I've gotten such a nice response to the Easter photos on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48 - thanks for all the click throughs and comments.
Holidays are so much fun. I love celebrating them with my daughter, Alexis, her beautiful children, Jude and Truman, and our close friends and family. This year, more than 40-guests joined me for Easter lunch at my Bedford, New York farm. I hosted my traditional egg hunt outdoors and then we all gathered for a delicious feast prepared by me, my friend Chef Pierre Schaedelin of PS Tailored Events, my granddaughter Jude, and her friend, Jade. It included salmon, ham, lamb chops, stuffed artichokes, asparagus, scalloped potatoes, fresh fruit salads, homemade biscuits, mini bunny cakes, lemon bundt cakes made by my daughter Alexis, chocolates from Jacques Torres, and so much more. I also decorated every room of my Winter House with charming bunnies, chicks, and more eggs than one could count. It was a delightful springtime affair.
Here are more photos from my Easter celebration, enjoy.
Easter at my home always includes lots of festive decorations. Every year I take out all the beautifully decorated eggs from years past – hundreds and hundreds, and display them wherever I can.
Antique bunnies greet all my visitors from the steps of my Winter House kitchen. I found these cast iron rabbit doorstops years ago in East Hampton at an antiques show.
I love pulling out all my decorations finding new ways to use them. Decorations don’t have to be elaborate – use platters you already have and place eggs in them – decorated in faux bois or leave them as is, like these natural quail eggs.
In my Green Parlor, these look like old fashioned chocolate bunnies wrapped in foil, but they are really ceramic bunnies covered in foil. They may not be edible, but they will certainly last much longer.
Here’s another foil bunny on the other side of the table.
This is an antique velvet bunny I love to take out every year. One can never have too many whimsical animals sitting around a room on Easter.
This is Magnolia’s first Easter at Cantitoe Corners. She’s my four year old silver shaded Persian.
And this is my one year old calico Persian named Dahlia. She is so outgoing, friendly, and curious about everything.
In my enclosed porch, an “egg in a nest” – a bird’s nest fern that is. These plants make excellent low light houseplants. They are also epiphytic ferns, which means in the wild they typically grow on other plants or objects.
My dear friend, Kevin Sharkey, gifts me with a beautiful Easter basket every year. And I save every single one. This is a real rabbit taxidermy, which Kevin gave me several years ago. He appears very content displayed in this Japanese basket surrounded by eggs.
A delicate bird nest filled with eggs is displayed on a table in my sitting room.
And here is Dahlia, admiring the décor on this coffee table. She loves to inspect everything. (Photo by Anduin Havens)
There are bunnies and eggs on nearly every table and surface. This pair is hiding under a maidenhair fern.
This year, I set tables inside and out to accommodate the many friends and family members who came for lunch. This large table in my Brown Room seats 16.
The linen napkins are rolled simply and placed at each setting – like long bunny ears.
And doesn’t this make your mouth water? It’s a chocolate lover’s delight – a big bowl of chocolate eggs from French pastry chef and chocolatier, Jacques Torres.
From small to giant! Here’s another chocolate egg. I had eggs of all sizes along the center of the table.
And outside, brighter shades of green and white are used to decorate this table on my terrace. The “children’s table” was set with these larger than life-sized 36-inch faux chocolate bunny figurines holding pretty daffodils from the garden.
Go to my Instagram page @marthastewart48 to see the dishes I served for lunch. I also made dozens of decorated sugar cookies – all made using my method of the four “Ds” – dipping, dripping, decorating, and drying.
Easter lunch was served buffet style in my Winter House kitchen and servery. Here are some of the desserts.
My daughter Alexis is an excellent cook and baker and always makes something different for our holiday gatherings. She made the two delicious lemon bundt cakes.
And I made these mini bunny cakes. All they needed was a dusting of powdered sugar.
And my 14-year-old granddaughter, Jude, made this cake – three generations of avid bakers. I hope you all enjoyed a festive and memorable holiday with friends and family. Happy spring!
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.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
