Preparing For And Dreaming of Spring
Readers of this blog are always commenting that they love seeing photos of my farm, so I thought I would treat you to another little tour. It's actually been feeling quite spring-like these past few days, however, the reports are for another winter storm this very day. Hopefully, it will be the last snow of this season. Looking around the farm, more signs of spring are emerging every day and, like so many, I am anxious to say goodbye to winter.
1 My gardener, Ryan McCallister, has been busy starting seeds in the greenhouse.
2 We try to grow all the vegetables and many perennials from seed. That way, you grow exactly what varieties you want and the plants tend to be better quality than nursery stock.
3 These little seedlings are artichoke Green Globe and Violet de Provence, two varieties that grow well here in the northeast.
4 Amazed by how fast all the seedlings are growing, Ryan has a lot of repotting to do. He's transferring the artichokes into peat pots.
5 He removes several plants from the seed-starting tray, creating an assembly line.
6 One by one, he places the plants into their new accommodations.
7 The artichokes now have more room to grow bigger and stronger.
8 My Medinilla Magnifica is beginning to bloom. Native to Southeast Asia, this plant, with its incredible pink cascading flowers, is becoming very popular with plant enthusiasts.
9 Perhaps you recall a recent blog posting about the major winter project of repotting my large orchid collection. Well, it was so worth the effort because they are growing so beautifully.
10 There is plenty of new root growth.
11 And many new leaves are emerging.
12 This orchid is oncidium Sharry Baby 'Sweet Fragrance'. It has four amazing long flower stalks.
13 This beauty is so unusual because it has a strong fragrance of chocolate.
14 Repotting also proved beneficial to the Phalaenopsis orchids because, they too, have gorgeous blooms, like this one.
15 And this one
16 The begonia table is a sea of pale pink and white blooms.
17 Just outside the greenhouse is the berry patch - currants, gooseberries, raspberries, and back raspberries. The black raspberries have recently been tied and neatly secured to their wire supports.
18 A closer look
19 Just below the greenhouse, on the edge of the wetlands, is the grove of mixed pussy willows.
20 Pussy willows, with their furry catkins are very early bloomers and true harbingers of spring.
21 Last winter, these pussy willows were given a severe pruning back.
22 Pussy willows need to be pruned to control their size. When left unpruned, these bushes can reach heights of twenty-feet or more, making harvesting quite difficult.
23 It is very pleasant to walk past the citrus hoop house because the air is so fragrant from the sweet citrus blooms.
24 Nagami Kumquat loads its branches with bright orange, delicate, tart tasting oval fruit. The rind is sweet and therefore usually eaten whole.
25 A closeup
26 This tree is Trovita Dwarf Orange.
27 The fruit is juicy and sweet.
28 Citrus limon 'Striped Lemonade' - This unusual tree is especially beautiful from its variegated leaves and fragrant blossoms, to its striped fruit - lovely!
29 The highly fragrant flowers of Meyer Lemon
30 This is a Parson Brown Orange, an incredible juice orange.
31 Another look
32 The clivia collection along one length of the hoop house is vibrant with color.
33 Clivia is a genus of durable shade plants in the Amaryllis family, native to South Africa.
34 Although there are four species in the genus, it is the Clivia miniata that is most commonly found in cultivation in the United States.
35 The flowers are arranged in umbels, or clusters, upon a single long stalk called a peduncle.
36 Clivias grow best where they receive bright daylight but little or no direct sun, as they burn easily.
37 These are the Asiatic lily beds, which were trimmed back the other day. After a good cleaning, a beautiful layer of composted mulch was spread over the tops of the beds.
38 The mulch was transported from the compost yard using the John Deere loader.
39 It was transferred into wheelbarrows.
40 And then spread evenly over the beds
41 And then raked smooth
42 Another hopeful sign of spring - purple crocus emerging through pine bough mulch
43 And delicate little yellow winter aconite
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
Amazingly BEAUTIFUL, Martha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | March 6th, 2013 at 12:44 am
Martha !! I sure hope you read this....i could view photos of the farm every night ! I always check the blog just after midnight so i get the new post before i go to bed !! Keep em coming... thank you .... I enjoy....can you tell
Posted by: Greg | March 6th, 2013 at 1:15 am
Hi Martha,
I as well cannot wait for spring. I live in Edmonton, Alberta and we have a lot of snow coverage. I really enjoy the photos of the spring flowers on your farm and I'am eagerly anticipating the blossoming flower beds.
