Another exciting garden transformation is underway at my Bedford, New York farm.
Last year, I decided to make a few changes to the beds surrounding my main greenhouse. The areas had long been home to many berry bushes, but it was time to transplant them to a larger patch where they could continue to flourish. I created a new more formal garden with hostas and white lilies outside the front entrance to the greenhouse. And in back, I designated the space for just dahlias - those colorful, spiky flowers that bloom from midsummer right through the first frost. Many of our dahlia tubers are from Floret, a family farm and floral design studio in the State of Washington that specializes in organic, handcrafted arrangements for special events. Owner Erin Benzakein has created a thriving business - in fact, she was one of our American Made Honorees in 2014.
This week, my gardeners planted the new dahlia bed - here are some photos, enjoy.
This is the area behind my main greenhouse where several gooseberry bushes were planted. I decided it would be a wonderful bed for dahlias. It gets great sun, and dahlias grow more blooms with six to eight hours of direct sunlight. And because this spot is surrounded on two sides by the structure, it is also protected from strong winds.
Gavin dug all the holes for our dahlias. These are fairly shallow holes and about a foot apart. This bed is also planted with hostas around the perimeter and a row of boxwood at the front.
Ryan lined the bags of dahlias in the order in which they would be planted – keeping in mind their colors and height at maturity.
Each variety from Floret is placed in a paper bag with a scoop of vermiculite, which can be added to the soil when the tuber is planted.
All the dahlias are in place ready to plant. A collection of dahlias also came from Brent and Becky’s, a family-owned farm and garden in Gloucester, Virginia. I have been growing their plants for many years. https://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/
Ryan removes a bit more soil to ensure the dahlias are placed at least three-inches down beneath the surface. Dahlias thrive in rich, well-drained soil. The pH level should be 6.5 to 7.0, and slightly acidic.
For heavier clay soil, add in sand, peat moss, or aged manure to lighten and loosen the soil texture for better drainage.
The roots of dahlias are actually tubers. Similar to a potato, the tuber sends up a shoot that becomes the plant, which produces leaves and flowers. Ryan carefully places the dahlia tuber inside the hole.
Dahlia tubers look a lot like a bunch of brown carrots, and the little budding sprouts that end up as thick strong stems are called “eyes.” Pink “eyes” or a little bit of green growth are good signs of a healthy tuber.
Ryan then backfills the hole with soil. The first leaves should poke through the surface in about one to two weeks.
Inside, Zoe uses our favorite Brother P-Touch to make neat, tidy labels for all the dahlias.
Among some of the Floret varieties we received – ‘Cafe Au Lait’ – Floret’s number one most requested variety this season. It has massive dinner plate-sized blooms in an unusual blend of pale creamy blush. (Photo courtesy of Floret)
Dahlia ‘Sheer Heaven’ is this special mix of soft glowing peach and the palest lemon yellow. (Photo courtesy of Floret)
This variety is ‘Vassio Meggos’ – beautiful giant lavender blooms with long stems. (Photo courtesy of Floret)
‘Platinum Blonde’ has unique flowers. Each fuzzy buttercream center on a four-inch anemone-shaped bloom is surrounded by a ring of bright white petals. These long-stemmed flowers bloom abundantly all season long. (Photo courtesy of Floret)
‘Penhill Watermelon’ is another beautiful dinner plate variety with giant fluffy flowers in a mix of peach, lavender and the tiniest hint of yellow. (Photo courtesy of Floret)
This is called ‘Otto’s Thrill’ – giant eight to 12-inch rosy-pink blossoms and long, strong stems. (Photo courtesy of Floret)
‘Ferncliff Copper’ features smoky-peach blooms that last all season long. (Photo courtesy of Floret)
‘Maltby Pearl’ has soft, creamy pink petals edged with lavender and tipped with white. This unique color combination gives them an almost metallic effect. (Photo courtesy of Floret)
And Dahlia ‘Castle Drive’ has a soft blend of pink and yellow – great in arrangements and gardens. This plant is also very attractive to bees and butterflies. (Photo courtesy of Floret)
All the labels are printed in large capital letters, which are easy to see.
We use metal markers made with a combination of galvanized wire and zinc, which will last longer through the seasons.
Zoe places a marker where each dahlia was planted. Wooden markers were used temporarily until the metal ones were ready. These markers will also be stored with the dahlia tubers when they are removed for the winter.
All the markers are inserted deeply into the soil next to each variety. The area looks quite odd without any plants, but it won’t be long before they start to poke through the soil.
Lastly, Zoe goes over the bed with a soft rake to give it a nice, finished look. No need to water until the sprouts have appeared above the soil. We’ve had quite a bit of rain here in the Northeast, so there is enough moisture. Over-watering causes tubers to rot. And don’t bother mulching the plants – dahlias like the sun on their roots. I’ll share more photos when these dahlias come up. What dahlias are you growing? Share your comments below.
