My newest project here at my Bedford, New York farm is my garden maze - and it's becoming more and more beautiful with the planting of each tree.
The three-acre lush pasture just outside my Winter House is the setting for my maze. Earlier this year I decided I wanted to create a maze of interesting hedges, espaliers and shrubs. I started with European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, parrotias, and a variety of espaliered apple trees. I also planted several Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette' trees, American sweetgums. Most recently, I added a selection of handsome London planetrees, Platanus acerifolia 'Bloodgood,' a relative of the mighty sycamore. These trees are large shade trees with broad open crowns. They were the perfect choice for the center of my maze, where they will surround and shade an open space.
Here are some photos. And be sure to watch another original episode of "Martha Gardens" - it's now streaming free on The Roku Channel.
A few weeks ago I purchased a selection of Platanus acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’ trees. The trees were quite tall, so they were all delivered on a flatbed truck to my farm.
Slowly and carefully, each tree was removed from the truck and transferred to my Hi-Lo…
… And then to the dump truck that would transport them to the maze field.
Meanwhile, my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, begins to make the holes for the trees. He is using our dependable M4-071 tractor and backhoe. This tractor is one of the most important pieces of equipment here at the farm. It is used every day to do a myriad of jobs.
Special tractor stabilizing feet secure the vehicle to the ground while the backhoe is being used.
Chhiring digs one of the holes at a previously marked spot – we measured and spray-painted the grass to indicate exactly where the tree would be planted.
Pasang uses a shovel to help shape the proper hole and ensure it is deep enough for the trees. The holes must be pretty wide – at least two to five times as wide as the root ball.
Here is a row of holes dug across the field. The hole sides should also be slanted. Digging a wide planting hole helps to provide the best opportunity for roots to expand into its new growing environment.
As the holes are dug, each tree is delivered to the site. Platanus acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’ trees do best in an area that receives full sun. It should be watered regularly after planting to encourage a healthy root system, but then watering frequency can be reduced once established except during periods of extreme heat. Although the ‘Bloodgood” is not considered a drought-tolerant plant, this variety can tolerate short periods without water.
Here is a row of trees now ready for planting. Each hole is also fertilized. It is very important to feed the plants and trees. I always say, “if you eat, your plants should eat.” We use a quality food with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
And then each tree is slowly rolled into its designated hole. The crew rotates the tree on its root ball closer to the hole. When moving heavy trees, only hold it by the root ball and the base of the trunk – never by its branches, which could easily break.
Every tree is now in its hole. The crew measures each one again and makes sure each one is turned with its best side facing inward.
Next, the protective wrapping and any wire or rope are removed from the root ball. If left untouched, these wrapping materials could reduce the ability of a tree’s roots to grow out into the surrounding soil. Some gardeners will leave them in the ground, but I prefer to remove everything, so there is nothing blocking its root growth.
And then the holes are backfilled, and the trees are given a good drink of water.
The next day, the crew mulches the bed. We use a length of bamboo to maintain the proper width of the mulching area.
I am so fortunate that I can make mulch and compost right here at the farm.
Chhiring uses a hard rake to spread and level the mulch.
And Domi creates a straight and neat edge all the way around the row of trees.
Here it is one side once it is complete. These trees will grow so nicely in this space – the center of the maze, where one will be able to take a brief rest while navigating the maze’s many turns.
The maze is looking so great – I am very pleased with how it is turning out. And we’ve gotten a lot done in several months. I think it will be finished sooner than expected – I can’t wait. For now, please see our newest episode of “Martha Gardens” now streaming on The Roku Channel. In this show, I’ll take you to my Christmas tree farm in one of the back fields and show you how to properly move an established tree into my pinetum, an arboretum of rare and unusual conifer trees.
There's always a new project being completed here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Now that it’s autumn, all my tropical plants must be stored indoors and safe from the cold. I use hoop houses designated specifically for these warm weather specimens. The hoop houses are constructed from steel frames and polyethylene panels. This year, it was necessary to build another structure to accommodate my growing collection of plants. I decided the best place was in front of my vegetable garden across the carriage road from one of my existing hoop houses. It was a big project - there were many steps involved to get it built properly, but now it's up and already being put to good use.
Enjoy these photos.
Over the summer, I decided we needed an additional greenhouse to store my many potted plants for the winter. The best location was right here in front of my vegetable garden right off the carriage road. We started work on it a few weeks ago, so it would be ready before the first hard frost.
After measuring and marking the space, my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, uses a motorized sod cutter to remove the grass.
All the sod pieces were neatly rolled and then carefully removed. We don’t waste anything here at the farm, so whenever possible, we always repurpose and reuse.
This thick gravel bed helps to level the ground and ensure good drainage.
Here are the pipes that make up the framework of the hoop house. The entire structure is built using heavy gauge American made, triple-galvanized steel tubing.
Pete, who is an excellent builder and helps with many of the projects here at the farm, measures the footprint several times to make sure everything is even and square.
Meanwhile, the propane tank that will fuel the heater is installed. These hoop houses are temperature and humidity controlled. They work by heating and circulating air to create an artificial tropical environment.
The pipes are laid out on the gravel, so the team can assemble them properly and efficiently.
Here, Pete and Doug my property manager begin hammering the first of many base posts. The removable metal cap at the top of the base post protects the hollow pipe while being pounded.
They are positioned several feet apart and will hold the upright frame supports.
