My two-and-a-half year old garden maze is looking so lush and green this summer.
The three-acre pasture just outside my Winter House is the setting for my maze. Since work began, I've planted a variety of different hedges, espaliers, trees, and shrubs - hundreds of specimens that add texture and interest, and all according to a detailed map I created specifically for the space. A lot of care goes in to maintaining this area. Recently, my resident tree expert, Pasang Sherpa, pruned some of the largest plantings, the handsome London planetrees, Platanus acerifolia 'Bloodgood,' a relative of the mighty sycamore.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
At one end of my living maze is a selection of Platanus acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’ trees, also known as London planes. I also have London planes growing in an allée through my middle hay field.
These large trees are sought after for the large three-lobed, toothed, dark green leaves that turn yellow, orange, and red with the fall season.
Its bark makes it even more interesting because it sheds in a patchwork pattern with growth and age.
I planted these trees in early November 2022. They are planted in a rectangle with two long rows and two short rows and an open space in the center.
Here they are after they were mulched that first year. Once planted, trees usually spend that first year focusing on developing their root systems.
Here is a view from one end. Remember the saying, “”sleep, creep, leap,” which describes the typical growth stages of trees.
This photo shows the trees in October of 2023, one year later. In the second year, attention goes to growing – slowly and steadily. Every tree is happy here, and in part because of the nutrient-filled soil I provide all my trees and plants.
And here they are this year – so lush and green. These trees are large shade trees with broad open crowns.
Not long ago, Pasang gave the trees their first pruning here at the farm. Pruning helps them grow into more strong, full and healthy trees with good, uniform shapes.
Pruning also helps improve air circulation around the tree and allows light to reach through to every branch.
Here they are all finished. Pasang did a great job pruning them all to a desirable height, removing any dead or dying material. These London planes are now established and doing so well.
In fact, the entire maze is thriving. The tall tree is one of several Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’ trees, American sweetgums. As these trees mature, they will maintain their erect, columnar form, growing up to 50 feet tall and only about four-feet wide.
The footpaths are also designed appropriately, so my horses can walk through the maze as well, and get an apple along the way – on the left is an espalier of apple trees.
The long, upright-growing branches of Hick’s yew have dense, glossy, green foliage that naturally forms a narrow habit. And right now, they are showing off lots of berries, or red drupes, which usually come out in late summer and persist through fall.
Paul’s Gold threadleaf false cypress, Chamaecyparis pisifera, has year-round golden green foliage.
Another espalier of apple trees – each one with a different variety. All the apple trees are doing so well here. I already have so many fruits growing on the branches.
My overall plan is to plant as many interesting trees, hedges, espaliers, and shrubs as possible in this space and to create a fun and challenging living maze.
The plants are spaced closely, so they become a closed hedges in time.
I plant as many different specimens as I can, but always with the same fundamentals in mind – the plant’s mature size and its light and soil needs.
There is still a bit more to do before this maze is complete. Please follow along and see it develop with me!
Are you getting all your outdoor home projects done this summer? Here at my farm, one of this year's big tasks includes maintenance work on all the stone walkways, steps, and walls that have shifted or moved over the years.
Over the last couple of weeks, the crew from Luppino Landscaping and Masonry in Mount Kisco, New York, has been evaluating all the stonework and making any necessary repairs. They have re-leveled pavers, realigned stone paths, and repointed any deteriorated masonry joints on my greenhouse, my stable, and along any building steps. Regular upkeep like this not only restores the physical integrity of the stone, but also helps to increase the longevity of the structure.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Bluestone pavers are a type of natural stone often used in outdoor design applications. They are made from basalt, an igneous rock, and are composed of quartz and sand.
Some of the work being done is on the bluestone pavers in this footpath. These pavers shifted over time because of inclement weather and growing tree roots underneath.
Oscar uses a tuck pointer, or joint filler, to scrape out old stone dust and debris from the joints. This loosens the paver, so it could be removed.
Here is the same area after all the old material was scraped out.
Oscar then brushes all the debris out of the way. There’s no set schedule for repointing pavers, but one should consider maintenance work if pavers are cracked, mortar or stone dust is crumbling, or if weeds begin growing between the slabs.
Once lifted, it is easy to see what is needed to make it level again. A lot of the stone dust underneath the paver clumped on one side making it difficult for the paver to sit flat on the ground. There are also weeds growing in the joint cracks.
The area is cleaned of debris and clumps of old stone dust.