Juan
Posted by: Juan Austin | March 6th, 2013 at 1:23 am
Martha, I end each day by reading your blog. I especially love and am inspired by photos of your farm. I am always excited about spring. I live in Atlanta and the spring is amazing here. Your preparations add to the excitement of a big bloom! Thank you.
Posted by: donna u | March 6th, 2013 at 2:13 am
Oh the spring plant starts make so happy. Just planted peas here on the West Coast. You've inspired me even more.
Posted by: Glen Nyhus | March 6th, 2013 at 2:20 am
Hi Martha,
This is certainly a lovely treat,more pictures of your Lovely Farm-Hopefully you will be spared another snow storm,you've had enough for this winter-I too am ready to say goodbye to winter and hello to Spring-Love your mixed pussy willows,so pretty and fuzzy-Everything is growing so nicely in your greenhouse-How nice to enjoy fresh vegetables and fruits from your greenhouse in Winter-Thanks again for showing more lovely pictures of your Farm- Love the Equipment Barn and your antique equipment,everything so very well organized-Enjoyed the pictures so very much- Fran
Posted by: Fran Danville | March 6th, 2013 at 2:24 am
Thanx for informative blog and look at greenhouse. knowing the very magic found in a seed, weeks ago, got jiffy pots and now is time to get seeds started here. I did lose bid on SOBEWFF auction item but will try next year so glad you wrote about Florida festival on this blog.
Posted by: ann | March 6th, 2013 at 2:35 am
Good Morning Martha!
Your blog this morning was very interesting. I forget how much work it takes to get that farm to look so beautiful!! I enjoyed seeing the many plants and fruits you grow.....also, it appears you have a GREAT crew helping you!
Have a nice day!
Linda Ortolano
Posted by: Linda Ortolano | March 6th, 2013 at 4:56 am
Martha,
I love seeing the farm! I can't wait until spring either, its been cool in Arkansas. Thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | March 6th, 2013 at 7:13 am
I'm amazed how much you grow from seeds Martha. I'm sure it takes a lot of planning and organization to get them growing at the right time and I believe you that you get a better quality than nursery stock.
What a treat to see your orchids again and I can imagine the heavenly smell from the citrus hoop house!
The clivia blooms are very pretty with spring color, I didn't know they were shade plants.
Thanks for another tour of your farm Martha, I hope it's spared from "snowquester"!
Posted by: Cindy F | March 6th, 2013 at 7:41 am
I loved having a tour of your beautiful farm this morning as we wait for yet another winter storm. Let's hope that it is the last for the year. Please consider writing a book featuring your farm through the seasons similar to your " Martha's Entertaining".
Posted by: Karen Ross | March 6th, 2013 at 7:55 am
Oh, but there is a storm moving in to your area Martha!! Saturn is on its' way, if it hasn't hit already. We got 10 inches here in SE Wisconsin....no spring for us just yet...but I did see irises coming up in my garden!!
Posted by: Gwen | March 6th, 2013 at 8:27 am
Good morning, Martha!
We are with you in both good and bad weather, tough times as well as the easy!
Please carry your customers love with you because we absolutely do believe in what you present to us...and how you do it!
I am such a greenhouse baby, and you just knock me out with your beautiful accomplishments in this area! I would give anything to work for you...just keep my hands in dirt, and I follow instructions well. Let me live next to the Kumquats! I do miss the wonderful earthy smell of the greenhouse at this time of the year. Even as a teen, I loved lugging those old heavy hoses throughout every greenhouse we had. Anything in life that is worth doing...is worth doing well. You are the master gardner!
Thank you for your generous love, and the kindness that you give to all of us.
You are blessed for this.
