Brightly colored daffodils are blooming at my farm. It's quite a sight to see - all the swaths of white, yellow, and orange Narcissi gently blowing in the spring breeze.
I started developing my long daffodil border in 2003, in the early years of my farm ownership. After lots of planning and adding to the collection, the border now extends the length of one side of my farm from my Summer House, past the stable and down to the Japanese maple grove. Over time, some have faded away and are being replaced with other varieties, while others continue to flourish. I’ve also planted daffodils in 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, including those underneath the majestic allée of pin oaks - there, I planted a variety of Narcissi named after me, Narcissus ‘Martha Stewart.'
Enjoy these photos.
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.
Narcissus is a genus of spring perennials in the Amaryllidaceae family. They’re known by the common name daffodil.
The species are native to meadows and woods in southwest Europe and North Africa. Narcissi tend to be long lived bulbs and are popular ornamental plants in public and private gardens.
The flowers are generally white or yellow with either uniform or contrasting colored tepals and coronas.
During this time, everyone here at the farm loves photographing all the many blooms. Here is a white daffodil with a bold orange center.
There are up to 40-species of daffodils, and more than 27-thousand registered daffodil hybrids.
When choosing where to plant daffodils, select an area that gets at least half a day of sun. Hillsides, and raised beds do nicely.
Narcissus naturalize very easily. Lift and divide overcrowded clumps in late June or July. 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.
In my daffodil border, I planted early, mid, and late season blooming varieties so that when one section is done blooming, another is just opening up.
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 rich, well-drained soil.
Daffodil plants prefer a neutral to slightly acidic soil. Be sure they are planted where there is room for them to spread, but not where the soil is water-logged.
This cheerful daffodil, with its color contrast, makes a bold statement in the border. Cultivars with bold colored cups generally retain better color when planted in a little shade to protect them from the hot afternoon sun.
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.
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.
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.
In general, daffodils are easy to care for and are hardy plants. Diseases common to daffodils include basal rot, various viruses, and fungi.
Daffodils can also grow in containers 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.
Bulbs should be planted in groups or drifts of like kinds and like colors to give the best presentation.
This view is from the one end of my allée of lindens looking south. We planted this section in 2019 and the flowers continue to blooms profusely every year.
And underneath the majestic pin oaks in the allée and in the pits of the weeping willows is a variety of Narcissi named after me by Van Engelen Inc., a wholesale flower bulb company in Bantam, Connecticut.
These flowers are all reliable bloomers and can continue to produce each spring for decades.
Here’s a closer look at Narcissus ‘Martha Stewart’ – a Karel van der Veek hybrid with a three-inch white perianth surrounding a pale yellow cup. In full bloom, these flowers grow up to about 16 to 18 inches tall and look stunning against my luscious green lawns. Daffodil season is a great time of year, but it’s only the beginning. There are so many more beautiful blooms to come…
My newly re-roofed Basket House is now also clean and organized.
Basketry is made from pliable materials that bend and form shape. Some examples include pine, straw, willow, various grasses, threads, and fine wooden splints. I have hundreds of baskets in my collection - some are rare and antique, some are vintage, and some are more contemporary. Last week, I had the timeworn cedar roof of the Basket House replaced with a longer-lasting standing seam snap lock roof system. Afterward, the structure was cleaned and all the baskets were re-organized and returned. If you follow my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48, you may have seen my posts showing some of the process.
Here are a few more, enjoy.
This is the little house where I store my basket collection. It is located across from my long clematis pergola. It now has a brand new metal standing seam snap-lock roof in “Bedford Gray” that should last many, many years.
After the roof was replaced, the inside was swept clean. Now it is ready for all the baskets to be stored and re-organized. I like to do this task once every couple of years to ensure all the baskets are in good condition.
Many of these baskets I hadn’t seen in awhile. They always bring back fond memories.
A good number of these baskets were used during my catering days. Fortunately, the days during the roof work were dry and warm, but on this afternoon, we rushed to get all the baskets back inside before the forecasted showers.
Basket weaving is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into two or three dimensional objects – anything that will bend and form a shape can be made into basket. Baskets are made using different techniques, such as “plaiting”, which uses materials that are wide and braid like,”twining”, which uses materials from roots and tree bark. Twining refers to a weaving technique where two or more flexible elements cross each other as they weave through the stiffer spokes.”Wicker” basketry uses reed, cane, willow, oak. “Coiled” basketry uses grasses and rushes.
This basket also has straps for wearing on one’s back and handles for carrying – it was likely used to gather twigs and wood. Baskets were needed as containers for everything imaginable – food, clothing, storage and transport. Fruit, nuts, seeds and dried meats were often collected and stored in these hand-made containers.
Early basketmakers selected materials from nature, such as stems, animal hair, hide, grasses, thread, wood, and pinstraw. Baskets vary not only across geographies and cultures, but also within the regions in which they are made.
