To say that it’s been soggy lately would usher restraint and understatement into new chapters. Yesterday’s super saturating deluge came on the heels of day-after-day drizzles and downpours. This evening’s rain drenched orchard snapshots hint at some pros and cons of rain, rain, rain,…
Rain Drenched Orchard (Photo: Geo Davis)
Let’s start with the lush tree foliage and grass. The verdant canopies and remarkable new growth. The ubiquitous green!
No drought here, ladies and gentlemen.
On the contrary, the ground is spongy. Practically boggy. And some vegetable plants in the garden are even slightly anemic, healthy green paling to a sickly yellow-green from wet roots.
Rain Drenched Orchard (Photo: Geo Davis)
The rain drenched orchard nevertheless appears healthy. Lots of baby apples promise a robust harvest in 2-3 months. Unfortunately two applications of kaolin clay — part of our holistic orcharding regimen — have been rinsed off, leaving fruit and leaves vulnerable to pests. As soon as the rain abates for a stretch we’ll apply s third coat.
Hallelujah! The daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva) are blooming. That, THAT is the color and exuberance of early summer. Sometimes known as Fourth of July Daylilies because their bloom time (in the northeast) roughly corresponds to Independence Day, Hemerocallis fulva have begun to erupt into spectacular fireworks-esque blossoms about a week ahead of schedule. Must be the intermittent but persistent rain.
Hemerocallis Fulva (Photo: Geo Davis)
Daylilies Abloom
Although my floral polyamory (flower zealotry?) is wide ranging and broadly inclusive, summertime vibes are captured in a quasi Norman Rockwell way when Hemerocallis fulva joins the fête. What?!?!
No, that wasn’t a challenge — can you work, polyamory, zealotry, inclusivity, and Norman Rockwell into the same sentence? — but I concede a slightly self indulgent surrogate *MAY* have hijacked the keyboard. But I’m back at the helm. Back to basics…
Hemerocallis fulva, the orange day-lily,[3]tawny daylily, corn lily, tiger daylily, fulvous daylily, ditch lily or Fourth of July lily (also railroad daylily, roadside daylily, outhouse lily, and wash-house lily),[citation needed] is a species of daylily…
A daylily by any other name. Hemerocallis fulva by rights (but least applied name.)
Just beginning to bloom in the last couple of days. Should be a tiger orange riot by Indepence Day. And then a chance to gather the expired blooms for a meal or two.
What?!?!
Hemerocallis Fulva (Photo: Geo Davis)
Daylilies are not only edible, they are spectacular…
Let me start by saying that edible daylilies are the common daylily, Hemerocallis fulva, as well as its various Hemerocallis friends and relatives…
Perfect. Hemerocallis fulva is exactly what we have in abundance at Rosslyn, so I declare a feast. But how?
According to Shaw, the best way to dine on Hemerocallis fulva is to sauté the unopened flower buds in butter and salt.
Delicious. Briefly cooked, the buds have a bit of knacken, a German expression meaning a “pop.” Yet the insides reminded me of squash blossoms. The taste? Green, with a whiff of radish and a dash of green bean. Honestly, I’d eat this as a side dish any day, any place. It needs nothing else.
That’ll be clarified butter (aka ghee) for me in order to juggle my lamentably dairy free diet. I’ve also read that the post-bloom flowers are tasty, especially when dried and added to soups and stews. Time for a little experimentation…
“Heaven can wait…” while we enjoy the inimitable crunch of June: French breakfast radishes!
French breakfast radishes: Heaven can wait! (Photo: Geo Davis)
Remember when I asked if you were ready for radish time? Well, it’s upon us. Lots. Of. Radishes. French breakfast radishes, my favorite, to be precise. That slightly spicy, slightly sweet crunch is sooo satisfying. For breakfast. For lunch. For dinner. For snacks all day long.
French Breakfast Radishes
For the uninitiated, I’m a bit of a garden geek. And radishes, in all their punchy, hyper saturated color, flavor, and ASMR glory are one of my early season favorites.
The French Breakfast Radish (Raphanus sativus) is red-skinned root vegetable… with a white splash at the root end… [that] is distinguished by its oblong shape… [and mild flavor] if harvested and eaten early. Widely considered a spring radish, the French Breakfast Radish is ideally grown and harvested when temperatures are still cool. Hotter temperatures increase the “spiciness” (peppery bitterness common to most radishes) and often result in a pithy interior.
So the increasingly hot weather (and the week of rain in the forecast) threaten to abbreviate prime time for radishes. So, we’re enjoying them without restraint!
