Everyone who attended this week's "Super Fans" luncheon and garden tour are still sharing photos and stories about all the fun they had.
Devotees came from all over for the special occasion - Wisconsin, Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Maryland, Florida, West Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Michigan, Quebec, Ontario, Texas, Minnesota, Indiana, North Carolina, and of course, New York. And although the day was very warm and humid with temperatures in the high 80s, it was a wonderful time for all.
Here are more photos, enjoy. And in my next blog, I'll share images taken by my guests.
I decided to serve lunch under my pavilion. It is one of the coolest spots on the farm with great shade and cross breezes.
My pavilion is just outside my large pool. I just opened the pool a couple of weeks ago – it certainly would be nice to take a swim.
Here I am putting the final touches on the long table. This table was made from an old yew tree I cut down at my former East Hampton home. It was made by master artisan Peter Billow, owner of Peter H. Billow Fine Woodworking in Brooklyn, New York.
The table settings were done with my signature green color. I used fun enamel ware plates and coordinated with bright colored pink peonies.
My guests could smell lunch from across the orchard. On the menu – paella cooked on a hardwood fire.
For paella, it’s important to use a traditional paella pan, which is round and flat with shallow sides.
Paella is a rice dish from Valencia, Spain. It is one of the most well-known dishes in Spanish cuisine and popular worldwide.
I served three different kinds – one with seafood, one with meats, and one that was vegetarian. One ingredient in all is saffron. It adds flavor and color to the iconic Spanish rice dish. And, I grow it right here at the farm.
Marquee Senior Marketing Manager Sophie Roche came up for the event. Here she is helping out. These delicious herbed toasts were devoured as soon as they hit the table.
You may recognize these two helpers – podcast producer, Heather Kirkland, and Lisa Wagner who worked with me for 25 years as a creative stylist and content creator.
Here I am with all my attending devotees at the table just before lunch. It was so nice to see everyone having such a good time.
For dessert, we all had flan. Flan is a rich baked custard dessert that is both sweet and creamy with hints of vanilla and caramel.
And here I am with Chef Pierre Schaedelin from PS Tailored Events. Pierre and I have collaborated on so many menus over the years.
After lunch, the group walked down to my carriage house for some afternoon presentations. This is my allée of pin oaks. When I planted this allée, these trees were only about five feet tall. Look how much they’ve grown. This allée has since become one of the focal points of my farm.
Devotee Carey Lowe from California wore one of my Tractor Supply outfits. I love all the pieces in this collection.
Before coming to the event, Carey embellished the Garden Chore Jacket with some embroidery…
… And I embellished it a little more.
Devotee Bernie Wong Green was instrumental in planning this event. He stopped to look at the blooming climbing hydrangeas on this giant maple.
Some also took time to walk through my stable and visit with my horses and donkeys.
Everyone gathered in my carriage house to hear several of my friends and colleagues speak about the brand, how we were inspired over the years, what we’ve accomplished, etc. There was also time for some “Ask Martha” questions from the group.
Before leaving, guests were able to take books they were missing from their own collections.
It was a fun day. Stay tuned for my next blog. I’ll be sharing photos from my guests. It’s always fun to see the familiar through someone else’s lens.
I always enjoy entertaining at my farm, but it is even more memorable when my guests are the enthusiastic, creative and loyal devotees of the Martha Stewart brand.
Yesterday, I hosted a day celebrating 30 individuals who have not only followed this blog but have also read my magazines, watched my television and radio shows, cooked and baked my recipes, purchased my products, and shared their experiences and all they've learned with so many others - true ambassadors and influencers. The day began with a breakfast on my Winter House terrace parterre, then a walking tour through my gardens, followed by a delicious paella lunch prepared by my friend Chef Pierre Schaedelin of PS Tailored Events. In the afternoon, several longtime colleagues and friends presented their thoughts on the brand today, shared their stories, and offered more ideas and inspirations. The day's events concluded with an interesting session of "Ask Martha" and my parting advice to heed one of my own favorite sayings - "learn something new every day."
Here are the first of many photos, enjoy.
The day’s forecast called for a hot day in the high 80s, but that did not dissuade any of those who came to my farm for this “super fans” celebration. Guests came from across the country to spend a day at Cantitoe Corners.
The morning began bright and early at 9am sharp. Everyone was on time and ready for a full day of activities. Here are just some of those gathered during the start of my garden tour.
I led them behind my main greenhouse to the berry patches. This is my large strawberry patch. We’ve already picked boxes and boxes of delicious, sweet red strawberries.
Strawberries are among the easiest berries to grow. They’re cold-hardy, adaptable, and can be planted in both garden beds and containers. Do you know why it is called a “strawberry”? One theory is that woodland pickers strung them on pieces of straw to carry them to market. Others believe the surface of the fruit looks embedded with bits of straw. Still others think the name comes from the Old English word meaning “to strew,” because the plant’s runners stray in all directions as if strewn on the ground.
I showed them one of my rose gardens. This is a more formal garden I planted two years ago. It is looking so stunning this year.
I also walked the group through my perennial flower garden, which is also blooming wonderfully right now. I hope you saw my blog earlier this week.
The group proceeded up the carriage road past my long and winding pergola and this stand of stately bald cypress trees. I told the group most of the trees they see during the tour are ones I planted since moving to the farm.
