As the owner of a large property and farm, I work hard to maintain its natural beauty - it's always interesting and inspiring to learn how others do the same in their own backyards.
Over the last few years, naturalist Murray Fisher, and his wife Emily, have worked hard to transform 50-percent of their property back to "wild." The initiative is called "rewilding" and it is an effort to give space back to wildlife and to nature in order to heal the ecosystem. Doing this decreases greenhouse gas emissions and increases biodiversity, while maintaining the existing aesthetics and preserving agricultural value of the land. Earlier this week, I joined fellow members of The Bedford Garden Club for a very special lecture and presentation by Murray on what he did at home to "rewild" his yard and garden.
Enjoy these photos.
Much of my Bedford, New York farm includes acres of woodlands. I work very hard to maintain them – not just for me, but for all the animals and plants that live there. This is one of several babbling brooks on the property.
Every year, I plant hundreds of trees in the woodland to replace the old, damaged or diseased ones that had been removed. Doing this creates a healthy habitat for wildlife and encourages more growth – it’s part of maintaining the “wild.”
Murray Fisher is an expert naturalist. He dedicated years to making New York Harbor healthier, more biodiverse, and more abundant. Murray is also passionate about improving biodiversity in our own backyards and gardens and the effort to “rewild” these spaces.
First, Murray talks about the American yard, and how developed lawns and spaces have affected biodiversity in our country.
Murray says rewilding the American yard helps to combat climate change and bring back biodiversity, which is all the different kinds of life one finds in an area – the wild animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world.
Since Murray and his wife, Emily, transformed their own yard by “rewilding” they have noticed many changes – wildlife has returned, including many species of native birds.
At my farm, Cantitoe Corners, I welcome all the wildlife and am so pleased with all the creatures that live and visit. Here is a Cooper’s Hawk sitting on my paddock fencing watching the activity around my farm.
Here is a group of wild turkeys crossing one of the carriage roads in the back field.
And here is just one of many wild birds that represent the more than 125 species that frequent my feeders every single day.
Murray says he discovered more than 1200 species of living animals that share our backyards just here in the Westchester area.
There are also coyotes in my woodlands – they thrive in the brush surrounded by forest and nature.
Murray also talks about the many native plants that prospered after “rewilding” his yard. (Photo from Murray Fisher)
Fortunately, I am able to design many gardens at my farm that include such different, interesting, and native specimens.
And smaller beneficial insects, moths, and butterflies thrive in an area that has “returned to the wild.” (Photo from Murray Fisher)
Here is a monarch butterfly feeding on flower nectar in one of my gardens.
Among the list of efforts one can do to “rewild” a space and increase biodiversity is to do less and allow the landscape to heal naturally.
In order to cut down on mowing at my farm, I eradicate a lot of lawn space. In this area, we laid down old burlap, no longer useable for covering the boxwood, on the grass surrounding my azaleas.
And then we covered the fabric with organic mulch made right here at my farm.
The beautiful trees in my pinetum are also now surrounded with mulch and not grass. The area is filling in so nicely, creating more habitats for visiting animals.
Murray offers resources for ideas on “rewilding” a space. “Rewilding” a garden doesn’t mean one has to live amidst a forest, but instead find a compromise for sharing the environment with wildlife.
Here I am with Murray and his wife, Emily. Thank you Murray, for sharing your wisdom and thoughts on how we can improve the earth for future generations and save our wildlife.
It's just nine days away - what are you doing for the Big Game?
If you’re gathering with friends and family to watch the biggest football event of the year, I hope you'll also prepare some fun and delicious Game Day dishes. Among some of my go-to favorites - finger-licking oven baked wings, such as Sriracha Buffalo, Sweet 'n Sour Orange, and Maple-Dijon, Chili Con Carne, Skillet Cornbread, Macaroni & Cheese, and for those sweet cravings, giant-sized cookies. All these can be enjoyed while watching the Big Game on a massive 85-inch Samsung Neo QLED 8K television - it will feel like you're right on the sidelines.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Hard to resist watching the biggest game in football, even if one is not a huge fan of the sport. But, if you’re like me and love to watch the nation’s top teams battle it out for the year’s biggest football honor, now is a good time to start planning the party.
You may remember, a couple years back I did a video shoot at my Bedford, New York farm, preparing some of our well-loved meals and snack ideas for the Big Game. One suggestion was to make individual bowls of macaroni and cheese.
This one is also topped with bacon, tomatoes, grated white cheddar cheese, and panko breadcrumbs. If you’re not familiar, panko breadcrumbs are made from a crustless white bread that is processed into flakes and then dried. These breadcrumbs have a dryer and flakier consistency than regular breadcrumbs, and as a result absorb less oil.
Then the ramekins filled with macaroni and cheese are baked for about 30-minutes until bubbly and lightly golden brown on top.
Game Day would seem incomplete without a warm bowl of Chili con Carne. When making any recipe, don’t forget the “mis en place.” Mise en place is a French culinary phrase meaning “putting in place” or “gather”. It refers to the setup required before cooking a specific dish. I like to gather all my ingredients on a tray. This chili recipe comes with flour, kidney beans, black beans, tomato paste, taco seasoning, ground beef, fresh cilantro, garlic, and a large red onion.
While the chili is cooking, make the cornbread in a cast iron skillet and bake until golden and risen.
Another idea is to serve it with a toppings bar – include avocado, diced tomatoes, sour cream, cilantro, onion, jalapeno peppers, and of course, tortilla chips.
It’s always fun to make one’s own combination of flavorful dish toppings.