Barbara
Posted by: Barbara Mayer | March 6th, 2013 at 8:35 am
Hi Martha, Happy Birthday to your darling 0ne year old grandson, Truman, today! Hope he has a wonderful time today! I just loved seeing an article about you being in court about that contract dispute and you looked fabulous in the photo! Sure hope everything turns out like you want it! You are my favorite person who sells fantastic things for us to buy and enjoy! Today's newest blog is absolutely one of the best I've ever seen and these photos are so beautiful! Everyone of them makes your farm look like spring has arrived and sure hope you don't get any more snow or storms! Ryan sure has done a great job planting seeds in the greenhouse and loved seeing him at work on The Daily Wag with F,S,&GK watching all he did! Your outdoor crew certainly is doing another great job clearing much of the areas and adding compost! I love all of your photos and many of them are so colorful and gorgeous that they are even better than any greenhouse I visit to buy beautiful plants! Everything at your farm is outstanding! My favorite photos are #16, 23, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 36, 42, and 43 and you inspire me to be able to plant whatever I can when spring arrives! Hope you have a great day and hug sweet Truman for me! Off to see The Daily Wag about "The Lawn Rakes are Out!"! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | March 6th, 2013 at 9:32 am
Love seeing photos of plants coming to life. But they sure do make me feel pretty envious of Ryan!
Posted by: Becky | March 6th, 2013 at 9:33 am
Hi Martha,
I am so jealous of your citrus array! We keep talking about getting another honey bell orange tree but haven't yet. Our last one produced the sweetest, juiciest oranges in the winter months and we had fresh orange juice every day. I am just so scared to plant something new and maybe have it blown away in a storm even though I really shouldn't think that way. You have lost more trees than we have and you're planting new ones all the time. I didn't know about cutting back on pussy willows but the ones I put in a planter as you suggested on Pinterest, are dry as a bone anyway. It's just too hot here for them so I'll be looking for some fresh cuttings in the store again.
~
Thanks again for the spring-like tour of your greenhouse. I'm sure it serves as a nice retreat when winter really gets under your skin as another snow fall is threatening now. I'm from Michigan so I know about those late snow falls that used to ruin Easter for us sometimes!
~
Thanks for making me hungry for MEAT LOAF! I like the idea of all the vegetables you put in the one you made on the Today Show this morning. I must try that. It was interesting to read about your court appearance yesterday. I tweeted one article that I especially liked and for the record, I agree with your comments and I'm looking forward to seeing your products at JCP. Trish
Posted by: Trish | March 6th, 2013 at 9:37 am
I'm so impressed.
I am going to try and grow Clivia in an Austin, Texas garden. Thank you for sharing ideas.
Posted by: Caitlin | March 6th, 2013 at 9:50 am
Martha - I, like so many others, am inspired by your farm and all that goes on during the seasons. You have a stunninig collection of plants and your property is so beautifully laid out. A few posts ago you mention putting a pool in, where the vegetable gardens were. I certainly hope that you make the pool black-bottomed like the one you had in Westport - it makes it look more like a pond than a pool and that is cool! A black lined pool surrounded with natural stone or slate - instead of a concrete or cement deck - would be gorgeous - especially if the pool were of an amorphous shape insteasd of a rectangle or square.. Go for it Martha!
Posted by: John Dolan | March 6th, 2013 at 9:52 am
I've always been a big fan of your work and business acumen. I was wondering if your homes and the farm will someday be open for tours? I think there are a lot of people like myself that would like to see your work in person for inspiration. These places should one day take their place in American history as treasured landmarks as much as Jefferson's Monticello and other great institutions.
You are a visionary and ahead of your time.
<3
Posted by: Bruce Angel | March 6th, 2013 at 10:13 am
So ready for spring even here in AL.
Posted by: Laura Pendergrass | March 6th, 2013 at 10:35 am
Thank you so much for these wonderful pictures of your beautiful flowers and citrus crops. How lovely to see blooms and smell citrus plants in this winter weather! We appreciate your farm tours very much.
Trace, Abby and jimmy Dean
Posted by: Trace | March 6th, 2013 at 10:55 am
Martha, thank you so much for sharing little snippets of your life with us! I always enjoy seeing your greenhouse, especially on a dreary winter day up here in Ontario. I'm looking forward to seeing our own crocuses and pussy willows soon as well. Michelle
Posted by: Michelle Hnilica | March 6th, 2013 at 11:03 am
One of the posters mentioned the little late winter snow storms we often have.
