If you’re planning your next vacation and want to include different, interesting sights and experiences on your itinerary, consider a trip to Iceland and Greenland. The two countries are between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans separated by the Denmark Strait and filled with gorgeous, dramatic views, excellent food, and the most welcoming residents.
If you follow my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48, you may have seen some of my photos from this recent trip. Among the highlights - I visited an inactive volcano just outside the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, relaxed at the Sky Lagoon geothermal spa, toured the Vaxa Impact Nutrition hydroponics facility, traveled aboard the Swan Hellenic Vega expedition ship and viewed up close, some beautiful glaciers, icebergs, fjords, and landscapes. I visited small villages, met with local artisans, enjoyed dinner at the secluded Camp Kiattua, and of course, caught glimpses of the famous Northern Lights. It was a most memorable excursion with good friends.
Here are some of my photos, enjoy.
One of the first things we did once we arrived in Iceland was to take a helicopter ride to see one of the inactive volcanos. Iceland is home to around 130 volcanoes in 30 different volcanic systems. Thankfully, only 18 have erupted since 871 AD, when the country was first inhabited by humans.
We were all able to descend deep into one of the inactive volcano’s craters. A volcanic crater is an approximately circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity.
Here is our group descending into the crater of the Þríhnúkagígur volcano, the only volcano in the world where it is safe to enter its magna chamber.
This volcano is dormant and hasn’t erupted in more four thousand years. What we saw was amazing.
The magma chamber is often referred to as the heart of a volcano. Here are some of the various colors on the surrounding walls.
Iceland is one of the most active volcanic regions in the world, with eruptions occurring every few years. However, the volcano we visited shows no signs of activity in the near future.
This is the Miso Cod with glazed carrot purée, oyster mushrooms,
coriander-toasted almond salsa.
And the homemade feykir & asparagus ravioli with lobster sauce, lemon, and Icelandic chervil. If you’ve never had feykir cheese, it is a rich sheep’s milk Icelandic cheese. Everything was delicious.
Here’s my dear friend Terre Blair in front of the Sky Lagoon geothermal spa in southwestern Iceland.
These are the steps in and out of the lagoon. One can take as much time as desired in the lagoon’s warm waters.
The waters of Sky Lagoon contain minerals that can detoxify and can help remedy skin ailments. We all were so excited to take a dip. It was the best place to be on a cold, dreary day.
Here I am under the thermal waterfalls – so invigorating.
I visited the team at Vaxa, a hydroponic vegetable grower in Iceland.
VAXA Impact Nutrition produces microalgae in their state-of-the-art facility for aquaculture fish feed and as nutritional supplements for people. VAXA Technologies converts clean energy into food, producing sustainable crops rich in Omega-3 and protein.
We also tasted Omnom, Iceland’s leading chocolate maker.
Our trip across the Denmark Strait from Iceland to Greenland was on the Swan Hellenic Cruise Ship, SH Vega. WE saw some of the most amazing views from this expedition ship and learned all about the largest island in the world, Greenland.
Do you know… the difference between a glacier and an iceberg? Glaciers are located in the Arctic and Antarctica. They are bodies of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight and formed by the accumulation of snow over many centuries. Icebergs are smaller pieces of ice that have broken off, or calved, from glaciers and now drift with the ocean currents.
We saw many icebergs during our journey.
Just a decade ago, these mountains were covered in snow.
Remember this photo that I posted on Instagram? It got lots of attention. We were in a beautiful fjord on the east coast of Greenland where we captured a small iceberg for our drinks. I used some of the ice in this drink.
The cold East Greenland Current passes through the Strait and carries icebergs south into the North Atlantic Ocean.
The Denmark Strait was formed roughly during the last ice age. When the ice sheets advanced and then retreated over the North Atlantic, they created a landscape with a depression that gradually became the Denmark Strait over the course of thousands of years.
We visited a small Inuit village on Prince Christian Sound. The Prince Christian Sound is a waterway in Southern Greenland.
The tiny village is called Aappilattoq, which means “sea anemone” in the local Greenlandic Inuit language.
The cluster of colorful houses is home to just under 100 people.
Near the southern tip of Greenland is an old mining town of Ivittuut, now a collection of uninhabited houses and sheds. Ivittuut was once the world’s largest source of cryolite, an extremely rare mineral that was historically used in the extraction of aluminium from bauxite ore.
