The season's burlap project at my Bedford, New York farm continues in front of and around my Winter House.
It's a race to get all the "burlapping" done around the boxwood and the ornamental urns - winter officially begins in a little more than a week and the days and nights are getting much colder. I've been covering the shrubs and hedges with burlap for many years to protect the branches from splaying and even breaking from the snow and ice. I also feel it is important to protect the planters that are out in the elements all season long. A winter freeze, alternating with thaws, could crack or crumble any kind of stone or cement, especially if it is antique. My outdoor grounds crew is working hard to get everything well-wrapped.
Enjoy these photos.
Most of the ornamental urns around my home are left in their respected locations and enveloped in burlap for the cold season. First, the planter is carefully covered in plastic.
Fernando cuts the burlap pieces to fit the containers. When we can, we reuse burlap from seasons past; however, it is also available in giant rolls of 40-inches or 60-inches wide. Also called hessian, burlap is made in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India from jute, a tall, grass-like plant grown for its strong fibrous stalks.
To complete all the burlap projects, the tools are simple – we use five-inch and eight-inch long craft needles specifically made for working with jute. These needles have large eyes and bent tips. Every member of my outdoor grounds crew has a needle.
We also use jute twine. It is all natural and the same color as the burlap.
The burlap is wrapped around the entire piece. Burlap is so useful for many gardening projects – it is inexpensive, biodegradable, and the color and texture of burlap is so pretty to use.
And then Pete sews the edge closed. The burlap should be sewn tightly, but with some space for air circulation. Because the burlap is exposed to the elements for several months, Pete does this task very carefully.
Lastly, Pete sews the top closed, tucking the excess burlap in and pulling taut.
Because stone, cement, and clay-based materials can crack from exposure to the winter elements, it’s important to protect them. Here are the two planters in my kitchen courtyard all wrapped and protected.
Pete and Fernando also wrapped the big stone birdbath in the same courtyard.
This is my terrace parterre. I have pairs of stone urns flanking each entrance to the area. These containers are covered in black plastic garbage bags.
This piece of burlap is being reused from last year. Our burlap covers can be used for two to three seasons depending on the weather.
Pete wraps each urn with burlap and starts with small stitches and knots at the top and the bottom just to keep the fabric in place.
Then he sews the burlap along the open edge at the top.
The burlap is pulled taut and all the opening is closed.
Here is the planter covered. It will stay here for the duration of the season until it is in uncovered and planted again in spring.
And here they are all covered. Depending on the size of the vessel, it takes about 20-minutes to cover one of these ornamental containers.
This is one of two magnificent Kenneth Lynch and Sons pots I purchased years ago at an auction when Kenneth was still in operation in Wilton, Connecticut. The urns are cast concrete, a formula which no one has figured out. For winter, the first thing we do is cover the large opening with a piece of plywood. The crew cuts any spare plywood into rounds to fit over various pieces.
Then the urn is covered in plastic sheeting. Doing this always lengthens the process, but it’s worth it. These planters are in great condition and are planted with tender perennials every spring. with
Pete knots this piece at the bottom to keep it in place.
A second piece is used to wrap the lower half of the planter.
There is a lot of tucking involved, and a lot of stitching and knotting, but my crew has been covering these containers with burlap every year for quite some time – they are all excellent burlap sewers.
And then Pete starts sewing. I remind the crew to wrap them like they would gifts – make the folds tight and even as possible.
Here is a finished side – all snug and secure.
Then Pete works from the bottom and sews the open edge closed.
All these urns look like artistic sculptures when wrapped.
All done here, but there is still so much “burlapping” to do around the farm.
It's always fun getting together with colleagues to share holiday cheer.
Our annual company party was held yesterday in New York City. 100-employees representing 17 different labels from Marquee Brands attended the event at the midtown restaurant, Quality Bistro. There was a delicious menu of buffet dishes and hors d'oeuvres, a variety of cocktails and wines, and great conversation. It was a wonderful time to celebrate the season and the year's many accomplishments.
Enjoy these photos.
Following an all-employee meeting, our company held a lovely luncheon at Quality Bistro, a brasserie serving contemporary takes on French classics.
It was nice to step away from a busy day of meetings to enjoy some time with colleagues.
Here are two of our Marquee Brands senior executives – Chief Financial Officer John Hayes and our Chief Executive Officer Heath Golden.
Pictured here are my Executive Assistant Dorian Arrich, Sam Porat from Neuberger Berman who is also co-founder of Marquee Brands, and my Business Manager JC Roberts.
I was especially excited because members of my Bedford team also came down for the event. Here are Fernando Ferrari and my Property Manager Doug White. Fernando has been working with me for more than 30 years.
There were lots of mini bites to start, such as these fresh crudités with special sauces and dips.
Passed around were Mini Cheeseburgers on sticks…
… And Tuna Tartare Cones, with Calabrian Chili and Saffron Aioli.
The entrée dishes were served at one long table – everyone took a bit of everything.
There was a Bibb Lettuce Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette and Roasted Pepitas.
And this is Moroccan Fried Chicken with Harissa Honey and Lemon Labne – a big hit.
The Seared Salmon with Sautéed Leeks was also very popular.
And so was this classic comfort food dish, Potatoes Au Gratin.
This is Charred Brussels Sprouts with Fresno Chilis and Hot Honey.
Everyone’s plate was full and many returned for second helpings, some even thirds.
Lots of snapshots were taken throughout the event. This one is of Peter Maule, EVP Active Outdoor, and Anthony Tutrone, Global Head of Neuberger Berman Alternatives and Managing Director.
