This year’s spring burlap removal project is off to a great start.
Every autumn for as long as I’ve been gardening I’ve covered all my boxwood shrubs, various winter-sensitive plants, and outdoor ornamental urns to protect them from the season’s heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures, and damaging winds. Then, every spring when the ground begins to thaw, it’s all removed and stored away. This week, my outdoor grounds began removing the burlap from around my Winter House. The entire process takes several days to complete; however, knowing my plants are protected in the cold is a great comfort. And, seeing all the healthy, intact shrubbery and foliage at the start of a new season is an even greater delight.
Enjoy these photos.
During winter, all the boxwood shrubs and hedges are covered in this natural colored fabric. Fortunately, the weather here in the Northeast has been beautiful and mild these last few days – perfect timing to start our removal project.
We remove the burlap once the temperatures are consistently above freezing and before Easter. All of the coverings are custom wrapped and sewn to fit each individual shrub, hedge, or bush. This is my herbaceous peony bed which is surrounded by boxwood shrubs.
One of the first steps is to remove the wooden strips that help sandwich and secure the burlap. The strips are collected and stored for next year.
The crew also removes the wooden stakes that hold up the framing. These stakes, which are an inch-and-a-half by an inch-and-a-half, were milled right here at the farm. These wooden stakes are also gathered and stored for later use. It is important to me that nothing is wasted.
Here is Domi carefully lifting the burlap off of the low boxwood and golden barberry hedges on my terrace parterre.
We use industrial burlap that’s available in giant rolls of 40-inches or 60-inches wide. These covers are used for two or three seasons before being replaced.
Here is what it looks like underneath the burlap covering my fountains in front of my Winter House kitchen. Holes are purposely left in some burlap, so birds can take shelter when needed. This burlap is very strong and can withstand weathering with minimal loss of durability.
For the frames we use the same metal used to make hoop houses – strong industrial steel ground uprights and purlin pipes. These materials not only provide the necessary support frames for the burlap but also accommodate any growth. I ordered all the piping from Growers Solution, a family-owned business in Cookeville, Tennessee.
These pipes are made from rolled galvanized 16 gauge industrial tubing. The ground piping is pounded into the ground – each one about four to five feet from the next. The top pieces are 10-foot wide bow sections – these frames will last quite a while, I hope.
These fasteners are called tension purlin brackets. They connect the center piping to the bow sections of the frame. All the purlin brackets and pipes are saved from year to year.
In tighter areas, we build burlap frames using metal supports and wooden stakes. The burlap and all the supplies are removed gently, so as to preserve as much burlap as possible. Any damaged or badly timeworn burlap is saved for use in the gardens as a weed blocking layer under the mulch.
All the rolls of burlap must be kept dry when not in use. One of the few downsides to this fabric is that it will start to fray and disintegrate after time, especially if exposed to moisture. Here is one roll of fabric. It may not look it, but this roll is quite heavy.
Chhiring labels each roll of burlap indicating what it covers and where. The label will make it easy to identify next fall when the boxwood is covered again.
Here is the label on one of the rolls. The sections of burlap are also tied with jute twine – we use this natural twine for many projects at the farm.
This side of the upper terrace parterre is along the carriage road in front of my home.
Here’s Chhiring pulling the fabric off of the steel piping in front of my Winter House porch.
And this is the terrace outside my Green Parlor. It’s always so nice to see the boxwood once the burlap is removed.
The crew has been doing this for years – they have streamlined the process and everyone works swiftly and efficiently.
Everything is already looking so lush and green – all the greenery was well-preserved under the protective winter coverings.
Once the crew finishes removing the burlap, the materials are loaded onto the truck and taken to the Stable Barn for storage. Taking down the burlap is a much faster process than putting the burlap up, but still time-consuming.
Here is the boxwood that surrounds my herbaceous peony bed – now completely uncovered. Removing the burlap changes the entire appearance of the area and reveals what we hope for every year – green, healthy boxwood. What a gorgeous time of year.
