As many of you know, every now and then I enjoy opening my gardens for private walking tours at both my Bedford, New York farm and at my beloved home in Seal Harbor, Maine.
Last week, I hosted a summer walk at Skylands for the Decorative Arts Trust - a non-profit organization that focuses on promoting and fostering the appreciation and study of the decorative arts. Unfortunately I was not able to join the tour, but my gardeners, Mike Harding and Wendy Norling, guided the group of 30 through the wooded paths, sunny terraces, and gardens.
Cheryl DuLong and Wendy keep me updated by taking photographs, enjoy.
Before the tour began, Wendy took this photo looking down from Terrace 1 to the large “cracked ice” terrace below. This time of year, everything is so lush and green.
This group included members from across the country. They were all on a multiple day tour of several homes and gardens in the area known for its amazing Gilded Age architecture. Here they are gathering in front of Skylands.
This guest was in awe at the beautiful tall evergreens seen from my driveway.
This center garden in the driveway is planted with hay-scented ferns, which turn yellow in fall, purple smoke bushes, and spruce trees, Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’. When I found these trees, I got many to plant here in Maine.
The tour brings guests up the steps from the guest house to my main house. The rocks on the outside of the stone steps toward the top are called “Rockefeller’s Teeth” – large blocks that serve as guardrails. These stone steps are cut roughly and spaced irregularly to create a rustic appearance.
Ferns are members of a group of vascular plants that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The exterior of Skylands abounds with naturalized ferns of many types.
This rhododendron near one of my natural pools begins to bloom in July with gorgeous pale pink and white flowers.
Look at its blooms. Rhododendrons are prized for these big, showy flower clusters and the glossy green foliage.
This part of the woodland is filled with beautiful moss. Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants that typically form dense green clumps or mats, often in damp or shady locations.
And here’s a view that never gets tiring. Taken through the woods, this view looks out to Seal Harbor and the Cranberry Isles beyond.
Here’s my gardener Mike Harding speaking with one of the members about the plants that thrive at Skylands.
The wild blueberries here in Maine are some of the sweetest – and they’re ready for picking.
Here’s a view of the wall ledge with “Rockefeller’s Teeth” at the top.
This look shows Seal Harbor with Sutton Island in the distance.
On my large terrace, all the gorgeous potted plants are doing so wonderfully since we planted them in May.
Here is the sphinx “guarding” the terrace for the season. She is one of two glazed terra-cotta sphinxes designed by Emile Muller. Émile first used plain ceramic products on buildings and industries. Then, in 1884 he developed the glazed terra-cotta, which he continued to use for many architectural decorations and art reproductions. These ladies are stored indoors and taken out as soon as the warmer weather arrives.
Behind her, just some of the many lilies blooming in the terrace garden. Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants that grow from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. The beautiful blooms can be enjoyed as cut flowers in an arrangement or growing in the garden – some at two feet, and others as tall as eight feet. I have been growing them for years – Asiatic, Martagon, Candidum, American, Longiflorum, Trumpet and Aurelian, Oriental, and various interdivisional hybrids.
These succulents are planted in a long stone trough I bought several years ago from Trade Secrets. Notice the pink gravel used to top the soil surrounding these plants – it is the same pink gravel that covers the carriage roads at Skylands.
This view is from my guest house looking through the trees onto the harbor. If one looks closely, my boat, Skylands II is out there secured to its summer moorings.
And here’s a group photo taken on my terrace. This day was warm, but so perfect for a tour at Skylands. I am glad everyone enjoyed their visit.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we're picking lots of wonderful and nutritious vegetables from the garden.
Earlier this week, my housekeepers Enma Sandoval and Elvira Rojas harvested a bounty of beautiful vegetables - beans, artichokes, peppers, Swiss chard, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and more. While the heat has affected some of the cold-weather vegetables, others are thriving.
Here are some photos.
There has been so much growth in this vegetable garden in the last couple of weeks. Many of you ask what I do with all these vegetables. I share most of them with my daughter, Alexis, and her children, Jude and Truman – they love all vegetables. I also serve them at my dinner parties and share them with my friends and staff here at Bedford. And, I use them for various media shoots whenever needed, or when we test recipes here at the farm. Nothing is ever wasted – whatever isn’t used goes to my chickens, geese, and peafowl.
One can harvest any time of day, but when possible, the best picking time is early morning, when the sun is just clearing the eastern horizon and greens are still cool and dew-covered from the previous night. Here’s Elvira picking some of the peppers.
Sweet peppers, such as these banana peppers, have a long shape that tapers down to one to three lobes at the bottom. We have so many peppers growing.
