Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we're picking lots of wonderful and nutritious vegetables from the garden.
Yesterday, after another brief rain shower, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, and my housekeepers, Enma Sandoval and Elvira Rojas, harvested a bounty of beautiful vegetables - broccoli, artichokes, lettuce, peas, fava beans, Swiss chard, hot peppers, cilantro, and more. While the recent heat has affected some of the cold-weather vegetables, others are thriving.
Here are some photos.
This year, I decided to display all my potted citrus in front of the vegetable gardens. Here, they can be watered and monitored easily. The vegetable gardens are entirely fenced in to protect the crops from hungry creatures. All the plants are growing well – and some are ready to pick.
In one garden along both sides of our two trellises, we have lots of peas – one side for shelling peas, which need to be removed from their pods before eating, and the other side for edible pods, which can be eaten whole, such as our snap peas. They are best grown on supports to keep them off the ground and away from pests and diseases.
By early July every year, these peas are plump, and ready to be picked. The pea, Pisum sativum, is an annual herbaceous legume in the family Fabaceae.
The pods can range in size from four to 15-centimeters long and about one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half centimeters wide. Each pod contains between two and 10-peas.
Snap peas are also edible-podded peas that differ from snow peas in that their pods are round as opposed to flat.
Elvira and Enma picked many peas. Extend the harvest season by re-planting in two-week successions. Succession planting is the practice of following one crop with another to maximize a garden’s yield. It is an efficient use of gardening space and time.
Here’s another full box of peas – I hope your pea crops have done as well as mine.
Broccoli is a hardy vegetable of the cabbage family that is high in vitamins A and D. And, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA, the average American eats more than four-pounds of broccoli a year. Because broccoli is a cold weather crop, meaning that it grows best in soil with temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, it hasn’t been as productive this season. The warmer weather causes it to bolt, or go to flower sooner. Fortunately, there are still quite a few that Ryan can pick.
Look at this broccoli plant – there is no head growing in the middle due to the extreme heat over the last couple of weeks.
Some of the cabbages are also not as large, but these are growing nicely. To get the best health benefits from cabbage, it’s good to include all three varieties into the diet – Savoy, red, and green. Savoy cabbage leaves are more ruffled and a bit more yellowish in color.
Lettuce, Lactuca sativa, is a cultivated plant of the daisy family, Asteraceae. Lettuce is a fairly hardy, cool-weather vegetable that thrives when the average daily temperature is between 60 and 70-degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, we have had a lot of great lettuces to pick so far. I love all the different colored lettuces. We always grow several varieties.
Ryan harvested several globe artichokes, Cynara scolymus – popular in both Europe and the United States. Artichokes are actually flower buds, which are eaten when they are tender.
Here’s a purple artichoke ready to harvest. Purple artichokes are loved for their superior flavor and vibrant color. When harvesting, always use sharp pruners and carefully cut them from the plant leaving an inch or two of stem. Artichokes have very good keeping qualities and can remain fresh for at least a week.
Vicia faba, also known as the broad bean or fava bean is an ancient member of the pea family. They have a nutty taste and buttery texture. I always grow lots of fava beans.
And of course, our tomato plants are all very strong. We’re growing both hybrid and heirloom varieties. Staking is the best way to ensure the plants get the support they need for the many vegetables they will produce this season. Look at these beautiful young tomatoes. There are already so many growing. Most tomatoes are red, but other colors are possible, including green, yellow, orange, pink, black, brown, white and purple. We’ll be harvesting a lot of tomatoes later this summer.
Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking. The leaf stalks are large and vary in color, usually white, yellow, or red. The leaf blade can be green or reddish in color.
Here’s a bright red Swiss chard still growing in the garden bed.
Basil, also called great basil, is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae. Basil is native to tropical regions from central Africa to Southeast Asia. It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. Since basil grows in tropical climates, it grows well in hot weather. Actually, this plant can thrive in very warm temperatures, and it grows amazingly well up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
There is also a lot of fresh and fragrant cilantro. Often known in the United Kingdom as coriander, cilantro comes from the plant Coriandrum sativum. In the United States, the leaves of the plant are referred to as cilantro and the seeds are called coriander. Cilantro is also commonly known as Chinese parsley.
There are lots of hot peppers too. The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper of the species Capsicum annuum. It is mild to medium in pungency depending on the cultivar.
And we harvested several summer squash. These spherical summer squashes, available in dark green, light green, and yellow, are very similar to zucchini.
Everything is loaded in trug buckets and brought up to my flower room, where they will be washed if needed, then bagged and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. How was your harvest this week?
There's a lot of garden work underway at my Bedford, New York farm.
This time of year, everyone is weeding, watering, fertilizing, and pruning. Pruning is about more than just looks; proper pruning improves the health of the plants, prevents disease, and encourages better flowering. There are different pruning strategies for different times of the year, but overall the goals are the same - to control the shape, to keep bushes and trees fresh and open, and to allow for better air circulation through the center of the specimen. My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew have been busy pruning various plantings including the hornbeam hedges surrounding my white lily garden and the apple espaliers behind my long carport.
