Summer at Skylands

August 12, 2017

My large terrace at Skylands is so full of growth and splendor this season.

It has been such a beautiful summer at my home in Seal Harbor, Maine. The weather has been warm, but glorious and I've had a lovely time exploring, hiking, and entertaining. And remember all the planters on my terrace that I fill in spring? They're overflowing with lush, green specimens.

I've been taking many photos to share with you. In the coming days, I will post more images - from my wonderful birthday celebration, the parties I’ve hosted, and all the glorious foods I've shared with family and friends. Also, please check my Instagram page, @MarthaStewart48, for more pictures from Maine. Enjoy the weekend.

: This photo was taken by my property director, Fred Jacobsen. He took several pictures using his DJI drone. This view of my terrace, with all of the urns planted, looks so wonderful.

: The vines growing on my home are kiwi, or Actinidia. These attractive woody vines are original to the house – very hardy and can tolerate shade.

: One of my favorite spring traditions is coming to Skylands and filling the large planters with beautiful specimens. My greenhouse at Skylands cannot accommodate the large plants, so many of them are wintered over at my Bedford farm and then loaded onto a trailer back to Maine for the summer months. This is a Lady palm, Rhapis excelsa. Rhapis adapts to a wide range of climates, soils, and environments, and can grow to more than 14-feet in height. This one is underplanted with yellow Helichrysum.

: The “cracked ice” on my terrace floor is covered in moss.

: Here is a large, antique lead container planted with blue agave and some Helichrysum. This planter is one of a pair, and was made sometime in the 18th to 19th century.

: I grow lots of lilies. Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs and all with large, prominent flowers. They’re also tall – some grow up to six-feet. This year, both my lilies in Maine and those at my Bedford, New York farm, look so stunning.

: Here are more true lilies growing outside this leaded window, with a variety of hostas below.

: Hosta is a genus of plants commonly known as hostas, plantain lilies and occasionally by the Japanese name giboshi. Hostas are widely cultivated as shade-tolerant foliage plants.

: Here is one of the two glazed terra-cotta sphinxes that watch over the terrace and guard this entrance to the house. These sphinxes were designed by Emile Muller.

: These steps lead up to the western terrace, which is among my favorite summer meal spots.

: I purchased this long trough a few years ago from the Trade Secrets rare plant and gardening antiques sale in Sharon, Connecticut. It always looks so beautiful planted with succulents. This year, I wanted it planted in color blocks with pink gravel – the same pink gravel that covers the carriage roads at Skylands.

: On one of the landings off the western terrace, reclining in the moss and ferns, is the lady – La Riviere by Aristide Maillol.

: On this wall of the western terrace, we planted three Soderholtz pots. Eric Soderholtz was a pioneer in American garden pottery and a most creative artist – his works are collectible items. Every year, I select different types of plants and try to vary where they are planted. Each of these three pots contains a variety of begonia, palms and baby’s tears.

: From my large terrace, behind the many potted plants, magnificent spruce trees frame the glorious view of Seal Harbor. This large urn looks wonderful with the agave and Helichrysum.

: The varying shades of green in this garden bed of alocasia and ferns look so vibrant. I love the copper pot with the palm in it at the very end of this pathway.

: I also love the design of this magnificent curved staircase. The steps of this staircase are adorned with wild Maine violets and moss.

: Here is one of the many beautiful stone retaining walls around the property.

: This area is so inviting – all my chaises longues lined up under umbrella shades on my terrace. Skylands is indeed one of my favorite places on Earth.

: The exterior of Skylands abounds with stone step walkways and naturalized ferns of many types.

: My garden in Maine is growing very nicely this season. The soil is comprised of lots of red granite, and loam. It is also very well-drained and very fertile.

: At Skylands, the vegetable garden and the flower cutting garden are in the same location, all protected by this good, strong fence.

: This is my circular driveway at the front entrance. The driveways and all the carriage roads at Skylands are covered with finely crushed pink granite stone. I love how it looks against the bold green foliage.