So many brightly colored daffodils are blooming at my farm right - different forms of white, yellow, cream, and orange Narcissi.
When I moved to my farm, I knew I wanted to grow a continuous swath of daffodils. After lots of planning and planting over the years, I now have a border that extends the length of one side of my property from my Summer House, past the stable, and down to my Japanese maple grove. Over time, any that have faded have been replaced with other varieties, while others continue to flourish. But that's not all - I also planted daffodils in other areas including the garden beds outside my Tenant House, across from my chicken coops, near my main greenhouse, in patches through the woodland, and in various tree pits around my home, such as those beneath the allée of pin oaks where I planted a special variety of Narcissi named after me, Narcissus ‘Martha Stewart.'
Here are some photos, enjoy.
My long daffodil border is broken up into various groupings – different varieties, different shapes and sizes, and different blooming times. This provides a longer splash of color through the season. This view is from one end of my allée of lindens. We planted this section in 2019 and the flowers continue to blooms profusely every year.
Narcissus is a genus of spring perennials in the Amaryllidaceae family. They’re known by the common name daffodil.
The name ‘daffodil’ was taken from an Old English word, ‘affodyle,’ which means ‘narcissus’ which is used as the genus name for many species of the flower.
Daffodils are native to meadows and woods in Northern Africa, Europe, Afghanistan, China, and Japan, but many also grow hybrid bulbs in other areas to feature specific traits.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society’s daffodil classification system, daffodils are categorized into 13 divisions based on flower shape, size, growth habit, and genetic heritage.
The flowers are generally white or yellow with either uniform or contrasting colored tepals and coronas. This white daffodil has a bold contrasting orange center.
Yellow is the most common color for daffodils, but they also bloom in white, cream, orange and even pink. They also come in a variety of flower forms, including trumpets, doubles, split-cups, large-cups, and jonquils.
This is a crisp all white trumpet variety.
Daffodil plants flourish in a neutral to slightly acidic soil. When planting, be sure there is room for them to spread, but not where the soil is water-logged.
Normal rainfall will typically take care of any watering requirements during the spring flowering season. The most important care tip is to provide daffodils with a well-drained bed.
Also select an area that gets at least half a day of sun. Hillsides and raised beds do nicely.
Cultivars with bold colored cups generally retain better color when planted in a little shade to protect them from the hot afternoon rays.
Planted in clusters instead of rows will provide a fuller, more natural look.
I take stock of my daffodils every year to see what is growing well and what is not, so I can learn what to remove, where to add more, and what to plant next. Taking photos when an area is in bloom helps to remember those areas.
One of the more interesting daffodils is this Narcissus ‘Rip van Winkle’, an heirloom double daffodil dating before 1884 with whorls of narrow, pale greenish yellow petals, some with a slight twist.
Few pests bother daffodils. The bulbs are actually quite unappetizing to most insects and animals, including deer and voles.
After daffodils bloom in the spring, allow the plants to continue growing until they die off on their own. They need the time after blooming to store energy in their bulbs for next year.
And remember what I always say about all plants and flowers – if you eat, so should your plants. Fertilize daffodils with extra phosphorous to encourage good root development, especially when they’re young.
When cutting daffodils, they should be kept alone in the vase as their stems secrete a fluid that promotes wilting in other flowers. If you need to combine flowers, soak them alone first and then add them to the arrangements last.
Daffodils can also grow in pots as long as there is room to multiply and room for the roots to fill out. They can bloom well for two to three years – after that, it’s best to move them to a spot in the ground where they will come up once a year.
I have lots of daffodils all over the farm – it’s such a welcome sight for visitors. And I am so proud of all the many different types that I’ve been able to grow here…
… Including underneath the majestic pin oaks in the allée and in the pits of the weeping willows. Here, I have a variety of Narcissi named after me by Van Engelen Inc., a wholesale flower bulb company in Bantam, Connecticut.
Narcissus ‘Martha Stewart’ is a Karel van der Veek hybrid with a three-inch white perianth surrounding a pale yellow cup. These flowers are reliable bloomers and can continue to produce each spring for decades.
In full bloom, these flowers grow up to about 16 to 18 inches tall. Daffodil season is a great time of year, and there are more flowering every day. Once they are planted, daffodil bulbs will continue to emerge each spring and flower for years. Enjoy the daffodils and Happy Earth Day!
