October 3, 2026
Early October Chores Around My Farm
What chores are you up to this weekend?
Every day I am home or before leaving for a busy day at work, I tour the entire property and make detailed lists of everything that needs attention. Maintaining my home as well as a farm of this size is a tremendous responsibility and requires constant care. My gardeners, housekeepers, stable team, and outdoor grounds crew follow an ever-changing list of projects – from pruning and trimming trees and shrubs to weeding and cleaning garden beds, storing seasonal equipment and supplies, bathing and grooming my pets, and so much more. It’s the steady, often behind-the-scenes work that keeps my farm beautiful, productive, and running smoothly throughout the year.
Enjoy these photos.
-
- My Cantitoe Corners Farm sits on more than 150 acres. It’s a large property filled with both mature and developing gardens, groves, and allées. It takes a lot of work to keep it all in proper working condition, but I keep on top of all the tasks that need to be done from day to day.
-
- Down in my Japanese Maple Woodland, branches are gathered for pick up and chipping.
-
- Pasang Sherpa is my resident tree pruner. He does a wonderful job overseeing the maintenance of all the trees here at my farm. As he picks up branches, he also trims those that are broken or in need of removal.
-
- In my Equipment Barn, Phurba Sherpa organizes and ties stakes used every summer to support my herbaceous peonies. I designed these myself and had them made specifically for my garden.
-
- Instead of rings that are available at many garden centers, each of these metal supports has two eyes, one at the top and one in the middle. The stakes are about three feet tall. These stakes will be stored until the peonies begin growing again next spring.
-
- Occasionally, I redecorate my homes with items I already have. My housekeeper, Elvira Rojas, carefully moves a collection of pottery from one building to another.
-
- This day was unseasonably warm. My stable manager, Helen Peparo, gives Bond a quick cooling bath after a ride around the farm.
-
- Bond enjoys the cool water, and stays very still for Helen. Helen also uses this time to inspect his coat for any abnormalities.
-
- My Fell Pony, Banchunch, also gets a cooling rinse, but look closely, I think he wants to help.
-
- There’s lots to do inside too. In my Winter House, bed linens are folded right out of the washing machine and before they are ironed to keep wrinkles at a minimum. If you also prefer to iron your bed sheets, take them out before they are completely dry, which makes wrinkles easier to remove.
-
- Sheets are ironed on a mangle, a mechanical device that was designed to apply even pressure to fabrics in order to smooth out wrinkles. Pati irons as soon as the sheets are ready.
-
- Phurba uses our STIHL HSA 140 T Cordless Battery Hedge Trimmer to lightly groom the golden barberry outside my Winter House.
-
- This hedge trimmer is powerful, yet light, making precise cuts with ease.
-
- Here is the upper terrace parterre after the barberry is trimmed. Golden barberry can grow more than a foot every year. It is good to trim and shape hedges regularly, so they do not become too unruly.
-
- Phurba also uses a battery powered handheld blower from STIHL to clear any barberry debris. This blower is less noisy and perfect for around my Winter House.
-
- Matthew tends to a newly planted Metasequoia or dawn redwood – securing it to a bamboo stake so it is more sturdy as it becomes established. Don’t confuse the Metasequoia from the bald cypress. To tell the apart, Metasequoia leaves are bright‑green needles arranged in opposite pairs, while bald cypress leaves are feather‑like needles arranged alternately along the stem.
-
- Matthew uses nylon tree straps to secure the young tree to the bamboo. I always teach every member of the crew to twist the twine into a figure eight before knotting, so the tree or vine or cane is not crushed or strangled.
-
- Every day, Elvira cleans the faces of every cat in my Winter House. Not only does this keep them tidy, but it’s also a good way to make sure there are no present irritants or skin conditions affecting them. Dahlia is very good when groomed.
-
- Daily brushing is especially important for long‑haired cats, whose fur is prone to knots and mats. Chrysanthemum loves to be brushed.
-
- At the end of the day, Enma wipes down the ovens in my kitchen. Doing this regularly saves time and effort later.
-
- In the late afternoon, rain showers fell over the farm, giving all the gardens a good drink. I hope you’re getting all your early autumn chores done this weekend.