Enjoy these photos.
When I first moved to Bedford, I found a perfect location to plant a little orchard of espalier apple trees – this space behind my long carport not far from my Winter House. Espalier refers to an ancient technique, resulting in trees that grow flat, either against a wall, or along a wire-strung framework.
These espalier apples have done wonderfully here. They’re supported on wire attached to these strong antique granite posts from China originally used as grape supports. They’re perfect as posts because they don’t rot over time like wood does. A friend of mine acquired a lot of stone from this valley and I purchased a couple hundred of these posts. I only wish I bought more of them. I use all around the farm.
When he prunes, Brian cuts branches at a 45 to 60 degree angle. He trims those branches that are rubbing or crisscrossing each other or preventing any healthy new growth. Basically, the goal is to create a tree with well spaced lateral branches. Any branches which interfere with the tree’s shape or create a dense framework should be removed. He is also using pruners for this job. I always prefer hand tools that will give my trees a more natural appearance and shape. Every gardener and member of my outdoor grounds crew has a pair.
Here are some of the pruned branches – the job takes several hours to complete, but it is done carefully and thoughtfully. Pruning encourages the tree to grow more of these fruiting spurs by eliminating competing suckers and unproductive wood.
Here, one can the pruned side on the right and the area still to be pruned on the left. My long carport is also on the right. I hang a series of bird feeders along this side of the carport for all the visiting birds – about 125 different species of birds visit my feeders.
By day’s end, every row is cut just right – I am so proud of how productive these trees are – in part because of the excellent maintenance care we give them.
In front of my main greenhouse, one can see how much the hornbeam hedge border surrounding my formal lily and hosta garden has grown. Carpinus betulus, the hornbeam is a fast-growing deciduous tree. In fact, it can grow about four to five feet per year. I keep a close eye on all the hornbeams – it’s crucial to prune them regularly, so they never look too overgrown and unruly.
If you recall, these hornbeams were first planted in the spring of 2019. Here you can see the row behind the growing lilies – they have not yet grown into a hedge.
Since then, they’ve grown very well. I attribute much of the healthy growth of my gardens to the nutrient rich soil. I am fortunate to be able to make my own compost here at the farm. Plus, we practice good, regular feeding. Remember, if you eat, so should your plants and trees.
Here is the side of the hedge just last week before it was given a good pruning – They have grown closely together in just a short time, creating the hedge border I envisioned.
The new growth can be seen growing wildly on top. Because hornbeams grow quickly, it is important to trim and sculpt them regularly. We do this task every year around this time. Hornbeam is also very hardy and frost resistant, which is good in this region.
The hornbeam is related to the beech tree, with a similar leaf shape. On the hornbeam, the leaves are actually smaller and more deeply furrowed than beech leaves. They become golden yellow to orange before falling in autumn.
Pasang trims the front of the hornbeam. Using hand tools is always more time consuming, but these hedges are still relatively small, so the task doesn’t take long.
Pasang uses Japanese Okatsune shears specially made for trimming hedges. These shears are user-friendly and come in a range of sizes.
Bamboo stakes are measured, marked, and placed alongside the hornbeams, so all the hedges are trimmed to the same height. Twine is wrapped around the poles securely to provide a level line guide.
Once the twiine is pulled taut between the bamboo poles, a level specially made for a line like this one is placed in the center of the twine.
Brian prunes the top of the hedge, so he can trim the sections flat.
He also checks the line and level several times to be sure everything is trimmed straight – this area leads to my berry bushes behind my greenhouse and can be seen from the greenhouse entrance.
And look at all the cut leaves – this is just a portion from the front of the trimmed sections.
And here is the hedge all done and pruned perfectly – and all completely by hand. It looks great. What pruning jobs are you doing around your home? Share your comments below. Soon, I will show you all the gorgeous lilies that grow in this formal garden – wait and see.
If you’ve ever grown a vining plant, you know how important it is to provide strong structures to which the vines can cling and climb. Using tall bamboo stakes and strong netting is an easy way to support these plants in the garden bed.
At my Bedford, New York farm, I use eight foot tall bamboo stakes to support my growing tomato plants. Bamboo is attractive, easy to find, and can be reused year after year. This week, my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, worked hard to stake our fast growing tomato crops.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Despite some uncomfortable hot and humid summer weather, the vegetables at my farm are thriving and the gardens are looking spectacular this season. This week, it was time to focus on the tomato plants and provide some much needed support to their growing vines.
Early in June, the season’s designated tomato beds are covered in black weed cloth to cut down on some of the laborious weeding in the garden. We planted our tomatoes in the back of the garden this year – always as part of our crop rotation practice.