And here’s the finished bowl – mine with avocado, sour cream, cilantro, chips, and a piece of cornbread – ready to eat while still piping hot.
If you’re making wings, be sure there’s enough for everyone. As a general rule, allot for about six wings per person, and up to 12 per person if it’s a main dish.
Use fruits or greens as a garnish to decorate the platter.
These Sweet-and-Sour Orange Chicken Wings recipe uses sherry vinegar for a wonderful kick of flavor.
These Maple-Dijon Chicken Wings are so easy to make. All you need are dijon mustard, maple syrup, and chicken.
And my Sriracha-Buffalo Chicken Wings are classic hot wings with the addition of sriracha, a Thai-style hot sauce. Serve them with lots of crumbled blue cheese and celery sticks.
All three can be served at a buffet, so guests can try some of each. Go to MarthaStewart.com for the recipes.
Cookies must be paired with milk, of course. One can serve it in fun glass bottles like these.
And there’s no better way to watch the Big Game than on one of these giant 85” Neo QLED 8K televisions from Samsung. If you don’t have one, there’s still time to order and get it on the wall in time – they’re so easy to install.
This monitor has an Ultra Viewing Angle – every seat in the room is the best seat. It also features Auto Motion Plus, which offers crisp, clear action shots even for the fastest plays. Its One Connect Box keeps cables out of sight. And, this television is equipped with Anti-Glare – a must for watching any suspenseful game. Viewing on the Big Screen for the Big Game and enjoying delicious game day bites – they’re all good things.
The beginning of a new year is always a nice time to get everything in good order.
Here at my busy Bedford, New York farm, we try very hard to keep things clean and well-organized - in my kitchen, my office, my large Equipment Barn, my greenhouses, my hayloft, etc. Staying organized saves time, boosts productivity, and helps minimize stress. I am always looking for useful and attractive storage solutions that optimize space and control the clutter. From neat and tidy desk accessories to repurposed containers found at tag sales to commercial sized wheeled units, there are so many ways to keep "a place for everything and everything in its place."
Enjoy these photos.
Storage solutions can be both functional and pretty. Here in my studio kitchen, we keep lots of flour, sugar, and grain in these large glass containers. Pantry vessels like these are so useful for so many items and can be kept on the countertop for easy access.
Vintage and antique crocks can be used to hold utensils on the counter. These strong, large jars are durable and easy to keep clean.
In my own Winter House kitchen, I keep flour and rice in these glass jars with wide mouths, so measuring cups and scoops can fit inside.
Dog treats are also good to keep in these glass canisters. They can be bought in multiples and used all around the home.
I also use and reuse these plastic containers for salts, peppers, and items that come in smaller amounts.
If you follow this blog regularly, you know I use the bigger quart sized containers for storing my homemade dog food. These can be used over and over and kept neatly stacked in the freezer.
I use a variety of small dipping bowls and salt cellars to store different types of salt where I can reach them easily.
On another counter, giant ironstone bowls for storing my eggs that are collected every afternoon.
On my kitchen desk, old silver plated julep cups serve as pen and pencil holders – so pretty in any office space.
Underneath a counter, I house often-used pet supplies in these woven rattan boxes. Items inside are hidden from view, but can be accessed quickly when needed.
Inside one – leashes, harnesses, and slip leads for everyday use.
In my servery, which is a service room from which meals are served, I use these lucite airtight containers for cat food. I always offer my cats a “buffet” of foods, so clear containers allow me to see what is in what vessel.
This metal cabinet in my Flower Room was from an old bakery in Maine. It fits perfectly in the space and is used to store various kitchen supplies.
Every drawer is well labeled and always stocked.
Industrial rolling restaurant storage units made in stainless steel are easy to keep clean. The Flower Room is also an outdoor kitchen which we often use for cooking when I entertain. These drawers store utensils and other tools, so the counters can be used for food preparation.
In my generator room, I use these metal garbage bins to store the wild birdseed. Look for storage solutions that are durable and long-lasting. These receptacles are inexpensive and easy to find at hardware stores and home improvement shops.
Do you know what this is? I had these cases specially made to store screen doors and windows so they are well protected during the off-season. Screens should be stored either by laying flat or standing upright, in a dry area where the temperature is kept fairly constant.
A big favorite for storage in my greenhouse and stable are these commercial food ingredient bins – also very common in bakeries to hold flour. Here in the head house, we use several, each one storing a different soil mix.
Inside, the bin can hold a good amount of mix that’s easy to reach when seeding trays and repotting plants.
In my Equipment Barn closet, we keep washers, nuts, and bolts carefully stored in these trays and then in large plastic bins – always organized by type.
A custom made rack holds the hoop house piping we use as frames for the burlap that covers all my boxwood in winter. Storing items properly keeps valuable supplies and items in good condition.
In my stable hayloft, I store various moldings, window casings, etc. All the moldings are kept on these shelves and stacked according to length and type. I keep the moldings stacked horizontally to keep them from bowing.
Everything is kept off the floor. These window casings, already painted in my signature Bedford Gray, are sitting on a wood base. It is crucial that any stored wood be kept free from dampness.
And many of you will recognize this storage unit where I keep all my beautiful baskets. I have hundreds of baskets in my collection – some are rare and antique, some are vintage, and some are more contemporary. A good number of these baskets were used during my catering days.
My Basket House is located near my grove of bald cypress trees across from my clematis pergola. I will share more of my storage solutions in future blogs. What are your favorite organizing strategies at home? Share yours with me.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
