Mid-August at my Farm
In mid-August, activity at the farm slows down considerably. A lot of pruning and trimming is going on along with plenty of weeding. You may recall that last August around this time, we were rushing around in preparation for Hurricane Irene, a storm that wreaked havoc for many. Hopefully, we won’t get sidetracked like that again this year. Today’s blog is an update of what was going on at the farm while I was away in Maine, enjoying time with family and friends.
1 Apple harvest time will soon be upon us at the farm. Many of the trees are laden with fruit, like these in the apple espalier grove.
2 The spectacular and complex looking passion flowers are blooming on the clematis pergola now that it's late August.
3 The edges of the carriage roads were being trimmed.
4 A taut string keeps the lines straight.
5 Three years ago, this very tall upright hornbeam hedge was pruned in a classic European fashion. I really like the way it looks and have it pruned in this shape ever since.
6 The Hi-Lo is used to expedite the process. The top rail of the platform cage is also used as a cutting guide.
7 The finished hedge looks so fabulous!
8 After pruning the hornbeam hedge, Wilmer trimmed back the nepeta, or cat mint, which will be dried and stored to use as stuffing for cat toys.
9 More pruning was being done in the azalea garden. Ryan thinned out many lower interior branches of the bushes.
10 Billie, one of the miniature Sicilian donkeys, was having a fetlock issue due to overeating rich grass in the paddock. She simply had become too fat! We decided to brown part of the paddock by covering it with dark plastic, killing off the grass beneath.
11 In the meantime, when poor Billie wasn't confined to the donkey stall in the stable, she spent time outdoors in a small pen, preventing her from eating too much.
12 The plastic sheeting was held down with bales of hay.
13 After about a week's time, when the plastic was removed, the grass was indeed, brown.
14 A small fence was installed, confining Billie to the browned area. Donkeys do not know when to stop eating.
15 Because those bales of hay got wet with rainfall, they were put to good use in the Japanese maple grove.
16 The hay was strewn beneath the maples as a mulch to keep the weeds down.
17 Once a year, when two of my horses are transported to Skylands, my home in Maine, the stable gets a thorough scrub down. The stalls are emptied and Gelbu power washes all surfaces.
18 The stall mats are removed, power washed, and dried in the sun.
19 Fresh bedding is laid in the stalls.
20 Sasa, who did not go to Maine, spent longer hours outdoors while the stable was getting detailed.
21 Sasa enjoyed Rutger's company.
22 Driving through the deep woods, bright color was found in the shade garden surrounding the woodland folly.
23 These unusual plants are arum, commonly called Italian arum. Arum flowers in the spring and in late summer, after the leaves die back, only a thick spadix, covered with bright orange-red berries remains. They are so much fun and so unexpected!
24 Another woodland beauty with pale gray berries upon red stems
25 This is the new storage unit, which looks like it's always been there. The Christmas tree field, planted three years ago, is growing quite nicely.
26 Many people don't realize that there is a small pond at the farm. Phurba and Pete cut back all the tall weeds along the banks.
27 Now the pond is visible again!
28 Large patches of jewelweed grow throughout the woods. The juice in the stems soothes many skin irritations and relieves many bee and insect bites. If you accidentally touch poison ivy and apply jewelweed juice to the affected area before the rash appears, you probably won't get the rash.
29 Jewelweed has trumpet-shaped flowers, which bloom from early summer to fall. They have three petals, one which curls, forming a long slipper- or sack-shaped spur. Hummingbirds adore jewelweed nectar.
30 Interestingly, jewelweed often grows wherever poison ivy is established.
31 This year, we moved the pumpkin and winter squash patch to the far side of the greenhouse and vegetable garden. It's growing superbly well.
32 It's fun watching these squash grow and take shape.
33 A beautiful orange hubbard squash
34 The elderberry plants are tall and the fruit is ripening.
35 Elderberries are used to make wines, cordials, pies, and jellies.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
What a surprise 2 Blogs back to back,I really injoyed both very much,everything is doing so well at your Farm-And the area where you ride the Horses at Skylands is so Beautiful,such wonderful trails to ride the Horses-Have a great week,Fran Danville
Posted by: Fran Danville | August 21st, 2012 at 1:19 am
The farm looks great. In picture #29, the bloom looks like a giraff's head. That is so neat.
