The garden maze at my Bedford, New York farm is becoming more and more intriguing with each planted row of greenery.
As many of you know, I decided to take on this fun project earlier this year. I wanted to create a maze of interesting hedges, espaliers and shrubs in the pasture across the carriage road from my Winter House terrace. I started with European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, and a variety of espaliered apple trees. I designed the maze with different plantings to add texture and interest. All of these specimens will grow tall enough to prevent walkers from seeing the paths ahead. And each row will branch off with various pathway options and dead ends - with only one correct route to the center. Most recently, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew planted a row of Persian parrotia or Persian ironwood.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
For my maze, I chose this paddock located just outside my Winter House, where I could see it from my terrace parterre. I knew it was the perfect space for this garden of trees and shrubs.
Earlier this summer, we planted the first rows. They included European beech, European hornbeam, boxwood, and a variety of espaliered apple trees.
Most recently, we cleared the next row earmarked for Parrotia trees. The row was measured and then the sod was removed. I never like to waste anything around the farm. I always try to repurpose and reuse as much as possible, so the sections of sod are replanted in grassy areas that have gotten bare over time.
Next, we tilled the soil with our Troy-Bilt Pony Rear-Tine Tiller. Rototilling is one method of turning up the soil before planting. All the plants and trees do very well here at the farm, in part because of the excellent soil. I have worked very hard to ensure my soil is constantly amended and rich with nutrients. If you are unsure of your soil’s quality, have it tested. Kits are available at garden shops, online, and through your area’s cooperative extensions.
Then, each hole is dug. Remember the rule of thumb for planting trees – dig a hole that is two to three times wider than the root ball, but only as deep as the height of the root ball.
Here is one of the holes – it is almost a foot deep and the sides are slightly sloped with the widest part at the top.
In assembly line process, each tree is placed into a designated hole, still in its pot. This way, we can make sure there are enough holes for each tree and all of them are lined up perfectly.
The next day was all for planting. Each Parrotia was removed from its pot and positioned into its new hole with the best side facing the path.
I always say, “if you eat, so should your plants.” For all of these, we’re using Roots fertilizer with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
The fertilizer is made of insoluble granules that release nutrients as it biodegrades.
Each Parrotia is carefully backfilled. Another rule is “bare to the flare” meaning only plant up to the flare, where the tree meets the root system.
Here is the row all planted – every tree lined up straight. Parrotia persica is in the family Hamamelidaceae, closely related to the witch-hazel genus Hamamelis. It is native to northern Iran and southern Azerbaijan and it is endemic in the Alborz mountains. It grows best in USDA Zones 5 to 8.
All the pots are saved for planting other young trees – never throw away these containers, they come in very handy.
Some of the leaves are already changing colors. Parrotias have a long-lasting, elaborate autumn color display of ever-changing leaves that show off yellow, orange, burgundy and red hues.
The bed is then covered with mulch, made right here at the farm. We love using these Scenic Road wheelbarrows – they’re big and very sturdy.
Brian spreads an even layer of mulch – about two to three inches – under the trees. And then gives the entire bed a good drink of water.
Here is a row of growing boxwood. I think it is looking so beautiful already. Five rows in all to start, but many, many to go, and each path leading to an opening — or a dead end.
Here are the espalier trees. Espalier refers to an ancient technique, resulting in trees that grow flat, either against a wall, or along a wire-strung framework. Many kinds of trees respond beautifully to the espalier treatment, but fruit trees, like apple and pear, were some of the earliest examples. Espaliered trees can grow between four and eight feet apart – enough to allow them room as they grow, but still be close enough for a proper espalier. Among the apples are Liberty apples, Gala apples, Braeburn apples, and Yellow Delicious apples.
For a maze, it’s best to use relatively fast-growing trees that will be at least six feet tall and two feet wide at maturity.
In time, this area will be a spectacular field of puzzling pathways. I am having such a good time designing this living maze. Follow this blog and watch the transformation with me.
Summer may be coming to a close, but this time of year can be very hectic - my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are busy keeping up with all the rapid growth.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, the crew is mowing, weeding, pruning, and grooming the many perennial plants and shrubs. I am sure there is also lots to do in your gardens as well. Plus, signs of fall are beginning to emerge - growing apples, pears, quince and medlars, the first colchicum blooms, and the changing colors of the leaves.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This week, the weather has been warm, but pleasant – temperatures in the 70s with a few much needed showers. Many of you use my blog as a guide to remind you when to get things done in the gardens. This time of year, we’re still doing a lot of weeding and deep watering, mowing, and grooming.
