This time of year, my grove of Japanese maple trees is aglow with autumn color - bright yellows, oranges, and reds.
Many of my Japanese maples are varieties of Acer palmatum - trees that have been cultivated in Japanese gardens for centuries. Over the last several years, I’ve planted many of these trees in one section of a shade garden not far from my chicken coops and tropical hoop houses. They were planted in honor of my late sister, Laura Plimpton, who adored Japanese maples. I always look forward to their gorgeous display every fall. These specimens provide countless variations in size, leaf shape, and color, creating a landscape of beauty and texture that gets better and better every year.
Enjoy these photos. And on this Veterans Day, we honor all the men and women military veterans of the United States Armed Forces who have served and sacrificed to defend our country. Thank you.
Few trees are as beautiful as the Japanese maple. With more than a thousand varieties and cultivars including hybrids, the iconic Japanese maple tree is among the most versatile small trees for use in the landscape. Every year, all of us here at the farm wait for this woodland to burst with color.
Japanese maples are native to areas of Japan, Korea, China, and Russia. In Japan, the maple is called the “autumn welcoming tree” and is planted in the western portion of gardens – the direction from which fall arrives there.
I love the contrast between the bright reds, oranges, yellows, and greens in this grove. The heavy leaf cover on the ground also enriches the soil and adds even more fall color.
But those brilliant fall colors aren’t a guarantee. The colors are a result of climate, weather, and environmental conditions. Here in the Northeast, fall weather usually arrives in September, with temperatures cooling off rapidly at night even when the days are still warm. These cool nighttime temperatures trigger the leaf-changing process. Unusually warm early fall weather may even prevent the leaves from turning red. This is because the color changes occur with gradually cooling temperatures – not cold snaps.
Leaf color best develops when nighttime temperatures remain above freezing but below 45-degrees Fahrenheit. A sudden cold snap could turn the leaves more plum-brown seemingly overnight, skipping the vibrantly red stage altogether.
Here, one can see the leaves transforming from green to dark burgundy.
Red leafed cultivars are the most popular, followed by green shrubs with deeply dissected leaves. The leaves in the Palmatum Group are most typical of the wild species. The leaf lobes are more divided, nearly to the leaf base.
I also have more rare varieties. These leaves are deeply divided, but each lobe is also dissected, giving them a lacy effect. These are from the Dissectum Group.
Japanese maple forms can be weeping, rounded, dwarf, mounding, upright, or cascading.
Japanese maples typically grow about one-foot per year for the first 50-years, but they can live to be more than a hundred.
Any heavy pruning should be done in late winter before leaf buds begin to open. Cut out scraggly interior twigs and branches, but leave the structural branches alone. Small, corrective cuts can be made any time of year. If I can, I like to prune and groom these Japanese maples myself.
Japanese maple trees are particularly suitable for borders and ornamental paths because their root systems are compact and not invasive. Through this woodland grove, they line both sides of the carriage road.
Young trees should be kept moist to prevent their shallow root structures from drying out and weakening, particularly during the hot summer months.
These trees do best in hardiness zones 5 through 8. If you are not familiar with these zones, the United States is divided into hardiness zones based on each region’s weather patterns. There are 13 hardiness zones across the country. The lower the number, the colder the winter. My farm is in zone 6b.
They can withstand very cold temperatures, but in summer, water deeply during dry spells and cut back on the amount of water in late summer to intensify the autumn color.
As young trees grow, their colors become even more vibrant. I love seeing how they develop through the seasons – many have such interesting growth habits.
With the right conditions, the fall colors of the Japanese maple may last for several weeks. Unfortunately, as it gets colder, the colors begin to dull. We are expecting lower temperatures this week.
The best location is a sunny spot with afternoon shade. Red and variegated leaves need relief from hot afternoon sun in summer but need the light to attain full color.
When growing in containers in colder zones, allow the plants to go fully dormant outside and then bring them into an unheated garage or other sheltered, cool area. In warmer zones, place them in a shaded location where they can be protected from drying winds.
I purposely planted my Japanese maples beneath larger trees. The varying heights of these trees also add a nice texture to the grove. I love this grove and continue to add more and more gorgeous Japanese maples to this collection. How are the Japanese maples doing where you live? Stop and enjoy their magnificent color this weekend.
I love container plants, and whenever I am home I always like to keep a collection of interesting specimens on my enclosed porch or in my kitchen where I can see them every day. Most of my potted plants are kept in the greenhouse, so they can be maintained and carefully monitored. This week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, brought in a small selection of potted bird's nest ferns, Peperomia, Chinese money plants, Alocasia, orchids, and two unique and eye-catching Anthuriums.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Not only do houseplants enhance the overall appearance of a space, but they’ve also been known to increase creativity, reduce stress, and eliminate air pollutants. I always keep a small selection of potted plants in my home. They are brought over from my main greenhouse where they spend most of the time.