My beautiful Friesians, donkeys, and Fell pony are all ready for spring.
My equines spend most of their time outside in their paddocks - running, rolling, and grazing. Now that warmer weather has arrived, it's important they have well-fitted accessories to protect them from flies and other biting insects. Fly masks are specially made coverings that horses can wear when they're turned out. They protect them from bites and also provide UV protection for their faces and eyes. Inside my stable, fans are installed in every stall to keep the bugs at bay and to keep them cool. Caring for horses is a huge responsibility, but it brings me great joy to see that they are happy, safe, and comfortable.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Everyone loves visiting the stable at my Bedford, New York farm. It is located at one end of my long Boxwood Allee. The Friesians, donkeys, and Fell pony that reside here are given lots of attention from my dedicated stable team.
Each horse has its own 12-foot by 12-foot stall. The stalls are mucked and cleaned every day. Fans are essential in stables, so each stall is also outfitted with a fan to maintain good airflow and to keep the horses cool in warm weather.
These fans are covered during the cold season to keep them free from dust. Here, Helen removes the burlap in preparation for the warmer season.
All the covers are placed into a labeled bin and stored until next fall.
Next, Dolma wipes down every fan with a damp towel. I always remind my crew that taking good care of our equipment will help them run more efficiently and last longer.
All our fans are made by the TPI Corporation, a 70-year old comfort conditioning company specializing in electric heating, fan, and ventilation.
These new floor fans will be used to cool the main areas of the stable outside the stalls.
Mountable models are positioned above each stall where they can be safely secured and plugged into outlets. Helen and Dolma install this new unit in a stall that did not have a fan.
They are bolted onto a moveable arms secured to the wall.
Installation takes just a few minutes. The fans are controlled by a switch on the ground, so they are easy to turn on and off when needed.
My stable manager, Helen Peparo, and I, are always on the lookout for quality equipment and supplies. Our Crusader™ and Quiet Ride™ Fly Masks from Cashel Company are also very essential in warm weather to protect my equines from bug bites.
Some of you have asked about these masks. As you can see, none of the donkeys mind wearing them at all. Here are Billie, Rufus, Truman “TJ” Junior, Clive, and Jude “JJ” Junior in the pine paddock.
These masks have soft form-fitting micro mesh that blocks 70-percent of the sun’s UV rays. Each one also has a special forelock hole to prevent rubbing and to keep the hair clear of the horse’s eyes. Plus, these masks have special ear pockets to keep the bugs out. For the donkeys, we use gray…
And for my horses and Fell pony – all black. These masks also fit comfortably under the horses’ halters.
Here, Dolma and Helen walk the donkeys back to the stable for their afternoon meals. Notice, these masks also cover the entire muzzle, which can be very sensitive.
Once inside, Helen and Dolma remove the fly masks and rinse them of any dirt. Remember, most horses love to roll, so these can get quite muddy.
Bond is especially sensitive to bug bites, so he also has a fly sheet and fly sheet neck guard.
All these accessories are attached with strong velcro and are very easy to put on and remove.
As part of grooming to keep their manes a little cleaner in muddy, spring weather, we also braid them. Dolma is excellent at braiding. Here she is tending to Geert’s long, beautiful hair.
She braids it tight and close to the top of the neck. Braiding a horse’s mane or tail dates back centuries. When horses became the primary mode of transportation, braiding or plaiting their mane was a way to prevent it from getting tangled up or ensnared in the soldier’s musket. Now, it is done as part of grooming and for show.
Look how handsome it is once it is all finished. Braiding is also a great way to preserve the health of the horse’s hair.
Truman “TJ” Junior, loves to watch all the activities from his stall. He especially likes to step up to check on the girls next door – Jude “JJ” Junior and Billie, the only two females, or Jennys, in the stable.
