I'm always looking for ways to improve my gardens.
Earlier this year, I decided to change the garden near my front gate. I removed the remaining trunks of a stand of white pines that were battered by Super Storm Sandy in 2012. In their place, I decided to plant a group of medium sized boxwood that would add both color and texture to the bed. I called on my friend, George Bridge, who first introduced me to boxwood more than 20-years ago to help me select just the right ones. George is a leading grower and supplier of one of the largest collections of unique and mature plants, trees, and boxwood in the United States. George delivered and planted three beautiful American boxwood shrubs and they look just perfect.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here at my farm, it’s always exciting when new plants arrive. I enjoy designing outdoor spaces and watching the gardens evolve and flourish. Adding rich foliage is also good for the landscape – they improve air quality, absorb pollutants, and help purifying the air.
A couple months ago, I cleared this space of several tree trunks that had been here covered in beautiful climbing hydrangea. While they looked very pretty, it was time for a change.
I love boxwood, Buxus, and have hundreds of these bold green shrubs growing all over my Bedford, New York farm. We continued this border of small boxwood all the way around the bed.
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. Boxwood shrubs are slow-growing with dark green glossy leaves arranged opposite from each other, making pairs. Leaf shape depends on the variety; some are round while others are elliptical.
George personally delivered three handsome boxwood shrubs. I knew they would be perfect for the space. Boxwood has upright, naturally cone-shaped habits making them excellent for planting free-form or for a sculpted hedge or border.
George specializes in collecting rare, vintage, and mature landscape plant material, including shrubs, hedges, fruit and ornamental trees, and even woody vines. His boxwood collection includes large, mature boxwood ranging from six to 12-feet tall and up to 80 years old. Visit his web site for more information.
The first of three shrubs is put into place. I wanted three here – one larger one and two smaller ones.
Our trusted Hi-Lo carefully lifts each specimen off the truck bed. George and his team meticulously wrap and lace the root balls for transit, so they arrive in the best condition possible.
George oversees every move to ensure the shrubs are placed just right.
Here, the Hi-Lo raises the forklift high up from the side of the carriage road and then gently lowers the boxwood into place.
Boxwood prefers well-drained soil with a lot of organic matter. Loamy soil or sandy conditions are best. Most boxwoods like some shade, but some varieties handle full sun exposure better than others.
In winter, these boxwood will also be covered in protective burlap to prevent snow and ice damage. Here is the last one getting lowered into the bed.
And here’s George with his team afterward – thanks, guys! They look just perfect where they are!
Once they are in place, the digging begins. Holes are dug twice as wide as the boxwood root balls, but no deeper. Once in the hole, the top of the root ball should be a half-inch higher than the soil surface.
The surrounding soil is sprinkled with a generous amount of fertilizer formulated to maintain deep, lush green foliage. The food is always mixed in, so the fertilizer does not have too much direct contact with the roots, which could burn them.
And then one by one, each boxwood shrub is planted in the ground. When necessary, always water boxwoods slowly and deeply. Overwatering can cause root diseases, while under-watering can cause stress.
Boxwood shrubs have shallow root systems, so proper mulching after they are planted will help retain moisture and keep the roots cool.
With the additional hosta plants and the border of smaller boxwood grown from bare root cuttings, I think the garden bed looks excellent. It was the right choice to make!
The stewartia tree is an excellent, small to medium-sized, deciduous garden tree. It is also one of my favorites.
The Japanese stewartia, Stewartia pseudocamellia, is native to Japan, Korea, and the southeastern United States. It is a slow-growing, all-season performer that show off green leaves in spring, white flowers in summer, and colorful foliage in autumn. It also has attractive exfoliating bark, which peels away in strips of gray, reddish-brown, and orange. Recently, my outdoor grounds crew planted an 18-foot stewartia tree gifted to me by our friends at Select Horticulture Inc. in nearby Pound Ridge, New York because its root ball was misshapen and as a result had grown crooked, making it difficult to sell. But it looks great here at my farm across from my winding pergola and just next to, of course, my stewartia garden.
Here are some photos.
Here it is arriving at the farm. I was so exited to get a call from Scott Richard, co-owner of Select Horticulture, asking me if I wanted this Stewartia tree. I said yes right away. I love stewartias – after all, my name is “Stewart.”
After driving around looking for the perfect spot, I decided to plant it just down the carriage road from my flower cutting garden where I can see it every time I leave or return home. Here, the sod is being removed from the area. This is done with our Classen Pro HSC18 sod cutter. This sod cutter is so easy to maneuver and so sharp.
And then our trusted Kubota M62 tractor and backhoe are used to remove the soil.
The sides are dug manually so they are sightly slanted.