We spotted some cryolite on this step.
Here we are on the ship at night – taking some fun photos.
And here I am on the ship’s bridge with the captain.
We also visited Camp Kiattua, a secluded and exclusive camping retreat. The Inuit-inspired tents and grounds are surrounded by nature and magnificent views.
The fire pit is surrounded by comfortable, big chairs – it’s true “glamping” style.
Here I am with the proprietor of Camp Kiattua, Anika Krogh, and her young daughter. We had such a nice evening here.
I caught this beautiful view from my room on the ship.
And here they are – the Northern Lights, the natural light display in Earth’s sky seen in high-latitude regions. Also called auroras, it is a vivid demonstration of the Earth’s magnetic field interacting with charged particles from the sun. The lights show as dynamic patterns that appear as curtains, rays, spirals, or flickers. I hope you think about visiting this part of the world someday – Iceland and Greenland and the Denmark Strait. You’ll love it.
Many varieties of holly, Ilex, have compact habits and glistening, bright green foliage, that's excellent for hedges, borders, and yes, mazes.
As many of you know, I am in the process of planting a living maze in a lush pasture just outside my Winter House. I started planting this course one year ago with a variety of different hedges, espaliers, and trees. So far, there are European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, parrotias, espaliered apple trees, American sweetgums, barberry, London planetrees, privets, holly, and yews. This week, more rows of sod were removed and three different types of holly were planted - Ilex crenata 'Chesapeake,' Ilex crenata 'Compacta,'and Ilex glabra 'Shamrock.' Every specimen is placed according to a very detailed map I designed specifically for this maze.
Here are some photos of my growing maze, enjoy.
Every few weeks, while we can still plant in the gardens, we add another section of specimens to my living maze – this time, three varieties of holly. The maze is more than one third complete and is developing very nicely. I designed the maze with different plantings to add texture and interest. Each row will branch off with various pathway options and dead ends – with only one correct route to the center.
The first step in our maze planting process is to remove the sod where the plants will go. Chhiring goes over the designated beds with our Classen Pro HSC18 sod cutter. The sod cutter goes over the area smoothly and deeply. Everything must be done as precisely as possible for the maze. This sod cutter is so easy to maneuver and so sharp, Chhiring finishes one row in just minutes.
The maze is drawn out on a map, so it is important to refer to it every time something new is added. The area is measured multiple times before the actual sod is cut and removed. Here, one can see where Chhiring sliced the grass strips.
The sod strips are divided into sections, so it is easier to roll and lift. Here are several pieces of sod neatly rolled up and ready to be repurposed in another area of the farm.
Chhiring drops generous handfuls of fertilizer down the rows of bare soil. A slow release fertilizer designed for shrubs and evergreens is best. Also look for food that promotes faster establishment, deeper roots, and good soil structure.
Here, Chhiring places the potted holly in their designated section, five feet apart from each other.
We always plant in an assembly line fashion – it is efficient and works well when working with mass plantings. All the potted holly is lined up nicely in the bed.
Among the holly cultivars we’re using – Ilex glabra ‘Shamrock’ or Shamrock holly shrub, an Inkberry holly. It is a broad leafed compact, rounded, evergreen shrub with slender foliage of thick, spineless, dark green leaves. This holly thrives in moist locations and features greenish-white flowers that open in spring and mature to black, pea-sized berries that feed the local bird populations in fall.
Ilex crenata ‘Chesapeake’ is a Japanese holly that shows off a compact, upright, pyramidal shape, with small lustrous evergreen foliage.
And Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’ or compact Japanese holly is a low, compact holly known for its small black fruit, rich dark green foliage, and spreading habit. It will grow to six feet high and wide making it a good choice for a maze hedge.
Each holly hole is dug with enough room for the plant’s root ball. Holly thrives best in an area that gets equal parts shade and sun, and where it can live in well-draining soil.
The holly is carefully placed in the hole, but before backfilling, it’s always good to check that the plant is positioned with the best side facing out, or in this case, facing the path.
Here, Ernesto gives the shrub one last look to make sure it is straight with its best side facing in the right direction.
This shrub is now ready to be backfilled.
Soil is pushed back into the hole surrounding the root ball. The soil is then carefully tamped down to ensure good contact between the plant and the soil.