My newly released Martha Stewart hybrid tea rose will soon bloom at the renowned New York Botanical Garden.
The Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden is among the most popular destinations at the NYBG from May through October. This is when more than 4000 rose plants representing 37 species and at least 650 varieties of roses are flowering. The collection includes heirloom roses selected for their glorious scents as well as modern cultivars featured for their resistance to disease and pests. Last week, I was honored to have my rose planted in one of the Garden's beds. My new rose has large pink blooms, dark green foliage, and an intoxicating sweet fragrance. It was bred by Meilland, a six-generation family-owned rose-growing business, and was launched in North America through Star Roses and Plants. If you're in the New York City area this summer, be sure to include a visit to the NYBG Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
The NYBG’s Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden was originally designed in 1916 by notable landscape gardener, Beatrix Farrand. Unfortunately, due to a shortage of materials during WWI, the garden was left unfinished for decades. It was finally completed in the late 1980s with support from David Rockefeller and then named after his wife, Peggy, who loved the fragrant flowers.
The Rose Garden is located at the northeast corner of the expansive 250 acre property. It is shaped in a loose triangle with a center gazebo. Meticulously manicured beds along several rows lead to center focal point.
Climbing roses are also planted on the surrounding iron fence.
The garden includes more than 4000 individual rose plants on the one-acre space.
The NYBG selected a bed near the front gate of the garden to plant my roses. In all, 13 Martha Stewart hybrid tea roses will grow and flourish here at the NYBG.
The bare-root plants were first soaked overnight in water to rehydrate them. Hydrating is an important step in planting bare-roots because it boosts root growth and helps them get established faster.
The best location for roses is one that gets full sun. Roses do best with at least six hours of direct sun per day – morning sun if at all possible. The hole should be about a foot deep and at least two feet wide.
Roses also prefer to grow in well-draining soil with a pH between 6 and 6.5. The soil here is amended with good nutrient filled compost.
NYBG gardener and rose garden expert, Bernie, removes the twine from one of the roses and inspects the plant. The roots should be strong and moist and the plant a vibrant bright green.
Bernie spreads the roots over a mound in the center of the hole. This small mound forms a cone to support the root system. He also makes sure the graft union is properly positioned so it is planted one to two inches below the soil line.
Bernie spreads the roots out over the mound evenly and carefully, allowing soil to fall in between the roots.
Once the plant is securely in place, he backfills the hole.
And then when completely filled, Bernie tamps down to establish good contact. Bare-root roses focus most of this early time to their root growth.
Because the area had also been previously mulched, Bernie covers the plant with a light layer of mulch which had been neatly pushed to the side.
After it is planted, just the top of the canes should be sticking out. Any soil around the stems when it starts to leaf out can be moved out of the way as it grows.
In June, when it is in peak bloom, it will show off more than a 100 lush pink to apricot petals. (Photo courtesy of Edmunds’ Roses)
Next, Bernie rakes the area so groomed looks groomed and tidy.
A solution of Nogall and water is poured over the plants. Nogall is used as a biological control treatment for Crown Gall Disease, which forms tumor like growths on the plant and disrupts growth.
He also follows it up with a liquid fertilizer and fish emulsion mix – both of which will provide good nutrients and encourage healthy growth. Fish emulsion contains nitrogen to promote strong, green foliage, phosphorous to help produce abundant flowers, and potassium to strengthen the plant against disease.
Bare-root roses could flower in the first year if planted early enough and in the right conditions. In general, it takes a couple of years for these roses to become well established. I am looking forward to seeing this garden bed during my visits to the NYBG.
Hundreds of varieties fill the garden beds and grow along the fences – my rose is in excellent company.
Among them Julia Child, Rosa ‘WEKvossutono’ – personally selected by the acclaimed late chef herself.
This shrub rose is David Rockefeller’s Golden Sparrow.
Here are some of the fresh green foliage of climbers on the top of the iron gazebo.
All the roses in this garden are carefully maintained and cataloged.
Michael, Bernie, and Senior Director of the Communications Nick Leshi have all been at the NYBG many years and have watched this garden grow and prosper. Thanks NYBG for including the Martha Stewart hybrid tea rose in your collection.
My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are rushing to get hundreds of bare-root cuttings into pots before the holiday weekend.