Here is the root ball of the tree. One can see how the trunk was growing out of it. The root ball itself is also malformed.
Always remove any tags that are on a tree. If left too long, these tags will eventually cut into the bark and potentially cut off the flow of nutrients.
The hole is dug deep. For any tree, the rule of thumb for planting is to create a hole that is two to three times wider than the root ball, but only as deep as the root ball.
Our Hi-Lo is then brought over to support the tree while the crew gently guides it into an upright position.
The tree is held in place with the wide straps until it is ready to put into the hole.
The crew cuts the bottom of the wire cage leaving the top of it intact.
Wire baskets were designed to support the root ball during loading, shipping, and transplanting.
The straps are attached to the wire cage for lifting. And then slowly, the tree is moved into the hole.
The crew rotates the tree so its best side faces the road and checks that it is straight. When moving heavy trees, only hold it by the base of the trunk or the root ball – never by its branches, which could easily break.
Once the tree is in, the remainder of the cage was cut and the entire piece removed along with the burlap. 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.
It is very important to feed the plants and trees. A generous amount of fertilizer specially formulated for transplanted specimens is sprinkled around the tree and the surrounding soil.
The hole is backfilled and tamped down thoroughly to remove any air pockets and to settle the soil. And remember, don’t plant it too deeply – leave it “bare to the flare.”
The leaves of the Stewartia are alternate, simple, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, and five to nine centimeters long.
The bark of the Japanese Stewartia is multi-colored and peels away in strips.
When fully mature, the Stewartia can reach up to 30- to 40-feet tall.
Here it is from another side. It looks perfect in this location – as if it has always been here. I am looking forward to watching it flourish.
My busy work schedule is always filled with business meetings, events, and speaking engagements.
Earlier this week, I was invited to speak at the Greenwich Historical Society's Spring Fete: A celebration of Contemporary Design, Lifestyle and Entertainment. I, along with my friend renowned interior designer Stephen Sills, were honorary chairs of the event. At the "Designer Breakfast", I spoke about my personal design style and shared stories about projects at my Bedford, New York Farm and at Skylands, my home in Maine. I also interviewed Stephen about many of the design choices he has made over the years - for his beautiful home and the homes of his clients. More than 75-guests were in attendance. Proceeds from the fundraiser support educational and gardening programs for area students and teachers. It was a very delightful and successful event.
Enjoy these photos.
The Greenwich Historical Society was founded in 1931 to collect and preserve the history of Greenwich, Connecticut. Today, it also strives to interpret that history to strengthen the community’s connection to the past, to each other and to the future. It delighted to be invited to speak at their annual Spring Fête.
The morning began with with some photos. Stephen and I took this snapshot with members of the event board – Catherine Tompkins, Lauren duPont, Susannah Heyworth, Alexandra Kittle, and Erica Maher Silverman.
The “Design Breakfast,” included a buffet of delicious bites.
These are mini frittata bites with tomato, basil, and mozzarella.
There were also frittata bites made with spinach and feta.
There was an assortment of tea sandwiches – balsamic roasted pear with brie and balsamic glaze, cucumber and Boursin, and deviled egg salad with mango chutney.
And there was an assortment of freshly baked cranberry, blueberry, and chocolate chip scones.
The table included trays of sweets including lemon blueberry, chocolate chip, and raspberry mini tea cakes.
… and fresh fruit skewers. There was something for everyone to enjoy.
My neighbor and fashion designer Andy Yu was also in attendance wearing one of his handmade and personally designed coats.
The event was held at the historic back-country barn at Highland Farm. This structure contains much of the original exterior and interior including the hay bale tracks in the ceiling and beams. Every seat was filled.
Tori Mellot, Style Director for Frederic Magazine, gave us a lovely introduction.
I started with a brief presentation of my design style. I talked about my Bedford farm, its history and how the 153-acre property has evolved over the years.
I also spoke about Skylands, my beloved home in Maine. This photo shows me in front of Skylands next to the 1958 Edsel Ford Roundup my daughter, Alexis, gifted me when I purchased the home. Skylands was originally designed by architect Duncan Candler for Mr. Ford.
Next, I interviewed Stephen about his exquisite home and gardens. Stephen and I have known each other for many years. You can also listen to my podcast where Stephen and I talk about art, design, and gardening.
We talked about Stephen’s book – Stephen Sills: A Vision For Design, Rizzoli 2022. If you don’t already have it and are looking for excellent design ideas and inspirations, get a copy!
This is a photo of Stephen’s home, which he recently renovated. I envy his gardens and parterres.
After our discussion and presentation, the floor was opened for questions from the audience.
Each guest was given a canvas tote bag containing Stephen’s book, magazines, and a Greenwich Historical Society coffee mug. It was a wonderful and very successful event.
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