Taking refuge in my greenhouse, come join me!
Springtime is approaching slowly here in the Northeast and many of my early spring bulbs are flowering. However, the weather this week is cold and damp and I took refuge the other day in my greenhouse. It's kind of amazing how many plants are in bloom there and I wanted to share these flowers with you in hopes that they will brighten up your day.
And here's another thought that may brighten up your day: Just when you need to look at something light, joyful, and happy - take a look at Martha Stewart Weddings The Bride's Guide Blog to enter the latest in the world of bridal.
Brighten my day, indeed! The flowers are lovely.
(Mostly bright days here in San Diego! 80 degrees and sunny today. Can't beat that!)
Posted by: MMC in San Diego | April 7th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Hi Martha, Thank you so very much for this spectacular tour of your absolutely stunning greenhouse! You did it again. You not only brightened my day, but my night as well! These photos are absolutely beautiful and I would enjoy the aroma of the lovely geraniums, but definately NOT the lily in photo #25. We have had fantastic weather the past 4 days and the daffodils, forsythia, flowering cherry trees and dandelions are blooming like crazy. It got all the way up to 70, but will go back to the 50's starting tomorrow with rain returning soon. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted! Hope you get warmer weather soon. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | April 8th, 2009 at 12:03 am
They are lovely Martha #13 & 14 are my favs
Pam From California
Posted by: Pam From California | April 8th, 2009 at 1:27 am
Wow Martha, your flowers are stunning. And I was so pleased to see my favourite Clivia's there. I am from South Africa and we love love love our Clivia's. Here in Egypt of course, where I am living now, there are no Clivia's but I brought some seeds with me and hope to cultivate a plant or two. Your orchids are gorgeous but I must say, I don't know how you can stand that foul smelling plant indoors, the smell must be quite potent. Happy gardening...
Regards
Robyn Kadis
Posted by: Robyn Kadis | April 8th, 2009 at 5:22 am
Hi Martha,
That wasn’t enough refuge – I want to see everything in person! I have always been amazed at the different varieties of plants you grow and you don’t plant just a few, but thousands. And look at all of those orchids. I just wish I could keep one orchid alive. I like that flowering shrublet in picture #5 and of course the Clivia and the Begonias and the….well, I like everything. Even the stinky voodoo lily is nice to look at, it’s rather unique. All those who get to see your greenhouse, your coldhouse and your Bedfordgreyhouse are really lucky but I’m sure they realize that. We’re pretty lucky too with this pictorial tour. Thanks so much! Trish
P. S. I’m watching you getting crafty on the Today Show with marbleizing paper. I think I’d like to try that.
Posted by: Trish | April 8th, 2009 at 7:47 am
WOW!!! Amazingly Beautiful!
Thanks for sharing.
God Bless
Rowaida
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | April 8th, 2009 at 8:02 am
you are so fortunate tohave a green house and all those beautiful flowers
connie
Posted by: connie | April 8th, 2009 at 8:14 am
A greenhouse! That's what I need. Here in Western New York we've had 3 freezing cold nights and days with quite a bit of snow. The golf courses were scheduled to open this weekend but I'm sure there will still be skiing in the southern tier.
The pots of flowers that I bought for Easter are glazed with ice. Yes, I'm thinking greenhouse.
Thanks for the beautiful bouquet of photos, Martha.
Posted by: Cathy-by-the-river | April 8th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Oh Martha, you're such a softie...thanks, it DOES brighten my day!
Peeped at all the photos and ahh...the night blooming Cereus and I go way back. Nice to see it again, and see it taking the #1 pic slot, too. Also nice, Martha, that you included a pic of its bud!
Posted by: tinay | April 8th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Martha,
Don't you just love Spring?! All of my tulips, daffodlis and red bud trees are blooming. It's wonderful to wake up from winter with such lovely flowers.
Posted by: Lisa Shepard | April 8th, 2009 at 10:14 am
The flowers are stunning! Almost makes me want to move out of NYC so I can have a greenhouse!
Posted by: Globetrotting Bride | April 8th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Stunning pics! You're very lucky to have this greenhouse heaven.
Posted by: French furniture | April 8th, 2009 at 10:57 am
I loved the photos of all your flowering plants in the greenhouse. My geraniums that I kept on my windowsill since last summer bloomed all winter long and still have big beautiful pink blossoms on them. I just bought pots of daffodils and hyacinths that are basically just bulbs with a bit of green peeping out. I am nursing them on the windowsill hoping we get enough sun and warmth to make them bloom.
I need a greenhouse.............
Linda
Phila., PA
Posted by: Linda | April 8th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Hi Martha,
If you go over to my blog , I did a tutorial using your products! Thanks! Tilda
Posted by: Tilda | April 8th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
I also have a Cereus cactus and you are right, it is not a very attractive plant, but it has incredibly gorgeous flowers.