Next, all the soil around each plant is raked, so the bed looks neat, tidy, and finished.
Ennio makes sure the soil is also level in between the plants. Later, these beds will also get top dressed with a layer of mulch.
… and then Chhiring gives everything a good, thorough drink. Remember, if you drink and eat, so should your plants.
Because holly shrubs are evergreen, these will look beautiful all year long.
Here is one row all planted and done. In all, more than 50-holly shrubs in this section of the maze. There is still lots one can do in the garden – what are you planting this weekend? Share your comments – I love hearing from all of you.
Strawberries are among the easiest berries to grow. They're cold-hardy, adaptable, and can be planted in both garden beds and containers. Here at the farm, we're extending our strawberry patch, so we have more delicious, sweet fruits to pick next summer.
Earlier this year, my gardeners planted a large bed of strawberries behind my main greenhouse. The area is filled with nutrient-rich, well-draining soil, and the bed gets lots of full sunlight - the best conditions for these well-loved fruits. The strawberries did so well, I decided to lengthen the rows of strawberry plants to give them more room to grow and thrive.
Enjoy these photos.
Summer strawberries are among the most popular fruits here in the United States. I love eating strawberries fresh from the garden or as jams and jellies I make myself. Do you know why it is called a “strawberry”? One theory is that woodland pickers strung them on pieces of straw to carry them to market. Others believe the surface of the fruit looks embedded with bits of straw. Still others think the name comes from the Old English word meaning “to strew,” because the plant’s runners stray in all directions as if strewn on the ground.
Strawberry is a member of the Rosaceae family and goes by the scientific name of Fragaria x ananassa. Strawberries are native to temperature regions all around the world; however, it was the union of two species native to the Americas that developed into the garden strawberry. This is the strawberry patch behind my main greenhouse. Strawberries prefer to be in full sun, and well-drained, well-established, nutrient-rich soil. These plants grew so well this year, I decided to extend the rows.
Here is Brian removing some of the plants from the bed to be moved to the other end of this garden patch.
The plants were so prolific this year – look how green and lush the plants are, but they do need room to thrive. Even if they have started to root, they can be moved or redirected so that they are not crowded or growing into areas where they are not wanted.
Brian and Jimmy gathered all the plants to be moved and put them in crates set in the shade.
Brian sets up the twine, to make sure everything is lined up straight and perfect.
Before making the trench for planting, a line of twine is pulled down the length of the row. These trenches are 18-inches apart.
We followed the same lines we used for the original rows and just extended them. Here, Jimmy is measuring the space between the rows to make sure this last row is equally spaced with the others.
Using a heart shaped hoe, Brian starts by digging a shallow trench. Heart shaped hand hoes are great to use for getting under the soil to make these furrows or to weed.
Here is the trench made under the twine. The trenches should be large enough to accommodate the roots without bending them. Strawberries also need slightly acidic soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.8.
Brian carefully places each plant where it will be planted. These are spaced a foot apart.
Many varieties of strawberries send out numerous runners throughout the season and fill in the space between plants, so it’s important to give them ample room.
These are the plant’s runners. Strawberry runners, also called stolons, are horizontal stems that grow along the ground. Each runner produces several new “daughter” plants that are still attached to the original “mother” plant. A daughter plant will grow roots where it touches the soil.
Strawberry is a herbaceous perennial. The plant has a short stem and trifoliate leaves which form a crown close to the ground.
Here is Jimmy planting. Planting strawberries at the right depth is important – if the crown is buried, the plant could easily rot.
Once the plant is at its proper depth, Jimmy backfills and tamps down lightly to ensure good contact with the soil.
Brian inspects one of the plants. We planted these in May as bare-root cuttings. They’ve all done so well since then – look how big this plant has grown. The varieties we planted include ‘Jewel,’ ‘Galletta,’ ‘AC Valley Sunset,’ ‘Earliglow,’ ‘Sparkle,’ and ‘Honeoye.’
This row is done and all these are planted properly – the crown of every plant is even with the soil line.
Jimmy continues down another row, spacing each one correctly and carefully.
Brian checks each plant just to make sure – we don’t want to overcrowd them.
Here are the extended rows. I am so pleased with how well they turned out. Next year, we’ll have an even larger bounty of wonderful, sweet, vitamin-C rich strawberries – I can’t wait.
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