My Farm at the end of March
With hints of spring in the air, things are very exciting at the farm. Plants are emerging from the soil and spring flowering bulbs are beginning to bloom. The grounds crew has been working diligently cleaning out garden beds and clearing and chipping downed branches from the many winter storms that we experienced. Please enjoy these photos of what’s happening at my farm.
1 A shipment of horse bedding was delivered and the grounds crew loaded it into the stable loft.
2 Once again, the Hi-Lo came in very handy.
3 Chhiring Sherpa supervises from below.
4 Pete and Purba are hard workers!
5 Betsy keeps the hayloft very neat and tidy.
6 Meindert having a snack
7 This is the allee of linden where we planted 116,000 spring flowering bulbs, a mix of nine different kinds of blue flowers.
8 The first of 20,000 crocus tommasinianus ‘Whitewell Purple’ have started to emerge.
9 So very pretty!
10 My adorable pair of Black Welsh Sheep have been very happy.
11 Dolma on her way to the paddock with Rinze
12 Daffodils ready to pop with witch hazel trees in the background
13 More pretty crocuses beneath a tree
14 The Japanese maple grove has been spread with seedless hay to prevent weeds from growing.
15 The cutting garden is located adjacent to the chicken coop.
16 All of the tulips Shaun planted last autumn are growing strongly and I can't wait for lovely arrangements.
17 After storing the bags of horse bedding, the grounds crew resumed their chore of clearing all the winter storm damage.
18 The wood chipper has been used a lot lately - unfortunately, way too much, in my opinion.
19 Tiny white crocuses blooming near the blueberry pergola
20 There are many more flowers this year, which means the bulbs are multiplying nicely.
21 The gooseberry patch
22 With leaves unfurling on a gooseberry bush
23 Colchicum usually blooms in the autumn, but this variety blooms in the spring.
24 A thicket of scilla, perennials in the hyacinth family
25 A better look at these delicate blooms
26 Deep purple crocus blooming beneath the bald cypress grove
27 More crocus blooming
28 The vegetable garden is in the process of being newly composted and roto-tilled.
29 The rich compost is made right here at the farm.
30 It's wonderful having such a valuable resource so readily available.
31 Wilmer and Ryan, the new gardener, are reconfiguring the vegetable beds.
32 They are careful to make even and straight lines.
33 I like the way things are shaping up.
34 At the far end of the vegetable garden, brightly colored rhubarb is looking strong and healthy.
35 Inside the greenhouse, many vegetable seeds have been started.
36 Inside the cold house, we've had beautiful lettuces and vegetables growing all winter long.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
Martha I love the spring too! I've some of those early bulbs growing too! And I love to walk through my small garden and see signs of spring. Isn't it amazing how it happens every year!
Posted by: Barbara | March 31st, 2011 at 12:49 am
Martha, are your green houses and cold houses heated at all during the winter?
Everything looks great after being buried under so much snow for so long. You have so much to look forward to.
Sadly, most all of my Spring flowers have already bloomed, so keep showing us all of yours, please.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | March 31st, 2011 at 12:57 am
Martha it sure does look like Spring is in the air at your farm. It's going to look amazing when all the flowers just burst open with color. I have to say I was so happy to see this blog this morning and not the turkey feathers being plucked. I caught that blog first thing yesterday and within minutes it was pulled. I'm thinking that your Vegan show and turkey plucking didn't go well together.
Anyway, can't wait to see pictures of the farm when everything is in bloom.
Posted by: Ann | March 31st, 2011 at 6:36 am
so exciting...
Posted by: Teresa Touey | March 31st, 2011 at 7:01 am
I have never looked at blogs before but I find myself on this site every morning. I have also signed up for your living magazine and squeeze in your show during the week. Thank you for letting me into your extraordinary life, very impressive, Very Freshchester.
Posted by: Mairead | March 31st, 2011 at 7:22 am
Spring is definitely welcome here as Alabama experienced a really harsh winter. Your gardens are always such an inspiration & encouragement for us to get out and do a little more around here.
I do have a question, are your gardens all for show and educational purposes, or do you preserve and use a lot of the things you grow?
Posted by: Jennifer | March 31st, 2011 at 7:37 am
Amazing! The bulbs are so beautiful.
Posted by: Janette@ | March 31st, 2011 at 7:44 am
when you were a little girl, did you ever imagine you would have an empire. i would love to be you for just a few minutes in the morning when you wake up and survey your kingdom. congrats. it must have been a very hard and long trip for a woman to accomplish so much. that's why whenever anyone says anything unkind, i say and if she were a man, you would applaud him. can we please have the old martha catalog back and do more episodes from your homes like the old shows
Posted by: chris | March 31st, 2011 at 8:26 am
Beautiful. It takes a lot of effort to keep a gentlewoman's farm gentle. However, I'm surprised that with your sustainable living sensibility, you continue to rototill your vegetable garden every year. I've learned this disrupts valueable soil ecosystems and unnecessary if raised garden beds are dressed with a hefty layer of organic material in the fall and if raised garden beds are not walked on. This keeps the soil so soft and friable there is no need for a shovel when planting. Earthworms will flourish, castings and all, and their burrowing helps areate the soil, just one of the ecosystems referred to above.
Posted by: TommyBoy | March 31st, 2011 at 8:46 am
Wonderful farm. Thank you for airing your vegan show yesterday and for taking such a strong stand for farm animals and their welfare. It was very informative, enlightening and the guests were top-notch. Thank you again for being outspoken on issues such as these.
