The Latest Pics from my Farm
I’m so happy that all of you have been enjoying my blogs from our trip to Malaysia and to Borneo. Thank you for the great comments. There are more exciting blogs from that trip yet to come. In the meantime, since I know how much you enjoy seeing my farm, I decided to break from Malaysia for a bit and give you a fresh tour around the property. Please enjoy and happy Father’s Day to all of you dads!
1 A very dramatic afternoon sky over my stable
2 The clouds parted, emitting the sun's rays.
3 Earlier that day, Shaun and his crew were weeding a section of the terrace. The allium were spectacular!
4 A perfect purple globe
5 The white garden is next to the driveway.
6 A pure white clematis
7 A lovely species peony
8 A white allium
9 A white beardless iris
10 Dicentra Spectabilis Alba - White Bleeding Hearts
11 The shade garden on the other side of the driveway is so lush this year. The hostas and ferns are amazing!
12 Meanwhile, the painters are sprucing up every building with a coat of stain.
13 The peonies were spectacular even though they were about three weeks too early.
14 The fragrance is always so wonderful!
15 Linda, my farrier, was fitting a horse with shoes.
16 Andrew Beckman - editorial director at MSLO - leading two photographers through the gardens - they were shooting for our digital magazine.
17 When the chickens get hot, they scratch cooling holes in which to sit.
18 I suppose that looks comfortable.
19 They also move to shaded areas of the yard.
20 A visit to the cutting garden - Can you guess what flower this bud will reveal?
21 A brilliant Papaver orientale or Oriental poppy - it always amazes me how they unfurl from such a crumpled state.
22 This white poppy is Papaver 'Royal Wedding.'
23 I don't recall the name of this brilliant red poppy.
24 A herbaceous peony - such a warm shade of pink
25 These pretty pincushion flowers are Armeria 'Bee's Hybrid.'
26 Delicate dianthus - these look hand-painted
27 A very dry stream bed
28 This meadow was freshly mowed. The hay is drying, waiting to be baled.
29 The windrow rake and the baler are standing by.
30 I hope the owls are happy and have babies by now.
31 Some of the old apple trees on the property
32 They have lots of maturing fruit.
33 The white pine trees had so much pollen this spring. Pollen is generated from small, clustered, staminate cones at branch tips.
34 Knocking the branch with a stick produced clouds of pollen dust.
35 Another hayfield drying next to a weeping willow grove
36 These are the same willows newly planted in the spring of 2008. They grow very fast!
37 Mowing a paddock - they get mowed every week or two.
38 More dramatic afternoon skies
39 This is the shade pergola outside the greenhouse. The tropicals are very happy here.
40 The citrus 'grove'
41 In the vegetable garden, this dragon fly is taking a rest.
42 These beds are ready for planting.
43 Wilmer is using a Vibro hand seeder from Johnny's. http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-460-seeders.aspx
44 The Vibro does a very good job of dropping seeds.
45 Red amaranth is also known as Chinese spinach.
46 Overhead was a very curious helicopter, which hovered for quite a while.
47 All the labels are P-Touched.
48 I love soybeans, or edamame.
49 And carrots galore
50 These beds have not been planted yet.
51 Eleven days later, the seeds that Wilmer planted are sprouting nicely.
52 The potato plants look wonderful.
53 The edible pea pods are so sweet.
54 A gorgeous row of lettuce Brune D'Hiver
55 And thank goodness the tomatoes are healthy and strong. Remember the tomato blight of last summer?
56 Peppers and eggplant
57 The clematis pergola with the allium border - Many blooms have already faded.
58 Stunning clematis
59 More
60 And more
61 The nepeta, or cat mint, will soon be harvested for the kitties.
62 The Asiatic lily bed also looks amazing.
63 An early blooming orange lily
64 A terrific yellow with a bold red center
65 A spotless ruby red
66 The fluffy plumes of a smokebush
67 A close up of the plume
68 A purple smokebush glowing in the sun
69 Dominick used the hi-lo to receive a delivery of an equipment part.
70 Just inside the main gate are two magnificent banana plants.
I just loved the pictures of your farm. Peonies, Poppy, white clematis, dianthus, an awesome shade garden - looks so cool. the flowers and plants were so vibrant in color. Thanks Martha for sharing these photos with us. Love you always.
