all great for producing quality hay for my horses. These fields are well-maintained and regularly treated with agricultural lime to correct any acidity in the soil, eradicate any noxious weeds, and raise the overall health of the land. I also have several enclosed paddocks, where my horses graze. Yesterday, all these areas were aerated and over-seeded by my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, using high grade mixes from Hancock Farm & Seed Company, a four-generation family-owned business based in Dade City, Florida.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This is one of three large fields at my farm – I specifically wanted to use these fields to produce good, natural hay for my Friesians, Fell Pony, and five Sicilian donkeys.
This is a 3-point spreader, which can be attached to a variety of tractors to spread seed or fertilizer. Chhiring hooks it up to the center rear of our Kubota M4-071 tractor.
Our spreader features an opening system with split levers that allow distribution control.
Our seed is from Hancock Farm & Seed Company, a 44-year old business that grows its own seed and ships directly from its Florida facility.
Among the seed varieties we’re using is this custom mix that includes orchard grass, tall fescue, and Timothy.
We also have a variety of other seeds including Happy Hen Forage Seed Mix, Wildflower Seed Mix, Turkey Plot Seed Mix, and Horse Pasture Grass Seed Mix.
This seed contains Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass, Timothy, and orchard grass.
Chhiring fills the spreader with the first batch of seed.
And then he heads out to the middle field. The best day to overseed is when there is little to no wind, so the application can be done as evenly as possible.
Broadcast spreaders distribute seed in a fan-like pattern in all directions and cover a wider area per pass than drop spreaders. As the tractor moves, the fan throws the seed that falls out of the bottom of the spreader.
The other end of the tractor has our trusted Kubota L1154 front loader that helps us transport so many things around the farm, including more bags of seed, which cuts down plenty of time going back and forth to the Equipment Barn.
The ground was already aerated with our tow-behind Pro-Aerator. I am glad to be able to have all the farm equipment we need. Here, one can see the holes left behind by the aerating tines.
And here is one of the soil plugs. The main reason for aerating is to alleviate soil compaction. Compacted soils have too many solid particles in a certain volume or space, which prevents proper circulation of air, water, and nutrients.
Chhiring starts by going around the field clockwise from the outer edge working inward. He also overlaps his passes, so he doesn’t miss any areas.
Overseeding is a process where grass seed is added to an already existing area which after germination serves to increase the density of the grass plants. This process reduces the aging process or natural decline of the turf.
Here, one can see the seed coming out of the spreader and onto the ground below. These seeds will get a good watering with today’s expected rain.
Looking closely at the ground, one can see the tiny seeds.
Once Chhiring is done with one side, he moves onto the other. This middle field takes less than an hour to overseed.
And here’s my stable manager, Helen, with my Fell pony Banchunch, to check out how everything is going. It’s just a short visit however – Banchunch doesn’t like to stop for long. He’s ready to keep on trotting.
It makes me so happy to be able to grow good hay for my horses. We should be able to get the first cut done by the end of June.
This year is a celebration of parks across the country. 2022 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted - the American landscape designer widely considered the father of American landscape architecture.
Over the course of his career, Frederick Law Olmsted designed a total of 100 public parks and recreation grounds. Among them, New York City's beloved Central Park. He is also recognized for designing Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York, Emerald Necklace in Boston, Massachusetts, the three-mile approach road to the grand Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, the Washington Park in Chicago, Illinois, and the grounds of the United States Capitol and White House. Frederick Olmsted's work set a standard of excellence that continues to inspire landscape architects throughout the United States. Last week, I attended the Olmsted Bicentennial Gala at the Central Park Loeb Boathouse to honor this great innovator and social reformer. The event was part of the year-long "Olmsted 200: Parks for All People" Celebration. Please go to Olmsted200.org to learn about other celebrations in your area - just click on the highlighted link.
Enjoy these photos.
Here I am with the Frederick Law Olmsted mascot at the Olmsted Bicentennial Gala “Parks For All People.” The event was presented by the National Association For Olmsted Parks last week. (Photo by Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Frederick Law Olmsted was born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1822. However, it was not until he was 43 years old did he decide to devote his entire career to landscape architecture. Prior to working on the New York City Central Park design, Frederick worked as a merchant, apprentice seaman, experimental farmer, author and even a gold mine manager. He also directed the U.S. Sanitary Commission, worked for the American Red Cross, and wrote for The New York Daily Times.