Our tomato plants were started from seed over the winter and then transplanted in the ground as soon as daytime temperatures were consistently above 65-degrees Fahrenheit. Two-thirds of the plant should be underground, meaning all but the two top most leaf sets should be buried. Planting deeply helps the plant to develop more roots, and more roots mean more ability to take up water and nutrients. If the seedling is already too tall and wobbly, dig a trench instead of a hole and lay the plant on its side. The stronger root system also helps the plant better survive the hot weather. This applies to tomatoes planted in the ground, in a raised bed or in a container.
These are the tomato plants just four weeks ago, but with nutrient rich soil and all the warm days we’ve had, they’ve grown quickly. Tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum, have long been one of America’s favorite garden vegetables. Those bold red, sun-ripened tomatoes deliver the taste of summer with every bite. And, they’re filled with excellent antioxidants and vitamins. We plant many, many tomatoes, but just a handful of healthy plants can produce a bounty of delicious fruits within eight weeks.
When they’re still small, we secure the plant with two to three foot tall metal supports. They can be tied gently with a twist-tie or twine – the loop around the plant stem should be just tight enough to keep the vine secure, but not break it.
Tomato leaves have serrated, or wavy and pointed, edging along the entire perimeter. Tomato leaves are compound with multiple leaflets growing along a common stem, called a rachis. These leaves are also slightly fuzzy to the touch, which is caused by the trichomes, or multi-cellular hairs, on the plant. When plants are more than two feet tall, they’re ready for taller stakes. Never use chemically treated wood or other material for staking climbers, as the chemicals would likely run off and go into the soil.
Bamboo canes are easy to buy in bulk, and can be found in a variety of sizes. These canes are about eight to nine feet tall.
The first step is to pound the stakes into the ground. This twine provides a guide for pounding the other stakes into the ground, so all are the same height.
Chhiring places one eight-foot stake every couple of feet along the center of the tomato beds. He makes the holes about eight to 10-inches deep. The important thing is to place them deep enough, so they remain secure for the duration of the season.
Next, netting is drawn from one side to the other along each row.
We use netting from the old deer fencing that once surrounded the farm. I save everything I feel can be reused and because these structures are outdoors, it is important that they are strong and secure, so they could hold the weight of the plants and fruits, and any strong winds we may get during the growing season. This netting will be perfect.
Securing the tomato plants is a time consuming process, but very crucial to good plant growth and performance. Chhiring starts at the top and uses thin four-inch zip ties, or cable ties, to attach the netting to the bamboo stakes.
Fortunately, the netting has good-sized holes – they accommodate the zip ties perfectly.
Here, Chhiring is attaching another zip tie to the bottom. Most of the tomato plants are still low, but soon they will be guided to grow up the netted sides.
Remember, it’s the yellow flowers produced by tomato plants that must be fertilized before fruit can form. Once fertilized, the flowers develop into tomatoes – small green globes that become visible at the base of the blossoms and then eventually become mature fruits.
Here are some of the green fruits already growing on the vines. It’s a a good idea to grow a range of varieties, including at least one or two disease-resistant types, since, of all veggies, tomatoes tend to be the most susceptible to disease. There are several types of tomatoes available, including globe tomatoes used in processing, and for fresh eating. Beefsteak are large, often used for sandwiches. Oxheart tomatoes vary in size and are shaped like large strawberries. Plum tomatoes are usually oblong, and used in tomato sauces. Cherry tomatoes are small round, often sweet and eaten whole. Campari tomatoes are sweet and juicy and of small to medium size. Many of our tomatoes are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds – a source I’ve been using for many years for both seeds and supplies. Among our growing tomatoes this season – ‘Defiant.’
‘Defiant’ was bred for earliness, disease resistance, and flavor.
It produces mid-size, six to eight ounce globe-shaped fruits that are smooth and medium-firm with good texture. They are deep red on the outside and inside when ripe. (Photo from Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
It takes about 50 to 90 days for tomato varieties to reach maturity. Planting can also be staggered to produce early, mid and late season tomato harvests. This tomato is ‘Valley Girl’.
‘Valley Girl’ is a productive and flavorful tomato that has been a top yielder in numerous areas. The fruits are medium-size, globe-shaped red fruits that ripen uniformly and are firm, smooth, and crack tolerant. (Photo from Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
Do you know… 93-percent of American gardeners grow tomatoes in their yards? And, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, most Americans eat between 22 and 24 pounds of tomatoes per person, per year – this includes tomatoes in sauces. this tomato variety is called ‘Ginfiz.’
‘GinFiz’ is a new refined bicolor heirloom-type hybrid. It offers traditional heirloom character plus leaf mold resistance, reduced stem scarring, and tolerance to shoulder cracking. This tomato has a nice balance of sweetness and acidity. (Photo from Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
These plants look so much better when kept upright and neat. The tomato plants have a lot of room to climb, keeping delicious fruits off the ground. We’re always looking for the most efficient ways to grow our crops. Very soon, we will have many, many delicious tomatoes to enjoy. I am looking forward to a wonderful harvest this season. How are your tomatoes doing this year?
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