Sour Cherry Farm

We’ve decided to take down the blackberries that we so dutifully planted three springs ago. They’re just too darn onery. And a lot of work. Blueberries, on the other hand, are a lot less work: prune them in the spring and harvest them in the summer. Done. That about suits… Read More →

On the first evening warm enough for a cocktail on the porch, we headed out, blankets in hand. We sipped sidecars as long as we could stand it, then headed in and built a fire in the living room to take the chill off. Well, we’ll be sweating soon enough,… Read More →

After spending all last summer with a big pit in the backyard (aka building our patio), we can’t wait to enjoy time out there this summer. The first warm day this spring, and we are already dreaming of moonlit dinner parties and glasses of wine during twilight twinkling with fireflies…. Read More →

Will this winter ever end?    Related posts: The Snow Finally Melts and We See Signs of Spring at the Farm Snow at the Farm: So We Have Hot Chocolate Snow So High You Can’t See The Sour Cherry Trees Sam in Snow

The family headed for a walk downtown to choose a couple for ornaments for friends at our fabulous Christmas store here in Nyack: Hickory Dickory Dock.  They have all kinds of beautiful hand-blown glass ornaments, painted glass globes, and fun and tacky ones, too. Samantha was dazzled by the lights!… Read More →

After months of patio-project hell, we finally have a new backyard. Just in time for snow. But oh! When spring comes? We’ll be sitting pretty. Finally. Thank goodness! A look at the installation, after the jump. Related posts: Patio Update: The Rock Has Been Crushed Patio Update Patio Update Open… Read More →

The porch and the garden have served us well these past months. But it’s time to start putting the garden to bed for winter. We wrapped the rosemary in burlap, harvested some last crops and put the cushions away in their canvas bags for the season. I also unhooked the… Read More →

Orange tree at the corner of Cedar Hill and Franklin: Related posts: Fall is Here, and We Have Squash for Supper Pre-Theater Dining at Pam Real Thai in Midtown Back to the Real World, Sort of A Tree Comes Down in Nyack

After a long hard summer working on Elizabeth’s Folly, enduring a pit in the backyard, jackhammering a boulder to the ground and laying more than 1,000 bricks, the patio is now done. We are beyond thrilled. More photos, after the jump. Related posts: Almost Done with the Patio! Patio Update… Read More →

We are 20 bricks shy! Can you believe it? Almost done, though!   Related posts: Patio Update Patio Update Patio Update Patio Update

I’d say about 3/4 of the way done.   Related posts: The Patio Work Begins Patio Update Patio Update Patio Update

By 5 p.m., quitting time and cocktail hour, both, we had mad much progress: This included measuring and leveling several jagged corners: And also tamping and leveling the sand underneath the brick: What a pain that part is, let me tell you. It takes two people to slide that 2… Read More →

After tamping the rock, leveling the sand and checking our measurements, Greg lays the cornerstone of the patio. By the end of the day, this is what we’d accomplished: We are on our way, folks.   Related posts: Patio Update Patio Update Sour Cherry Farm Builds a Brick Patio Update… Read More →

The tamping continued. Not much more to report: Related posts: Patio Update Patio Update Patio Update Patio Update

The big pile of gravel in our driveway is known as Item Four. Greg hauled it wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow into the pit, and them tamped it down with a special tool. It is, if you’ll excuse me for saying so, rock solid. Related posts: Patio Update: The Rock Has Been… Read More →

The finishing touches have been put on Gregory’s Portico. Admire, all ye: Related posts: Update on the Patio: Gregory’s Portico Bee Class at Stone Barns Bee Class at Stone Barns Sam’s Stone Barns Onesie

One problem we faced with our new patio: an enormous boulder in the center. We thought about building it into the design. (Maybe a water feature?) But in the end, we decided it was right smack dab in the middle of where everybody needed to walk. So Greg rented a… Read More →

Why yes, of course we’re adding more onto the patio project, which is already way over schedule. This is called “Gregory’s Portico,” and is meant to relieve the rotting problem where the dirt meets the wood at the foot of our garage. We are laying the bluestone down in front… Read More →

We have completed one full part of the patio project. Whoo-hoo! It’s so nice to walk on brick now, rather than dirt and mulch. Go Greg! Related posts: Patio Progress: One Front Walks Is Done! Patio Update Patio Update Patio Update

We have one part of the patio finished: one of the brick walks between the garden beds in the front yard. Hurrah! Here’s a look at Greg’s excellent craftsmanship. I’m so proud.   Related posts: Patio Update Patio Update Patio Update Progress in the Orchards

Here’s what we’re looking at when it comes to our materials. Multicolored brick and Belgian block: Looks heavy. Related posts: Patio Update Patio Update Patio Update Patio Update

I’m sorry I missed capturing video or even photos of this, but Greg rented a jackhammer to try to work down that enormous boulder in the center of our patio. Alas, after 4 hours, it’s still not below the sand line of where we need to lay the brick. Not sure… Read More →

The Bobcat has arrived. Yes, Greg is moving all that dirt into a dumpster. Here he is in action: And here’s the dumpster that received all the dirt. What a project this has turned out to be! Related posts: Patio Update Patio Update Patio Update Patio Update

Greg we have dug 60,000 pounds — or 30 tons, if you like — of dirt out of our back yard. It’s all in our driveway at the moment. Once the pit was dug, we also realized that the ground in front of it was not level. There was a big… Read More →

It looks like the sky is on fire at the farm right now. Too bad about those electrical wires. Though I guess Hopper wouldn’t have said so. Related posts: ‘Edward Hopper, Prelude: The Nyack Years’ and ‘Hopper Happens’

We had a bumper crop of currants this year. Gorgeous! Related posts: Garden Update: Currants, Bees, Apples Garden Update: Sour Cherries, Blackberries, Currants, Asparagus, Alliums, Peonies, Irises, Columbine and More Spring at the Farm: Forget Me Nots, Asparagus, Apples, Black Currants and French Tulips SCF Harvests Blueberries