And not just the tasty red and white roots. We added radish greens to the succulent homegrown spinach we wok-sautéed with garlic and olive oil last night. Sublime.
As with standard radish varieties, the “radish greens” of the French Breakfast Radish can also be eaten. Washed and tossed into a saucepan of olive oil (or avocado oil), garlic, and onion, this wilted green is a delicious accompaniment to just about any meal!
Spring-into-summer is a celebratory parade of gastronomic gateways. Nettles, ramps, fiddleheads, asparagus, rhubarb,… So many seasonal ingredients and tastes. And now it’s radish time!
Ready for Radish Time? (Photo: R.P. Murphy)
These early French Breakfast Radishes are almost impossibly delicious. Crisp and spicy. Uniquely refreshing.
The French Breakfast Radish (Raphanus sativus) is [an] early summer classic — and perennial staple of Rosslyn’s vegetable garden — [that]… tends to be mild (less “spicy” than other standard radishes) if harvested and eaten early…(Source: French Breakfast Radish)
Ready for French Breakfast Radish time? (Illustration: Geo Davis)
Perhaps four years living in Paris account for my preference, but these early season benisons — as enticing to the eyes as to the tongue — beguile me year after year.
Radishes (my favorite are French Breakfast Radishes) celebrate precocious summer’s spicy return with vibrant, bye-bye-mud-season colors, a super satisfying crunch, and tastebud reviving explosions of peppery sweetness. (Source: Radishes and Radish Greens)
Such sweet springtime seduction. Love at first crunch. New and invigorating each year despite familiarity and anticipation.
And that’s just the red and white taproot. To be sure, the tuberous vegetable is what we envision when radishes are on the menu. But they’re only part of the radish time rewards.
Radishes aren’t just crunchy eye candy for crudités. Radishes are nutritious. Especially the radish greens! (Source: Radishes and Radish Greens)
That’s right. The lush greens you snatch to lift a ripe radish from the soil are a delight themselves.
As with standard radish varieties, the “radish greens” of the French Breakfast Radish can also be eaten. Washed and tossed into a saucepan of olive oil (or avocado oil), garlic, and onion, this wilted green is a delicious accompaniment…(Source: French Breakfast Radish)
Whether wilted alone or mixed with spinach and shredded Swiss chard, these nutrient rich greens will improve your plate. And radish greens sautéed then puréed with cream (or nondairy alternative such as Macadamia milk) make a delicate soup as pretty as it is piquant.
High Tunnel Tomato Plants, Take One: Frost Damaged Tomato Plants, May 18, 2023 (Photo: R.P. Murphy)
Sometimes, when I’m trying to explain the many merits of gardening, I describe the cultivation of plants as a quasi-religious force in my life. Sincerely. Hyperbole? Perhaps, but there’s much in the practice of planting and sowing, cultivating and composting, even weeding and pruning and grafting that underpins my worldview, informs my optimism, and provides a circular and self sustaining system of belief and practice. What constitutes a religion is a debate for another blog. But tossing this into the mix may help contextualize the significant ache I was veiling in my recent High Tunnel Hubris post.
I tried to remain matter-of-fact, sidestepping the debilitating discouragement that sidelined me for a day or two after a severe frost shocked dozens of the plants that I’d helped transplant.
High Tunnel Tomato Plants, Take Two: Suckering Back to Life? (Photo: R.P. Murphy)
So… when we jumpstarted our spring starts in the high tunnel, I was fueled with fervor and faith. We’d have tomatoes by the end of June!
But a severe frost reminded us that BLTs and gazpacho aren’t a matter of pipe dreaming alone. Yes, nature humbles.
High Tunnel Tomato Plants, Take Two: Suckering Back to Life? (Photo: R.P. Murphy)
No blame, except my own optimism. I understood the stakes. I understood the risks. And I understood the consequences. Although the perspective is pretty bleak, at this point, I’m tentatively hopeful that some of the tomatoes may recover. If the soil was warm enough, the roots may remain vital. If a sucker shoots in, we can cultivate it into a new plant. The prospect, of course, for tomatillos is less good. But I’m not prepared to give up yet. The possibility of new growth might yet eclipse the discouraging dieback we’re now witnessing. After all, I’m not aware of anyone who has ever died of optimism! (Source: High Tunnel Hubris)
And so I fell back on optimism. Pollyanna optimism. We left the cold-shocked tomato plants in the ground. And little by little *some* regrowth has occurred. A minority, but an inspiring minority of our zapped tomato plants have rebounded, sending up new growth as “suckers” that we’re endeavoring to cultivate into new stems, new productive tomato plants.
