Whenever I entertain, I love to decorate my home with a wide assortment of potted plants that provide interesting and expressive foliage.
Yesterday, in preparation for a special dinner I am hosting this weekend at my Bedford, New York farm, I asked my gardener, Brian O'Kelly, to fill my Winter House with a collection of beautiful houseplants - orchids, begonias, ferns, and other cheerful succulents to welcome my guests.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I love all kinds of container plants, and over the years I have amassed quite a collection of specimens. Most of my potted plants are kept in the greenhouse, where they can be maintained properly. This day was perfect for moving a selection of plants to my Winter House ahead of this weekend’s gathering.
Some of the plants we selected include succulents. Succulents grow in so many different and interesting formations and colors. They are best planted in clay or terra cotta pots with proper drainage holes because the vessels dry quickly, and prevent water from building up. Echeverias are some of the most attractive of all succulents and they are highly valued by plant enthusiasts for their gorgeous colors and beautiful shapes. The leaves are also fleshy and have a waxy cuticle on the exterior. The echeveria plant is slow growing and usually doesn’t exceed 12 inches in height or spread.
Guests love seeing the different succulents in my home and learning about the interesting varieties. If you like growing plants, but don’t really have the time to care for them properly, I encourage you to consider growing succulents. Succulents are so easy to maintain and are able to survive prolonged drought because they store moisture in their fleshy stems, roots, and leaves.
In my foyer, Brian placed two potted rhipsalis – a cacti genus with approximately 35 distinct species. I have many types of rhipsalis growing in my greenhouse. Rhipsalis specimens have long, trailing stems making them perfect choices as indoor plants on pedestals or tall tables. Also known as chain cactus or mistletoe cactus, the thread-like succulent stems are narrow, green and can grow several feet long.
The Pilea Glauca has petite, oval, blue-gray leaves that shimmer with silvery powder. It is sometimes also known as Pilea libanensis or Silver Sparkle Pilea.
Bird’s nest ferns make excellent low light houseplants. It is also an epiphytic fern, which means in the wild it typically grows on other plants or objects.
The fronds grow in a tight, nest-like clump from the center of the plant. Under ideal circumstances, all ferns like to have consistently moist, but not wet, soil. However, they will tolerate soil that dries out from time to time.
Here is an interesting looking fern with large fronds and a pleasant green-blue color.
This is a potted dracaena. Dracaenas are popular houseplants with origins in Madagascar and other Indian ocean islands. Easy to care for, the dracaena can also help improve air quality. They naturally remove formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene and carbon dioxide.
This dracaena has narrow foliage. Dracaenas may be completely green or may include stripes or edges of green, cream, red, or yellow. This plant can grow as much as six feet in height when grown as a potted plant. In outdoor settings, it has been known to grow up to 20 feet.
I am a big fan of orchids, and wanted all the blooming orchids brought into my home, especially the Lady’s Slippers. Paphiopedilum orchids are often called lady slippers or slipper orchids because of their unique pouch-like flowers. These specimens are easily grown as houseplants and look wonderful with their striking green leaves. The pouch of a slipper orchid traps insects so they are forced to climb up, collect or deposit pollen, and fertilize the flower. I’ve had this one for many years. I brought it home after a trip to the Himalayas.
The different types of Lady’s Slipper orchid also present a wide variety of colors. Most commonly, these colors include various shades of pink, red, brown, white, yellow, and purple.
This orchid is an Oncidium hybrid called Beallara Marfitch ‘Select’. These plants get very tall flower spikes and produce about seven to 12 flowers per spike. It grows best in cool, intermediate, or warm temperatures, allowing the potting mix to get pretty dry in between waterings.
The size of orchids depends on the species. They can be quite small or very large. However, every orchid flower is bilaterally symmetric, which means it can be divided into two equal parts.