Before moving them to the Winter House, I wanted several of the plants repotted. Here is Ryan repotting a beautiful Anthurium. Anthurium is a genus of about 1,000 species of flowering plants, the largest genus of the arum family, Araceae. Other common names include tailflower, flamingo flower, and laceleaf.
Here he is potting up another Anthurium. The leaves of these plants are long, so taller, narrow pots are good to use. These pots are made by master potter, Guy Wolff. He says I have the largest single collection of his handmade clay vessels. All my plants look so wonderful displayed in the historical shapes that Guy and his son, Ben, create.
When potting, always place a clay shard over the hole in the bottom of the pot to help drainage. Doing this also keeps the potting soil from falling out.
Ryan adds a handful of gravel to the Anthurium pots in order to increase drainage.
I am a big believer in feeding all plants life – if you eat, so should your plants. My houseplants are given Osmocote. Each granule is covered with an organic resin that regulates the daily release of nutrients.
Ryan sprinkles the fertilizer over the soil after it is repotted.
All the plants are groomed and transported to my Winter House porch. Ryan selects those specimens that are blooming or looking especially lush.
He also selects where they will be placed depending on size, light needs, and how many of each variety he brings in.
Spider plants produce a rosette of long, thin, arched foliage that is solid green or variegated with white. These plants prefer bright to moderate indirect sunlight.
Alocasia is a genus of broad-leaved, rhizomatous, or tuberous perennial flowering plants from the family Araceae. There are more than 95 species native to tropical and subtropical Asia and Eastern Australia. Alocasias have large, arrowhead-shaped leaves with flat or wavy edges on slender stems.
This is a bird’s nest fern. Bird’s nest fern is a common name applied to several related species of epiphytic ferns in the genus Asplenium. It’s identified by the flat, wavy or crinkly fronds. These plants make excellent low light houseplants.
Guests always admire my Chinese money plants, Pilea peperomioides. The Pilea peperomioides has attractive coin-shaped foliage. This perennial is native to southern China, growing naturally along the base of the Himalayan mountains. It is also known as coin plant, pancake plant, and UFO plant.
Peperomia caperata ‘Ripple Red’ has iridescent purple-red leaves with very distinct ripples. The small heart-shaped leaves grow into an attractive mounding habit. Peperomia are great succulent lower light houseplants.
And next to the Peperomia is Calathea – a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Marantaceae. They are commonly called calatheas or prayer plants. These plants do very well in bright, indirect light. This corner of my porch is perfect, and well protected from any drafts.
Just inside from the porch, on this faux boix table in my foyer, are the two Anthurium plants. These two varieties of Anthurium feature large-leaved, deeply veined foliage. All Anthurium like high humidity and warmth. These delicate specimens will return to the greenhouse in a few weeks.
Here is a closer look at the narrow leaves of Anthurium warocqueanum, which can grow to a height of up to two or three feet or more under optimal conditions. Mine is doing so excellently.
And this variety is called Anthurium tamiami. Its leaves are slightly smaller than those of the Anthurium warocqueanum, but more textured and lighter in color.
Caring for orchids can be daunting, but understanding their basic and unique needs, these beautiful plants can thrive in nearly any home. Paphiopedilum orchids are often called ‘slipper orchids’ because of their unique pouch-like flowers. These specimens are easily grown as houseplants, and look wonderful with their striking green leaves. Ryan places this on a table in my sitting room.
In between my kitchen and sitting room is my servery, a room from which meals are served. I often prepare and serve cocktails and other drinks from this space. The center island is often used for displaying plants such as this Brassolaeliocattleya orchid. Brassolaeliocattleya hybrids are a cross of three orchid genera: Brassavola, Cattleya, and Laelia. This one is Blc. Pink Empress ‘Bright Sun’ with its large pink blooms, purple lip, and bright orange throat. I feel so fortunate to have such an amazing collection of extraordinary plants to share with my guests and to enjoy myself.
It’s time to plant all those spring-blooming bulbs!
One of our biggest tasks every autumn is planting thousands of bulbs here at my Bedford, New York farm. Yesterday, we started planting in my pergola garden - one of the first areas I see when I drive into my property. We planted Camassia and several Allium cultivars. This year, I selected bulbs from one of my favorite sources, Van Engelen Inc., a wholesale family-run flower bulb business located in Bantam, Connecticut. I always find it exciting to plant bulbs in the fall that you won't see for many months to come - it's such a wonderful surprise of color when they bloom in spring.
