For anyone passionate about gardening, it's always so rewarding to plant new specimens and watch them flourish.
Recently, I received a large delivery from the First Editions and Endless Summer Collections by Bailey Nurseries in St. Paul, Minnesota. These plants will be stored in a fenced in area where they can be properly maintained until they are added to existing gardens and borders around my farm. This grouping of plants includes several varieties of hydrangea, cotoneaster, ninebark, birch trees, lilacs, shrub roses, and others.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
It’s always so exciting when a delivery of plants arrives at the farm. As a serious and curious gardener, I am always looking for ways to add more beauty and texture to my garden beds.
Here’s Ryan transporting a selection of Parkland Pillar® Betula platyphylla ‘Jefpark’ – a beautiful birch tree variety with a narrow, upright, dense habit. It features white bark and dense, dark green foliage that turns a beautiful gold in late fall.
Pete and Phurba from my hardworking outdoor grounds crew unload every palette carefully. They learn a lot from all the different plants I add to my gardens.
Right away, the plants are placed in organized rows according to type so they are easy to see, count, water, feed, and access when it is time to plant.
Many in this collection are hydrangeas. Hydrangea, commonly named the hortensia, is a genus of more than 70 species of flowering plants native to Asia and the Americas. Hydrangea flowers bloom from early spring to late autumn. This lush green variety is Endless Summer ‘Twist-n-Shout®.’ It has lacecap flowers that bloom in deep pink or periwinkle blue.
These First Editions Little Hottie® panicle hydrangeas are in such excellent condition. They have white flowers that bloom from late summer to early fall on shrubs that grow three to five feet tall and wide.
Endless Summer® The Original Reblooming Hydrangea is a mophead hydrangea with the classic blue or soft pink flowers, depending on one’s soil pH. The Original Hydrangea was the first to bloom both on the previous year’s branches as well as the new season’s growth.
Ryan brings in another variety. The Endless Summer® Blushing Bride Hydrangea is a bigleaf hydrangea that was introduced in 2006. It features large, mophead flowers that bloom repeatedly from late spring through fall.
DreamCloud® Reblooming Hydrangea has bright white blooms that cover the plant and then age to deep pink in certain climates.
First Editions Eclipse® Hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailmacseven,’ is the first true dark-leaf mophead hydrangea. It shows off season-long dark purple leaves that hold their color, even in warm climates. The striking foliage, paired with gorgeous cranberry-colored blooms are striking in any space.
Lotty’s Love® Rose is an ever-blooming rugosa rose that has beetroot purple, semi-double, cup-shaped blooms that have a strong cinnamon fragrance.
The Easy Elegance Champagne Wishes rose, Rosa ‘BAIcham’, has clusters of soft apricot blooms that fade to white and contrast beautifully with dark green foliage.
Many may recognize the foliage of arborvitae. This is Technito arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis ‘BailJohn.’ This plant has attractive dark green color that stays through winter. It grows up to 10 feet tall and five feet wide.
Little Lady™ Lilac blooms in late spring when dark pink buds open to lilac pink fragrant flowers. Its mature size is four to five feet tall and wide.
Pinktini™ Lilac is a cold and drought tolerant shrub perfect for small spaces, reaching just three to four feet tall and three to four feet wide at maturity. Rich pink flowers bloom from late May through early June.
Here’s Jimmy transporting more potted plants into the enclosure. When buying plants in large numbers, be sure to know your garden’s climate zone, soil type, and timeline for planting. It’s also important to plan how many plants are needed for the space. And always shop at reputable nurseries where staff can help answer questions.
Physocarpus, commonly called ninebark, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to North America and northeastern Asia. Ninebarks are large shrubs that grow to about 10 feet tall and wide. They get their common name from the bark, which sheds in reddish-brown strips. This one is Spicy Devil Ninebark with a fiery combination of orange and yellow leaves that mature to a vibrant reddish-purple.
In comparison, this is Lucky Devil Ninebark with vibrant, bright yellow leaves that hold their color even in full sun. In the spring, white flowers provide contrast to the leaves, and in the fall, orange leaves stand out.
Autumn Inferno™ Cotoneaster, Cotoneaster ‘Bronfire,’ shows clean foliage all season long. It forms small red berries in fall that stay on the branches until visiting birds enjoy them.
Early in the season, Spring Fling® Forsythia provides an explosion of yellow flowers that covers the plant from top to bottom. Maturing up to six feet tall and wide, Spring Fling® is perfect as a back-of-garden border, hedge, or foundational plant. Growing best in full sun, Spring Fling® is not picky about soil type and can be planted almost anywhere.
Planting season is now in full swing. I hope these plants inspire you to try something new in your garden.
It's always a joy to see beautiful potted plants displayed around the farm.
Every year, I take out many of my outdoor ornamental urns and fill them with plants. They do well outside in the warmer months and look great arranged around my home. Last week, I asked my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, to fill the faux bois planters on the terrace outside my Winter House Green Parlor with a variety of different geraniums. The leaves of these plants can vary widely in shape, texture, color, and even scent, making them so interesting when planted together.
Enjoy these photos.
Several years ago, I purchased a very interesting group of faux bois planters from The Tropics, Inc. in Los Angeles. The Tropics, Inc. is a leader in the rare specimen plant and tree industry and carries thousands of tropical plants, trees, orchids, and decorative accessories. I decided these planters would look great on the terrace outside my Winter House Green Parlor.
This year, I thought the planters would look lovely potted up with geraniums. These sun-loving plants are loved for their interesting and aromatic leaves, colorful blooms, and versatility both in the garden and in containers.