Posted by: scrub body | June 18th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
Extraordinary! I hope you understand that your photos/blog entries are are so educational in informing me/us as to plant organization/placement. Please keep posting! And, of course, thank you.
Posted by: Suse | June 18th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Hi Martha,
Everything looks beautiful as one might expect! I wish I had a tenth of the flowers you grow and room for all of those tomatoes. You have such a nice home; I don't know how you can stand to leave it. I think this is the first time we've seen that view of the gate. It's an elegant entrance and the banana trees add even more ambience. No doubt the helicopter had some curious people who just found out you live there. Your property is gorgeous from all the aerial views I've seen. Well, have a safe trip to Turkey and I'll look for your tweets. Trish
Posted by: Trish | June 18th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Martha, your gardens always look so great!!! I especially like the white flowers. My oldest son, that died after 15 years in the Army, always wanted a white garden to sit in in the evenings. And, he told me before he died that he wanted White Crepe Myrtles on each corner of his grave.
In his honor and memory, I hope, someday, to plant an all white garden for him. If I ever get to do that, I'll send you pictures of it.
Keep the pictures of your farm coming, as I enjoy seeing what you have.
Thanks, Gloria!!
Posted by: Gloria | June 18th, 2010 at 7:13 pm
So lovely....what a beautiful way to end your day!
Posted by: Becky@OrganizingMadeFun | June 18th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
I am interested in what you do with the cat mint for the kitties? Do you put it in a sock. I'd appreciate your comment.
Gail Olson
Posted by: Gail Olson | June 18th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Thank you, Martha, for showing us your beautiful farm. This has been and always will be my favorite part about your blog.
Posted by: Esther | June 18th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
Your gardens are beautiful. I learned from a professor recently that "gardeners are just nicer people" so its great to see that you have so many beautiful gardens. http://tinyurl.com/275jagp
Posted by: Betsy S. Franz | June 18th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
absolutely beautiful Martha! Your farm is such a joy to tour. Great close up of the dragon fly and the chickens. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Libbygirl | June 18th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
Hi Martha, your Farm is simply amazing! It's like paradise. The variety of flowers that you have is incredible, really beautiful. Your staff is doing an incredible job. Thank you so much for sharing them. Your blog is the only one that I follow.
Posted by: Phillippe | June 18th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
I enjoyed these pictures as always, but really wanted to comment on the video of your ad for Macy's, where you fix up the frat house: hilarious! I hope there will be a sequel.
Posted by: Elizabeth Gage | June 18th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Really enjoyed seeing your beautiful gardens, the flowers are just beautiful.Especially liked the poppies, I just ordered some and planted them today, sure hope they are as beautiful as yours! Thank you for sharing your lovely home with us!Wendy
Posted by: Redsoxgal | June 18th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Digital magazine? What digital magazine? Is this something new in the works?
Posted by: Andrea | June 18th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
I didn't know chickens sit in the ground like that. Also never thought banana plants would do so well up north.
Thanks
Posted by: Judi | June 18th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Absolutely beautiful Martha! I would love to introduce you to our house in Mount Lebanon where I enjoy my summer http://www.flickr.com/photos/rowaidafl/sets/72157624307583372/ I hope that one day you and Kevin will honor us with a visit to Lebanon. Wish you a wonderful and exciting summer!
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | June 19th, 2010 at 4:47 am
the link is http://www.flickr.com/photos/rowaidafl/sets/72157624307583372/
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | June 19th, 2010 at 4:47 am
Martha what a magnificant property you have, oh how I would love to come visit.
Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Ann | June 19th, 2010 at 5:57 am
Peonies,Poppies, Lilies...Allium....all so beautiful and inspiring. Thank you for the pictures and ideas for my garden.
Posted by: Sue | June 19th, 2010 at 7:07 am
From our beautiful Florida, I love to see your gardens and homes. They are all pretty, I love to see the seasons changing. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Martha Angell | June 19th, 2010 at 8:35 am
What more can you say than "magnifica"
Posted by: Aussie gal | June 19th, 2010 at 9:21 am
absolutly stunning! thank you martha, for sharing these wonderful impressions with us! i love these organized and straight ways you have planted all your beautiful flowers and vegetables. i do also love soybeans, edamame - a nutrious delicious healthy snack.
thank you.
