Hello September!
I’ve been so busy that I nearly forgot that September is upon us once again! I have noticed that the days are becoming shorter and that the evenings are chillier.  It’s hard for me to believe that the growing season is nearly over and that soon the countryside will be displaying autumn colors. A look around the farm reveals that summer is waning, as the fall crops are flourishing.
1 I know that I've mentioned how amazing the apple yield is this year, but I'm just so excited about it. This laden espalier is a Cortland apple variety.
2 This year, Shaun and I decided to allow pumpkins to grow outside the vegetable garden and climb up the fence for support.
7 This is a forming Turk's Turban - it will get larger and become various shades of orange and green.
10 The raspberries are having a very long season. These golden raspberries are so sweet. Raspberries produce an early-summer crop on the previous season's growth and a fall crop on the current season's growth.
14 The garlic chives are blooming profusely around the vegetable garden and the honeybees are really drawn to the flowers.
18 A nicely mulched pathway to the cutting garden. By the way, this composted mulch was made right here on the property up at the composting area.
19 The sedum flowers are just beginning to turn pink. Sedum are often taken for granted in the garden, partly because they don’t bloom until the fall, but this is what I love about them.
22 Their fleece is highly desirable for making quality fibers for knitting and weaving. The fleece is a dark black or reddish black called cuchddu.







What a fantastic summer! Everything grew so much better than any of us could have imagined.
http://www.meandmartha.net
Your grounds crew do an amazing job! Welcome to fall martha..nice to have you in Maine last weekend!
Dan Viger
Hollis 5 corners, Maine
Posted by: Daniel Viger | September 1st, 2010 at 12:10 am
Fantastic!! Everything looks amazing!!
Posted by: Daniel Viger | September 1st, 2010 at 12:11 am
Oh, Martha!!!!!! What loveliness????!!!!!!
Gloria!!
Posted by: Gloria | September 1st, 2010 at 12:13 am
Firsties!
I can't even begin to fathom that it's September already!!! Ahhhhhhh!
Your gardens are dreamy and you inspire me every day Martha.
Simply stated:
Thank you!
Posted by: Sara Monzo | September 1st, 2010 at 3:22 am
It IS incredible how fast September arrived. The weather here in Toronto, though, still feels very much like mid-July! Many of the pumpkin patches in southern Ontario are already orange, two months before Halloween! It's been a strange growing season, indeed.
I love the photographs of your potted tropicals. They add such dimension and interest to the landscape.
Posted by: Andrew Ritchie | September 1st, 2010 at 6:08 am
Your farm is full of life ... plant life, animal life, and people life!
Your potted plants are gorgeous at all of your homes. Thank you for being so sharing with your homes!
Posted by: Gloria Brown, Winterport, ME | September 1st, 2010 at 7:56 am
Your so lucky to have apples. An early frost left us with one lonely apple on our tree. My father's orchard only has a handful this year.
Posted by: Elizabeth Gleason | September 1st, 2010 at 8:45 am
Hi Martha,
Another good thing about September is….12 more days ‘til show time on Hallmark! I am so looking forward to your show on the 13th, Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn and The Whatever Girls Alexis and Jennifer who I wasn’t able to watch when they were on Fine Living. It’s going to be great and if we have appointments in the morning we can catch your show later on in the day. What a great deal!
~
I love that mulched walkway to the cutting garden. It looks so nice I wouldn’t want to mess it up by walking on it. Ha And of course your tropical plants make my tropical plants look in need of more tropical plants. My sago plant sprouted a new row of fronds this summer and that made me happy. We have date palms at the entrance to our development but I also like them in planters so maybe I’ll pot some of those up. It’s been so hot here I haven’t been too anxious to do a lot of gardening – I’m waiting for cooler days like in the low 80s.
~
Thanks for a September tour of your farm. Everything looks inviting especially the apples! Enjoy your day. Trish
Posted by: Trish | September 1st, 2010 at 9:56 am
You do have a park. Loved the pre-recorded show with Ken Burns and National Parks. Our son took my grandson to Sequoia Narional Park this summer to see majestic trees which inspired his own Dad. They continue living in Paha Sapa, the hills that were sacred long before we were a Nation.
