Photos by Carlos "Uno"

July 9, 2025

It’s always interesting and fun to view the familiar through someone else’s lens.

My longtime driver, Carlos "Uno" Villamil, is an avid photographer. In the evening just before the sun begins to set, he often takes my four dogs out for a walk around the farm, snapping pictures along the way - of the gardens, the trees and flowers, the colorful sky, the beautiful landscape, etc. Many times he shares his images with me and others who work here, and we're so glad he does - great work, Carlos!

You may have seen some photos on my Instagram page @marthastewart48. Here are a few more, enjoy.

: Carlos enjoys capturing photos of the setting sun. Many of the images in this gallery were taken just around 8pm in the evening. This is what I call my “soccer lawn” – the area where my grandson loves to play when he is visits.

: The structure on the right is my pavilion. It’s become a favorite warm weather gathering spot here at the farm.

: And, nearby is my Pin Oak Allée. A recognizable trait of the pin oak is that its lower branches hang down. It also has horizontal middle branches and upright upper branches forming a most interesting growth habit. My pool house is in the background.

: This gate leads to my orchard of more than 200 fruit trees. Since it was first planted in 2017, these trees have provided so many wonderful fruits.

: Right now, the peach trees are so full. These peaches will be ready to pick soon!

: Here at my farm, I have four miles of gravel-covered carriage road. Gravel roads are attractive and accumulate less pollutants over time, but most importantly they provide excellent footing for my Friesian horses, my Fell pony, and my five donkeys.

: This is one of three beautiful weeping katsura trees outside my Winter House. The weeping katsura, Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Pendulum’ is an ornamental tree known for its cascading branches and heart-shaped leaves.

: Carlos caught this beautiful sunset from the north end of my living maze looking at my home. All the maze plantings are so lush. The eagle was added here last spring.

: Here’s my beautiful champion Chow Chow, Empress Qin.

: Blackie is my greenhouse cat. Blackie is very friendly and is always ready for a good rub.

: And this is Dahlia, one of my three Persians. She is a dilute calico Persian, meaning her calico coat colors are softer. She is just a year old, but so full of personality – she’s a big favorite here at my farm.

: This photo makes the pool even more tempting, especially on such warm summer days. Don’t you agree?

: Many of you have seen my long and winding pergola now with gorgeous clematis in a palette of blue-flowering cultivars blooming on the antique upright granite posts. Every year they give a vivid floral display. Carlos also includes the towering bald cypress trees on the other side of the carriage road. When I planted them, they were just a few feet tall.

: This photo shows one of my blooming Cotinus, or smoke bush. I have many smoke bushes around my farm – in the sunken garden behind my Summer House, around my pool, in the beds outside my Tenant House where my daughter and grandchildren stay when they visit, outside my main greenhouse, and lining both sides of the long carriage road that runs through one of my hayfields is a gorgeous allée of dark burgundy Cotinus.

: Here’s a fun photo of a wild turkey hen with her chicks walking by my pool pavilion. Good catch, Carlos “Uno.” Carlos is affectionately called “Uno” because there is also a Carlos “Dos” on my crew.

: This is another photo, taken after 8pm – the skies show such beautiful colors.

: It’s the beginning of blueberry picking season here at the farm. My bushes are full of berries. I check them every day and pick the bluest of them all.

: Plump, juicy, and sweet, with vibrant colors from red to the deepest purple-black, blueberries are one of nature’s finest treats. I use them for jams, jellies, and pies, but they’re also wonderful with cereal, in pancakes and cobblers, on top of waffles, and of course, in handfuls on their own.

: My dogs adore their “Uncle Carlito.” Aside from his love for photography, Carlos also enjoys helping me with the gardening. He feeds many of the plants for me. Have you seen our Miracle-Gro ads?

: Here he is off to feed more plants. What do I always say? If you ate today, so should your plants. Right, Carlos? Thanks for sharing your pictures!