Posted by: mathias | June 19th, 2010 at 10:07 am
Superb pictures, #13 & 57 among my favourite!
Posted by: durio uno | June 19th, 2010 at 11:20 am
We Malaysian love to eat Chinese Spinach (Pic. #45). Can make delicious soup from it, the red color was naturally produced by this particular spinach.
http://sawanila.com/v10/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/kangkung.jpg
Posted by: durio uno | June 19th, 2010 at 11:26 am
For months I have come to your site and daily enjoy your photos. I am a 60 year old stay at home housewife, your photos not only take me places I have never been, but to places I will never be able to get to. Thank You so VERY much for your wonderful blog!
Posted by: Pam | June 19th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
everything looks so lush and just so beautiful
Posted by: Pam from Indiana | June 19th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
the gardens are gorgeous this year! what do you do with all the flowers???do you take them into the office?
Posted by: jan | June 19th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Hi Martha, Thanks a million for this beautiful, delightful blog about you fantastic farm again! There are two things I would love to do-#1 is to meet you in person someday and #2 is to actually be allowed to take a tour all over your wonderful farm and meet all of your adorable animals!! This blog is so refreshing and warming to look at again and again. It's still rather cool and wet here in the Puget Sound area. My plant sprouting is about a month late and I had to replant my cucumbers because they rotted away. Seeing some of your garden sprouting so well in only 11 days was spectacular! I love how your chickens learned how to keep cool. Your garden crew continues to do a great job. I love all of the photos, especially those of all of the beautiful flowers. My most favorite photo was #70- the main gate to your farm! What kinds of seeds are you selling at Home Depot?! I am anxious to try them out here. Hope you got to Istanbul safely and that you and Kevin are having a terrific time!! Love, Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | June 19th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Thanks for the wonderful pictures. I would love to see closer shots of your stone walls. We are currently putting a dry stacked stone wall on our property, and I would love to see how yours look.
Posted by: Sasha | June 19th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
I just love to see pictures of your farm, it looks like your own little patch of heaven!
Posted by: Diana Zavala | June 19th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Ahhh. I've been waiting patiently for an updated Blog on your farm /gardens!..Well worth the wait, So much fun to see each plant & tree blossom. I also love how you show the gardeners doing different jobs around the property, it is quit fascinating to see. Thank you Martha for sharing your lovely farm.
Posted by: amy Dorval | June 19th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
thank you for sharing the beautiful photos from your farm! I love them EVERY time!! So awesome of you to share the beauty
Posted by: Wendy | June 19th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
WOW! Picture #20 came after several pics of chickens and --I must be tired!-- all I saw in that bud was a CHICKEN! She was curling her head into her wing, as chickens do and there was the red skin above the beak, just above the eye... NOW I see it is a budding flower, because Martha says so, and I cannot see the chicken any more. But when I first clicked my thought was; a green chicken!?!? (P.S. no I am not on drugs)
Thanks to Martha for years of inspiration! Aloha!
Posted by: Lisa in Hawaii | June 19th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Yoohoo Martha and all pals
Happy Fathers Day to all Dads and Grand-Dads.
Kudos to the women who birthed them and raised them to be fine men.
Martha
Your estate is beautiful. Like Heaven on earth.
How about buying a property in Malaysia? To get away sometimes from the harsh winter.
We have a second home ownership policy for foreigners to buy property in our country.
Posted by: Idzan, Kuala lumpur | June 20th, 2010 at 12:24 am
This looks absolutely wonderful. I am once again inspired to spend more time in the garden
BTW: I am traveling to the east-coast now in the beginning of July (Starting in NYC and moving north by car). Could anyone recommend some places to visit and stay along the way until Boston?
Posted by: Chris | June 20th, 2010 at 4:55 am
Your garden is so beautiful Martha. You are such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing them!
Posted by: Vidya | June 20th, 2010 at 6:59 am
Wonderful pictures of the farm. I would find it very interesting to see how hay is baled. Thanks again for sharing the farm with all of us. You know all these wonderful pictures just makes all of us want to come to visit you, the animals and farm one day.