Posted by: ann | September 1st, 2010 at 10:11 am
Martha, thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | September 1st, 2010 at 10:23 am
I agree Martha, sedum doesn't get the kudos it deserves. I personally love the "Voodoo" [not sure the proper nomenclature...] Sedum, deep maroon foliage and extreme pink flowers. I am in Zone 3a, but love a Mediterranean feeling... there are so many varieties that are cold hardy it would make your head spin.
My husband and I have actually been plotting a living wall made out of sedum, after falling in love with the gorgeous succulent walls you find in the desert.
Posted by: R. | September 1st, 2010 at 10:31 am
Hi Martha,
Fist off I love your cook books AMAZING ! my husband to be loves what I cook from it
I have a question for you I am planning our wedding for next August I was wondering where do I start? We are wanting a beach wedding in Tofino B.C CANADA.
Its so over whelming to find that right beach colour combo what do you think? I loved your red and purple combo but is it right for a beach wedding?
Thank you
Morganrose
Posted by: Morgan Corcoran | September 1st, 2010 at 11:29 am
WOW! The farm is so gorgeous on this first day of September...what a hot summer it has been.
Posted by: Teresa Touey | September 1st, 2010 at 11:29 am
Beautiful! I have an Egyptain Papyrus in a big pot right outside my door, and it's starting to turn a little yellow.. Should I bring it inside now or wait a couple more weeks?
Posted by: Josh Osborn | September 1st, 2010 at 11:48 am
Hi Martha, I just love seeing everything on your farm and your farm crew is superb. All of these photos are stunning and how I wish I had more room on my property to grow apples, pumpkins, gourds etc. Your chickens look beautiful and so do those great sheep. The bee hives do look very busy and I'll bet they did a great job this summer. I bought a banana plant at Costco a month ago and it is growing very well. It's a Musa basjoo. Have fun in Stockholm. Will wait for some tweets from you and Kevin. Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | September 1st, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Love your farm and homes! Sending good thoughts and prayers that you and they stay safe from the east coast hurricane. Good luck, and God bless. Pugmother in TX
Posted by: Marilyn in TX | September 1st, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Hi Martha:
I hope nothing happens to Skylands or Lily Pond with the approaching Hurricane Earl. Its a CAT 4 right now and very scary. I know those two homes are close to the shoreline. I will say a pray or two for you.
Beside that, September is here and we are in the midst of the 8th heat wave. I can't say I am not glad to see this summer go. The heat was blazing hot this year.
Glad to see your farm is as gorgeous as ever and I adore your tropical plants in front of the house. I love plants of all types and they are spectacular.
Linda
Phila., PA
Posted by: Linda | September 2nd, 2010 at 10:51 am
I love the changing of seasons! It is always exciting to me!
Posted by: Wendy | September 2nd, 2010 at 2:08 pm
I was looking at the photos, their beautiful of course,especially the cortland apples.I think i would comment on what wonderfull pies they make.Thank you for the really nice photos displayed!Brenda
Posted by: Brenda Cole | September 3rd, 2010 at 11:55 am
happy September... I hope you can read my blog about the month of September called "Postcards" because I'm asking my bloggers to send me postcards the whole month to celebrate my birthday on the 23rd... most importantly I wish you would send me one... crossing my fingers over here!!!
Posted by: Punctuation Mark | September 3rd, 2010 at 5:30 pm
I recently was sent to the Atlanta airport on my way to California. I had a peach cobbler at the Paschal's cafe in one of the concourses. WHOA!!the best ever! The restaurant in Atlanta is famous for it and the owner is 84 and says he will never give up the secret of how it's made. Please send some undercover agents down there and see if you can figure out why it's so creamy and different. Thanks a lot! Mara Littell
Posted by: Mara G. Littell | September 5th, 2010 at 9:00 pm