My garden maze continues to evolve with each row of interesting plantings. It now includes a section of holly, Ilex, an evergreen shrub with dense, glossy, foliage.
Earlier this month, the wholesale nursery, Monrovia, sent me a large assortment of beautiful plants including 21-holly shrubs. I knew these specimens would make excellent additions to my maze, located in a lush pasture just outside my Winter House. I instructed my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, where they should go, and he and Pete went right to work - measuring the space, marking the rows, removing the sod, planting the holly, and top dressing with mulch made right here at the farm. I started planting this course one year ago with a variety of different hedges, espaliers, and trees, and I am happy to report, we've completed about a third of the three-acre space and it looks great.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Ryan started by placing the potted holly in the section of the maze where they would be planted.
The holly from Monrovia is ‘Ruby Colonnade,’ Ilex x crenata ‘RutHol5’ PPAF. It is versatile evergreen shrub with a naturally pyramidal form.
It shows off dense, glossy, bright green foliage, with new leaves that emerge deep “ruby” red.
Here, Ryan and Pete go over the exact location for the holly. 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 – first to mark where the rows will be…
… then to mark how wide the beds would be and where the designated paths would start and end…
… and finally the exact spot where each tree will be placed.
Here, Pete sets up landscape twine according to the map’s specifications and our latest measurements.
Next, Pete goes over the designated beds with our new 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, Pete finishes one row in just minutes.
Then with the edge of a spade, Pete cuts the sod strips into sections, so it is easier to roll and lift.
And then one by one, Pete rolls up the sod. Here, Pete stops for a quick photo.
Here are several pieces of sod neatly rolled up and ready to be repurposed in another area of the farm.
All the sod is loaded in our Kubota M4 tractor and moved to the goose pen, where it can be reused to fill some of bare areas.
Once all the sod is removed, each potted holly is placed exactly where it will be planted – down to the exact inch, so plants are lined up perfectly.
Each 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.
Then, a good handful of fertilizer is dropped into the hole. A 20-20-20 or 10-10-10 slow release fertilizer designed for shrubs and evergreens is best.
Then the holly is carefully placed in the hole and backfilled. When planting, always check that the plant is positioned with the best side facing out, or in this case, facing the path.
Once it is planted, the surrounding soil is tamped down to ensure good contact between the plant and the soil.
Meanwhile, here comes Pete with a wheelbarrow filled with mulch made right here at the farm.
Pete drops mulch next to each shrub – just enough to add a nice top dressing. Three inches will be plenty. Too deep a layer may cause water logging later.
Here, the mulch is carefully and evenly spread around the shrubs and along the entire length of each of the four beds.
Here is one bed nicely done. The shrubs are five feet apart giving them ample room to mature.
And here is the section all complete. The last step is a good, deep drink. Remember, if you drink and eat, so should your plants. Four more rows in the maze are now done… and many, many more still to go.
If you have a vegetable garden, how is it doing this year? The new vegetable garden here at my Bedford, New York farm is amazing. I hope you saw my photos on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48 showing some of our latest bounty.
Over the last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, and my housekeepers, Enma Sandoval and Elvira Rojas, picked cucumbers, summer squash, artichokes, carrots, beans, Swiss chard, and so much more. They also picked nearly a bushel of peaches - that's almost 50-pounds of delicious, sweet fruits. Despite some very uncomfortable summer weather, the produce in the gardens is thriving.
Enjoy these photos.
Here at my farm, we’re all so pleased with the new vegetable garden. It’s been so productive and all the vegetables look fantastic. It’s important to check it every day – there’s always something ready to pick. It makes me so happy to be able to share all of this produce with friends and family every summer.
So many tomatoes are developing on the vines, but they’re not ready just yet. Most tomato plant varieties need between 50 and 90 days to mature. Planting can also be staggered to produce early, mid and late season tomato harvests.
And the onions are doing excellently also. We planted a lot of white, yellow and red onions. Onions are harvested later in the summer when the underground bulbs are mature and flavorful.
But so many other vegetables are ready to harvest right now. Look at the cucumbers! These are perfect, and what a bounty.
Cucumbers, Cucumis sativus, are great for pickling – I try to find time for pickling every year.
Ryan is using a double harvest bag from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Originally designed for Canadian tree planters to carry heavy loads, it’s so popular to use for harvesting lots of vegetables. This is one of two bags that are each about 10-inches by 12-inches by 14-inches deep and the triple padding on the harness can be adjusted for maximum support.
Ryan starts to fill the bags with cucumbers. I like them best when they are at least six to eight inches in length. These will be so sweet and juicy.
There are also a lot of beans. Beans grow best in full sun and moist soil. Bush beans are second only to tomatoes as the most popular vegetables in home gardens. Bush beans are eaten when the seeds are small. They are also called string beans because of a fibrous string running the length of the pod.
Swiss chard always stands out in the garden, with its rich colorful stalks. Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking. The leaf stalks are large and vary in color, usually white, yellow, or red. The leaf blade can be green or reddish in color. Harvest Swiss chard when the leaves are tender and big enough to eat.
The globe artichoke, Cynara scolymus, is actually a flower bud, which is eaten when tender. Buds are generally harvested once they reach full size, just before the bracts begin to spread open. When harvesting artichokes, cut off the bud along with about three inches of stem.