This is an aerial view of Central Park looking north, which Frederick designed with his business partner, Calvert Vaux. Olmsted and Vaux’s plan created ways for pedestrians and carriages to enjoy the park without getting in each others’ way. It was called the Greensward Plan. (Photo by Central Park Conservancy)
Here is another aerial view of Central Park – this one of Sheep Meadow, a great field where visitors can rest and play. (Photo by Central Park Conservancy)
This is the Central Park Bow Bridge. (Photo by Central Park) Conservancy
And this is Central Park’s Great Lawn. (Photo by Central Park Conservancy)
This autumn photo is from Prospect Park in nearby Brooklyn, New York. Frederick was very adamant in his belief that a great park should be tranquil – a place where visitors could recuperate from the busy pace of city life. Frederick and Calvert Vaux began working on Prospect Park in 1866. It included plans for the Long Meadow, a heavily wooded area they called the Ravine and a 60-acre Lake. (Photo by Elizabeth Keegin Colley)
This is the Prospect Park Boathouse. (Photo by Anne Claire Brun)
Prospect Park also features rolling green meadows, meandering carriage roads with scenic lookouts, waterfalls, springs, and a rich forest filled with trees. (Photo by Brittany Buongiorno)
This is Shelburne Farms, a 3,800-acre agricultural estate originally consolidated and owned by William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb. The landscape was inspired by none other than Frederick Law Olmsted. (Photo by Marshall Webb)
Today, more than 1.4 million people visit George Vanderbilt’s Gilded Era Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina each year. Frederick considered Biltmore among the crowning jewels of his career. Frederick wrote to his business partners, “it is far and away the most distinguished private place, not only for America, but of the world.” This is the Spring Garden at Biltmore. (Photo by The Biltmore Company)
Olmsted Park in Boston is a linear park and a part of the city’s Emerald Necklace of connected parks and parkways. Originally named Leverett Park, in 1900 it was renamed to honor its designer. (Photo by Emerald Necklace Conservancy)
Founded in 1942 and also located within Emerald Necklace, the Fenway Victory Gardens is comprised of more than 500 gardens spanning 7.5 acres. (Photo by Evan Bradley)
Jackson Park was designed in 1871 as part of the 1055-acre South Park system in Chicago. It is a 593-acre tract connected to Washington Park via a mile-long boulevard, the Midway Plaisance. Originally called Lake Park, it was later named for former president Andrew Jackson. (Photo by Chicago Parks Foundation)
Each major Frederick Olmsted Park features a specialty garden. The Japanese Garden in Delaware spans more than six acres and is placed between the foothill of The Buffalo History Museum and Mirror Lake. (Photo by Zhi Ting Phua)
Another space designed by Frederick and Calvert is Chapin Parkway in Buffalo, New York. It was named after Brigadier General Edward Payson Chapin, who was a well known Buffalo attorney at the time of the Civil War. (Photo by Zhi Ting Phua)
In 1890, Georgia businessman Joel Hurt asked Frederick to prepare a plan for an area in Atlanta. By 1905, two years after Olmsted died, a linear park design was completed by the Olmsted Brothers that consisted of six segments on 45 acres – Springdale, Virgilee, Oak Grove, Shadyside, Dellwood, and Deepdene. This is a photo of Shadyside.
Here is a fall image of Dellwood in Atlanta’s Olmsted Linear Park.
And here is the US Capitol Summer House, a hexagon-shaped brick structure set into the sloping hillside in front of the Capitol Building. Construction began in 1879 and was completed in late 1880 or early 1881. It was designed primarily to offer visitors to the Capitol a place to rest.
To learn more about Frederick Law Olmsted and the beautiful parks he designed, please visit Olmsted200.org. (Photo by Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
If you're looking to update your kitchen, a new faucet can refresh the room and increase its functionality.
Last year, I decided to transform a guest house kitchen, so it could function more as a studio space. I repainted the walls and cabinets, replaced several appliances, extended the center island, added deep shelves for displaying antique ceramics, installed new French doors and window shades, and decorated the room with my personal collection of copper. The entire kitchen was transformed and modernized. The last detail was to replace the faucets - and I decided on two beautiful single spout fixtures in brass from Waterworks. The design was inspired by the industrial controls of the early 1900s. They look great.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here is a photo of the kitchen after it was renovated last autumn. The last items that needed replacing were the faucets. Here, one can see the old stainless steel fixture.
I selected two Waterworks “Regulator” style faucets in brass. Both have single spouts with black spray nozzles.
Both also have goosenecks and big black wheel handles. Before anything is removed from the box, all the parts are inspected to ensure everything is there and in good condition.
The first step was to turn off the water supply and remove the old gooseneck faucets. We removed them carefully so as not to damage the existing soapstone counter. Some of you may remember this counter – repurposed from my old Westport, Connecticut television studio “A.”
Then, my property manager, Doug White, who is very handy, carefully made two holes for the new faucets. These holes are 2 and 1/4 inches in diameter.
Our plumbers were then able to easily start installing the new piping.
The base of the shank being installed was covered with blue painting tape to protect it from scratches. It’s also a good idea to cover the wrench with tape, so there is an added layer of protection.
This big unit is called the valve body. It is screwed on gently by hand.
Whenever installing anything, it is important to always measure several times. It is crucial that all the parts sit flush with each other so there is no risk of leaking.
Here, the tube and nut for the bridge are connected.
And then installed between the main valve body and spout valve body.
The hoses are then coated with a proper leak-sealing agent.
And then under the sink, the hot and cold hoses are properly connected to the corresponding source supplies.
This handsome black handle is tightened appropriately.
And finally it’s time to turn the water back on and test. Here, the sprayer is tested to ensure the water is diverted properly. The water from the spout also slows to a complete stop while the sprayer is being used.
Final adjustments are made and the fixture is wiped down.
This brass fixture coordinates perfectly with the brass hardware on all the cabinetry. The black accents also match the rest of this kitchen.
I also like the brass against all the beautiful copper dishes, pots, and pans.
The faucet at the other sink, under my giant plate rack of copper, was also changed.
And here I am after one of our shoots – trying the faucet out for the first time. Changing a faucet fixture is one of the simplest, smartest ways to upgrade a kitchen. Please visit the Waterworks web site to see the company’s other collections for the kitchen and bath. (Photo by David Padilla)
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