Pasang and Domi are tackling the beds under my allée of lindens. Any weeds and cuttings are placed into my Martha Stewart Multi-Purpose Heavy-Duty Garden Tote Bags. We use these bags all over the farm. Each tote can hold more than 900-pounds! Find them at my shop on Amazon.
And here’s Brian mulching and grooming the newly planted parrotia trees in my living maze.
Persian parrotia or Persian ironwood is a small upright tree or large, rounded, multi-stemmed shrub. It is related to witch-hazel. The oblong green leaves turn various shades of red, orange and yellow in the fall, often persisting into the winter months.
Here is Chhiring on our SZ22-48 stand-on mower. We use this to mow areas where the riding mower cannot go – he is mowing the grass in between the fruit trees in my large orchard. Stand-on mowers are easy to maneuver through tight spaces and can be used on uneven landscapes.
Chhiring also uses STIHL’s trimmer to whack any tall grasses around the perimeter of the orchard.
And here’s Fernando “raking the roads” all around my home. He is in our Polaris Ranger. I love these off-road vehicles. We use them every day for so many tasks. We created this special device to rake the gravel, so it is even and also picks up any debris along the way. This is done every couple of weeks to keep the roads looking neat and tidy. It is made from four soft garden rakes attached to a wooden frame.
Down at my long and winding pergola, the boxwood border is growing so well. These boxwood shrubs along both sides of the pergola were grown from small saplings nurtured right here in one area of my vegetable garden next to my chicken coops. There are more than 300 boxwood shrubs planted here. This photo shows the latest growth.
I love boxwood and use a lot of it around the farm. 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 on boxwood branches are arranged opposite from each other, making pairs.
Also in this garden is is Perovskia atriplicifolia, commonly called Russian sage. It 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.
There are still some beautiful passion flower blooms showing off their color and unique form. They bloom from spring through late fall, The passion flower genus includes more than 500 species of mostly tendril-bearing vines in the family Passifloraceae.
The fruits at the farm are also growing, despite this summer’s drought. Just outside the old corn crib are quince trees – three of the many I have here at the farm.
Are you familiar with quince? Quince is a fall fruit that grows like apples and pears, but with an unusually irregular shape and often gray fuzz. These fruits turn a golden yellow when ready to pick in fall.
I planted a variety of pear trees, most of which are in the orchard. Among them, ‘Bartlett’, ‘Columbia’, ‘D’Amalis’, ‘Ginnybrook’, ‘McLaughlin’, ‘Nova’, ‘Patten’, ‘Seckel’, ‘Stacyville’, and ‘Washington State’.
I also have the espalier of Asian pear trees outside my stable. Espalier refers to an ancient technique, resulting in trees that grow flat, either against a wall, or along a wire-strung framework. Many kinds of trees respond beautifully to the espalier treatment, but fruit trees, like apple and pear, were some of the earliest examples. And, because necessary sunlight reaches every piece of fruit that these trees bear, espalier pruning remains standard procedure at commercial orchards in France. Here I have six ‘Shinseiki’ and four ‘Nijisseiki’ pear trees.
And of course, I have many, many apples. I grow hundreds of apple trees here at the farm – some that were here when I acquired the property and others I planted after moving. The newer apple trees include ‘Baldwin’, ‘Black Oxford’, ‘Cortland’, ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’, ‘Esopus Spitzenburg’, ‘Fuji’, ‘Golden Russet’, ‘Grimes Golden’, ‘Honeycrisp’, ‘Liberty’, ‘Redfield’, ‘Roxbury Russet’, and ‘Windham Russet’.
There are apples growing in the dwarf espalier behind my carport.
Because of this year’s heat and lack of rain, the apples may be a bit smaller than usual – we’ll see.
These are the fruits of the medlar, Mespilus germanica – a small deciduous tree and member of the rose family. These fruits are not ready yet – we’ll pick them in late October or early November.