Food and wine festivals are an excellent way to gather celebrity chefs, renowned winemakers, vendors, and enthusiasts so they could meet, exchange ideas and learn from some of the best in the industry.
Last week, I flew to beautiful Colorado for the 2019 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen - a three-day culinary event held every year at the base of the spectacular Aspen Mountain. I conducted a book signing to promote my newest publication, “Martha Stewart’s Grilling: 125+ Recipes for Gatherings Large and Small” and hosted a summer entertaining demo featuring recipes from the June 2019 issue of our magazine "Living". More than 5000-visitors from across the country attended the spring affair. Among the other celebrities there - distinguished chefs, including Jacques Pepin, Alex Guarnaschelli, Geoff Zakarian, Andrew Zimmern, and more. It was an excellent time.
Enjoy these photos.
As we approached Aspen, we saw some gorgeous views from the airplane. Here, you can still see snowcapped mountains. The weather was still a bit chilly – temperatures ranged from 45-degrees Fahrenheit in the early morning to 70-degrees Fahrenheit midday. Go to my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48 to see more of my photos.
Aspen is in a remote area of the Rocky Mountains’ Sawatch Range and the Elk Mountains, along the Roaring Fork River. It was founded as a mining camp during the Colorado Silver Boom and later named “Aspen” because of the abundance of aspen trees in the area.
Thousands of visitors come to Aspen every year for this event. There are cooking demonstrations, wine tastings and panel discussions with so many acclaimed chefs and wine experts.
On the first night, we attended the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen welcome reception at the St. Regis Hotel. Here I am posing for some press pictures. (Photo by Galdones Photography)
The next day, we took an early morning gondola ride to the top of Aspen Mountain, or Ajax, to see more of the breathtaking views. The gondola is one of two lifts, which ascend from Gondola Plaza in the heart of downtown Aspen.
I stopped for this photo at the top. It was a little cold, but luckily I was prepared with my Quilted Down Short Sleeve Puffer Jacket from my collection at QVC. https://www.qvc.com/Martha-Stewart-Quilted-Down-Short-Sleeve-Puffer-Jacket.product.A342397.html?sc=SRCH
After breakfast at Little Nell, we headed back to the St. Regis to kick-off the three-day festival with my “Summer Entertaining Demo”. It was held inside the Ballroom in front of more than 250-visitors. Here I am making our Stovetop Clambake – made with lobsters, clams, corn, mussels, shrimp, onions, garlic, seaweed, chorizo, and beer.
This clambake is mouthwatering – and so easy to make. It’s great for large outdoor family parties.
I also made the most delectable Strawberry Biscuit Sheet Cake from our current issue of “Living”. Here I am spooning the lightly sweetened cream onto the tender biscuits and juicy strawberries.
It is the best strawberry shortcake you will ever have! The fruit is tossed with sugar, lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt to bring out the perfectly ripe strawberry flavors.
Our own food editor, Sarah Carey, joined me for the demo. We also made three great cocktails – Aperol jasmine spritz, lemon margarita, and a sparkling rose sangria – all delicious drinks also from our June 2019 issue of “Living”. And while some may say otherwise, an Aperol spritz is a great drink. (Photo by Galdones Photography)
I hope you have your copy – there are so many great summer entertaining ideas in this issue! It’s on newsstands until June 21st!
In this photo – David Anzini and Kris Klank from Kitchen Aid, Diella Allen, event marketing director for Food & Wine, senior PR manager for Meredith Corporation, Liz Malone, and Food & Wine event producer, Devin Padgett.
Chef Andrew Zimmern was also doing a demo nearby – he was cooking noodles on a wok – it smelled wonderful. (Photo by Galdones Photography)
I just had to try it – it was delicious.
Later at lunch, we sat with distinguished Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, author, and executive chef at New York City’s Butter restaurant.
We also saw chef, author, restaurateur and television personality, Geoffrey Zakarian.
Here I am with Andrew and “Top Chef: All-Stars” winner, Richard Blais. (Photo by Galdones Photography)
Here’s the Food & Wine team that works on the event all year long – Diella, Hannah Soltyz, Luis Zepeda, and Allie Perry.
We also walked around the festival to see some of the participating vendors such as Two Roots Farm, a small market farm growing local fresh, organic vegetables. https://www.tworootsfarm.com/
We saw lots of artisanal bread and other baked goods.
Kerrygold was also there with several of their natural Irish cheese. https://www.kerrygoldusa.com/
It was nice to meet Alexandra Vinci and Amanda Welsh from the Kerrygold team.
Look at the great shirts on these two who visited me during my book signing! It was so fun to meet them. Snoop – we need to make our own t-shirts!