Pete and Fernando, another longtime member of my crew, build each of the overhead frame pieces. This framework shape is known as gothic style. It is the style I use for all the hoop houses on the farm. I chose it because of its high peak which can accommodate my taller plants.
Doug, Pete, and Fernando put the last arch up. The steep roof slope of this structure will also prevent snow accumulation during the winter months.
Fernando and Pete secure the horizontal wood boards that will support the side framing.
The back of the hoop house is framed for the twin panel walls.
And next is the fabric cover. The fabric comes in two rolls – one is a heavy-duty, woven polyethylene that features an anti-condensate additive to reduce moisture buildup and dripping. The other side contains UV additives that allow the fabric to maintain its strength through the seasons.
The team hoists one roll on top of the frame and then the second on top of the first. The two sheets are well labeled, so there is no confusion as to what side faces up and what side faces down. The fabric is pulled taut at the ends of the framework and secured.
In the back, Doug installs the twin polycarbonate clear wall sheets. Significantly lighter than glass, these sheets are east to install and will insulate the structure from both the front and back.
This Polyethylene fabric is designed to stand up to just about any climate. It also resists rips and tears, so it could last up to 10-years depending on the weather.
Another large sheet of twin polycarbonate paneling is ready to be cut. This will be one of two sliding doors.
Pete trims the clear sheet to fit the end wall doorway.
Screws and bolts secure the panels to the metal frame.
A metal track is installed at the top and bottom for the doors.
The best part about these 10-foot tall doors is that our tractor can roll right in through the opening with the heavy potted plants. It will make storing them faster and easier.
The space between the two layers of plastic is filled with air to keep the hoop house taut, smooth and insulated. The air layer prevents heat loss at half the rate of single-paned glass. On the sides, these manual roll-up curtains can be raised and lowered for ventilation purposes. The finished hoop house is now ready for storing my tropical plants – and just in time. By the end of this week, night temperatures here are expected to dip into the 30s.
If your work weeks are as busy as mine, sometimes it's hard to come up with something delicious and nutritious to cook at the end of a long day. With our Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon meal-kit delivery service, one receives a weekly box of recipes, along with pre-portioned ingredients and seasonings. Each meal is ready in 40-minutes or less. And, there are so many flavorful meals from which to choose. Last week, one of my menu choices was Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas with Mild Red Chili Sauce. It was another great dish!
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon delivers everything fresh, and well-labeled. The first thing we do is take out all the pre-portioned ingredients and place them on the counter where everything is easy to see.
Each meal comes with a large recipe card, which lists the ingredients and each of the six main steps plus large photos to help show each stage of the process. On the other side is a photo of the finished dish. What’s also great – these recipe cards can be collected and saved for future use.
To start, while the oven is preheating to 450-degrees Fahrenheit, Enma prepares the ingredients for cooking. Here she is finely chopping two teaspoons of garlic, which is about two medium cloves.
Then she halves and coarsely chops all of the onion, which is provided in the meal-kit.
Here is Enma halving the peppers, removing the stems and all the seeds…
… And then cutting them into 1/2-inch pieces.
The scallions are also trimmed and sliced.
And the cilantro leaves and stems are cut.
It is called “mis en place” – a French culinary phrase meaning “putting in place” or “gather”. It refers to the setup required before cooking, and is often used in professional kitchens to mean organizing and arranging the ingredients. Cutting and preparing all the ingredients first makes all the next steps so much easier.
The recipe calls for a large ovenproof skillet – it will be used to cook the meat on the stove and the wrapped enchiladas when they go into the oven. We try to use as few tools as possible to save on the clean-up later. Enma puts all the ground poultry into the skillet and breaks it up into large pieces.
The meat is cooked through until lightly browned and then seasoned with salt and ground black pepper before Enma adds the green peppers, onions, and half the chopped garlic. After six to eight minutes, she adds some taco seasoning, also provided, some water, stirs and then removes it from the skillet to cool slightly.
In the same skillet, Enma prepares the mild red chili sauce. She adds the tomato paste, the remaining seasoning, and more garlic. Nothing is wasted – we make sure everything is ready to use, so there is no rushing to the store to buy last minute ingredients. All one has to have on hand – salt, pepper, olive oil, eggs, and milk if needed.
Next, Enma stirs cheese, cilantro, and scallions into the meat mixture.
The tortillas are unwrapped and softened in the microwave for about 30 to 40 seconds.
She scoops about 1/3-cup of the meat mixture into each tortilla close to one end.
Then she rolls it carefully and tightly and places each one seam side down into the skillet with all but a 1/2 cup of the sauce.
This recipe is made for four, which allows for three enchiladas each, and all the enchiladas fit into the skillet perfectly.
Enma pours more sauce over the enchiladas.
She places them into the center rack of the oven and cooks them for about 12 to 15 minutes. We offer ranges because everyone’s oven is different, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on it and check frequently.
Once a little browned, she removes the skillet from the oven, tops it with more sauce and the remaining cheese and then bakes it again until the cheese is melted – about two to three minutes.
Finally, the enchiladas are ready and topped with the remaining cilantro and scallions and then cut and plated while warm.
Here they are – and each serving is enough to fill the hungriest of eaters. I hope you try them – they’re worth every bite. Please go to the web site to learn how you can order your Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon meal-kits. They will make your busy weeks a whole lot easier.
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