Enjoy these photos.
Our spring-blooming bulbs are here and ready to plant. Every fall when the bulbs arrive, we organize and store them in my garden library. I order the bulbs not only for my farm in Bedford, but also for my home in Maine. Every box is labeled on the outside, so they can be transported quickly to their planting locations.
The first area on the list is my long and winding pergola garden located across from my stand of mighty bald cypress trees and along the carriage road to my home.
I am always looking for ways to improve the gardens. This year I decided to remove all the day lilies from the beds and replace them with other flowers. Brian dug up all the plants carefully, so they could be given away to my crew – nothing is ever wasted.
Meanwhile, Ryan looks through the bulbs earmarked for the pergola beds and decides which ones will be planted where. He refers to the catalog to check the heights of each variety at maturity, so they can be planted appropriately – taller ones in back and shorter ones in front.
The first thing before planting bulbs is to prepare the bed with the proper bulb food. We always add Bulb-tone to our nutrient-rich soil. The food should be a balanced fertilizer that has a good amount of phosphorous. Fertilizing spring-blooming bulbs also helps them fight off diseases and pests.
Ryan pours a manageable amount of fertilizer into one trug bucket before sprinkling over the entire length of the garden bed evenly and generously.
Here is a section of the long garden bed, weeded, cleaned, fed, and ready for planting.
Next, Ryan divides the amounts needed for both sides of the pergola garden. When purchasing bulbs, always look for those that are plump and firm, and avoid those that are soft. Here, we’re planting a variety of alliums and camassias.
Bulbs need to be packaged very carefully to ensure they are kept in the best conditions during transport. Van Engelen uses netted sacs, paper bags, and plastic pouches depending on the bulbs’ humidity needs. The bags are also designed with a number of holes for air circulation and humidity control – some have more, some have less.
Here are allium bulbs strategically placed in the bed where they should be planted. True bulbs can be either tunicate, with a papery covering or non-tunicate without the covering. Allium bulbs are tunicate.
There are several different tools one can use for planting bulbs. Using an auger drill bit attachment specifically for this task, Brian makes the holes wherever the bulbs are positioned.
In general, holes should be three times deeper than the bulb’s length.
One by one, each bulb is carefully placed into a hole, with the pointed end faced up, or root end faced down. This is very important, so the plant grows properly from the bulb.
Among the alliums we are planting – ‘Purple Sensation,’ which are four-inch globes of rich purple flowers on tall stems, Allium ‘Globemaster,’ a tall allium that blooms in early summer with six-inch diameter rose-purple globes, and Allium ‘Firmament,’ with four to five-inch silvery purple globes and somewhat flat bottoms.
Each of these bulbs is planted in a hole at least six-inches deep. There are already many other bulbs planted here, so Brian is very careful when planting additional bulbs in this space.
Spring-blooming bulbs have to be planted in fall when they are fully dormant. Bulbs require a period of chilling to initiate flowers. For most spring-flowering bulbs, 10 to 13 weeks of temperatures below 40-degrees Fahrenheit are needed. Bulbs also need to put down good root growth before they sprout foliage and flowers.
This is an elongated tunicate camassia bulb. And do you know… these bulbs are actually edible? Camassia bulbs were a major food source for some Native American tribes and early European Settlers, but they were very difficult to distinguish from other bulbs, which were deadly poisonous.
Camassia is a genus of plants in the asparagus family native to Canada and the United States. Common names include camas, quamash, Indian hyacinth, camash, and wild hyacinth. They grow to a height of 12 to 50 inches and vary in color from pale lilac or white to deep purple or blue-violet.
I also grow Camassia in this lighter shade of blue. The two look so pretty together in this garden.
Here is a springtime photo of the bed with lots of blooming alliums and camassias.
Here, one can see all the bulbs placed along the bed. Because the pergola garden is long, this bed will need hundreds of bulbs to fill. Most bulbs do best in full sun with at least six hours of direct sunlight a day and well-drained soil.
As Brian plants, Ryan stays ahead of him placing the bulbs. In general, when positioning bulbs in a garden bed, consider color, size of plant, and time of bloom.
Brian waits until all the bulbs are planted before backfilling the holes. This helps to keep track of what is planted where.
Finally, Brian uses a soft rake to backfill the holes and completely bury the bulbs. Our planting project has just begun – I am glad the weather has allowed us a good start this season before colder temperatures harden the ground. If it’s starting to get cold where you are, be sure to get the bigger bulbs in first. I cannot wait to see the fruits of our labor, and the swaths of color that will emerge in spring.
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