The fruit is about one to two inches in diameter, and ranges in color from rosy rust to dusty brown. Medlars are native to Southwestern Asia and Southeastern Europe. The fruits have to be eaten when almost rotten in a process called “bletting”. And, because of this, they either have to be eaten right off the tree or picked early and put aside for a few weeks to blet. The medlar is very pulpy and very sweet. Its taste is similar to an overripe date with a flavor similar to toffee apples or apple butter.
Growing just outside my flower garden are these charming anemones still in bloom. Also known as Japanese thimbleweed, Japanese anemone, Anemone hupehensis, is a tall, stately perennial that produces saucer-shaped flowers in shades of creamy pink to pure white, each with a green button in the center. Look for blooms to appear throughout summer and fall, often until the first frost.
And at the edge of my Stewartia Garden, underneath the tall bald cypress trees – some of the first colchicum sprouts. Colchicum is a member of the botanical family Colchicaceae and is native to West Asia, Europe, parts of the Mediterranean coast, down the East African coast to South Africa and the Western Cape. There is always something growing here at my working farm. And always something to do. I am so very proud of how this farm has developed over the years.
It's always so important to keep up with the maintenance at my working Bedford, New York farm - especially the four miles of carriage road that meander around my homes, my gardens, my horse paddocks, and through the expansive woodland.
Yesterday, Pete Sherpa, from my outdoor grounds crew, took on the task of filling some of the potholes that had developed over the last few months. He used our Land Pride Power Rake PR1690 - an attachment that fits our trusted Kubota M4-071 tractor. The equipment works in tandem to grade, level, and shape the gravel on the surface. Then, Pete follows the area with a hand rake to give it a finished look.
My farm sits on 153-acres of land that includes four miles of gravel-covered carriage road. Gravel roads are attractive and accumulate less pollutants over time, but it is important to keep them well-maintained by filling any holes that develop and keeping them shaped for good drainage. This photo shows the carriage road leading into my Japanese Maple Tree Woodland in spring.
This spring photo shows the carriage road along my clematis pergola leading to my Winter House.
This section of road is behind my stable. Here is one of the potholes that developed over the summer. A pothole is a depression in the surface, where traffic and water have removed the gravel.
Here is another one about 15-feet away.
This is our Kubota M4-071 tractor. It’s designed to use auxiliary equipment such as the L1154 front loader that helps us transport so many things around the farm – potted plants, mulch, wood, etc.
On the back is our Land Pride PR1690 Power Rake. This piece of equipment has a 90-inch rake to work on large properties. We are using it to rake and grade the carriage roads, but it is also capable of windrowing soil, rocks, and debris in a field.
Here is a closer look at the roller of the power rake. When it is lowered onto the road surface and tilted to the proper angle, this attachment moves the gravel and road dust to the center, creating the proper crown for the surface. There should be about a three-percent slope from the shoulder to the center of the road.
Pete takes the wheel of the tractor and slowly drives along the road and over the holes. One can see the gravel and road dust being picked up by the roller and moved.
The power rake freshens up the gravel as it turns and brings any compacted gravel to the surface.
He drives slowly over the hole a couple of times to make sure he covers every part of the area.
This is what it looks like after the power rake is driven over the road. This task is good to do after a good rain because the surface of the road is soft.
Then, Pete uses a landscape rake to spread and level the gravel over and around the hole just filled.
This razor-back aluminum landscape rake has a wide head and teeth to level gravel quickly and smoothly. These landscape rakes are easy to find at home improvement shops and some gardening centers.
When maintaining a road it is important to ensure it has a crowned driving surface and a shoulder area that slopes directly away from the edge for water drainage. It looks so nice after it is raked.
This hole is too close to the stone pavers, so Pete fills it manually.
Pete fills it and packs the gravel into the void. Because we had rain the night before and light showers during the day, flying dust from the gravel was minimal. Filling the hole only took minutes to do.
On the other end of the Linden Allée were two more pot holes.
As the tractor and power rake drive over them – very slowly – about three miles per hour, it moves the gravel and dust to level the area and get rid of the depressions.
Here is the same section of road after the tractor covers it. The holes are filled after just a couple of passes.
And then Pete goes over it again with the landscape rake, making it look neat and tidy.
I love how the roads look after they are done. I built these carriage roads this way because they provide the best footing for my horses. It takes a bit of time to keep these roads groomed, but it’s all well-worth the effort.
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