Here in Pennsylvania, the old farmers looked for these to happen every year. They called the last two snowfalls of winter by name. One was called the Onion Snow, and the other was PeeWee Snow. Yes, the snow did fall on their onions after they planted them, and then there was a dusting of snow expected even after that!
Not to worry, our bulbs love every bit of this snow, and it's all worth it!
Posted by: Barbara Mayer | March 6th, 2013 at 11:12 am
Good Morning Martha,
Your farm is so big that one person could never get everything done that needs doing. You are fortunate to have good helpers and a gardener such as Ryan to help you create your masterpiece. It all looks lovely.........p.s. I wish you well in court.
Posted by: Cindy M | March 6th, 2013 at 11:34 am
Margaret Roach blogged about tag sale find of an old garden box today. I have an old PENIMAID PINS container that once held 1 3/4 oz of dressmakers solid brass "rustproof pins that cost .35 according to sticker on bottom of box. JCP has made choice to offer and MSO has accepted and economy will profit from deal. Years ago, we outfitted our ranch with your brand, shopped when Macys opened your line, and now we hope tol enjoy your brand at every day stores here in Dakota.
Posted by: ann | March 6th, 2013 at 11:34 am
Martha, I love your farm and the fact that you share your beautiful pictures of the stages of life at the farm with your readers. I especially love your orchids. They remind me alot of my Mom who passed away 3 years ago. She had a huge collection of orchids which were left at my sister's house. My sister is a workaholic and has very little time for them. Out of maybe 80 to 100 plants, we salvaged maybe 45 last weekend. It was sad to see alot of empty pots. Hopefully repotting and moving them from where they were will help them, and maybe my sister will slow down a little seeing a reminder of our Mom closer to her house. Mom would have loved the Sharry Baby oncidium, so I am going to make it my mission to find one. I have a small collection in honor of my Mom and want to add to it. Thanks again for sharing.
Posted by: Eldy | March 6th, 2013 at 11:38 am
Hi dear Martha,
I've been feeling the winter blues these last few days and desperately need spring to swing in soon. And low and behold, your blog today lifted my spirits in so many ways. Your flowers, fruit, Ryan, greenhouse, farm, farm equipment - oh so inspirational. The signs of spring are in the air!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart and the top of my head for making me smile on such a dreary winter day. And good luck in court. I am with you 100% and am so proud of you for fighting for your rights.
xo
Lisa
Posted by: Lisa Gordon-Miller | March 6th, 2013 at 11:47 am
I truly hope spring gets here soon! The purple crocus is beautiful and a sign of hope! It would be so amazing to have all those citrus trees. I have tried a striped lemon once and loved it. All of your seeds remind me that my dad will soon be starting morning glory seeds. They are our favorite flowers all summer long!
Posted by: Laura Dembowski | March 6th, 2013 at 12:18 pm
Spring can't get here fast enough for me!
Posted by: Holiday Baker Man | March 6th, 2013 at 12:19 pm
Hi, there, Martha,
Like others have said, as I was opening up your website this morning, I was so hoping your blog would be about spring and updates on what's growing and blooming in your world! I, too, am inspired even if it's only the small project of filling the two large flower pots on my balcony. Well, there's always herbs on the window sills, too.
Thank you so much Martha!
Posted by: Bobbie | March 6th, 2013 at 12:56 pm
Martha,
You have the most hardworking staff Martha, they do an amazing job making it look picture perfect.
You live in a wonderful place and have an amazing life, th!ank you for sharing it with me everyday
Michael
Posted by: Michael | March 6th, 2013 at 12:57 pm
So much work to get ready for spring! But nothing beats the taste of home-grown food!
Posted by: Jerry | March 6th, 2013 at 1:13 pm
Martha,
Happy spring!