Brian brought in several begonias. Begonia is a genus in the family Begoniaceae. The genus contains at least 1500 different plant species and numerous hybrids. They are native to Mexico, Central and South America, Asia and South Africa – regions with tropical and subtropical climates. There are different types of begonias, including tuberous begonias, semperflorens begonias, rex begonias, and rhizomatous begonias. Rhizomatous begonias are grown for their interesting and spectacular leaves. They come in an array of sizes, colors and textures, and can be small or large, smooth or veiny, decorated in bold accents of red, copper and silver or subtle shades of green.
Here is another begonia with green leaves and reddish-brown veins. Begonias grow best in light, well-drained soil.
Begonias are also remarkably resistant to pests primarily because their leaves are rich in oxalic acid – a natural insect repellent.
Alocasia is a genus of broad-leaved, rhizomatous, or tuberous perennial flowering plants from the family Araceae. There are more than 95 accepted species native to tropical and subtropical Asia and Eastern Australia. Alocasias have large, arrowhead-shaped leaves with flat or wavy edges on slender stems.
Guests always admire my Chinese money plants, Pilea peperomioides. Here is one in the center. The Pilea peperomioides has attractive coin-shaped foliage. This perennial is native to southern China, growing naturally along the base of the Himalayan mountains. It is also known as coin plant, pancake plant, and UFO plant. The one on the left is a green Peperomia. It has heart-shaped, puckered, deeply veined leaves. On the right – Peperomia caperata ‘Ripple Red’ with iridescent purple-red leaves and very distinct ripples. The small heart-shaped leaves grow into an attractive mounding habit. Peperomia are great succulent lower light houseplants.
Here is a cactus. Cacti generally have thick herbaceous or woody chlorophyll-containing stems. Cacti can be distinguished from other succulent plants by the presence of areoles, small cushion-like structures with trichomes or plant hairs, and in almost all species, spines or barbed bristles.
This is Euphorbia lactea, also known as a “Coral Cactus.” It is a species native to tropical Asia, mainly in India. The showy part of the plant, the section that resembles coral, is called the crest. The ridges are spiny, with short spines.
And, if you are looking for festive holiday houseplants, try a Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus. Thanksgiving cacti are the earliest and longest bloomers, typically producing flowers from late fall through mid-winter. Christmas cacti tend to bloom from early winter to mid-winter. There is also Easter cacti that blooms from late winter to mid-spring. I feel so fortunate to have such an amazing collection of extraordinary potted plants. Not only do houseplants enhance the overall appearance of a space, but they’ve also been known to increase creativity, reduce stress, and eliminate air pollutants. I hope this inspires you to visit a nursery and buy a houseplant, or two, or even three…
A new planting project is underway at my Bedford, New York farm.
I love boxwood, Buxus, and have hundreds of shrubs growing on my property. I use boxwood in borders and hedges, as privacy screens, as accent plants in my formal gardens, and of course in the long allee to my stable. When I can, I like to grow my own boxwood from cuttings. This process takes time and patience, but seeing them mature is very rewarding. Last weekend, I received hundreds of young boxwood branches that were ready to root in a cold frame behind my main greenhouse. It will be fun to see them develop.
Here is our process, enjoy.
I am so proud of the growing boxwood around my farm. This is a section of my long 450-foot Boxwood Allee. It runs from my stable all the way to the carriage road that leads to my hayfields and woodlands. It is so lush and green. I take very special care of these specimens.
This is my sunken Summer House Garden – a more formal garden with both English and American boxwood. Boxwood, a popular evergreen shrub in garden landscape, is a very ancient plant. Its ornamental use can be traced back to 4000 BC Egypt. The early Romans favored it in their courtyards. The wood itself is harder than oak and its foliage is dense and compact. Because of its growing habit, boxwood can be sculpted into formal hedges, topiaries, and other fanciful shapes.
These boxwood shrubs surround my herbaceous peony garden bed.
In 2017, I decided to line both sides of my clematis pergola with boxwood. There are more than 300-shrubs planted here, and they continue to thrive.
