I always enjoy visiting new and interesting shops whenever I can - it is not only fun to see what stores have to offer, but also very inspiring to learn about other businesses and their specialties.
I was excited to learn about a retail store not far from my Bedford, New York farm called "The Huntress." This quaint storefront is nestled in the historic Hamlet of Pound Ridge, about 50-miles from Manhattan. "The Huntress" is owned by New York-based interior designer, Jenny Wolf, and is filled with unusual and wonderful treasures found across the United States, in Europe, and beyond. I recently went to visit "The Huntress" and was delighted with all there was to see including home furnishings and accessories, table setting pieces, unique clothing, and personal spa items, and so much more - all tastefully styled and displayed. If you’re ever in or around Northern Westchester and love visiting charming shops, I encourage you to make a stop at "The Huntress."
Enjoy these photos.
“The Huntress” is located on Westchester Avenue in Pound Ridge, just across the street from the Inn at Pound Ridge, the casually elegant and delicious restaurant owned by acclaimed chef Jean-George Vongerichten.
Constructed in 1860 as a residence and then later established as the town grocery store in 1905, the structure was painstakingly renovated for two years before opening its doors in November of 2019.
A beautiful staircase leads visitors up to the main gallery. Owner Jenny Wolf wanted to create a captivating setting and chose the “Huntress” as the shop’s name because of its literal meaning of being “on the hunt” for unique treasures to showcase at the store. She also wanted to play off of its namesake “Artemis”, the ancient Greek Goddess of wild animals and the hunt.
I saw this charming birdcage as soon as I entered the space. As many of you know, I keep my canaries and finches in large wooden bird cages I designed after an antique one that came from France, originally used to house doves and quails.
On this table, a collection of Marvis teeth cleaning supplies. Straight from Florence, the capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, Marvis is a well-known brand offering toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouth wash. The company’s seven unique flavors include strong mint, cinnamon mint, Amarelli licorice, and Jasmin mint.
Nearby was this rack of unique clothing pieces. I purchased a lovely slip dress for my daughter, Alexis – she loves it.
Jenny and her team are constantly on the hunt for unusual treasures. They have curated pieces from the US and around the world. Jennifer looks for new, vintage and antique items. On this table, various specialty teas and of course, charming teacups.
I loved this sink, and wanted to take it home – I admired its shape, size, and construction and thought it would be a great addition to a new project at my farm. Unfortunately, it is not for sale. It is actually a working sink in the shop for floral arrangements etc.
The space has several home furnishing settings, where visitors can find interior design inspirations while perusing one of the many decorating books displayed around the store.
This photograph is by Dale Goffigon, an accomplished photographer whose works consist of gardens, historic architecture and interiors taken during her extensive travels. This particular photo is called “The Stable” and was taken in Antwerp, Belgium at the home of Belgian designer, Axel Vervoordt.
Here is a collection of clear teacups and tea from Chalait, Manhattan’s first matcha-focused coffee and tea shop.
Specialty liquid soaps, creams, bath salts, and other aromatic spa items are on this shelf. Jenny describes the shop as filled “with curiosity and wonder.”
This vintage water bottle crate displays Pursoma Minerals de Mer – a therapeutic and all-natural bath treatment to rejuvenate the body – a perfect gift for anyone who needs a relaxing soak.
The hanging tray is one of many we saw in the store. Owner Jenny loves to use them both as serving pieces and as decorating pieces on the wall.
Here – all sorts of napkins and other textiles from Rogers & Goffigon, designers and producers of high-quality textiles. Many of the fabrics are manufactured at family-owned European mills that have been around for generations.
There are also lots of comfortable pillows and soft blankets – all beautifully crafted.
These are tarot cards – they make a fun and unique gift. The tarot is a pack of playing cards, used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play games such as Italian tarocchini, French tarot, and Austrian Königrufen, of which many are still played today.
By the staircase, a cozy settee decorated with pillows and draped with matching textiles – the store is filled with design ideas and inspirations.
Jenny wanted the store to be “an escape from the everyday grind, and a place to linger and explore and just be in the moment.”
And behind the counter, this beautiful stone buck head decorated with foliage and arrows – the antlers fit perfectly in between the beams of the ceiling. The next time you’re in this area, please stop by “The Huntress” – you will find it a treasure trove of beautiful and distinctive gifts and accessories.
There’s always so much to do on a working farm. Thankfully, with this season’s mild temperatures, we’re getting lots done around my Bedford, New York home.
Last week, my outdoor grounds crew and my longtime arborists at SavATree removed a large tulip tree from my pond - it had fallen during a storm earlier last year. Tulip trees, Liriodendron tulipifera, are fast-growing and can reach more than 150-feet tall. This task took several hours to complete - carefully cutting down sections of the tree and hauling them to the woodpile where they will stay until they are repurposed or put through the grinder to make mulch for the gardens.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This large tree fell across a section of my pond located in one corner of my large lower hayfield.
The pond is surrounded by taller trees as well as younger saplings. I also decided to grow another garden of azaleas in this location in shades of yellow and orange.
Large projects like these are always left to my longtime arborists at SavATree who are very experienced with these types of jobs. Here is where the tree broke off from the main trunk.
Here is a view from the other side. Luckily, this tree was not located near any other structures and did not cause any major damage when it fell.
The first step was to cut off any branches.
Because this tree is at the edge of the pond, the crew has to plan exactly how to cut it in case it starts rolling. A rope is secured around the tree before smaller sections are cut. Every crew member with SavATree always wears the necessary gear – helmets, safety belts, chaps, and eye and ear protection.
The large trunk is cut into smaller rounds with a chainsaw. It is important to always stand on the opposite side of the limb being cut.