High Tunnel Tomato Plants, Take Two: Suckering Back to Life? (Photo: R.P. Murphy)
It’s still early, as you can see in today’s photographs. They may endure. They may thrive. They may produce a robust tomato crop. Or, they may not. But we’re tending them. Loving them. Believing in them. We’re fertilizing these resilient tomato plants with optimism. If fortune so chooses, we’ll have learned from our hubris *AND* we’ll be able to celebrate our wisening with the sweet tangy sacrament of Black Krim and Green Zebra tomatoes!
For the last few years I’ve made brazen claims about holistic, organic gardening and orcharding. No pesticides. No way; no how.
Period.
No exceptions.
I’ve refused to spray our fruit trees to inoculate them against all of the baddies that lurk in an orchard’s tender places. I’ve refuted the discouraging oracles who assure me that I will fail; that a successful orchard requires, requires, pesticides and fungicides; that neighboring fruit tree growers will consider my bad judgment not only an ill-informed mistake but a dangerous threat to their own trees.
Apple Blossom, Spring 2016
I’ve soldiered on, resolved to make Rosslyn a toxin-free, organic, healthy environment. I’ve poured over alternative gardening, lawn maintenance and orcharding resources. And I’ve experimented. Sometimes successfully, sometimes unsuccessfully. The orchard alone has required about a 5-10% replant rate over the last 3+ years. Which is discouraging. And frustrating. But it’s also remarkable that most of the trees have survived and thrived!
But I am slightly evolving in my thinking. Less dogmatic. More informed. And my black and white “Pesticides: No Way, No How” line in the sand is yielding to alternative, non-toxic, but considerably more proactive approaches to fruit tree growing. (Much credit is due to Michael Phillips (Grow Organic Apples: Holistic Orchard Network) among other holistic orchard mentors. Thanks, Sir Phillips!)
Last summer I added three new “tools” to my orcharding, and I’m going to focus on each of the three in separate posts in order to keep the topics focused and useful to others exploring the realm of healthy, non-toxic fruit tree propagation. Here are the three:
Holistic Orcharding: June pears (Source: Geo Davis)
I’m excited to report that we may finally be able to enjoy Rosslyn peaches, nectarines, and even a few pears and apples this summer. For the first time since we began planting an orchard, several trees have matured enough to set fruit.
Fruitful Orchard
Holistic Orcharding: Mulberry fruit ripening in June (Source: Geo Davis)
Holistic Orcharding: Mulberry fruit ripening in June (Source: Geo Davis)
Those bright red mulberry will darken as they soak up sun and begin to sweeten. They’re still pretty mealy (though the birds don’t seem to mind at all!)
The photograph at the top of this post shows a couple of small pears. A couple of pear trees set a pear or two last summer, but they dropped (or were eaten by critters) before I ever tasted them. Most of the pear tress are still fruitless, but a couple small green and red fruit are looking promising.
Holistic Orcharding: Young peaches in June (Source: Geo Davis)
For the first, our peach trees are setting fruit. Heavy winds and rains have resulted in steady fruit drop, but I’m guardedly optimistic that we may actually be able to sink out teeth into a few fuzzy, nectar-sweet peaches soon.
The peaches are the most fruitful of all the trees at this point. In fact, a couple of trees are so laden that I’ll probably begin thinning fruit as they grow larger, culling the runts and least healthy fruit and leaving the best.
The photo below on the left offers a wider perspective on a fruitful peach, and the photo on the right shows a young and almost equally fruitful nectarine tree.
Holistic Orcharding: Young peaches in June (Source: Geo Davis)
Holistic Orcharding: Young nectarines in June (Source: Geo Davis)
The three nectarine trees are 3-4 years younger than the peaches, so I’m curious why two of them are already setting fruit. The third nectarine tree has never been very healthy. Dwarfish and sparsely branched, leafed, I’ll try for one more summer to help it along. If it doesn’t begin to catch up, I’ll consider replacing it next year.
Like the apricot that I replaced this year…
Holistic Orcharding: Transplanted apricot tree (Source: Geo Davis)
We’ve struggled with apricots. Few of our apricot trees are thriving, and one died last year. We replaced it this spring with the Goldicot Apricot above, the only variety that seems to be adapting well. I can report good new growth so far on the transplant, but another apricot has died. Both are lowest (and wettest) on the hill, so I plan to address the drainage this fall. Perhaps the heavy clay soil and high spring water table is simply to much for the apricots to withstand.