The boxwood shrubs along my pergola were grown in this “nursery” patch located in one area of my vegetable garden next to my chicken coops. The soil is rich with nutrients, so they grew well and quickly. These bare-root cuttings were planted earlier this year and are also doing so well.
This is one of two large cold frames behind my main greenhouse. A cold frame is a transparent-roofed enclosure, built low to the ground that utilizes solar energy and insulation to create a microclimate suitable for growing or overwintering plants. Historically, cold frames were built as greenhouse extensions tucked against the outer walls with southern exposure outside Victorian glasshouses.
To start, the cold frame is filled with a fresh layer of compost that is made right here at my farm. It is a blend of composted manure and plant materials.
Brian spreads a two to three inch layer of composted soil across the entire cold frame.
Then he sprinkles a generous amount of fertilizer. Slow-release, balanced fertilizers are best for boxwood.
Brian mixes the fertilizer into the soil mix.
And then with a soft rake, levels the medium and removes any detritus or stones and other organic material that did not decompose.
I wanted to use the fallen foliage from my bald cypress trees as mulch for the boxwood cuttings, so Brian filled three of my Multi-Purpose Reusable Heavy Duty Tote Bags with the bald cypress leaves – these bags are so useful for carrying, organizing, and storing so many things indoors and out.
Bald cypress trees are deciduous conifers that shed their soft needlelike leaves in the fall. In fact, they get the name “bald” cypress because they drop their leaves so early in the season. Their fall colors are tan, cinnamon, and fiery orange.
Look how pretty the foliage looks as top dressing in the cold frame. Brian spreads the foliage removing any big branches.
Next, he gives the bed a good drink.
To prepare the cuttings, Brian starts by thoroughly cleaning and sharpening his pruners. If you’re an avid gardener, you know sharp pruning tools not only make chores easier to complete, but they also make cleaner cuts, which allow plants to heal faster. Making clean cuts exposes them to less damage from diseases, insects, fungi, and weather extremes. Everyone on the crew cleans, sharpens, and conditions their pruners, snips, and shears regularly. The process only takes a few minutes, and it keeps these gardening implements in proper working order.
Brian trims the branches to six inch tips. When preparing the cuttings, make sure to only use healthy stems with no insect damage or discoloration. These cuttings are in excellent condition. They were delivered to me by my friend and boxwood expert, George Bridge, owner of George Bridge Landscape Design Inc.
Brian also removes any leaves from the bottom two to three inches of each stem.
Once the cuttings are trimmed, Brian places them in a crate with the stems facing inward to keep them as clean as possible.
Next, Brian rolls the lower end of the cutting in powdered rooting hormone and taps the stem to remove the excess. Rooting hormones increase the chance of cuttings taking root.
Then, he sticks the lower end of the cutting with the hormone powder into the rooting medium. He presses it firmly just enough to make it stand up straight.
This variety is American buxus sempervirens. American boxwood, or common box, is a broadly rounded, multi-branched, evergreen shrub or small tree in the Buxaceae family. It is native to western and southern Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. The species-specific term sempervirens means “always green.”
This is just the first batch of cuttings. When complete, this entire cold frame will be filled with growing boxwood.
Keeping the cuttings here in the cold frame will ensure they get lots of warmth and access to indirect sunlight. They will also be kept moist to encourage growth.
These cuttings will remain here through the winter and then be transplanted in the outdoor “nursery” garden once they have well-established roots. And in two to three years, they will be beautiful shrubs ready to place in the gardens! Growing your own boxwood from cuttings… it’s a good thing. And a fun thing.
Watching gardens, groves, and allees evolve and expand is one of the great joys of gardening. I am always looking for ways to improve the beauty around my Bedford, New York farm.
Recently, I purchased three new lilac 'Palabin' standards, Syringa meyeri, to plant in front of my dwarf apple espalier. These trees will extend the line of 'Miss Kim' lilac standards already growing in the space. These dwarf lilacs feature striking spikes of sweetly perfumed mauve pink blooms with neatly rounded heads and soft green foliage. The trees are from nearby Hardscrabble Farms, located in Westchester County, New York - a family owned and operated wholesale dealer that specializes in native species, ornamental conifers, evergreens, and perennials.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
If you follow this blog regularly, you may have seen photos of these gorgeous lilacs blooming in late May. These are blooming “Miss Kim” Korean lilac standards. These upright, compact lilacs bloom later than others, extending the season with fragrant flowers.
