An old basket now has new purpose here at my Bedford, New York farm.
As many of you know, I am very fond of baskets. Over the years, I've collected quite a number of them from auctions, tag sales, or the talented basket-making artisans themselves. In fact, here at Cantitoe Corners, nestled in a grove of tall bald cypress trees just across from my long clematis pergola is a charming outbuilding dedicated to all my many baskets - some are rare and antique, some are vintage, and some are more contemporary. Recently, I came across an old unique two-tiered woven basket. I knew it would make a wonderful addition to my collection, that is, after a little bit of TLC.
Enjoy these photos.
Here are some of my most loved baskets. When I moved to my farm, I knew I wanted to store them in a shaded outbuilding where they would be safe and organized.
This Basket House is located just down the carriage road from my Winter House. It has windows and a large door for access and proper cross ventilation, and a metal standing seam roof in “Bedford Gray” that should last many years.
A good number of these baskets were used during my catering days.
Early basketmakers selected materials from nature, such as stems, animal hair, hide, grasses, thread, wood, and pinstraw. Baskets vary not only across geographies and cultures, but also within the regions in which they are made.
Basket weaving is the process of weaving pliable materials into two or three dimensional objects – anything that will bend and form a shape can be made into basket. Baskets are made using different techniques, such as “plaiting”, which uses materials that are wide and braid like,”twining”, which uses materials from roots and tree bark. ”Wicker” basketry uses reed, cane, willow, or oak. “Coiled” basketry uses grasses and rushes.
I am always on the lookout for interesting furniture and accessories. Whenever I have time, I enjoy antiquing and scouring area shops. Not long ago, I was at the Antique and Artisan Gallery in Stamford, Connecticut. Look closely and see what I spotted right in the center of the photo…
… A charming old wicker basket. Right away I knew I could put it to good use at the farm.
I dropped the basket off at Curry & Hovis, a furniture restoration business in Pound Ridge, New York, not far from my home. I have had many pieces restored at this shop.
Proprietors Eileen and John Curry are true experts in their craft. They have an extensive knowledge of antiques and have been restoring furniture for many years.
Walking through the door, one enters a real workshop with many stations and many pieces in some stage of restoration.
This side is for surface work and gilding. Eileen is an excellent guilder.
Here is a closer look at the basket. I asked that it be cleaned up and painted black.
The two basket levels would be nice and deep enough for displaying plants.
Here it is all complete – spray-painted a rich matte black. I think it looks terrific.
It was finished just in time for a shoot I was doing at my farm. I decided it was just the perfect piece to hold these blooming African Violets. When using baskets for displaying potted plants, be sure to line the basket with protective plastic first.
Here is art stylist, Lorna Aragon, filling the baskets. The black really makes the the plant colors stick out.
Here is the basket ready for its debut – what do you think?
And here it is with one of my precious chicks perched on top. Don’t worry, it was only there for this quick photo and then safely returned to its enclosure. Refurbishing an old find… it’s a good thing.
If you grow these wonderful fruit trees, the best time to prune them is now - in winter - or in very early spring before any new growth begins. Pruning not only helps to develop proper shape and form, but also encourages new growth, promotes high fruit yield, and maintains good tree health. At my Bedford, New York farm, I have many, many apple trees that are pruned every year. My outdoor grounds recently tackled some near my tennis court.
Enjoy these photos.
Every year, my apple trees produce bounties of delicious fruits. I have many apple trees here at my Bedford, New York farm.
These were some of the gorgeous apples from last fall. The apple tree is a deciduous tree in the rose family best known for its sweet, pomaceous fruit, the apple. I have many different varieties. Some of them I use for eating. Others are better suited for baking and for making applesauce and cider.
This dwarf apple orchard is just behind my long carport and flower room. Father Legendre of Hannonsville, France is credited with pioneering the espalier growing method in 1684. Because sunlight reaches every piece of fruit that these trees bear, espalier pruning continues to be a standard procedure at commercial orchards in France. Traditionally, apple trees were always encouraged to stay shorter, so apples were easier to reach.
A good number of my apple trees are at least 60-years old, so they were already here when I purchased the property.
Apples come in all shades of red, green, and yellow. My fruit trees are extremely healthy, in part because of all the care and maintenance that is done to keep them doing well. They need regular pruning once a year.
This tree is near my tennis court. It is one of several in this area ready for pruning. The tree takes up a dormant state after shedding its leaves and before sprouting new buds.
Phurba Sherpa is a longtime member of my outdoor grounds crew. He is an excellent pruner. Pruning is best completed before growth starts as cuts will heal quickly. There are two main goals of pruning trees. On young trees, pruning encourages a strong, solid framework. And on mature trees like this, they usually already have their shape determined, so it’s important to maintain their shape and size.
I prefer much of the work be done by hand. Smaller twigs are snipped off with regular secateurs. Each member of my outdoor grounds crew has a pair.
The crew also likes to use our STIHL bypass loppers for slightly larger branches up to two-inches in diameter.
Cutting by hand gives my trees a more natural appearance and shape.
