July 31, 2026
Late July Chores at My Farm
Rain or shine, the work of caring for a farm never stops. Daily task lists keep the farm running smoothly and looking its best.
My gardeners, housekeepers, stable team, and outdoor grounds crew are always busy tackling important chores. During the summer months, that means pruning trees and shrubs, mulching the garden beds, weeding, tending the vegetable garden and of course, providing the best possible care for all the animals.
Enjoy these photos.
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- We’ve had a stretch of strong rain this week, but skies cleared nicely in between flooding storms. Fortunately, with good planning, my crew was still able to get a lot done around the farm.
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- During storm cleanup, Pasang takes down a dying tree in the Japanese Maple Tree Woodland. The tree is secured to another, so it falls in a safe direction away from Pasang and other more delicate plantings.
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- In the foreground is the stump remaining after a dead maple tree fell overnight.
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- Once on the ground, Pasang cuts the tree into sections before loading it onto the tractor for transport to my compost yard where it will be chipped and used for top dressing in another part of the farm.
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- In the maze, Chhiring moves mulch into a wheelbarrow to dress the many shrubs. It’s an arduous job to mulch my three-acre maze, but I am so glad I am able to make all the mulch right here at the farm.
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- Every row is dressed with mulch to improve the soil health, conserve moisture, suppress any weeds, regulate temperature, and protect the plants from any environmental stress.
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- My stable manager, Helen Peparo, rides the horses regularly to keep them mentally stimulated and exercised. I have four miles of carriage road at the farm topped with gravel for good footing.
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- The big peony blooms are gone for the year, but maintenance in the garden continues. Here’s Matthew weeding the long beds. Last spring, I decided to cover the footpaths with weed cloth – doing so cuts down the time used for weeding.
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- Phurba works in another row – there are 11 double rows in all.
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- And my 48-gallon reusable heavy-duty, multi-purpose debris bags are great to use all over the farm. These bags hold hundreds of pounds. Look for them on my shop at Amazon.
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- In my Winter House, Enma cleans the oven. I do a lot of entertaining, so it’s important the kitchen is always in perfect working condition.
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- What’s Pasang doing now? He’s grooming under one of my Styrax japonicus ‘Marley’s Pink Parasol’ trees. I have an allée of these charming trees leading to my tennis court.
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- In the chicken coops nearby, Cesar my resident bird expert, rakes the gravel clean of any old food or debris.
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- Every coop is also cleaned thoroughly once a week to keep the birds healthy and happy.
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- My chickens get the very best care and attention. Here are some of the younger roosters and hens in their clean enclosure.
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- When dry, Adan mows the lawns using our STIHL equipment. Mowing wet grass can damage the lawn, strain the mower, and create safety hazards, so it’s always best to wait until the grass is dry.
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- Behind the chicken coops, the hawthorn trees get a good pruning. The hawthorn tree is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree or shrub, known for its thorny branches, clusters of white or pink flowers in spring, and bright red berry-like fruits called haws.
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- Here’s Pasang carrying away more debris for chipping.
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- Blueberry bushes are checked once again for any ripe fruits.
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- Today is supposed to be sunny to partly cloudy with light winds and temperatures in the low 80s – a good day to finish up the week’s chores and projects.
This story originally appeared on Martha Stewart Blog