And here is Hylkie – all ready for some hay and maybe even a late afternoon nap.
Spring is officially here and all the gardens are beginning to transform here at my Bedford, New York farm.
So many of the flowers are finally erupting after the long, dreary winter. We have crocuses, snowdrops, hellebores, daffodils and so many more peeking through the soil. Soon, the grounds will be covered in spring color. Here’s a glimpse of what is flowering in my gardens now.
Enjoy these photos.
Once the weather starts to get warm, it’s so exciting to see what flowers open up each day. Crocus is among the first flowers to appear in spring, usually in shades of purple, yellow and white. There are about 90 different species of crocus that originate from Southern Europe, Central Asia, China, the Middle East, and Africa.
Crocus lives in alpine meadows, rocky mountainsides, scrublands, and woodlands. Patches of crocus can be found everywhere around my farm.
This patch is right outside my gym building. I love to see them every morning on my way to exercise.
Here are some white crocuses. They only reach about four inches tall, but they naturalize easily, meaning they spread and come back year after year.
These white crocus look great planted in bunches. Choose a planting site where there is well-draining soil.
This is ‘Natascha’ miniature iris – a lovely ice blue color. They bloom in early spring and grow to about four to six inches tall.
In another area, dark purple irises. The blooms have a very light and subtle violet-like scent. Irises come from a vast genus of plants, but nearly all show the recognizable iris flower form – three standard petals and three hanging outer fall petals.
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.
All around the farm, bulbs are pushing through the earth with so much energy. The daffodil border that stretches along one side of my farm is growing fast. There are many daffodil varieties planted in large groupings, providing a stunning swath of color when in bloom. The original daffodil border was begun in 2003.
Here is one of the first daffodils to bloom outside my Tenant House. I plant early, mid and late season blooming varieties so that sections of beautiful flowers can be seen throughout the season.
Do you recognize these plants? These are the rows of saffron planted by my friend, Hannah Milman. She planted thousands of saffron corms in various gardens around the property. Saffron, Crocus sativus, is a perennial fall-blooming corm that is grown extensively in southeastern Asia and parts of the Mediterranean region.
This crocus patch is growing beneath my bald cypress trees across from my pergola. I love the deep purple color.
Here are purple and white striped croci growing in the back border of my pergola in front of a row of bold green boxwood. This striped flower produces several upright, cup-like, purple and white striped blooms on stems rising to four to six inches above basal, grass-like leaves.
Hellebores are members of the Eurasian genus Helleborus – about 20 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. They blossom during late winter and early spring for up to three months.
Hellebores come in a variety of color 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.
Puschkinia is a genus of three known species of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae. It is native to the Caucasus and the Middle East. The leaves are green, strap-like, and grow in pairs. The flowers open in early spring in racemes up to about 10 inches high.
I have puschkinia growing in a large patch near my Tenant House. Puschkinia is best grown in moist, fertile, well-draining soil in full sun to partial sunlight.
Chionodoxa, known as glory-of-the-snow, is a small genus of bulbous perennial flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, often included in Scilla. The blue, white or pink flowers appear early in the year making them valuable garden ornamentals.
New growth is also emerging in the woodland. Symplocarpus foetidus, commonly known as skunk cabbage or swamp cabbage is a low growing plant that grows in wetlands and moist hill slopes of eastern North America.
This is a red sedum. Sedum, a large genus of flowering plants, are also known as stonecrops and are members of the succulent family. Sedum does really well growing between the crevices in stone walls. We planted this sedum several years ago. Most sedum has a trailing nature – I love how it grows on the side of this wall outside my Winter House.
And one of my favorite flowers – the snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis, are another sure sign of spring. These beautiful white flowers are blooming all around my houses. Snowdrops produce one very small pendulous bell-shaped white flower which hangs off its stalk like a “drop” before opening. What flowers are you seeing on this first full day of spring? Share your comments with me below.
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