Posted by: Julia | March 31st, 2011 at 9:58 am
Hi Martha,
It seems like you were just showing us pictures of snow that wouldn’t go away and now some of your flowers are blooming. I can’t wait to see all the bulbs you ordered from the Netherlands when they are in bloom and also the 1000 tulips Shaun planted last November or December. I figured out you have about 20 different varieties of tulips which is amazing. I just wish I could grow one bulb but I guess our weather is not appropriate. I do pretty good with seeds though so I can’t complain too much.
~
I can’t believe I’m not too sleepy this morning considering I stayed up to watch you and Alex on HSN last night! Your crafting products are fabulous, especially the punches, the paper, the embellishments…well, everything. I have to say I don’t do a lot of paper crafts but I’m thinking about getting into it especially after seeing the cards and envelopes the two of you made. I can see why crafters get so excited when you come out with new stuff and it appears those punches are indestructible which is good because it is very annoying when things break after a few uses. I’m watching the cake decorator on the show right now and she’s pretty amazing too - such patience to make those cakes! Trish
Posted by: Trish | March 31st, 2011 at 10:14 am
So do your trusting dogs Fran and Sharkey keep the racoons at bay. I have few spring bulbs/flowers because they sit in trees watching me work. At night they scamper down at destoy/eat all the previous day's process.
I would think environmentally active that you are the stall bedding would be bulk and forgo all that plastic wrap and labor. At least get bigger bags. But plastic is plastic.
Posted by: Margie | March 31st, 2011 at 10:45 am
Hi Martha, So glad to see how beautifully spring has sprung at your beautiful farm. It's so great to see dry grounds, garden soils and roads there. Yes, it's spring here in the Puget Sound area, but the rain and wind just won't quit and I can't get my planting areas ready to plant quite yet. These photos are once again very terrific. Your grounds crew is doing a superb job again and I just love seeing your garden area being ready for planting. Your chickens, sheep and horses sure look happy. Sure was fun seeing you and Alex on HSN last night and can see you again at 9AM this morning. Sure hope you didn't lose you voice. Take care and have a great day! Waiting to see you wherever I can find you on Hallmark, etc. today! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | March 31st, 2011 at 10:48 am
Yesterday's (3-30-11) Martha's show featuring all Vegan, very appreciated, and Martha seems more sincerely interested now. Being a 40 year vegetarian, and grandmother & mother to all vegetarians( 3 daughters, 2 sons, 5 grandchildren), but having grown up an unhealthy meat eater in Dallas, Texas, I can only say, "finally....." The Food Network is so behind & not that enjoyable any more, so much meat. Thank you again.
Posted by: Barbara Penaroza | March 31st, 2011 at 11:39 am
It is time to get out and get ready for another gardening season...your emerging blooms look about the same as the ones here on the West Coast...our hyacinths are about to pop open, the daffodils are in a holding pattern and i see our rhubarb poking through as well. Love this time of year. All your blooms along the allee are going to be spectacular and i look forward to seeing this space in bloom. I know we can look forward to many more pictures as things start to open up...thanks for sharing!
Posted by: sherey | March 31st, 2011 at 11:58 am
I completely adore your farm. Your horses are so beautiful! Spring is right around the corner and I can not wait to see how colorful your farm will be by June! Have a wonderful day.
Posted by: Tiffany | March 31st, 2011 at 12:14 pm
Martha, I just can't put in words how beautiful and wonderful it makes me feel to see these pictures of bulbs pushing through, the beautifull soil, the trees, the gooseberry bushes. Spring, new life, how amazing. Can't wait for your bulbs to open! Thank you!
Posted by: Frances | March 31st, 2011 at 1:17 pm
I have been thinking of plant bulbs within my lawn, especially my side lawn that is not very dense. I see your selections are small, close to the ground and I assume are mowed over when grass is longer and bulbs have finished blooming. I would like some ideas of what bulbs to use. Thanks
Posted by: Susan | March 31st, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Lucky you and the animals, too, for living in such a glorious place. It takes a lot of hard work but it is so worth it in the end.
Thanx for sharing with us.
Posted by: Carol | March 31st, 2011 at 1:36 pm
It is wonderful to see new life springing up from the grounds in Springtime. Your photos depict this with such beauty. You are lucky to have such a diligent crew to keep everything humming along. Thanks for sharing these images. Have a great Thursday. -Al
Posted by: Al | March 31st, 2011 at 1:48 pm
Home ownership is not as easy as it might look. Realtors do want us to buy and sell as you pointed out on your show today. When I see FOR SALE sign, I think seller must want to make money. We have watched Health care options taken from us in the United States and I love my home of 50 years and will be so happy to stay in it for another 50, but that is a fantasy, too. Your honesty in saying "I own too many homes" is just one more reason, people respect your views. Spring has NOT sprung here.
Hope we make it to green grass is our wish and our livestock will have it better then as well
Posted by: ann | March 31st, 2011 at 3:23 pm
I can hardly wait for the full bloom of the bulbs under the allee of linden!
Posted by: Teri | March 31st, 2011 at 4:56 pm
My mother always said " when you plant bulbs you live forever....."
Posted by: Miss Holly | March 31st, 2011 at 11:14 pm
I am in agreement with others...please tape a show or two from your home. I am in awe of everything that happens on your farm. Such a wonderful place to live and experience life!
Posted by: Teresa | March 31st, 2011 at 11:19 pm
Thank you for sharing the pics! Love that stone on the outside of your feed building...is that where the horses stay? Beautiful!!
Posted by: Rene' @ Bargain Hoot | April 14th, 2011 at 11:11 pm