It's February - and that means here at my farm it's time to start some of our flowers from seed.
We sow thousands of seeds every year - all those wonderful seeds I enjoy purchasing during my travels, and seeds we order from our favorite sources. Among them - Floret, a family farm and floral design studio specializing in organic, handcrafted arrangements for special events. Located in the Skagit Valley, outside Seattle Washington, owner Erin Benzakein has created a thriving business - in fact, she was one of our American Made Honorees in 2014.
This week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, planted a selection of dahlia seeds from Floret.
Here are some photos.
Dahlias are among my favorite summer blooms – those gorgeous, bright, and colorful flowers that open in late June and last all summer until the first autumn frost.
Dahlia is a genus of tuberous plants that are members of the Asteraceae family and are related to the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia. Dahlias are named after 18th-century Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. He actually categorized dahlias as a vegetable because of their edible tubers. The tubers are said to taste like a mix between potatoes and radishes.
I always pick many dahlias from the garden to use in arrangements around my home. These flowers give off a stunning show with blooms ranging from small to giant dinner-plate size.
This arrangement in glass is in my Winter House sitting room. Dahlias come in white, shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, shades of purple, and various combinations of these colors – every color but true blue.
Floret works hard to find the very best cut flower varieties – their selections are based on scent, stem length, and overall quality.
This week, my head gardener Ryan McCallister, started four dahlia mixes from Floret – Bee’s Choice, Cancan Girls, Petite Florets, and Shooting Stars.
Dahlia Bee’s Choice includes a wide range of flower shapes, sizes, and colors with open centers that attract pollinators. (Photo from Floret)
Dahlia CanCan Girls features tufted blooms in all shapes and sizes, many with the anemone flower form. The color range includes reds, maroons, pinks, purples, and many bicolors. (Photo from Floret)
Dahlia Petit Florets is a mix of soft pastel tones, including peach, apricot, dusty rose, lavender, sun-bleached raspberry, and buttercream. (Photo from Floret)
And Dahlia Shooting Stars is a mix of star-shaped flowers, including single, collarette, orchette, and orchid types. (Photo from Floret)
When starting from seed, it is helpful to use seed starting trays. These trays provide controlled environments that help ensure moisture levels are consistent, preventing seeds from drying out or becoming waterlogged.
And it is best to use a pre-made seed starting mix that contains the proper amounts of peat, perlite, and vermiculite.
Here, Ryan is filling the trays with soil, making sure each cell of the tray is filled to the top.
Then, using his fingers, Ryan makes a shallow hole in each cell. The hole needs to be big enough for the seed to be dropped in and then covered with more soil mix.
Small wooden markers identify the specific cultivars, so we can keep track of varieties that grow best in my gardens.
Dahlia flower seeds are brown to black in hue and generally about a half-inch long.
Here, Ryan drops the seeds into the cells by hand – one in each cell. Seeds are usually started about two months before the last frost in the area.
Markers are placed in the trays to indicate what seeds are in each row. Seedlings should start to appear within 10 to 14 days.
Once the entire tray has been seeded, Ryan adds a light layer of soil to cover the seeds.
And then he gently pats the soil down, so there is good contact.
These trays will go into our commercial-sized Urban Cultivator. In several weeks, these young plants will be moved into larger celled trays, and then finally out into the garden come late spring.
And by summer, this garden will be full of colorful dahlia blooms once again. And by the end of the next growing season the dahlia seeds we started will have produced viable dahlia tubers that can be dug up and stored with all our other dahlias. If you haven’t already, maybe this weekend you can start some of your own dahlia seeds indoors. But, if you haven’t ordered any, don’t worry, you still have time.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, no one ever passes the donkey paddock without saying hello to my five fun-loving donkeys - Rufus, Clive, Billie, Jude “JJ” Junior, and Truman “TJ” Junior.
This quintet spends most of the day outdoors in a paddock just down the carriage road from my home. Like many animals, donkeys are happiest when outside where they can roam, roll, and play. These donkeys also bray quite a bit - one can hear them from across the fields. In the afternoon, the five are brought back into the safe and warm stable, where they are groomed and fed.
Enjoy these photos.
One look at my donkeys in the morning puts a smile on anyone’s face. Here are three of my five donkeys, the boys – Clive, Rufus, and Truman “TJ” Junior.
Every day as soon as the sun is up, all the donkeys are let out into their paddock. Ideally, the outdoor space should consist of donkey-safe grazing pasture, and at least half an acre of land – more if possible.
Here are Rufus, Billie, and Jude “JJ” Junior in front of their run-in shelter. When the weather is wet or windy, donkeys need access to a warm and dry shelter.
Do you know… a donkey is capable of hearing another donkey from up to 60-miles away in the proper conditions? They have a great sense of hearing, in part because of their large ears.
Donkeys are herd animals, so they don’t like being separated from other members of their pack. I am very glad all five get along very well. The donkey or ass is a domesticated member of the horse family, Equidae. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African wild ass, E. africanus. The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years.
Here comes Clive – always wanting to be where the action is.