We picked lots of artichokes in just a few minutes. Artichoke harvest starts in late July or early August and continues well until frost. The container is Johnny’s harvest bucket – a kidney shaped hard bucket on an adjustable heavy duty wide strap for easy carrying.
Here’s the bucket filled to the top with garden fresh artichokes.
Here are our trug buckets of cucumbers. I think this is one of our biggest cucumber harvests yet!
All the freshly picked vegetables are loaded up and brought to my flower room, where they can be washed if needed, then bagged and stored in the refrigerator.
Here’s our bin of carrots. We have such beautiful carrots this season. Most are familiar with the orange carrots, but they also come in red, yellow, white, and purple.
And then it was a walk to the orchard. My orchard surrounds three sides of my pool. It’s filled with a variety of apple trees, plum trees, cherry trees, peach, pear, and quince trees. Most of the fruits are not yet ready to pick, but many of the peaches are ripe and sweet.
And all the peach trees are filled with bright pink fruits. Can you see them?
Here’s a closer look. This time every year, everyone around the farm eagerly awaits the first fruits.
If the peach is firm to the touch, it’s not ready. It’s ripe when there is some “give” as it is gently squeezed. Color is another great indicator of maturity. Peaches are ripe when the ground color of the fruit changes from green to completely yellow.
Here’s our first big bounty of fresh, organic peaches of the season – so sweet and delicious!
It’s always so much fun to harvest the “fruits of our labor.” Thanks Ryan, Enma, and Elvira! And be sure to look at my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48 to see more of what we harvested. I hope all your gardens are just as productive as mine.
It’s never too early to start planning and prepping for the holiday season.
Yesterday on QVC, I celebrated "Christmas in July" with some of my newest decorations. I hope you were able to catch my appearances. I joined LIVE throughout the day right from my Bedford, New York farm, talking with QVC hosts Mary Beth Roe, Alberti Popaj, and Rachel Boesing about my festive ornaments, figures, tabletop trees, and wines. My entire home studio living room was lit up and filled with cheerful lights and pieces.
Enjoy these photos, and be sure to shop all my holiday offerings on the QVC website.
Here I am in my studio living room surrounded by lots of my newest holiday items for QVC. Outside, it’s a warm summer July day, but inside, we’re celebrating Christmas. It’s a lot of work, but always fun.
Everyone loves my artful metallic houses modeled after the outbuildings at my Bedford, New York farm. This one is a miniature version of my Winter House. I also offer a model of my Summer House and my stable. Lights shine through all the windows of these gold-toned structures. They’re great on a table or along a wide windowsill where guests can see them.
Here is my metallic Summer House. Group them altogether to create a farm just like mine.
These lush greenery wreaths decorated with faux foliage, long-leaf eucalyptus, garlands, and drops look wonderful on the windows. They also look great over the fireplace, hung on a door, or used as a centerpiece. It measures 24-inches in diameter, six-inches wide and can be used indoors or out.
And one of our favorites this year – my Glitter Fur Squirrels. Golden glittery paws and soft faux fur add to the charm of these critters. These squirrels come in pairs – display them close together…
… or separate them and sit them next to one of my metallic houses.
During the holidays, I always decorate my home with lots of trees – big trees, tabletop trees, in a variety of colors that match the rooms in my home. Here are my bottle brush trees in green, gold, and silver. This six-piece set shows the trees in various shapes, but one can also adjust the branches to make them appear more wide or more slender.
One can never have too many holiday ornaments. This is my Martha Stewart Set of 16 Mini Round Kugel Ornaments. Add colorful tones to the tree with these minis. Each one is about two-inches in diameter and comes in a round kugel shape in a variety of colors.
Here is one in green mixed in with other ornaments on our tree. Mix and match these minis with other ornaments to make the tree even more festive.
Look at all these glistening ornaments. As part of my Collection, I am offering 13-piece Tree Décor Kits – complete with stars, beaded birds, and metallic bursts. Buy one set, two, or even three and use them on your own tree or give away as gifts.
The entire kit contains two large burst clips, two small burst clips, three snowflake ornaments, three wreath ornaments, and three bird ornaments – all ranging in size from 10-inches to three-inches.
And here is one of the metallic bursts – they really do brighten up the tree.
As many of you know, I love birds, and the beaded birds from the set are a great addition to the holiday décor.
The set also includes glistening snowflakes that are about six-and-a-half inches in diameter.
Here’s another snowflake – each 13-piece décor kit comes with three different snowflakes.
And here is one of three small wreath ornaments – also with the décor kit.
Also on our tree – fun Floral Leaf Stems. These silvery stems add an elegant element when used as holiday tree picks, or placed together in arrangements.
And here’s my new 28-inch Indoor/Outdoor Crystal Star – covered in faceted faux crystals and tiny white lights. It will surely make any holiday season bright. Put one on your mantel, on the hearth, or hung in a window.
And don’t forget the wine. Order this for yourself or give as a gift. This wine set includes 12 bottles of wine and gift bags. The wines are 2021 Primasera Sangiovese di Puglia, Italy; 2021 Sierra Trails Cabernet Sauvignon, California;
2022 Vol Du Flamant Grenache Ros IGP Aude, France, and 2021 Spencer Family Sauvignon Blanc, California. There’s still time if you missed “Christmas in July.” Just go to the QVC web site and shop now! The holidays will be here before we know it.
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