In this photo, my longtime Special Projects Producer Judy Morris and Yenelle Jackson, Marquee Brands Chief of Staff.
Here are Office Manager Frank Sanchez and Maria Molloy, Administrative Manager.
Sophie Roche is Senior Marketing Manager for Martha Stewart, Sur La Table, and Emeril Lagasse. She’s standing with Marquee VP Human Resources, Susan Lee.
My Director of Brand Content Strategy Kim Dumer is sitting with My Executive Producer Amy Chiaro. Kim Dumer has also been working with me for many years.
Two more from the Martha Stewart team – Senior Marketing Director Ben Luckadoo and VP Creative Services, Ryan Mesina.
In this photo, Marquee EVP Culinary, Thomas Joseph, is joined by Allison Moore from the BCBG team.
And here are Jenny Levtchenko, Senior Fashion Trend Director and Allison Darling, Art Director for Ben Sherman. It was lovely to see everyone from the various brands together at one event.
Here are Marquee VP of Consumer Insights, Anik Chaudry, and Nick Meistrell, VP Global Marketing from Body and Glove.
And here are Katina Montieth, Marquee Brands Senior Human Resources Director, and Business Systems Analyst, Adam Tipton.
This photo shows Martha Stewart Culinary Director Chloe Zale and Marquee Brands Chief Content Officer, Christian Martin.
For dessert, an array of mini tarts and cookies. It was a delightful gathering for everyone. Happy Holidays!
My farm looks so eerie covered in a blanket of thick fog.
Do you get a lot of fog where you live? My property is in close proximity to a reservoir, where early patches of fog are quite common. Fog is essentially made up of condensed water droplets - a result of the air being cooled to the point where it can no longer hold all the water vapor it contains. It can be thin or thick - sometimes so thick it obscures the road and other objects ahead making it difficult for driving or even walking. Yesterday, I had a dense fog, which covered the area for most of the day.
It was a great opportunity to capture some photos of this atmospheric phenomenon, enjoy.
This is my long Boxwood Allée now covered in protective burlap for the winter. Yesterday, the atmosphere was filled with thick fog. At the end is my stable, but the thick fog makes it nearly impossible to see.
Here is one of my handsome Friesians standing in the pasture. Foggy, wet conditions can sometimes bother horses, but we only got light rain on this day, and plenty of fog that lasted several hours.
Do you know how fog forms? Fog can form in two ways: either by cooling the air to its dew point or by evaporation and mixing. This happens often when the earth radiates heat at night or in the early morning.
Fog happens when it is very humid. There has to be a lot of water vapor in the air for fog to form. This is one section of an allée of lindens planted between two paddocks leading down to my chicken yard.
Here are my five donkeys in another pasture. They don’t seem to mind the weather at all.
This is a southern view looking at my living maze. Hard to see, but my Winter House home is in the distance.
And this is the older Linden Allée just outside my stable. Don’t confuse fog and mist. Fog is denser than mist. This means fog contains more water molecules in the same amount of space. Fog cuts visibility down to six-tenths of a mile while mist can reduce visibility to about one to 1.2 miles.
The thicker the fog, the longer it takes to dissipate. This fog lasted several hours along with light rain showers. This view shows my golden weeping willows.
Here, dozens of geese gather in what I call my “Run In” paddock. Wild birds love to visit my farm. I also see wild turkeys, and raptors or birds of prey, such as hawks, falcons, and turkey vultures.
This photo shows the thick fog through the woodland. But, the foggiest place in the world is Grand Banks, off the island of Newfoundland, Canada. The cold Labrador current from the north and the warm Gulf Stream current from the east create just the right conditions for thick fog to form almost every day of the year.
This fog is in my back hayfield where I grow lots of hay for my horses. Edging the field on one side is a stand of red maples.
At the far end of the back hayfield is my giant sycamore tree, the symbol of my farm. This tree is among the largest of the trees on the property.
Even with the dense fog, my outdoor grounds crew keeps busy with all the late fall chores. Our biggest task right now is to cover all the boxwood shrubs and hedges with burlap.
This is a view of my middle field, another area that is dedicated to growing lots of nutritious hay for my horses. At the left edge is a stand of Japanese zelkova trees, closely related to the elm.
These are also linden trees – half of my long allée that starts at the carriage road to my Winter House and extends north between the fenced pastures all the way to my chicken coops.
This bare tree stands behind my goose pen. Ever wonder why it is called “fog?” One definition of fog from the 14th century refers to tall grasses. Many grasses use fog as part of their name such as Yorkshire fog grass. Fog was also the Danish word for mist or spray in the 16th century. It is thought that the two definitions may have merged when mist was noted over a field of grass.
This is my orchard. Another interesting story involving fog includes President George Washington. During the Battle of Long Island on August 27, 1776, George Washington and his troops were fighting a losing battle against the British. When a thick fog descended on the area, Washington took the opportunity to withdraw thousands of his troops into Manhattan. After the fog lifted, the British descended on the American positions, only to find they had left. The Americans’ miraculous retreat saved their lives.
These are the great Eastern white pine trees on the left. Hard to see their bold green color, but they do stand out in clear conditions.
On this foggy morning it was even difficult to see trees up close. This is my pinetum, or an arboretum of pine trees or other conifers.
Today we’re expecting one to two inches of rain and high winds with temperatures in the 60s – unusually warm for this time of year. And winter officially starts in just 10 days.
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