Deer-full Orchard
Unfortunately it’s not all good news in the orchard. We remain committed to our 100% holistic orcharding (thanks, Michael Phillips!) mission, but we’re still playing defense with Cedar Apple Rust and other pesky challenges. I’ll update on that soon enough, but there’s another frustrating pest that provoked my frustration yesterday.
Holistic Orcharding: Apple tree browsed by deer (Source: Geo Davis)
Can you see the munched leaves and branches?
Holistic Orcharding: Apple tree browsed by deer (Source: Geo Davis)
Holistic Orcharding: Apple tree browsed by deer (Source: Geo Davis)
Ive you look just below center of this photograph you’ll see where a large branch has been snapped right off. It was laying on the ground below. Also plenty of smaller branches and leaves chewed.
The two apple trees which were targeted by the deer were planted last spring. They’d both established relatively well, but they were short enough to offer an easy snack. We keep the trees caged during the fall-through-spring, but we had just recently removed the cages to begin pruning and spreading limbs (see red spreader in image above?), so the trees were easy targets.
And there’s worse news.
Holistic Orcharding: Young persimmon tree browsed by deer (Source: Geo Davis)
That’s a young persimmon tree that we just planted a couple of weeks ago. It was a replacement for a persimmon that arrived dead from the nursery last year (another drama for another day…)
Not only did the deer browse the persimmon, but it ate both leads, presenting a serious hurdle for this transplant. Not a good situation. I’ll pamper this youngster in the hopes that one of these blunted leads will send up another lead, or—more likely, but far from guaranteed—a fresh new lead will bud and head skyward. Fingers crossed.
For several years I’ve been absorbing holistic orcharding and gardening wisdom from Michael Phillips. I no longer recall how I came across the pied piper of organic, non-toxic fruit tree propagation, but it’s quite possible that my first introduction was an article in Mother Earth News titled, “Organic Apple Growing: Advice From Michael Phillips“.
If you’re uninitiated, Michael Phillips is the owner (along with his wife, Nancy, and their daughter, Gracie), steward, and chronicler of Lost Nation Orchard in New Hampshire. His book, The Holistic Orchard, is the bible for organic apple growers. Here’s a trailer for the companion DVD, Holistic Orcharding.
Whether or not “Organic Apple Growing: Advice From Michael Phillips“, the article in Mother Earth News, was my introduction to Michael Phillips’ ideas about holistic orcharding, there are some great takeaways that I’ll highlight here:
Q: How big of a hole do I need to dig for planting a tree? A: The size of the tree hole needs to be large enough to accommodate the roots without bending them. A 3-foot diameter hole generally fits the bill. (Source: MOTHER EARTH NEWS)
Q: A friend told me I should buy a mycorrhizal product to boost the growth of my trees. Does such a product have any worth? A: Plants have developed an incredible symbiotic relationship with certain fungi to help get nutrients from the soil, as well as to ward off pathogenic organisms. An apple tree has specific mycorrhizae that interact with its roots in the humus layer in these ways. You can inoculate your soil by finding a healthy wild tree and then bringing a few scoops of the soil beneath its branches back to your ground. Ecosystems adapt to the needs at hand without our necessarily having to buy a packaged product. (Source: MOTHER EARTH NEWS)
Q: Some bug is tunneling into a lot of my fruit when it’s just the size of a nickel. What’s up? A: We deal with two “petal-fall pests” in the eastern half of the United States that easily could be your culprits. Plum curculio larvae get their start in a crescent-like scar the female weevil makes to prevent the growing fruitlet from crushing her egg; European apple sawfly larvae first scratch the surface of a pea-sized fruitlet, and then go on to eat the seeds in another three or four fruitlets. (Source: MOTHER EARTH NEWS)
Q: What’s up with the new kaolin clay spray? A: Those petal-fall pests identified above can be held effectively in check with a nontoxic white clay covering applied over the entire surface of the tree. The kaolin clay panicles confuse the insect adults and prove incredibly irritating… Application begins as the blossoms start to fall and needs to be thorough. It takes two or three initial sprays to build up a thick enough base to repel these insects. Renew the clay weekly for the next month. (Source: MOTHER EARTH NEWS)
Q: Why did my grandparents hang open jugs of vinegar and molasses out in the orchard? A: Such homegrown traps usually target adult fruit moths such as the codling moth. Unfortunately, all sons of bugs end up drowning in this brew, some of which might have been beneficial allies. I prefer to control codlings moths with well-timed sprays of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a biological pesticide stomach-specific to caterpillars. Others have had some success wrapping corrugated cardboard around the trunk of the tree, where the larvae crawl to continue their development. Then at the end of the summer, the cardboard is removed and burned. (Source: MOTHER EARTH NEWS)
Q: When do I hang those red sticky ball traps? A: Apple maggot flies (AMF) are the culprits drawn to these effective traps. The new generation emerges from the soil beginning in late June, with females seeking fruit in which to lay eggs throughout July and August. The sticky balls mimic the best apple to be found in the orchard. The female alights on the trap and stays put because of a layer of sticky goo called “Tangletrap” covering the red sphere… Two to four traps per tree generally suffice to keep AMF larvae from ruining a good harvest. I set out traps on early maturing varieties by the first of July, then scrape off the dead flies and renew the sticky material when moving the traps to later-maturing varieties in early August. (Source: MOTHER EARTH NEWS)
Just as there’s a time for asparagus (and tulips and dandelions and radishes and maple syrup and…) there’s a time for artichokes. As it’s only just beginning, today’s post is more of a prelude, an artichoke time prequel.