Posted by: Mona C | June 20th, 2010 at 8:32 am
I love smokebush...i had two on my country property 40 years ago. One died after 20 years and the other was still going great near the crab apples when I sold the property a couple of years after my husband suddenly died. I really loved this post...with all the flowers...wish you showed more of the painting as the house looks lovely. Your weeping willow stretch could be more romantic, a bit dull. 50 years ago I used to gaze out my school music room at Weeping Willows and long for my own.
Posted by: http://twitter.com/Geotravel | June 20th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
I believe it's another Poppy, not sure what it is but I will be interested to find out.
I hope you truly, truly are forever grateful for your home there Martha....for me, heaven looks just like that!
Posted by: Bray | June 20th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Thanks Martha. Of course your readers know you love animals. For the bird lovers in the group you may be interested in a woman on Canada's Vancouver Island who makes parrots her life. Wendy needs help. Here is a link to my Word Press blog. http://wp.me/pDQWN-ke You had so many colourful birds and parrots on your recent trip.
Posted by: http://twitter.com/Geotravel | June 20th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Hi Martha! Like Gail above, I am wondering about the cat mint...how do you prepare it for the kitties? Sherri in OK
Posted by: Sherri | June 20th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
I have had the priviledge of seeing your farm first hand and it is breathtaking, as are your pictures. You could take pictures of the same areas on the farm everyday and each day the pictures would be different as it is ever changing. Thank you for sharing your glorious pictures with all of us.
Posted by: Karen Tracy | June 21st, 2010 at 7:01 am
Have you ever considered putting out a book featuring just your farm? It would be quite interesting to see the property in its entirety, beautifully photographed-before and after photos,as well.
I would love to see more photos(on your blog) of your home's interior.
Thank you for sharing your life with us all!
Posted by: Jennifer Weaver | June 21st, 2010 at 7:53 am
Martha, I love the main entrance to the farm! Those banana palms lend such an air of drama and scale. And the 'white garden' looks so elegant. (I also love that spectacular white poppy!) Such lovely surroundings!
Posted by: Andrew Ritchie | June 21st, 2010 at 9:44 am
Very pleasing to the senses.
Posted by: Margie | June 21st, 2010 at 12:56 pm
I do not know what it is about the first pic (#1)...but it reminds me of a medieval castle. How big are the stables? I clicked through the blog but didn't see a full-length shot of the stables. Would like to do so. Thanks.
Posted by: http://twitter.com/Geotravel | June 21st, 2010 at 2:09 pm
Martha,
Your estate photos are, as always, simply spectacular. It's awe-inspiring what you have accomplished and continue to accomplish with your home, farm, and the gardens. Serenity, harmony, practicality, and self-sufficieny all with unbridled beauty and great syle, of course!
We thank-You for your willingness to share with us! I wouldn't know where to begin to comment on your incredible flower gardens. Peonies and clematis have always been my absolute favorites...until I saw your awesome all-white garden. Wow.
It gives me great pleasure to know that you are in charge of caring for such a unique, amazing property and that you're able to find your bliss there everyday. For an entire lifetime of work and dedication helping us to beautify and improve our own lives, it's fitting that you are now the mistress of Cantitoe Corners.
Martha, perhaps, you might consider allowing guided tours for a brief few days each year. A contest maybe or even a lottery. Your ardent fans and loyal followers would be so thrilled to have the chance to visit.
Thanks so much for the blog and have a delightful summer!
Posted by: Joshua | June 21st, 2010 at 3:01 pm
It makes me happy to see how much you are enjoying your farm-I think your father would haved loved your farm.
Posted by: Gretchen | June 21st, 2010 at 5:32 pm
I share all of the comments above. I absolutely love the pictures of your home, gardens and animals. They truly inspire. I think your greatest gift is what you encourage us to do;
to learn, explore and educate ourselves on a daily basis. There are many wondrous things out there!
Posted by: Daphne Grant | June 21st, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Oh, such gorgeous images. This inspires me to add more flowers to my small garden.
Posted by: Meredith from Penelope Loves Lists | June 21st, 2010 at 10:15 pm