Tulipwood is the greenish yellowish wood yielded from the tulip tree. In the United States, it is commonly known as tulip poplar or yellow poplar, even though the tree is not related to the poplars at all. The wood is very strong and is used in many applications, including furniture, joinery and moldings.
Here, it is easier to see the section cut up into smaller pieces.
The bark of the tulip tree is brown and well furrowed. It was actually made into tinctures by Native Americans and used as a tonic, stimulant, and a fever reducer.
The process of cutting down this large trunk took several hours, but the crew worked safely and efficiently.
Chhiring is my outdoor grounds crew foreman. He is an excellent driver and operates all the large machinery at the farm. This is our trusted Kubota model M7060HD12 tractor. It is used for many jobs.
One by one, Carlos, Chhiring, and Jason carry rounds of wood to the tractor bucket. It is important to clear the debris as it is being cut to prevent any injuries during the process.
Once the bucket is full, Chhiring hauls the wood rounds away. It will take many trips to get them all. This Kubota is designed for heavy farm work and has about 60 to 70 horsepower.
The rounds are cut into one foot thick pieces, but each one weighs more than 100-pounds.
Chhiring rolls this piece up the small incline and over to the tractor.
This section alone was cut into more than 10 heavy slices.
I always feel bad when I lose trees on the farm. Trees are important to our environment – they are the world’s single largest source of breathable oxygen. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and potentially harmful gasses, and they create an ecosystem to provide needed habitat and food for birds and other animals. However, occasionally trees fall or need to be removed.
By day’s end, the pond is clear of the large tree. Another job well-executed and completed.
And the last load of wood is carted away – ready to reused as dressing for my garden beds.
We’re expecting a day of rain here in the New York City area with temperatures rising into the upper 40s.
Although we’ve had a relatively mild winter so far, temperatures have been very erratic. In recent weeks, we’ve had both spring-like weather as well as days in the 20s. Last weekend, weather conditions were just right for us to get about four to six inches of moderately wet and heavy snow. The morning after, I ventured out to take some photos and to plow the four miles of carriage roads here at the farm. Using my trusted Polaris XP Ranger 1000 fitted with its adjustable snow plow, it took me about two-and-a-half hours to do, but I got the job done.
Enjoy these photos.
I love our Polaris vehicles. This Polaris XP Ranger 1000 has 80 horsepower – one of the most powerful in its class. It is easy to handle and helps with so many of the chores around the farm. Here I am about to plow the four miles of carriage roads – so much fun!
This view is of the soccer field or “Party Lawn.” During summer, it is my grandson’s favorite spot – I put out a regulation-size soccer net where he and his friends can play for hours. On the right, one can see the snow-covered roof of the old corn crib.
Here is a view looking through my fruit orchard that surrounds the pool.
Tucked away between the Equipment Barn and a grove of weeping willows is my pinetum. It includes pines, spruces, and firs, as well as other evergreens. In the foreground, a recently planted border of Osmanthus fastigiata.
Here is my stand of American beech trees. They are slow to grow but can live up to 300-years. It’s interesting how some drop all their leaves, while others hold onto them as long as possible.
Whenever it snows, I am always grateful for the stakes we put up delineating the carriage roads. We paint the tips of those stakes that mark the catch basins, so if needed, the side openings can be cleared.
Here I am driving and plowing the road down the Boxwood Allee draped in burlap. This vehicle plows wonderfully and gets into tight spots where a big pick-up truck wouldn’t be able to go.
These roads are also covered in gravel, so I keep the plow just barely touching the top of the snow, leaving about an inch of white cover. It still looks pretty, and the crowns of the roads are left undisturbed.
One of the most popular views at the farm – this one looking down the long and winding carriage road to the lower hayfields and the woodlands beyond. Majestic trees stand tall in the woodland, with smaller saplings growing below. This carriage road leads to the back hayfields and to my little woodland cottage.
This path between the paddocks runs from my Winter House and carport down to the chicken coops. Just inside both of these paddocks are younger linden trees.
Here’s a stand of dawn redwoods, Metasequoia, with their straight trunks – impressive trees by any standard, and beautiful in any season. Thankfully, the wind was not very strong, so none of the trees lost any branches.
The fencing is 100-year old white spruce fencing from Canada with newer cedar uprights to support it. I love how it casts shadows in the snow.
Here are four of my five donkeys – “Jude Junior,” Billie, “Truman Junior,” and Clive. They love this weather and have naturally thick coats that protect them in the cold.
They also love visitors, especially those with treats. Rufus, “Truman Junior,” and Clive are coming to the fence to say hello – hello my gorgeous donkeys!
The boxwood hedge surrounding my herbaceous peonies is well-insulated from the inclement weather. Several holes are left in the burlap for visiting birds. The peonies in these beds are also well-insulated with mulch to stabilizes the winter temperature and preserve the moisture through the cold months.
Here is the side entrance to my ginkgo and boxwood garden behind the Summer House. I am so glad my boxwood is well protected under the burlap coverings.
This apple tree was here when I purchased my home. It is one of several lined up behind the herbaceous peony garden. They still produce an abundance of apples every fall.
And here is the view of the ancient apple trees in one of the horse paddocks. In front are European beech trees, Fagus sylvatica, or the common beech – a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae and native to the woodlands of central and southern Europe.
This is the carriage road to my tennis court where we planted an allee of Marley’s Pink Parasol’ Japanese Snowbell trees and Styrax japonicus ‘Evening Light’. They all continue to do so nicely in this area.
And here’s a sweeping view of the horse paddocks taken with a drone. The straight lines bordered by the antique fencing crisscrossed with the burlap-covered boxwood in the allee look so pretty. Go to my Instagram page @marthastewart48.com for more of my photos. Enjoy the weekend.
Below, enjoy some of the short videos we took as I plowed the roads around my farm with my Polaris XP Ranger 1000.
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