Artichokes Ready to Transplant (Photo: R.P. Murphy)
Look at those healthy artichoke starts ready to transplant into Rosslyn’s garden! We were actually ready a week ago, but the damaging cold snap tempered are enthusiasm. So we post plowing to our planting until we know that temperate weather is here to stay.
Artichokes Ready to Transplant (Photo: R.P. Murphy)
At this point, we’re probably safe, but if you more days of delay, can’t hurt. We’re still crossing our fingers and waiting to see if any of the frosted tomato plants recover, so at this point, we’re experiencing the gardener-equivalent of “gun shy”, I guess.
Once these beautiful thistles are thriving in the ground, I will post an update. And then, the next magical moment will be the formation of the chokes!
Spring along the Adirondack Coast tempts us with plenty of enticing seasonal flavors, but a personal favorite is the sweet tart medley of local maple syrup and homegrown rhubarb. Although we’re still a little shy of rhubarb time, the maple syrup is standing by, and my imagination is conjuring up this springtime staple. It’s as perfectly paired with a steaming cup of morning tea or coffee as with grilled protein and a spring mixed green salad.
Rosslyn Rhubarb Time (Photo: Geo Davis)
The images in today’s post, rhubarb photos that I posted on Instagram back in 2021, were inspired when Pam thrust a healthy handful of rhubarb stems into my grateful paw one morning. They’re a pinch more poignant now because our rhubarb crowns were accidentally rolled under last spring and we haven’t yet propagated a new generation.
Now that I’ve dangled the palate puckering temptation of rhubarb sautéed in maple syrup I’m going to ask your forbearance as I take a brief detour. I’ll get back to the super simple recipe in a moment.
But first an amuse-gueule: rhubarb haiku.
Rosslyn Rhubarb Time (Photo: Geo Davis)
Rhubarb Haiku
Still chill, spring soil parts.
Green, red, unclenching, stalking,
sweet tart rhubarb.
When spring’s still inhospitable weather and clammy soil don’t seem to suggest this potent plant coming forth, just then, it does. Courageous and colorful. A fist unfurling from the earth, stretching out into impossibly lush, almost tropical, foliage. It is rhubarb time again.
Perhaps this tangle of tartness and sweetness, cool climate growth and tropical semblance, is the allure of rhubarb time.
Rosslyn Rhubarb Time (Photo: Geo Davis)Rosslyn Rhubarb Time (Photo: Geo Davis)
Rosslyn Rhubarb Time
Rhubarb was one of my first forays into homegrown edibles back in 2007. I transplanted several crowns from my parent’s Rock Harbor property. We did not yet own the acreage west of the barns, so I hadn’t even begun to conceive of the gardens and orchard that we’ve been fortunate to develop since acquiring the first portion of our backland from Greystone in 2008/9.
I propagated the transplanted rhubarb crowns directly to the south of the carriage barn within the stone foundation of a long gone lean-to addition to the barn that may have at one point housed animals judging from the fertile soil. Combined with sunlight and heat reflected off of the carriage barn’s southern facade, this proved a productive microclimate for rhubarb (and asparagus) in those early years.
When fortune cast her benevolent gaze upon us, allowing us to add +/-28 acres to Rosslyn, I transplanted the rhubarb (and the asparagus) to a new location about 100 feet west of the carriage barn, where the plants would benefit from plenty of sunlight. These hardy perennials served as reliable forerunners for today’s productive vegetable and fruit gardens.