Earlier this week, I received a huge delivery of bare-roots and young transplants from Star Roses and Plants, a company of brands that focuses on breeding and introducing specimens offering longer-lasting, disease resistant blooms. On the day they arrived, my team potted up more than 100 arborvitae and dogwood trees. On day-two - hundreds of bare-root hydrangeas, lilacs, and roses. It's a big undertaking, but the task is getting done and all the plants are in excellent condition.
Enjoy these photos.
I’m so proud of all the many bare-root plants I am able to nurture here in pots before they are planted in more permanent positions. These bare-roots are Sweet Starlight Hydrangeas, Hydrangea paniculata. Its bright white blooms age from light to dark pink.
These are New Age Lavender Lilacs, Syringa vulgaris. They are ultra-compact, mildew-resistant with a sweet and delightful fragrance.
And these are some of the potted roses, lined up by variety. Bare-root cuttings are difficult to identify when there are no leaves or flowers, so it is important to keep them separated by cultivar and always properly marked.
The main part of this delivery was the roses. All the specimens are delivered in sturdy, well-packaged boxes. Healthy bare-roots get off to a more vigorous start because their abundant, fibrous roots have already had a chance to develop unrestricted.
The bare-root roses are placed in trug buckets filled with water right away. When working with bare-roots it’s important to soak them for several hours or even overnight. Never let the roots dry out. One can already see the buds. These are in excellent condition – healthy, plump roots with no sign of mold or damage, and healthy canes with plump, reddish buds. Avoid very thin or dried-out plants and root systems.
Bare-roots often come in bundles. Depending on the nursery, they may come in groups of 10, 15, 25, or more. Phurba removes the twine from this bundle of 25.
Roses have two kinds of fibrous roots – thick roots to help stabilize the plant and keep it upright and thin feeder roots that absorb all the nutrients from the soil.
And do you know… roses are often armed with sharp prickles – they aren’t thorns at all. Unlike a thorn, a prickle can be easily broken off the plant because it is really a feature of the outer layers rather than part of the wood, like a thorn.
For potting, we use a nutrient-filled composted manure and top soil mix I make right here at the farm. A generous sprinkling of Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Plant Food is added and mixed in thoroughly.
Each bare-root rose is matched to an appropriately sized pot. The root section should fit into the pot without bing crowded at the bottom.
Phurba inspects the roots of each plant before it is potted up. This pot is already filled with a thin layer of soil.
Phurba positions the root so that the bud union is below the soil when filled.
Holding the plant with one hand, Phurba backfills just to under the pot’s lip.
Lastly, he gently tamps the soil down around the plant, so there is good contact with the roots.
Nearby, Alex pots up another rose. The crew has devised an efficient production line process for potting massive amounts of bare-roots.
The rose cultivars include: Rosa ‘KORnagelio’ Arborose Kiss Me Kate, Rosa ‘KORtangenu’ Arborose Tangerine Skies, Rosa ‘Meidelweis’ Bolero, Rosa ‘Meibacus’ Liv Taylor, Rosa ‘Meitelov’ Michelangelo, Rosa ‘Meikaquinz’ Moonlight Romantica, Rosa ‘KORmarzau’ Parfuma Bliss, Rosa ‘KORgeowim’ Parfuma Earth Angel, Rosa ‘Meipapey’ Romantica Ball Gown, Rosa ‘KORcarmis’ Raspberry Cupcake Rose, Rosa ‘KORvioros’ Sunbelt Savannah, Rosa ‘Meiroguste’ Top Cream, Rosa ‘Meinostair’ Sweet Mademoiselle, Rosa, ‘Meiclusif’ Dee-Lish Rose, Rosa ‘KORpauvio’ Eleganza Beverly, Rosa ‘KORsteflali’ Eleganza Wedding Bells, Rosa ‘Meitroni’ Francis Meilland Rose, and Rosa ‘Meidysouk’ Princesse Charlene de Monaco.
As each variety is done, the roses are loaded onto a wheelbarrow and brought to their designated spot in the “nursery.”
Matthew arranges them carefully with ample walking space in between varieties.
Here’s my team of bare-root planters – Alex, Phurba, and Pasang. They’re doing an excellent, fast, and efficient job. They’ve gotten a lot done, but there’s still more to go…
While here, these specimens will be watered and fed until they are more developed. I am already thinking about where these plants and trees will go. Follow along and see where…
My "nursery" is filling fast. I can't wait to see all these specimens flourish here at the farm.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