Some of these are traditional English garden baskets called trugs. They were handmade using bent wood. They are sturdy, functional, and beautiful.
I also have a nice collection of flower arrangement baskets with long handles.
This basket in the front is called a buttocks basket, so named for its shape. Similar baskets are also called melon baskets, egg baskets, and gathering baskets.
Human civilizations all around the world embraced the craft of basket weaving. But, because the natural materials used in weaving baskets naturally decompose, it’s hard to know exactly how old the craft really is.
Slowly, the baskets are returned to the house. Many of these baskets can actually be hung from the rafters – to save shelf space for baskets without handles. I had “S” hooks made out of a heavy gauge copper wire to suspend them inside.
Each basket was lightly dusted before returning to the shelves.
These are berry baskets. Some baskets are also organized by type and neatly placed together without stacking.
This structure also has a window on three sides for good cross ventilation.
Here I am organizing and re-assessing each basket as it is returned to the house.
I love baskets of all kinds, and am always looking for rare pieces to add to my collection.
Here is the Basket House completely re-organized. It’s amazing how many can fit in this structure.
All my baskets are now tucked away neatly in the shelter – protected from all the elements.
And here’s a good “throwback” photo. Perhaps you recall this photo from the pages of my very first book, Entertaining, published in 1982? The beamed kitchen ceiling of my 1810 Turkey Hill farmhouse in Connecticut was lined with many of the same baskets.
Another job on our long to-do list is now "done and dusted."
I love baskets - baskets of all different kinds. Over the years, I've collected a number of them from auctions, antiques fairs, and tag sales, or from the talented basket-making artisans themselves. When I moved to my Bedford, New York farm, I built a small structure to house my growing collection. The Basket House matched my home and all the other outbuildings on the property. Recently, I decided it was time to replace its timeworn Alaskan yellow cedar roof with a longer-lasting standing seam snap-lock roof system - the same type of roof that also covers my Stable Barn. A crew from Harbor Roofing in nearby Yonkers came by and finished the task quickly, efficiently, and neatly.
Here are some photos.
In one corner of of this garden behind my Tenant House, nestled within a grove of tall bald cypress trees is my Basket House. It stores all these beautiful and very useful baskets.
A good number of these baskets were used during my catering days. Some of my baskets are antique, some more contemporary.
The cedar shingle roof was almost 20-years old. Although it wasn’t showing any signs of leaking, it was definitely ready to replace.
Until now, the roof was made from Alaskan yellow cedar shingles. Alaskan yellow cedar is actually more closely related to the cypress family than the cedar family. It is known for its natural beauty and durability.
Earlier this week, we called the team from Harbor Roofing owned by Richard Moynagh – a company that specializes in roofing repair and installation. Harbor Roofing also installed the roof on my Stable Barn last year.
The first step was to remove the old roofing shingles from both sides of the roof.
The team works carefully to remove the wooden shingles one by one.
Tarps are hung on both sides to catch the loose shingles. This also protects all the nearby garden beds from any falling debris.
The tarps are draped over the side walls and ladder scaffolding, so nothing is damaged when debris falls.
Here are some of the old shingles. The roof could have probably lasted a bit longer, but it is always a good idea to stay on top of home maintenance projects before any problems arise.
Here is a closer look at the shingles being removed. The four man crew works quickly. This day was unusually warm – about 85-degrees Fahrenheit.
Here is a view from the inside. There are shelves all the way around for storage and an open center for larger baskets. And all painted my signature “Bedford Gray.”
Here are the snap-lock panels for the new roofing system. Snap-lock is a type of standing seam metal roof panel that has a male and female leg that snap together. Clips are used to attach the panel to the roof deck.
Here, one can see the ridge cap pieces that will cover the roof at its peak. Richard pre-cuts the pieces at his shop, but if needed, these panels can also be adjusted on site.
Once the roof shingles are removed, the roof deck is fully exposed.
Next, the team cleans the area and covers the roof with a synthetic roofing underlayment – a layer of protection installed between the roof deck and the new roofing panels. It provides ventilation as well as a backup waterproof membrane in case of leakage.
Here is Richard explaining how the snap-lock roof panels work. It uses one-inch seam clips which work best on roofs that have a minimum roof pitch of 3:12 or greater. The clips also eliminate the need for any screws.
Here, the panels are laid and the ends are folded under the roof decking and hammered into place…
… And then secured with the clips and a snap-lock punch.
Here is a section done – its thin distinctive ribs and wide panels give the roof a more modern look.
And here it is all done – with its new “Bedford Gray” standing seam snap-lock roof. The new roof is coated with Kynar. Kynar coating is a metal finish that is chemical resistant, abrasion resistant, flame resistant, and stable under strong UV rays. I am glad to know this structure will be well protected by a good, sturdy and attractive roof for 80 to 90-years, or even more. Next step… organizing and putting back all those gorgeous baskets – stay tuned.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