Their propagation served another symbolic, if sentimental, importance to me. Both — Rosslyn’s rhubarb and Rosslyn’s asparagus — were transplanted from existing beds that my mother had previously transplanted from our childhood home (see “Homeport in Wadhams, NY”) to Rock Harbor a couple of decades prior. A continuity reaching back to childhood, a lineage of homes, and a meaningful association with my mother, the self taught gardener who exposed me as a boy to the uniquely fulfilling practice of germinating, propagating, cultivating, harvesting, preparing, and sharing homegrown food. A perennial interconnectedness.
Rock Harbor Rhubarb Time
Turning back the clock a dozen years to May 31, 2011 I posted about harvesting Rock Harbor rhubarb some 5-6 years prior. (If lost in the math, the following refers to the time when Susan and I were contemplating the still-unlikely possibility of moving from New York City to the North Country. Rosslyn was still more playful pipedream than reality.)
We walked down the road from the tennis court and stopped off at my parents’ house, still closed up for the winter. It would be several weeks before my parents arrived in Rock Harbor for the summer, and by then the asparagus would have gone to seed, so we picked enough for dinner and enough extra to bring back to the city for another meal.
I also picked a fistful of rhubarb to sauté with maple syrup for dessert. Susan disliked rhubarb, but I loved the lip puckering tartness. The taste transports me instantly to The Farm. (Source: The Farm)
Rock Harbor Rhubarb (Source: Geo Davis)
Much as our Rock Harbor rhubarb bridged time and place, Rosslyn’s rhubarb had become a seasonal reconnection bridge to a timeless tapestry of family, gardening, meals shared, and home oases.
Before I slide further down the slippery slope of sentimentality, I’d better get on with that recipe!
Maple Rhubarb Recipe
This maple rhubarb recipe may well be the simplest how-to you’ve ever come across. Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest!
Trim rhubarb ends to remove any leaf remnants (which are toxic to humans due to high levels of oxalic acid.)
Trim rhubarb ends to remove earthy bits.
Chop rhubarb into 1/2″ to 3/4″ pieces.
Fill a saucepan about halfway full of chopped rhubarb, and place on low heat.
Add a cup of water and a teaspoon of vanilla.
Cover the sauce pan and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring periodically to ensure even sautéing.
Once the rhubarb has begun to break down evenly, add a dash of cinnamon
Add maple syrup to taste.
Top this quick dessert/snack with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or a dollop of vanilla yoghurt. (If you’re dairy free, as I am, substitute your preferred alternative!)
The sweet tart flavor profile of sautéed maple rhubarb is so unique, so scintillating, so memorable that my taste buds are tingling as I write these words. Enjoy.
A major upgrade to the Emmet Carter website incorporating recent green design projects prominently features Rosslyn. I’ll excerpt a few descriptions and some of photographer Nancie Battaglia’s interior images in the post below.
Welcome to Rosslyn
Rosslyn is a stately Federal home on the shore of Lake Champlain in Essex, NY. This circa 1823 property, includes a turn-of-the-century Eastlake inspired boat house, an expansive carriage house, an ice houe, and thirty acres of sprawling Adirondack gardens, orchards, meadows, forests and cross country ski trails. (Emmet Carter)
Living Room
Rosslyn Living Room (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
The detailed trim work and built-ins throughout the room are all new, customized to match existing Federal wood patterns in the home, and comprised of FSC woods and with no toxic glues. Green design details throughout including: rugs are hand made wool from Tibet, the floors are new FSC beech wood, the couches are custom and entirely organic, the white upholstered chairs are sustainable from Lee, and the French chairs are antique and re-upholstered with natural linen and a cotton jute batting. The coffee table was handmade of walnut by the owner’s brother. All the fabrics in the room are natural and organic and all the wood and paint finishes are natural and non-toxic. Two original fireplaces transformed into gas stoves heat the room on demand for company and in-floor hydronic radiant heat stands by for additional warmth though even in frigid winters has never turned on because of the efficient and warm rooms that surround on all sides.
Rosslyn Living Room (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
The west wall of the living room and the Xian Warrior replica from China look onto the screened porch addition. The paneling is new and inspired from the house’s existing trimwork and other historic Federal precedent. The windows and french doors are new, efficient, double glazed from Marvin. The sconces are antique from the Federal period, and the side chairs are antique french (from a Parisian flea market), re-upholstered in a french inspired cotton toile fabric. The floors are FSC beech with a non-toxic sealer. (Emmet Carter)
Dining Room
Rosslyn Dining Room (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
Rosslyn’s dining room served as the previous owner’s wood working shop in the decades prior to our rehabilitation, but enough details remained (or were reconstructed from drawings and photographs) to return this elegant space to its former glory.
