My azaleas are putting on quite a show at my Bedford, New York farm.
Of all the shrubs that flower in spring, azaleas provide some of the most brilliant displays. I have hundreds of them planted together in a garden that starts just outside my Summer House and runs along two sides of the carriage road all the way down to my stable. When they bloom this time of year, this area of my property erupts with spectacular color - from pure white to shades of pink, crimson, and orange. And right now, I'm enjoying them all.
Enjoy these photos.
The azaleas here at my farm are looking more beautiful every day.
My azalea collection is in a lightly wooded area, where they get lots of filtered sunlight.
When I expanded the azalea garden, I added a variety of different azaleas and arranged them by color.
Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the Ericaceae family, which includes blueberries and mountain laurel. They are also all rhododendrons and members of the genus Rhododendron.
Azaleas are generally healthy, easy to grow plants. Some azaleas bloom as early as March, but most bloom in April and May with blossoms lasting several weeks.
Azalea petal shapes vary greatly. They range from narrow to triangular to overlapping and rounded. They can also be flat, wavy or ruffled.
Azalea flowers can be single, hose-in-hose, double or double hose-in-hose, depending on the number of petals.
Many azaleas have two to three inch flowers and range in a variety of colors from pink to white to purple, red, orange, and yellow.
The leaves are often evergreen with wooly undersides. The length of azalea leaves ranges from as little as a quarter-inch to more than six inches. Leaves of most azaleas are solid green, with a roughly long football-shape.
The tube-shaped base of the flower contains a stamen that protrudes from the center.
The best time to shop for azaleas is when they are in bloom so one can see their flower colors and forms.
Buy plants that are sturdy, well-branched, and free of insect damage or diseases. And, avoid plants with weak, spindling growth and poor roots.
When selecting a location for planting, be sure to know the mature size of the plants so they can be grouped accordingly in the landscape – tall plants in the background and short plants in the foreground.
Azaleas have short root systems, so they can easily be transplanted in early spring or early fall. Be careful not to plant too deep and water thoroughly after transplanting.
These beautiful bold orange azaleas are at one end of the grove closer to my stable.
In another area, I have several crisp white azaleas and all of them are flowering now.
It’s so nice to see them thrive in my gardens, but never eat azaleas. Like its cousin the rhododendron, the azalea is a toxic plant, and all parts of the plant are poisonous, including the honey from the flowers.
Prune azaleas after they bloom to remove tall, lanky growth or vigorous suckers that detract from the overall form and shape of the plant.
And, If you like to enjoy flowers indoors, cut some of the blooming branches and place them in a vase. They look so stunning and cheerful.
Over the next couple of weeks, more and more azalea flowers are sure to explode with color.
Azaleas are so gorgeous in any part of the landscape. I am so proud of this garden – its beautiful display gets better and better every year.
I always enjoy entertaining at home especially in spring when the gardens look so wonderful. This week, many of the azaleas are blooming, the tree peonies are exploding with color, and all the boxwood shrubs are lush and green.
Yesterday, I hosted a dinner gathering for a group of business partners and colleagues. My friend, Chef Pierre Schaedelin, from PS Tailored Events, and I, planned a delicious menu for 11. The first course was Jumbo Asparagus Grenobloise using vegetables freshly picked from my garden, followed by Pan Seared Black Bass with Fresh English Peas and Morel Mushrooms. And dessert was a mouth-watering Vanilla Panna Cotta with Poached Rhubarb grown right here at the farm. It was the most delectable meal and a lovely spring evening.
Enjoy these photos.
Here is my gorgeous spring dining table filled with all sorts of flowers freshly picked from my gardens. When entertaining, take time to dress the table and look in your own garden and backyard for inspiration.
It’s so important to create an inviting atmosphere for any dinner – casual or formal. My peonies started blooming just in time for this occasion.
Each setting has a place card and a menu, both stamped with the symbol of my Cantitoe Corners Farm, the giant sycamore.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to get a copy of my latest book – THE MARTHA WAY: Essential Principles for Mastering Home and Living. It’s out now and includes my best tips for hosting a well-planned and memorable gathering.
This day began with lots of preparations. Enma created several large flower arrangements using bunches of blooming azaleas cut from the garden.
Here is a bright red arrangement in my Winter House foyer.
In my Flower Room, Chef Pierre prepares the asparagus. These green spears are fresh from my vegetable garden – so big and perfect. Chef removes the skin from the bottom half of the asparagus to provide a a more tender core.