Here are my two younger donkeys, Truman “TJ” Junior and Jude “JJ” Junior – affectionately named after my grandchildren. They joined my stable in May 2019 and are doing great. These two are very bonded and are never far apart.
Truman Junior is about eight years old now and a little taller than Jude Junior. Male donkeys are called jacks.
Jude Junior is about six years old. Female donkeys are called jennets or jennies. Jude Junior is the second jenny to join my herd – Billie is also a female donkey.
Here’s a photo of the girls – Jude Junior and Billie.
We repurpose natural elements here at the farm whenever possible. We put tree stumps in the paddock – the donkeys love to nibble at the bark and rub up against the wood and scratch.
On this day, Truman Junior, was being playful – hiding behind the manger of hay. During winter, when the grass is dead, or at other times of year when there’s not enough, we supplement with good quality meadow hay made right here at the farm.
The thing to remember, however, is that donkeys cannot be overfed. Eating too much protein and other nutrient-rich foods can make them sick. They also tend to gain weight very easily. I am very glad these donkeys are in good shape.
By late afternoon, the donkeys are ready to return to their stalls for supper. Here they are waiting to be walked to the stable – they know when it’s time. Donkeys require a diet low in protein, sugar, and starch, but high in fiber.
Donkeys are calm, intelligent, and have a natural inclination to like people. Donkeys show less obvious signs of fear than horses. Rufus and Truman Junior look over their gate eager for their grains.
The donkey’s sense of smell is considered to be similar to the horse. Donkeys greet each other by smelling and blowing in each other’s nose. The smell of breath imparts important information to the donkey. I think Billie is sniffing for a treat.
Although donkeys are very conscious of safety in their surroundings, they are also quite curious.
The girls always want to know what “the boys” are doing. They have this step, so they can see into the stall next door.
The boys are also just as interested to know what their girl friends are up to.
All the donkeys have very different and fun personalities. Donkeys have a reputation for stubbornness but this is because of their highly developed sense of self-preservation. It’s difficult to force or frighten a donkey into doing something that’s contrary to its own best interest or safety, yet they continue to make us laugh with their comical and friendly demeanors.
Like many of you, my kitchen is the main "hub" of my home. It's where I eat meals, meet with staff, and do a lot of my paperwork. It's also where my four dogs spend most of their indoor time - at my feet keeping me company. But, with so many animals the marble floors must get washed and vacuumed frequently. And after time, the grout between the pavers loosens and chips away. Yesterday, I decided it was time to repair the grout and my old floors, so I got to work.
Enjoy these photos.
Early morning, after my hair was done and before I left for a busy work day in New York City, I had just enough time to grout my kitchen floors. It may sound funny, but I got the job done in about 35-minutes while also answering calls and planning calendar commitments with my executive assistant.
These floors are from a home I once owned in Long Island. They are its old garden pavers. Both the tops and bottoms were so nicely aged – stained from earth and grass, I loved them and had just enough of the timeworn stone slabs to cover my Winter House kitchen and servery floors.
Here’s my beautiful Chow Chow, Empress Qin. She and my other dogs are in my kitchen when not outdoors – relaxing on the cool marble and waiting, hoping for nibbles and treats from anyone.
Unfortunately, all the traffic and cleaning wear on the floor joints and every few years the grout loosens and chips.
I walked around my entire kitchen and servery and placed a sticky note next to every section of grout that needed refilling. Most were in front of the sink…
… by the doors…
… and near the counters. There were also some spots to fill near the cappuccino maker and in front of the refrigerator.
Before doing any grouting, my housekeeper, Elvira Rojas, vacuumed the cracks thoroughly.
Grouting repairs like this don’t require a lot of equipment. For this job, I mixed a little cement with some polymer modified un-sanded grout. These are available in hardware stores and tile shops.
I added some water and according to manufacturing instructions mixed the powders together in a disposable container until it formed a paste.
Here is the grout mixture in a natural cement color.
Using a soft, damp sponge, I wiped the area clean.
Next, using a plastic disposable spoon, I packed and smoothed the grout into the joint. One could use a tile float, but for small areas, these spoons do a great job – so flexible and light.
Lastly, I removed any excess grout using the sponge.
It is also important to use protective gloves, so none of the material comes in contact with skin, which could cause irritations.
The material dries quickly, but each area only took a few minutes to clean, fill, and wipe. I worked in one direction, so I could make sure I caught every joint that needed repair.
Here is another joint after it is filled with the grout.
Any excess is easily wiped away. I also removed any grout that accidentally got on the marble.
Here is a closer look at one of the joints I grouted. The color will darken over time.
One by one, I filled the cracks. I actually find it quite pleasing to do these projects.
At the door to my courtyard is a bigger repair area. Here, I used the margin trowel to fill the void with the grout mixture.
I made small batches of filler as I worked, so nothing would be wasted in the end. And don’t worry, the dogs were outside. They desperately wanted to come back in, but I didn’t want them to get any of the grout on their feet.
And in just about a half hour, I was done. All before a full day of work. I hope this inspires you to get some of those small DIY projects around your home finished and checked off the everlasting “to-do” list.
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