May I borrow your ground's crew for a while? I could sure use some of the great help.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | August 21st, 2012 at 1:26 am
Hi, Martha,
Very enjoyable tour! Thank you.
Posted by: Bobbie | August 21st, 2012 at 2:56 am
Oh Martha,
How beautiful are your horses, donkeys and farm. Love the trimmed
hedges. If I could just have your gardeners for a day I would be in
heaven!!!! Enjoy the beauty of this day.
Kathy
Posted by: kathy peterson | August 21st, 2012 at 7:29 am
The farm is looking nice mid-August Martha, and I agree with you, the hornbeam hedge looks very handsome trimmed in the European fashion. I bet the stable is sparkling clean now after the power washing. This summer we power washed our sidewalks, rocks and bricks on the house and I was amazed how much dirt came off! Lovely pictures of the colorful plants in the shade garden. Thanks for the update Martha, everyone is doing such a fabulous job!
Posted by: Cindy F | August 21st, 2012 at 7:49 am
I so enjoy Martha's blog every morning. I would just love to walk around her property. Looks so relaxing.
Posted by: Bonnie V. | August 21st, 2012 at 8:11 am
Here in Coastal Virginia I am so grateful that our farm has not suffered a devastating drought like so many others have. I think we will have a good corn and soybean harvest. Your farm looks amazing and productive. I am envious of all the good things you will enjoy from it! Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Evelyn | August 21st, 2012 at 8:29 am
Your ground's crew must never stop working!!! They do a fantastic job at their work (give them all a raise!!!).
Posted by: Sharon | August 21st, 2012 at 9:16 am
Hi Martha, This blog about the pruning and trimming in mid-August at your beautiful Bedford farm while you were in Maine is absolutely outstanding! Your workers do the best they can to keep everything in ship shape even when you aren't there-fantastic! These photos are superb and it's so much fun to view all of them! The pruning of the hornbeam hedge is outstanding and using the big HI-LO looks like fun and photo#7 is stunning! Wilmer trimming the cat mint was great also so it could be put in cat toys-your kitties will love it! Ryan sure was having fun in the azalea garden! I recall F&S telling us about Billie needing help and part of the donkeys paddock being covered to get rid of grass that she was over eating! She looks better in photo#11! Using those wet bales of hay in the Japanese maple grove was also fabulous! Photo#16 is also great! How fun to see Sasa and Rutger in photo#20&21-they both look so handsome! How great to see your new storage unit out in the Christmas tree field-it looks stunning! That small pond at your farm is gorgeous! Love these photos of that outstanding jewelweed! The pumpkins and squash and the elderberries look wonderful, also! Thanks so much for this terrific tour around your farm again! Loved seeing you on the Today show and hearing you live on Sirius XM110 yesterday-fabulous and inspiring! Hope you have another great day! Off to see a second rerun on The Daily Wag again! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | August 21st, 2012 at 9:24 am
Martha,
The farm is beautiful, thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | August 21st, 2012 at 9:52 am
Hi Martha,
It’s hard to believe it has been 3 years since your hornbeam hedge was trimmed in that fashion. I remember when Shaun first did it and I wished I could do my fichus hedge that way but it is too woody.
So many things came to mind with your comments about Bilie eating too much grass so you had to brown out her own little fenced off area. Maybe I could spend some time with Billie in her pen and both of us could stop eating so much! I’m on the verge of diabetes and really have to fight carb cravings but sometimes I just can’t swallow another plate of lettuce. You could throw us some carrots every now and then.