They feature long panicles of sweetly scented lavender blooms that burst from purple buds. I decided I wanted to expand the row with a few more trees and relocate one that was growing more slowly than the others.
Hardscrabble Farms is located on Hardscrabble Road in North Salem, New York – a short drive from my home. Hardscrabble has a very diverse, and healthy inventory of beautiful trees, shrubs, and plants. I see something new and interesting every time I visit.
The facility is located on more than 40-acres of land. Its helpful staff assists landscape professionals in selecting plant material, designing landscape spaces and delivering orders to the site. On this day, I went to pick up three Syringa meyeri ‘Palabin’ standards I knew would look great next to my existing ‘Miss Kim’ lilacs.
As soon as we got the trees back to my farm, I directed my outdoor grounds crew in placing them. Two were positioned at one end and the third was positioned in the middle to replace the smaller lilac to be moved. Don’t worry, the tree is just moving to the very end of the row where I feel it will do better.
Using bright orange stakes, I marked exactly where the trees would go and the crew started digging.
It wasn’t long before Domi dug the appropriate sized hole for the specimen. When planting a balled tree, always dig a hole that is two to three times wider than the diameter of the tree’s rootball. The depth of the hole should also be about two inches less than the rootball’s height.
All the holes dug are sprinkled with a generous amount of fertilizer. It is very important to feed the plants and trees, especially when they are transplanted.
For all our new trees, we like to use Roots with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
Meanwhile, Brian and Pasang remove the smaller tree that is being moved to the end. When removing a tree, dig around the outside of the rootball to keep it intact.
Brian and Pasang wrap a tarp around the rootball before transporting it to the new location. This has to be done carefully to prevent the rootball from falling apart.
The tree is carefully placed in the front loader of a tractor and taken to the end of the row.
Then it is gently rolled out of the tarp and into the hole – with its best side facing the road.
Finally, the hole is backfilled and raked.
Next, one of the new trees is positioned in the tractor and taken to its new home.
Balled and burlapped trees often come with wire baskets around the rootball. The cage is usually on the outside of the burlap covering. The purpose of wrapping the rootball with burlap and wire is to hold everything together so chunks of heavy soil do not fall out or tear roots, to protect the roots from dehydration and sunburn, to allow trees to be safely moved, and to reduce the chances of damage during transportation.
The crew uses the same process for lowering it into its new hole. When moving heavy trees, only hold it by the rootball and the base of the trunk – never by its branches, which could easily break.
Domi cuts the wire cage. This is very important to do. Leaving it may dramatically reduce the ability of the tree’s roots to grow out into the surrounding soil. Some cut the cages and leave them in the ground, but I prefer to remove them completely, so there is nothing blocking the growing roots.
Brian cuts the protective twine holding the cage together and removes it.
The burlap is also removed, so there is absolutely nothing constricting the tree’s growth.
Once again, the crew turns the tree so its best side faces front and then Pasang backfills the hole. Remember the adage, “bare to the flare” – the all-important root flare of a tree is the foot or anchor of the tree. It should be exposed so that the tapered part of the trunk that meets the ground is visible and exposed to the air.
Brian also creates a bowl at the base of the tree pit, for added direction when watered.
Next, Brian secures the tree to stakes. Here, we are using strong metal piping, wire, and tubing to support the tree for the first year. The tree should still be able to move slightly; too much movement will rub the bark away, too little will slow tree growth and development. The slight movement will help to generate stronger roots and, in the case of high winds, the tree is less likely to snap off.
These five to six foot trees will be very happy here. I am looking forward to seeing them all bloom come May. I’ll be sure to share the photos in spring.
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