I like to serve some kind of refreshments during my garden tours. On this day, I had croissants and cinnamon buns from LMNOP Bakery in Katonah, New York.
I prepare everything in my kitchen first, making sure we have all the essentials before taking them out to the terrace.
Trays of my nutritious green juice are also prepared fresh that morning. Everyone must have a glass of green juice to start the day.
The food is brought out just as guests walked up to the terrace. I also hardboiled lots of farm fresh eggs earlier in the morning.
All the beautiful eggs are from my chickens, of course. Everyone loved them.
Kevin Sharkey took this photo from the second floor of my home. Everyone was having such a good time despite the very warm weather.
The group presented me with a collection of gifts – each one personally selected or handmade. I was very touched and excited to see everything up close. I placed them all out on the kitchen counter to take photos.
The tour continued after breakfast with a walk down to my half-acre vegetable garden. Everything is growing so nicely.
Look at the kale – lush and green.
And the fava beans – already knee hight.
Along the tour, Ryan and I shared stories about how each garden was developed and what they contained. Everyone was also given a map of the farm that shares its history.
Next I had the group walk through my living maze without any assistance on how to find the way to its center. They all did very well meandering up and down the rows, looking for the right paths – there is only one correct one.
And the end is my great eagle in the middle of an open space about two thirds of the way through the maze. In my next blog, I’ll share photos from our delicious al fresco lunch, and the rest of the tour. Stay tuned.
Be sure to tune in to my newest podcast on the iHeart media app, or wherever you get your podcasts. Today I'm releasing another interesting, fun, and humorous episode - this one in partnership with the social media, microblogging service Threads operated by Meta.
Not long ago, Threads hosted a garden party to celebrate my 101st book, MARTHA STEWART'S GARDENING HANDBOOK: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO DESIGNING, PLANTING, AND GROWING. The afternoon event was held at Meta's New York City midtown headquarters and featured an interactive podcast where I answered questions from attending guests, Threads followers, and celebrities. Our own Kevin Sharkey moderated our session in front of a LIVE audience of more than 300 invited media influencers, friends, and colleagues. It was followed by refreshments, small bites, and of course, lots of social media pictures and posts.
Enjoy these images.
I hope you follow me on Threads, the fun micro-blogging app from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp parent, Meta. On it, users post lots of up-to-the-minute text-based messages along with photos and videos, in real-time conversations.
Earlier in the day, Threads posted an announcement that I would be conducting the event and asked followers to submit their gardening questions.
MARTHA STEWART’S GARDENING HANDBOOK is a comprehensive guide to designing and cultivating a flourishing garden. If you don’t already have a copy, I encourage you to buy one. It’s filled with ideas, inspirations and all sorts of tips for understanding your plant zone, choosing, planting and maintaining all kinds of plants, watering and feeding, and so much more.
Meta’s auditorium filled quickly with invited guests – everyone wanted to attend.
Employees without tickets waited patiently outside for any extra seats – it was a very well-attended event.
Elizabeth Dalton Smith, Vice President, META, introduces me to the stage.
Here I am with our own Chief Creative Officer of Home, Kevin Sharkey, in front of the LIVE audience. Kevin would read a submitted Threads question or invite a guest from the audience to ask theirs. (Photo from Meta)
I shared personal gardening experiences, stories and talked about how I designed my own gardens over the years. (Photo from Meta)
One follower asked what kind of gardening tool I would be. I talked about my Hori Hori knife, which is a heavy-duty serrated multi-purpose steel blade for digging, cutting, weeding, etc.
In fact, I brought a Hori Hori in to show the audience. It is one of my essential gardening tools – I always have one in my gardening bag. Listen to podcast to hear why. (Photo from Meta)
Do you notice this gardening enthusiast? Tennis great Serena Williams was one of the first questions I received. She wants to know how to grow better carrots. I advised her to double-dig her soil or loosen it thoroughly to aerate deeper layers and allow plants to grow bigger and more vigorously.
And this tip is really for all gardeners – know one’s limits and don’t be overambitious. Just take one step at a time and enjoy gardening.
I also modeled Meta’s next generation of Ray-Ban AI Glasses. These glasses are equipped with a built-in camera, open-ear audio, and seamless social sharing features. (Photo from Meta)
After the event, guests were invited to a reception outside the auditorium.
Refreshing Whispering Angel Rosé, Via Carota bottled Spritz and margarita cocktails were offered.
My longtime friend chef Pierre Schaedelin of PS Tailored Events prepared lots of delicious bites including crudités, cheese, tea sandwiches, and mini quiches. (Photo from Meta)
There was more than enough for everyone.
These are cheese straws made with puff pastry. (Photo from Meta)
Guests were given herbs from Bonnie Plants to take home along with a copy of MARTHA STEWART’S GARDENING HANDBOOK.
And, there’ always time for some photos. Here I am with Meta’s Liz Dalton Smith. (Photo from Meta)
Here I am with Kevin and Garrett Gottesman, a member of Meta’s Public Figure Partnerships team. (Photo from Meta)
And here I am joined by our Marquee Brands Executive Team – CCO Christian Martin, CLO Heather Greenberg, CEO Heath Golden, Kevin, CMO Natasha Fishman, and CCGO Rachel Terrace. What a fun and informative event. Don’t forget to tune in to this podcast on the iHeart media app or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll love it. (Photo from Meta)
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