More Photos from My Memorial Day Weekend In Maine
There’s so much to do in Maine.
Whenever I go to Skylands, my home in Seal Harbor, Maine, the days are always filled with lots of great activities - shopping and touring local gardens and nurseries are often on my list. And of course, spending time with good friends while sharing delicious meals.
Here are a few more photos from my weekend in Maine. I took many of these images, but pictures were also taken by my guests, Kevin Sharkey, Douglas Friedman, Ryan McCallister, and Hannah Milman. And be sure to see more of my photos on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48. Enjoy.
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- Every time I go up to Maine, Kevin Sharkey always creates the most gorgeous flower arrangements. Here I am behind a giant collection of lilacs from my garden. One of three beautiful and fragrant arrangements, and follow Kevin made on our first day up at Skylands.
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- Here are my good friends, Hannah and Douglas, with all the lilacs cut and ready for Kevin to arrange – the fragrance of all these blooms is intoxicating.
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- On our first evening in Maine, we drove by the Asticou Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor – it is a beautiful place to visit. The light was perfect for a few photos, so we just had to stop. Asticou Azalea Garden was created in 1956 by lifelong Maine resident, Charles Kenneth Savage, who was inspired by his love of native plants and his study of Japanese garden design. The Garden and its pond are open to the public from May to October each year. Styled after a Japanese stroll garden, Asticou features a wonderful selection of rhododendrons and azaleas, a sand garden, and a meandering collection of fine gravel pathways.
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- Look at the beautiful reflection in the still water – simply gorgeous. Asticou Azalea Garden was built for quiet enjoyment, and intended for relaxation and contemplation.
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- Here’s a photo of our group from across the pond. I try to visit Asticou at least once or twice each year when I am in the area.
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- During the weekend, we had some delicious meals. Chef Lazaro Morales from PS Tailored Events joined us and prepared the most wonderful lunches and dinners. Here he is with a platter of fresh broccoli and green beans.
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- The vegetables were served with pork chops, steak, and potatoes – a good meal after a busy first day of traveling and gardening.
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- For dessert, we had baked apricots and peaches from Frog Hollow Farm in Brentwood, California. These fruits are baked with just a sprinkling of sugar in buttered dishes and then served with a dollop of creme fraiche.
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- The next evening, we enjoyed some ROE caviar and chips. The caviar was gifted to me by Douglas Friedman. Follow his Instagram page and see more photos from the weekend @DouglasFriedman.
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- We also had gougeres – those delicious baked savory choux pastries made of choux dough and mixed with cheese.
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- Here is a fun snapshot of Ryan and Kevin after another long day planting the terrace.
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- Later that night for dinner, my friend Scott Koniecko came over with a bag of fresh oysters. He also brought his shucking glove and knife. The best oysters shucking gloves are the ones that provide the highest level of protection. Aside from being cut-resistant, oyster shucking gloves should also be comfortable, easy to clean, and have a good grip. The knife should be very sharp in order to remove the top shell and reveal the beautiful meat inside.
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- He shucked all the oysters for us himself. To shuck, he holds the oyster firmly in the gloved hand and the oyster shucking knife in the other. He places the tip of the shucking knife at the base of the hinge to open, and then loosens the meat.
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- Here they are served on a bed of seaweed ready to devour – and devour we did.
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- They were served with a bowl of pasta bolognese topped with lobster and parsley.
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- Pete and Fernando from my outdoor grounds crew at my Bedford, New York farm were also up at Skylands for the weekend. Here they are ready for dinner! It’s a lot of work for everyone at Maine, but we all work very hard and then eat well.
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- At night, we played competitive games of gozo – a card game similar to rummy.
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- And early in the morning, we do some yoga and stretching.
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- For lunch on the next day, we enjoyed these mouth watering barbecued ribs. The meat came from D’Artagnan. They were steamed first and then roasted to perfection.
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- Chef Lazaro cut each of the ribs and served them on a large platter – the meat just fell off the bone.
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- The ribs were served with a delicious green salad – with lettuce from my gardens. Everything was so delicious.
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- Here’s a photo of Carlos with my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew up at Skylands – Porter, Mike, Carlos, Wendy, Rick, and Peter.
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- And here I am on my West Terrace. Despite the rain, it was such an enjoyable weekend. I can’t wait to return this summer. And please check out more of my photos on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48.
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