I enjoy them most for the foliage. These will look so nice in the giant urns.
Ryan starts by adding a generous sprinkling of Osmocote – small plant food particles known as prills. These prills coat a core of nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
I also use Miracle-Gro Organic Outdoor Potting Mix. It contains a quick-release natural fertilizer that feeds plants for up to two months.
Ryan spreads the soil mix evenly across the planter. Geraniums prefer moist, fertile, well-drained soil.
When planting several specimens in one container, it’s a good idea to plan the arrangement first. Be sure the pot can accommodate all the plants’ root systems and that the pot is big enough for all the selected plants when full grown.
Also arrange them so all the plants can be seen. Here, Ryan placed the larger ones on both ends of the planter with smaller plants in the center.
Geranium leaves are typically palmate or deeply lobed, meaning the leaf segments radiate from a central point, as in a hand or fan.
Leaf color is usually green, but many feature variegation and different color markings.
This variety has a red to bronze color leaf, adding more interest even when there are no flowers.
Ryan makes a hole twice the diameter of the root ball.
The hole is also as deep as the root ball.
Ryan carefully removes the plant from its pot and teases the root ball to stimulate growth before planting. This is called scarifying.
As each specimen is planted, Ryan tamps the soil down to prevent any air holes and ensure good contact.
Some of the plants are blooming. Geranium flowers often grow in clusters along long stems and come in a wide spectrum of colors, including soft pastels, vibrant magentas, deep reds, violet-blues, and even white.
Ryan also makes sure there is enough space between plants, so they are not overcrowded and have enough room as they grow.
Ryan mixes the plants together instead of planting like foliage in one pot. Geraniums prefer full sun, but some varieties can also tolerate indirect sun or partial shade.
I think the potted faux bois planters look perfect with the geraniums. These plants will grow nicely and provide color and interest to this terrace.
If you’re thinking of filling planters outside your home, consider geraniums – they’re easy to care for and add charm and beauty to any space all season long.
Have you tried Elm Biosciences yet? Even actress Courteney Cox says she can't wait to use my skin products!
Last month, Courteney joined me at New York City's Soho restaurant, Altro Paradiso, for a luncheon and moderated conversation about beauty, longevity, keeping healthy rituals, embracing change, and building brands. Also in attendance were more than 30 female founders, beauty insiders, makeup artists, and content creators. I hope you saw some of the photos and videos on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48. It was a great way to share more about Elm Biosciences and our innovative and unique approach to graceful aging and skin care. You're all going to love Elm! Click anywhere on this highlighted link to buy your beauty set right now!
Enjoy these photos.
Everyone is still talking about the lovely luncheon we had last month celebrating Elm. Here I am with Elm co-founder dermatologist, Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali and Courteney. Dr. Bhanusali and I developed Elm Biosciences with an innovative and unique lab-to-patient model offering a science-backed inside-approach to graceful aging and skin longevity. (Photo by BFA)
I love my A30 Elemental Night Cream and the A30 Elemental Serum – both formulas that help enrich the skin. (Photo by BFA)
I’ve been taking the Inner Dose supplements and using the creams every day and my skin has responded so beautifully. (Photo by BFA)
The event was held at Manhattan’s Altro Paradiso. On one side of the restaurant was a pop up stage where we held the moderated conversation. We used Vesper Corp for the event’s set-up and details. (Photo by BFA)
Courteney and I are both passionate entrepreneurs. (Photo by BFA)
During the conversation, I talked about business and passion, about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, the importance of staying excited, and one of my big mantras – to learn something new every day. (Photo by BFA)
Courteney spoke about her love for being busy and having many hobbies. (Photo by BFA)
Courteney and I talked a little about gardening. I said everyone should eat fresh vegetables from one’s own garden. Courteney said she’s ready to start planting! (Photo by BFA)
Our moderator was Jenny B. Fine, editor in chief of Beauty Inc. (Photo by BFA)
It was so nice to speak in front of such an enthusiastic crowd – I hope you’ve seen all the social media posts on this fun event. (Photo by BFA)
We reserved the restaurant for the entire midday event. The tables were dressed in white and decorated with fresh spring flowers. (Photo by BFA)
Some of the flowers used include Anthurium, Oncidium orchids, yellow sweet peas and dill. (Photo by BFA)
More flowers were displayed around the venue – created by Sweetscape NYC. (Photo by BFA)
All the place cards were hand drawn by artist Andrea Shine. (Photo by BFA)
The napkins were also embroidered with Elm.
And utter pats were personalized for the event. (Photo by BFA)
The formal symbol of our skincare brand is the elm bonsai. The bonsai, when thoughtfully and carefully maintained, becomes more beautiful as it matures. New England Bonsai Gardens loaned us several bonsai specimens for the luncheon. (Photo by BFA)
The menu included a starter of procscuitto, whipped ricotta and olives. The pane was followed by a Finocchio Fennel salad, Gamberi Crudo, and then Trota with Asparagus, Zuppa Mussels and Chickpea Soup. For dessert – Lemon Sorbetto and Ricotta and Rhubarb Tart – all by Chef Ignacio Mattos. (Photo by BFA)
Each guest went home with an assortment of products from Elm, and Courtney’s home and body collection. Be sure to go online now and buy your Elm Inner Dose supplements, A3O Elemental Serum, and A30 Elemental Night Cream. (Photo by BFA)
After the luncheon, there were many opportunities for photos. Here I am with Jenny, Dr. Bhanusali and Courteney. What a fun event for all. I assure you, there’s nothing like Elm Biosciences – just try it. (Photo by BFA)
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