Thanks for sharing.
Dana Huller
Maryland
Posted by: Dana Huller | April 8th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Martha, ANY pictures you send our way always brighten my day, especially those that are plant/nature/animal-related!
(This is nothing new, but) the magnitude of your greenhouses! - OMGoodness! The professional operations that go on there (being right there at your very home!) are phenomenal - full-service except they're for personal use. It's pretty neat (and fulfilling!) to grow and provide your own overall landscaping and food for your table!
Some of my favorites were the scented geraniums. To me, their flowers aren't all that great (compared to the larger-blooming garden geranium). Their scented leaves, tho'...THEY'RE what call my name! The up-close begonia blossoms were outstanding, as well as all the numerous orchids and lady slippers. My absolute favorite was the orange clivia! I l-o-v-e orange, and in the garden, not many things bloom the color of orange - maybe some daylilies or 'bulb' lilies (Asiatics/Orientals), a certain rose or canna lily variety perhaps...not much else, though, produces the vivid true orange as clivias.
It's STILL cool here in Maryland, but we did receive muchly-needed rainfall last week. As a result, manymany trees blossomed over the weekend. I'm noticing both saucer and star magnolias in all their glory, along with Bradford pears, leafed-out lilacs, and an open 'blossom' or two on my backyard maple tree. Based on these sightings, I'm confident now that the cherry blossoms are in full-force in nearby (Washington) DC. When things finally warm up - well, look out! Talk about 'glory'! It will be fantastic (except for pollen counts, maybe...)
(A-chooo!)
=^..^=
"When gardening, I have one gift you won't find in the manuals ~ I know it's strange, but I can change perennials to annuals."--Dick Emmons
Posted by: Cindy Bricker | April 8th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Having just hauled all of my 'kitchen garden' containers of tomatoes, peppers, strawberries & herbs out of the garage and back onto the terrace after last night's threat of frost, I envy you your greenhouse! Fabulous invention, that.
Posted by: Holly | April 8th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Hi Martha,
I have lots of pink & yellow cereus cactus outside in So. Calif outside, near the beach. If I find "the spot" for each plant, they do well. One spot is a northern exposure under an awning. Go figure. Another faces southwest behind an enormous bird of paradise bush. The cereus settle in and seem to thrive if left undisturbed in their spot. Their blooms are gorgeous. The pink colors of the cereus are as delicate as the best pink dress a gal ever dreamed of. I am a serious cereus fan.
Posted by: Penny | April 9th, 2009 at 1:09 am
WOW! I am especially interested in the Night=blooming Cereus! I have several of them on my lanai but have never seen one so golden. All of mine are bright white with pink centers and golden pistils with pollen. Several years ago I harvested some seeds from a dragon fruit (smaller that a kiwi or parsley seed, so tiny!) and planted them. I got about 50 plants and shared them with all of my gardening friends but now have three which are about 4-6". I'm sure it will be a few more years before those flower, but I expect the big ones around the place to flower by May.
Posted by: Lisa | April 9th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Did you say that you have 65,000 Daffodil bulbs at your property in Maine?! "Is that 65,000 bulbs in your garden or are you just happy to see me?" Hee.
You may find this anecdote as precious as I do. We were looking at a rental home in the Santa Cruz area yesterday. The owner, a sweet older woman, was moving out and had lovingly nurtured the grounds for decades. As we were touring the gardens my 9 year-old son Marcel said to her, "Your garden reminds me of Martha Stewart's." Such a point of reference for a young boy
Posted by: Sylvie | April 9th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Hi Sylvie - No, not in Maine but in Bedford.
Posted by: Martha Stewart | April 9th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I love your show but please have mercy on the viewers from the upper midwest when commenting on planting etc----it is still very cold here and below freezing each night---not everyone can "get out in the garden".
Posted by: Carol | April 9th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Love your cooking school and craft books. Are you considering a book of all of your "Good Things"? I save many of them and would love to have them all in one book.
Posted by: Lori Phillipi | April 9th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
I feel so fortunate to be expanding my faux and decorative painting business to the Katonah area where I will be adding a studio in my newly acquired home that was built in 1800. It would give me great pleasure to show you the artisic work that my staff and I have been doing in the area (from replicating 200-year-old wallpaper by hand to creating walls that mimic old Venetian textures and more). Contact me and I will make you a wonderful cup of tea.
Posted by: Julia Vosler | April 13th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Re: the Greenhouse!!......is there anything you can't do? I have the cactus thing down pretty good as I live in florida...but I can't get the hang of Orchids....any advise? I just think you're the greatest thing since peanut butter!!
Posted by: Kim Cousins 49 Lakeland, Florida | April 17th, 2009 at 2:12 pm