Loved the chocolate smelling orchid! Thank you for sharing
Posted by: @ellepiari | March 6th, 2013 at 1:30 pm
Hi Martha,
You have a lovely home and garden. You keep it so beautiful. How bout this? I make you a large lovely Italian dinner, and you can help me decorate my home. lol Just wanted to throw in some springtime humor seeing that the groundhog lied and we have a Nor'Easter coming lol
Posted by: Lisa | March 6th, 2013 at 2:27 pm
Greetings from London Martha, gorgeous photos of your plants. Here we are blessed with beautiful weather looking like Spring. Best wishes xo
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | March 6th, 2013 at 2:36 pm
Hello Martha, Please tell me what those bins that Ryan is using for his replanting of seedlings. It looks like they are temperatured controled. Where can I purchase one? Thank You. Chin Up!
Posted by: Norma Dwyer | March 6th, 2013 at 3:00 pm
Hi Martha, thank you for sharing these pictures. I live in Colorado at 7800 feet, spring is still a few months away for me and I appreciate seeing these signs of spring at your home. Hopefully the outdoor bulbs won't get ruined today due to your snow.
Posted by: Victoria | March 6th, 2013 at 5:01 pm
Hi, Martha, I saw your interview with Matt Lauer this morning. He is an idiot; you seemed to be in control and relaxed as he tried to bait you. I'm pulling for you in your court case.
Posted by: Shannon | March 6th, 2013 at 5:30 pm
Hi Martha, I would love to keep a few citrus trees like you've shown in the citrus hoop. It seems that the pots are so small compared to the size of the tree! Do the trees need pruned or repotted often? They look so healthy and are bearing lots of fruit; maybe the pots are actually bigger than they look in the pictures? Thanks.
Posted by: Tatia | March 6th, 2013 at 6:36 pm
Thank you Martha--you are the only blog site I follow (other than The Daily Wag, of course!) I am so impressed with your photography. Could you possibly share what program you use to so quickly upload your photos from your camera to your computer and then for posting? It seems your process is most efficient. I have a Canon G12 that I love love love. Thanks so much for all your wonderful photos.
Posted by: Carol Maher | March 6th, 2013 at 7:17 pm
THE BLUEBONNETS ARE BLOOMING ALReADY HERE NEAR HOUSTON!!
Posted by: tracy sevaux | March 6th, 2013 at 7:36 pm
Martha,
I miss your show on the Hallmark channel so much. Everyday when I go home for lunch and I used to watch it. You always had so many great ideas and wonderful recipes. It's sad it had to come to an end. I like reading your blog but I still miss the show!! Thank you for sharing everything you have over the years!
Posted by: Kerry Johnson | March 6th, 2013 at 9:38 pm
What a tremendous operation! Very inspiring photos - I've just started a meyer lemon tree from seed, and I look forward to fragrant blooms like those if I am successful!
Posted by: Diana Pappas | March 6th, 2013 at 10:03 pm
Hi Martha your plants looks so healthy , can you tell me your secret well I know your secret I do not have the access of home like you do so I just grow house plants . I have 2 peace lily's I obtained from 2 family member funeral , one doesn't look the same as it did when it came from florist it doesn't has it shine and the one leave are turning yellow . I have them on my dining room table facing south . near the window . I water them once a week or when I noticed the leaf starts leaning over the pot as I doing the right thing?
Posted by: gloria | March 6th, 2013 at 10:48 pm
Hello from a snowy & a very cold Winnipeg. It's refreshing to see some signs of spring on your farm though. I will not see Crocuses , Tulips or even Snowdrops until June in my garden but I love to garden and look for any free moment when not working to spend in my garden. It sure is a beautiful thing being able to grow your own veggies, fruits, flowers, have chickens & fresh eggs. I often wondered how you were able to tend to all those chores but now I see that you do have a gardener and help with that. Thanks for sharing your pics and all your expertise. Love to see the pics of your beautiful grandchildren & your lovely daughter. God bless you & your family for you were always a hard worker and that is the main reason why you have made it. You & your family sure deserve to enjoy the fruits of that labor for all that hard work. Thanks for all the tips on your show throughout the years & hope you get to enjoy your family peacefully & in good health. Marica
Posted by: Marica | March 6th, 2013 at 11:13 pm
I live in Lebanon, Ohio--that's in Southwestern Ohio-- we received 8 inches of snow last night. It is beautiful!! Since it is a very wet snow our scrubs and trees are drooping under all that weight. I told my husband that we needed to "burlap" like Martha.....he just rolled his eyes!