The custom built-in storage piece by a local craftsman was the perfect solution for a small space and a great need for barware storage beside the bar and dining room. It mimics the shape and detailing of the window opposite it, as does the new trim around the new door to the dining room. The lovely painting completmenting the area is by local artist Liz Wilson. The floor is new, local FSC cherry wood with a non-toxic finish. All the paints are non-toxic, no VOC. (Emmet Carter)
Parlor
Rosslyn Parlor (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
The fireplace is original and the mantel was a reproduction of the original trimwork from 1823, finished with no-VOC paint. The painting above the fireplace is by local Adirondack artist, Paul Rossi. The curtains are inspired by Federal patterns, and comprised of an embroidered silk from Kravet and tassle trim by Samuel and Sons, and are doubly interlined with natural cotton for thermal barrier from lakefront wind. The chair is antique French from a Parisian flea market, upholstered in a green silk velvet. The corner piece of salvaged wood was handcrafted in the Adirondacks by the owner’s brother. It opens to reveal a mini bar, glassware and bottled spirits. (Emmet Carter)
Bar
Rosslyn’s bar and stairway to game room and wine cellar. (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
This eight foot wide new addition, in the footprint of an historic porch, now mirrors the existing wing on the other side of the house to add symetry to the Federal house. Additionally, it offers space for a bar, half bath, mudroom and staircase to the finished basement. Green design features include the double paned Marvin windows which offer nice views of the lake and south yard, allow large amounts of sunlight to warm the house in winter, and large breezes to enter in the summer. The new addition also insulates the large, historic living room. The honed marble floors conceal efficient radiant heat, and the customized bar cabinet is recessed into the area where an exterior window once stood. Recycled PaperStone tops the bar area and half bath vanity down the hall. (Emmet Carter)
Breakfast Room
Rosslyn Breakfast Room (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
This is our favorite place for meals during the day, with a view of the north lawn, stone walls, birdfeeder and lake. The table is antique, probably from a farm, complete with multiple knife indentations, the placemats are handmade from sea grass, the irregular ceramic dinnerwear is from Viva Terra and the glass candle holders that are continually used are made by the nearby and talented Vermont company, Simon Pierce.
Four framed art pieces depict the four seasons of China, and the Marvin double paned windows depict our four seasons of the Adirondacks. The seat cushions were custom made of organic cotton, the background bench was hand carved in the Adirondacks by the owner’s brother and organic fruit and drink complete the natural setting. (Emmet Carter)
Kitchen
Though the architect insisted that the existing kitchen be bumped out for a better lake view, and alternatively suggested putting it in the historic living room for an open kitchen, family space, we reminded him that we would not be disturbing the historic footprint of the Federal home and that our “family” consisted of the two of us and a dog. Therefore, though he thought the space entirely too small for a kitchen, we used it as such, as it had been for many years, and it is the perfect size for two people who do a great deal of cooking and entertaining.
Rosslyn Kitchen (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
Our eight year old nephew chose the color, which reminded him of green apples and grapes. It worked, and around the green walls we added custom wheat board non-toxic cabinetry and trim with Federal details, and granite from India (Okay, the only green design aspect of these countertops is the color, considering the fossil fuels that it took to haul the stone here, but the surface is very practical, beautiful and resembles marble more than granite, and we’re big fans of India having recently visited there). The floor is new FSC beech wood, the fabric all linen from Schumacher and Zoffany, and the stove is a white Viking. We achieved the lake view after all by putting a second sink in the island which faces onto the adjoining rooms’s lakefront windows. (Emmet Carter)
Master Bedroom
Rosslyn Master Bedroom, East Elevation (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
Rosslyn’s master bedroom spent several decades as a demo’ed-to-the-studs, leaky, uninsulated storage space for construction materials, firewood, tools, and miscellaneous household odds and ends. I’ll add a post eventually that chronicles the full evolution of our bedroom, from dismal dump into our favorite room in the house. With windows on three sides, matched fireplaces, elegant but functional built-ins, a private balcony and a magnificent morning and afternoon view this space has become an oasis of calm and privacy.
Rosslyn Master Bedroom, West Elevation (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
And that sofa at the end of the bed? A cozy seat with a view, yes, but first and foremost it serves as throne for King Griffin, our Labrador Retriever. Although, as you can see in the photo above, why occupy the throne when the bed’s even softer and more spacious?!?!