~
I love how you spread the hay under the Japanese maples. I still want to get a bale or two and put it in my foliage garden to keep the weeds down but I was worried it might blow around and I’d be raking all the time. I guess I won’t know until I try. Thanks for another interesting tour of your property. Everything always looks great and now that includes your new storage building. Nice episode on the Today Show yesterday – made me hungry for something swirly. Trish
Posted by: Trish | August 21st, 2012 at 9:59 am
I like your blog and read The Wag everyday. I'm living vircariouly through your blogs(LOL). The other day I was taking note of the changes in my own garden, and a few weeks ago planted a fall crop of luttuce. Thanks for the inspiration.
Posted by: Renee | August 21st, 2012 at 12:11 pm
Thanks for the tour of what's happening on your farm. I really enjoyed it.
Posted by: Vivian Price | August 21st, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Perfect!
Posted by: Holiday Baker Man | August 21st, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Great blog, thank you! Would like to see slide 24 (pale grey berries on red stem) on Pinterest, to Pin. What is its name? Is it hard to find?
Posted by: Kate Howard | August 21st, 2012 at 9:50 pm
The overfed donkey theme made me laugh
Martha, how in the world did you let it happen??
Posted by: Vera | August 22nd, 2012 at 4:53 am
Beautiful!!
Posted by: Helena Pereira | August 22nd, 2012 at 6:45 am
What a great opportunity to restore the shoreline and benefit wildlife in and out of the pond by planting natives and keep the pond beautiful and healthy!
Posted by: Will | August 22nd, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Great Farm! Are you growing any TickleMe Plant?
Posted by: Jan | August 22nd, 2012 at 5:54 pm
I really like the Italian Arum. I too have a nice shade garden and need some color. Red/orange will do nicely. I will be looking for this plant for next year.
Posted by: Diane | August 22nd, 2012 at 10:24 pm
Love the hedge trim!
Posted by: Karen | August 22nd, 2012 at 10:42 pm
Dearest Martha,
Your farm is looking absolutely lovely. Little do you know that you're inspiring so many people to not only start their own farm, but live healthier. Hopefully, we'll get to see some new YouTube video content about your farm, and get creative ideas from you on how to grow our farms too! "smile"
Always thankful,
Drewry
Posted by: Drewry | August 23rd, 2012 at 1:37 pm
I really like end I love...
Posted by: Priscila Boror | August 23rd, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Thank you again, Martha, for sharing your inspirational life with us!
Posted by: Carolyn Boyce | August 25th, 2012 at 3:25 pm
What a beautiful farm!
Posted by: Dominika | August 25th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
Martha:
It's so wonderful to see the progress you have made at the farm, as well as continuing changes. It inspires me to create changes in my own garden, even though I live on a small 3/4 acre lot in California.
However, I would love to see more of your craft room, sewing room and bedrooms. Have you updated your craft room? Do you have more organizational tips? I now have three large baskets of Martha Stewart punches, paper cutters, stickers, etc. How do you organize these items so they are easy to access, view and store? I am forever trying to find better storage solutions.
I would love to see your sewing room. I believe it is a few years old now, but we have never had a glimpse into your personal sewing room. Do you still have 14 sewing machines? If so, how do you store them? Cover them? Did you have special furniture made to house the sewing/serger machines? How do you store your material? Thread? Of course, I own all the different sizes of MSL scissors (they are the best!!), but how do you organize everything? What is the best countertop for both rooms? What is the best lighting?
Would love to see detailed pictures like you did for the kitchen drawer photos in MSL Magazine.
Posted by: Carol from California | August 27th, 2012 at 6:33 pm
Evacuated and we are rIding out Isaac. Viewing your farm has been a lovely distraction. Also like the other blogs. Two family members homes have flooded and we are not sure about two other family homes in Louisiana. Best not to worry and deal with what we can do when we get back. Love all that you teach to so many!
Posted by: Tracey | August 29th, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Martha I have been a fan ever since I walked down the isles of Kmart while holding with my mom's hand as I watched her pick out sheets and comforters for out home. I have my own children and home now and my friends and family lovingly refer to me as their own Martha Stewart. Thank you for sharing all your ideas with us. I will continue to follow all things Martha!
Posted by: Claudia | September 4th, 2012 at 5:32 pm