And, because my crew is very diligent about keeping all our tools sharp and well-conditioned, the cuts are clean. Pruning cuts should be made fairly flush to the branch from which it grew. The idea is to leave slight stubs. By removing any more, the remaining branch has too much of an opening for disease to enter.
A bow saw, or pruning saw, cuts on both the fore stroke and back stroke and is designed for cutting thicker branches that cannot be removed with secateurs or loppers.
Pasang Sherpa, our resident tree expert, cuts branches that are rubbing or crisscrossing each other, preventing any healthy new growth. Basically, we want 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.
Water sprouts are the thin branches which normally grow straight up from lateral branches and do not bear fruit. These grow very fast every year.
Phurba removes all the water sprouts.
Pruning stimulates the tree to grow more fruiting spurs by eliminating competing suckers and unproductive wood.
As he prunes, Phurba stops occasionally to see how the tree looks – the sections he has pruned and what he still has to do.
After the branches are cut, they are gathered, piled, and then either saved for kindling or processed through a wood chipper and returned to woods.
And here are some of the apple tree buds. Tree fruit have two types of buds, terminal and lateral buds. Apples flower and fruit on terminal buds. A terminal, or apical bud, is located at the tip of a shoot. A lateral bud develops along the developing shoot at the base of the leaf blade.
By late afternoon, these two apple trees look great after pruning.
And so does this one nearby – a big favorite here at the farm. This tree produces delicious green apples. I am looking forward to many lustrous trees heavy with fruits come autumn.
I always enjoy creating flower arrangements and using fresh, fragrant blooms to display in my home. Over the years, I’ve shared lots of information and tips for cutting and arranging flowers.
Yesterday, following a spring themed production shoot, my housekeepers, Enma Sandoval and Elvira Rojas, made several arrangements using the gorgeous flowers left over - tulips, roses, peonies, and lilies. It makes me so happy to reuse and repurpose.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Flowers are enjoyable inside and out. These fragrant roses remind me that warmer weather and colorful garden blooms are just around the corner.
A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae. There are more than a hundred species and thousands of cultivars. Roses come in many different colors, such as pink, peach, white, red, magenta, yellow, copper, vermilion, purple, and apricot.
For this arrangement in a wide-mouthed square vase, Elvira uses tape to give the stems some added support. She cuts strips of tape and begins placing them across the vase in a grid pattern. The tape strips are first placed in one direction…
… and then the same amount going in the opposite direction. Cut any extra tape that lies too long over the edges, so it remains hidden from view. The vase was already filled half way with cool water.
Enma and Elvira remove any leaves under the water line to prevent any rotting and then cut the stems to the appropriate height before placing them in water.
The stems are placed one by one into the vase. Always make sure the stems are sitting in fresh water to ensure they stay hydrated and protected from bacteria buildup. And try to replace the water in the vase daily, as the cleaner the water the longer the lifespan of the arrangement and the flowers.
The tape grid will also help to keep the stems in place, no matter the size.
Enma works her way around the arrangement, filling any empty spaces with flowers.
I like arrangements to be done by color. This arrangement includes a combination of light and dark pink roses.
Almost any vessel or container will work. Think creatively – use pitchers, bowls, antique urns, etc. These are two rectangular glass vases – a bit taller than the one used for the roses. Enma fills three-quarters of each vase with water.
Enma holds the stem up to the vase to see where it should be trimmed. Then she cuts the first flower stem and then uses it as a guide for the others.
When arranging, be sure not to overcrowd the flowers. Too many can prevent some flowers from getting adequate water.
This is an all white arrangement. Most freshly cut flowers should last up to one week if properly tended.
The peony is any plant in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America. Peony blooms range from simple blossoms to complex clusters with a variety of petal forms. The peony is among my favorite flowers.
Here, Enma finishes up a tulip arrangement. Tulip colors can be mixed depending on preference. Tulips have been hybridized in just about every color except blue.
There are currently more than 3000 registered varieties of tulips – separated in about 15 divisions based on shape, form, origin, and bloom time.
This arrangement has lighter shades of green pink, and cream. When displaying roses, be sure to keep them away from heat and bright light, which will shorten vase life.
And her are the lilies. Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with prominent flowers. Lily flowers are large, often fragrant, and come in a range of colors including white like these.
The anthers were already taken off of each flower before the shoot. Pollen is notorious for staining flesh and fabric. Removing the anthers prevents any pollen from getting on the flower petals, which can eat away at the delicate flower parts and shorten the life of the blooms. If you happen to get a pollen stain on your clothing, do not rub. Instead, reach for a roll of tape and use the sticky side to gently dab the area – the particles will adhere to the tape.
Enma arranges them, so they look full from all sides. When cutting flower stems always cut at a 45-degree angle rather than straight across to allow for greater surface area and increased water uptake. Lilies are one of the top cut flowers in the world because of their long vase life and flower form.
And periodically take a step back and look at the display to decide whether any adjustments are needed. Every arrangement is so pretty. While you’re out running errands this weekend, get yourself some cut flowers and bring a little bit of spring indoors.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