This is Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Peroni, Michael Hart, with Paul Verdu, VP Sales and Marketing for Tenth and Blake Beer Company at MillerCoors. Peroni was a major sponsor for this event.
And here I am with my book “Grilling”. If you don’t already have a copy, pick one up today. It’s filled with great tips and recipes! (Photo by Galdones Photography)
See you next year, Aspen – and mark your calendars. The next Food & Wine Classic is June 19 through 21, 2020.
I love this time of year when I can tour my Bedford, New York farm and see all the wonderful blooms - everything looks so amazing this season, including my roses.
As many of you know, I adore roses and have grown them for more than 25-years. Many of my rose cultivars were transplanted from the gardens at Lily Pond, my home in East Hampton. I also have various David Austin roses and a selection from Northland Rosarium - all highly prized for their lovely petal formations and beautiful fragrances. Most of the roses are in the flower cutting garden, but I also have a large collection planted near my tennis court along both sides of my lilac allee.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
This collection of rose bushes is planted just past my chicken coops and vegetable garden. During late spring and summer, this area is filled with various shades of pink, fragrant rose blooms.
A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae. There are more than a hundred species and thousands of cultivars.
Roses come in many different colors, such as white, pink, red, magenta, yellow, copper, vermilion, purple, and apricot.
This rose is ‘Charles de Mills’. It has large, opulent flowers with many closely packed petals giving the impression of very flat, ‘sliced-off’ blooms. They are rich magenta in color and have a medium-strong fragrance.
To produce an impressive show of flowers, always use nutrient-rich compost, composted manure, and other organic and natural fertilizers, such as fish emulsion. Organic amendments also help to encourage beneficial soil microbes and a well-balanced soil pH. This rose is ‘Ispahan’, also known as ‘Rose d’Ispahan’ and ‘Pompon des Princes’ – a pink, half-open kind of Damask rose with exquisite large, double blooms and a glorious fragrance.
Rose bushes need six to eight hours of sunlight daily. In hot climates, roses do best when they are protected from the hot afternoon sun. In cold climates, planting a rose bush next to a south or west facing fence or wall can help minimize winter freeze damage.
And be sure to plant them in a location with good drainage. Fertilize them regularly and water them evenly to keep the soil moist.
Rosa ‘Therese Bugnet’ is a hardy shrub rose with large, double flowers that are very fragrant and bloom from mid-June until frost.
Rosa ‘Mme Zoetmans’ is another lovely variety. It has full-petalled, rosette-shaped flowers with a button eye and a strong fragrance.
And one of my favorites is the swirled ‘Variegata di Bologna’ with its large, cupped flowers and petals of creamy white cleanly striped with purple crimson. It is one of the most striking of the striped roses providing a fantastic display in any garden.
The flowers of most rose species have at least five petals. Each petal is divided into two distinct lobes and is usually white or pink.
The flat bloom is just as it sounds, with petals generally flaring out.
Single blooms are fully opened and almost flat, consisting of one to seven petals per bloom.
Double blooms consist of 16 to 25 overlapping petals in three or more rows.
The cupped bloom has outer petals that are a bit longer than the petals toward the center of the bloom, curving slightly inward.
Some blooms are very full with many petals in at least three or more rows.
And this is a rosette bloom with many slightly overlapping petals of different sizes.
Rose leaves are borne alternately on the stem. In most species, they are about two to five inches long, pinnate, with at least three leaflets and basal stipules. The leaflets also usually have a serrated margin.
Rose stems are often armed with sharp prickles – they aren’t thorns at all. Unlike a thorn, a prickle can be easily broken off the plant because it is really a feature of the outer layers rather than part of the wood, like a thorn.
‘Constance Spry’ is the original English rose. It has large, glowing pure rose pink, deeply cupped blooms with a strong myrrh fragrance – this one looks perfect.
‘Juno’ has large, very globular full flowers that are blush pink with a small center eye. This variety offers an intense sweet old garden rose fragrance – another beauty in the garden.
When watering, give roses the equivalent of one-inch of rainfall per week during the growing season. Water at the soil level to avoid getting the foliage wet. Wet leaves encourage diseases such as black spot and powdery mildew.
Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach several feet in height. Many of my climbers are planted along the fence in the flower cutting garden. I will show you those gorgeous roses in an upcoming blog.
I also have climbing roses growing along the fence of my vegetable garden.
If properly cared for, a rose bush should live for about 30-years or more. I am so happy my roses are thriving.
Here is an arrangement of ‘Variegata di Bologna’ I made for my kitchen servery. Before placing in the vase, always recut the rose stems to eliminate any air bubbles that will prevent them from taking in water. And cut the stems at a 45-degree angle so they don’t rest flat on the bottom of the vase. What roses are blooming in your garden this season? Share your comments with me below.
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