Smart plan Martha, but I wouldn't expect less.
Posted by: Pamela Conger | March 6th, 2013 at 11:43 pm
Could you please tell me more about the construction of your "hoop house"?
Posted by: Sandy | March 7th, 2013 at 8:28 am
hi Martha.love all your pix!especially love the beautiful clivia collection.Stunning!i need to get at leaast one for myself.also enjoyed the info on starting seeds and transplanting them.very informative.thank you
Posted by: maria | March 7th, 2013 at 2:35 pm
Zone 3 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada persists with the cycles of snow melting due to Chinook winds, to be followed by small storm systems and then bright sunshine. We can sure feel our proximity to the Rocky mountains.
It is on days like those that I enjoy your blogs about all the new growth you get to enjoy in your greenhouses. I feel like I've had a bit of real spring and now I can get into my Hybrid SUV and plow through my neighbourhood.
I know real spring is coming to us too really soon, thank you for the inspiration.
Posted by: Davorka | March 7th, 2013 at 2:52 pm
Dear Martha,
The pussy willow are so pretty. All your citrus look so healthy! Makes me happy to see your Spring preview! Thank you! ...and for the botanical Latin help.
Posted by: Tina Y. | March 7th, 2013 at 5:07 pm
We are also dreaming of spring at Spy Garden! We have violet de provence artichokes as well. They were started from seed last spring and have been in the ground all winter (in Missouri), so we are hoping they will come back. I did a post on our "wintering artichokes" a few weeks ago. The plants looked like Portuguese man-o-war jellyfish all blue/purple and flopped over! After seeing your little artichoke seedlings, I think I may start a few new ones as well just in case they do not "spring" back!
Posted by: Spy Garden | March 7th, 2013 at 6:08 pm
Your Clivia are gorgeous! I am patiently waiting for mine to open here in southern California.
Posted by: Brandy | March 7th, 2013 at 9:38 pm
Martha,
I am sure you will probably never read this, but I just wanted to thank you for all you share with us. I have been so disappointed over the last few months, First your show went off (which was the highlight of my day), then your radio channel went off (for which I gained so much knowledge about all life in general), now my Whole Living Magazine is not being published anymore ! What is a girl to do ? I love your blog, please don't stop that too ! You are like part of my family, I learn so much from you !
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you !!!!
Posted by: Stacy Benish | March 8th, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Dear Martha... I do hope you can mention this to as many people as you can on tv or whatever, to get the work out that " Lilies" a favorite and most widley given plant for this holiday Is EXTREMLEY TOXIC to cats..Even just exposure to the pollen can be fatal.... This is an exerp from my facebood page of the warning I recieved............********"In a tragic incident on Valentines day three cats - Tinker, Charlie and Garfy - died from the effect of lily poisoning. Lilies can be highly toxic to cats and there is no known antidote...
Warning That Lilies Kill Cats - THE PUSSINGTON POST
pussingtonpost.com
Three cats died from lily poisoning in the most tragic circumstances. All the lily is highly poisonous including the pollen which is very fine and easy spread around. Many vets dread Easter for this reason..Like · · Share · 13536221 · 2 hours ago · 135 people like this..221 shares.View 34 more comments..Chris Davies charlie tinker & garfy r.i.p little angel cats xxx19 minutes ago · Like..Dolly Yaida Parker Sad15 minutes ago via mobile · Like..Write a comment....
Posted by: Christina Mccolley | March 8th, 2013 at 9:12 pm
martha...always enjoy your blogs...miss you so much on TV..hopefully, someone, with any sense, will bring you back where you belong...in the hearts of so many people who appreciate you...love and happy spring
Posted by: ellie | March 9th, 2013 at 1:07 pm
Hi Martha! I've been a fan for a long time and I'm really happy to,have discovered your blog. It's wonderful. I miss you on TV though, or if you are on, please tell us where to look! I cannot find anything on Comcast On Demand and am so disappointed. Any chance you will return to daily television? Please consider another show...soon!
Thank you for everything. You've given so much to so many of us.
Posted by: Alyne Weinhouse | March 13th, 2013 at 12:41 am