White asparagus is also prepared. White asparagus is a variety of grown without sunlight, resulting in pale, tender spears with a delicate, slightly sweet flavor.
A giant bowl of fresh peas were removed from their pods.
Beautiful black bass fish fillets ready to be seared.
I often serve brown butter shortcake cookies when I entertain. The dough can be prepared early, chilled and then cut and baked shortly before the meal.
These rounds are baked perfectly in the oven. My recipe is in my 100th book, MARTHA: THE COOKBOOK. You’ll want to make these over and over too.
Here, Chef Pierre pours the panna cotta mixture into molds before chilling.
After a lengthy and productive meeting, I conducted a tour of the gardens. By dinnertime, everyone was very hungry. Enma and Andres are ready to greet guests as they enter my kitchen. If serving drinks, consider a signature cocktail and always have non-alcoholic options.
Appetizers included oysters on the half shell – these were devoured quickly.
Mini potatoes topped with caviar and mini salmon bites are also offered.
And then the first course, the Jumbo Asparagus Grenobloise. Country bread crumbs, dried capers, brown butter and parsley dressed these spears wonderfully. The parsley and spinach leaf garnishes are also from my garden.
The asparagus spears were served with small cups of cold asparagus soup. When planning a menu, think seasonally and think ahead.
The black bass was served on a bed of fresh English peas and Morel mushrooms and potatoes.
And there is always room for dessert. this is vanilla panna cotta with poached rhubarb grown right here, and two brown butter shortbread cookies. Panna cotta is a traditional Italian dessert made from sweetened cream thickened with gelatin, and known for its custard-like texture. Not a morsel was left. It was a lovely dinner and a perfect day for a spring gathering.
When entertaining, plan ahead - there's always something that can be accomplished early to save time and worry later.
This evening I am hosting a small dinner for a group of business partners. Yesterday, my housekeeper, Enma Sandoval, started some of the preparations - picking garden flowers and creating the floral centerpieces, pulling the appropriate plates and silverware, and setting the table in my Winter House Brown Room. Getting these tasks done a day in advance allows ample time to do it nicely and ensures everything is in place before guests arrive.
Enjoy these photos.
I love using fresh flowers from the garden whenever I entertain. Right now, some of the early azaleas are in bloom, so Enma cut a few branches and placed them in a glass finger vase. They look so gorgeous on my servery counter – guests will love them.
Enma also took the opportunity to cut a collection of flowers for the centerpieces. Centerpieces don’t have to be elaborate – a few flowers placed in glass containers is easy to do the day before the gathering.
Whenever arranging cut flowers, it is important to cut any leaves that sit below the waterline to keep the flowers fresh and prevent bacteria from growing.
Give each flower stem a fresh cut to the right height for the vase.
These flowers were just cut. Putting them in water soon after cutting prevents stems from sealing, which can slow water uptake and reduce freshness.
I like to keep similar colors and varieties together, but they can also be mixed depending on preference.
Tulips and tree peonies look beautiful together. Each small vase of flowers is different.
Enma prepares several to run down the table in my Brown Room.
For more casual dinners, I love using these cabbage leaf place mats.
Enma selects a palette of green and white for the table. We work together to decide what plates to use. On this day I was busy at our corporate offices, so she sent photos of what she selected.
When setting a table it is important to consider the menu items and select the plates accordingly. It can be fun to mix and match china, so don’t be afraid to experiment and see what looks best.
Here, Enma folds the crisp white linen napkins.
And then puts out the appropriate glasses. Also take note of what drinks will be served and choose the right glassware. The water glass belongs to the right of the plate, just above the main dining knife. Depending on what else will be served, those glasses would placed next.
Setting the table allows more time for creativity. Here is the place setting so far. No need to overdo it – remember the star of the show is the food.
Next, Enma selects the silverware. Know what foods and what courses will need what utensils and serve only the essentials.
At each place setting, Enma includes salad forks and dinner forks. And always place them in the order of use, from the outside in. Forks on the left, knives and spoons on the right.
And then the flowers – no other greenery is necessary.
These pink flowers look so wonderful – a vessel of blooms between each pair of place settings. And remember to keep them at a height where conversations are not blocked.
Here is one vase of tulips on the side table.
Setting the table ahead of time prevents last-minute issues and allows more time for focusing on the food and the guests.
It’s a beautifully set table with fresh flowers from my gardens, cheerful place settings, and gleaming silverware – all ready for a delicious meal.
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