Stone dust is actually the finest type of crushed stone. It is crushed nearly into a powder. It forms a strong, non-porous surface, so it not only protects the areas from moisture, but it also helps to keep most weeds and grass from growing in between the stone pavers.
Using a trowel, the area is leveled with a one-inch fresh layer of stone dust.
The paver is repositioned, dropped carefully in place, and checked for level. If it is not perfectly level, it is removed again and stone dust is added or removed as needed. It is a trial and error process that takes lots of patience. These three-inch thick bluestone pavers can be very heavy. Large pieces could easily exceed 100-pounds each.
Here, a crowbar is used to help lower the paver and save the stonemason’s fingers from getting pinched.
The crew checks the level on the paver again – this time it is just right.
Here, the same crowbar is used to make minor adjustments to ensure spacing between the pavers is even.
Any repositioned pavers are tamped down with a mallet on a piece of scrap wood, so the stone is not damaged. This packs the stone dust down and sets the paver comfortably and securely in place.
New stone dust is applied to the joints where it was removed.
And any excess is swept away into another joint until all the voids are filled.
All neighboring pavers are also checked. Here is where an adjacent paver was also removed. Alfonso adds a fresh layer of stone dust, so this slab is at the same height as the others. If pointing is done correctly, it should last about 10 years before needing major repairs.
Again, once the paver is returned, it is tamped down securely in place.
And spacing is checked all around, with slight adjustments being made where necessary.
Here is the stone path after it’s all done. The natural bluestone looks looks great.
A lot of work has been going on inside my main greenhouse - cleaning, organizing, and giving many of my potted plants some much needed attention.
Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, repotted a variety of specimens including the very interesting and popular Sansevieria. Sansevieria is a genus of about 70-species of flowering plants, native to Africa, Madagascar and southern Asia. You may know it as one of its common names such as mother-in-law's tongue, devil's tongue, jinn's tongue, bow string hemp, snake plant, and snake tongue.
Enjoy these photos.
While working in my main greenhouse I noticed these beautiful sansevieria plants needed repotting. Ryan removed them from their pots and prepared all the necessary supplies.
Certain cultivars of sansevieria have striped, elongated, smooth, greenish-gray leaves like these. Look closely – they are accented with lighter green bars going horizontally across each leaf.
Ryan begins by slicing about an inch off the bottom. This will help to stimulate new root growth after it is repotted.
This plant outgrew its pot, so Ryan uses a knife to divide the plant into sections. Sansevieria plants are rapid growers and may need repotting or dividing annually. A well-grown sansevieria can split a pot with its mass of underground shoots.
It is not difficult to divide sansevieria. Dividing is a good option for large plants. It also provides an opportunity to provide new soil for the main plant if its root bound.
These pots will fit the newly divided sansevieria sections nicely. Clay pots provide a healthy environment for plants because of their porosity, which allows air and moisture to reach the roots and encourage growth.
As always, a shard or stone is placed at the bottom of the clay pot to cover the drainage hole to prevent soil from falling out.
It’s important to use the proper soil mix. The right soil mix will help to promote faster root growth.
Next, Ryan adds a generous scoop of the slow-release fertilizer, Osmocote. The beige shell on the prills coats a core of nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Mirale-Gro Osmocote Plus feeds container plants for a good six months with beneficial micronutrients.
Ryan divides another large sansevieria. He basically creates divisions with at least a handful of strong leaves and their roots in each section.
Always be sure to use sharp instruments to keep cuts clean and to prevent root damage.
The leaves do not mind being crowded. This pot will do nicely for the sansevieria.
Ryan places the sansevieria firmly in the pot. Do you know… these plants absorb toxins, such as nitrogen oxides – they work great for improving indoor air quality? In fact, it is one of the best air purifying plants to keep.
Ryan trims the plant of any old, dead or shriveled leaves, so there is ample room for all the new growth.
Ryan backfills and tamps the soil down around the plant to prevent any air holes. Although they are very forgiving, sansevieria plants prefer indirect but steady light with some direct sun. They can adapt to full sun conditions, and will also survive quite dim situations.
This plant prefers warm conditions and should not be exposed to temperatures below 50-degrees Fahrenheit. It does not take long to pot up several sansevierias.
I wanted them in the glass hallway connecting the greenhouse and head house, so they can be closely monitored. Ryan positions them with their best sides facing inward.
Plants can be watered about once every two to six weeks, depending on the temperature, light levels, and humidity.
I think these sansevieria plants will do so nicely here where they can be monitored, seen, and enjoyed.
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