The master bathroom is an indulgence. All of the bathrooms were well finished, but for our own private space we wanted to capture some of our favorite elements – voluminous, marble mosaic tiled shower, handsome soaking tub, paired sinks, radiant heat and towel bar, and a separate commode room – into a comfortable and minimalist bathroom. We also designed a custom cabinet that now stands between the two windows to store toiletries and balance the white massing. All told, we feel super pampered every time we brush our teeth or wash up.
Guest Bedroom
Rosslyn Guest Bedroom (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
This room features all natural and organic fabrics, an antique Italian chair and English dresser, paired with a locally made Vermont bed and side tables (with no toxic finishes). The high bed allows guests to look out of the large windows to the enchanting Lake Champlain and Vermont Green mountains. Guests can adjust the window treatments to allow the flood of light at dawn into the room fully with the windows exposed, or to allow a filtered light with sheer linen roman shades, or to witness it at a later hour by closing the doubly insulated full length curtains. In the winter the insulated panels block any drafts from the lake. The matching bedside lamps are repurposed vases brought back by hand from China and inspired the room’s color scheme and the silk rug and curtains. (Emmet Carter)
Study Bathroom
Rosslyn: Study Bathroom (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
This bathroom arrived as an afterthought, and was carved out of the room that housed the master bath. Though its adjoining room is a study, it might easily be used as a bedroom by the current or future owners, so it seemed prudent to add an adjoning bathroom for convenience and resale value. At the top of the stairs it also works well as an additional bathroom for overnight guests, dinner guests or party guests. The rich brown limestone and white ceramic subway tiles add contrast, warmth and pep to a small space, and the gentleman who occupies the office next door appreciates the definitively masculine room complete with some of his favorite artwork and reading materials. (Emmet Carter)
We removed the dropped ceiling in the attic guest bedroom, trimmed out the beams and added built-ins (with FSC wood and no toxic glues) for maximum storage and efficiency.
Green design elements include the solid wood bed and tables are were custom made nearby in Vermont with a non-toxic natural oil finish while the chair is a re-upholstered antique, and the decorative dresser was made in India.
All paints and finishes are non-toxic and VOC free, all the fabrics are from natural fibers and the wool rug is completely non-toxic as well.
Because the stairway to the attic is very narrow, a normal king mattress would not fit, so we purchased an organic natural rubber king that comes in pieces, enabling easy transport up to the room.
This quiet bedroom, surrounded by in-wall sugar beet foam insulation and the inviting bed, wrapped in soft organic fabrics ensure that guests never want to leave. (Emmet Carter)
The attic guest bathroom is popular with guests. The inspiration, from the owner’s love of the Caribbean and the Lake Champlain waters that lie beyond its walls, led to a waterlike color scheme with recycled glass tiles and nautical fixtures. The deep tub, hand friendly fixtures and large tiled surrounding allow easy bathing for visiting children and luxurious soaks for visiting adults (the floor features a suite of kid and adult guest rooms). The large surrounding also distributed the weight of the tub over a larger area in the third floor of an old home. The double sink vanity features a clean white marble. A seperate third sink and toilet are down the hall allowing multiple guests access to sinks at the same time. Everyone’s favorite feature is the recycled floor tiles, which, with rounded edges feel delightful under bare feet. (Emmet Carter)
What Did I Miss?
There are other spaces (like a small gym, a pantry/laundry and a “bunk room” for visiting children) that aren’t included in this post. I’ll include a few additional interior photographs from this series below, and one of these days I’ll also add a post with all of Nancie Battaglia’s exterior photographs of the house plus her images of the outbuildings. But for now, I’ve already maxed out the page load time, right? Onward!
Rosslyn Screen Porch (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
Rosslyn Stairway to Wine Cellar and Game Room (Credit: Nancie Battaglia)
Last fall Susan and I were roaming Old Montreal when we discovered several artichokes plants alive and thriving. I couldn’t believe it. So I did a little research.
Lo and behold, I discovered that the Imperial Star hybrid is able to grow and produce as an annual even this far north. So, in addition to the Cuore Di Bue tomatoes, Imperial Star artichoke are on my “Must Plant” list for summer 2011.
Burpee offers the seeds, so I’ve just placed the order. Here’s how they describe Imperial star artichokes:
“Grow your own artichokes and enjoy the large, edible flower buds at their prime. Attractive plants with grey-green foliage grow 4′ tall with a similar spread.Grows best in full sun. Produces buds the first year. High yields of sweet, mild tasting flower buds, 4-1/2″ in diameter, which are very slow to open when mature.”
Starting next month I’ll be germinating my first ever homegrown artichokes to be propagated this summer in Rosslyn’s vegetable garden. Optimism abounds!