The cauliflower also looks great. Cauliflower is filled with nutrients. They hold plenty of vitamins, such as C, B, and K. Cauliflower is ready to harvest when the heads are six to eight inches in diameter. When picking, cut the stalk just below the head, leaving a stem of about two inches long.
The right time for cabbage harvesting will depend on the variety of cabbage planted and when the heads mature. Look for heads that are firm all the way through when squeezed – that’s when they’re ready.
Red, or purple, cabbage is often used raw for salads and coleslaw. It contains 10-times more vitamin-A and twice as much iron as green cabbage. We picked several heads of cabbage.
Look at our bed of kale – very pretty with ruffled leaves and the purple and green colors. Kale or leaf cabbage is a group of vegetable cultivars within the plant species Brassica oleracea. Notice, the central leaves do not form a head.
Kohlrabi, also called German turnip, is a biennial vegetable – a low, stout cultivar of wild cabbage. White kohlrabi bulbs have a neutral, sweet, and subtly peppery flavor close to broccoli, turnips, or cabbage, but bulbs are much milder. The leaves and stems are also edible and have a taste similar to collard greens or kale.
You can find green, purple, white, and even blue fleshed kohlrabi. Typically found at farmers markets, purple kohlrabi is favored for its crunchy texture and sweet flavor, utilized in both raw and cooked dishes.
Under the leaves in this area are the edamame beans – whole, immature soybeans, sometimes referred to as vegetable-type soybeans. They are green and differ in color from regular soybeans, which are typically light brown, tan, or beige.
Elvira also picked 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, or snap 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. Purple beans are so pretty – violet-purple outside and bright green inside with great flavor.
These yellow beans are also pretty. Bush beans grow on shrubby plants and are very prolific producers. They can continually produce throughout the season with the proper care. In general, bush beans should be ready in 50 to 55 days.
And here, the green colored beans are also ready for picking.
Everything is collected in buckets or large bowls like these and then brought up to my flower room, where they are washed if needed, then bagged and stored in the refrigerator. I am looking forward to many meals with all this wonderful produce.
Swiss chard always stands out in the garden, with its rich red 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.
We’re always growing lettuce. Lettuce, Lactuca sativa, is a cultivated plant of the daisy family, Asteraceae. Lettuce is a fairly hardy, cool-weather vegetable that thrives when the average daily temperature is between 60 and 70-degrees Fahrenheit. We always grow several varieties.
Lettuces can generally be placed in one of four categories: looseleaf, butterhead, crisphead, and romaine.
We planted more than 100-tomato plants this year. All the plants are now well-supported by bamboo stakes. We’re growing both hybrid and heirloom varieties. There are already so many fruits growing, but they need a little more time before harvesting.
Sweet bell peppers are popular in the garden – all grassy in flavor and super-crunchy in texture. I love making stuffed peppers – so easy and so delicious. Enma wipes them down before putting them in the fridge. I’ll wash them just before cooking.
She does them same for these peppers. Be careful when picking peppers – always keep the hot ones separated from the sweet ones, so there is no surprise in the kitchen.
Here’s a bowl of garden fresh artichokes. I love artichokes. We have many growing! Artichokes are actually flower buds, which are eaten when they are tender. Buds are generally harvested once they reach full size, just before the bracts begin to spread open. When harvesting, cut the stem approximately one to three inches from the base of the bud. The stem becomes a useful handle when trimming the artichoke.
And look! Our first bounty of fresh, organic peaches from my orchard!! We have so many fruits growing this season – so sweet and delicious!
My dogs are groomed and checked for ticks and fleas every day. I have always been a firm believer in regular brushing and bathing - every couple weeks for the dogs, and about once a month for my cats. Yesterday was bath time for my gorgeous Chow Chows, Empress Qin and Emperor Han. I actually love to do this task myself when I am home, but since I was away on a business trip, Carlos was happy to do the job. When bathing pets, it’s important to always use lukewarm water and only mild pet shampoos - we use my own Martha Stewart shampoos and conditioners from my collection on Amazon.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Empress Qin is ready for a good summertime bath. Here she is in the back of my Polaris Ranger. Everyone at the farm loves our fleet of Polaris vehicles. They’re extremely efficient, easy-to-drive, and can go where other vehicles cannot.
The Chows are getting washed in the stable. This shower stall is located at one end. It is a large stall with padded lower walls for animal safety. The faucets are housed in a cabinet on the right to keep them out of the way. The shower stall is also equipped with heaters suspended from the ceiling if needed. The boom sprayer is very flexible and can swivel around easily.
My line of shampoos and conditioners are all-natural, hypoallergenic and gentle enough for regular bathing. The formulas are also paraben and sulfate-free. My moisturizing shampoo and conditioner cleanse and intensely moisturize the dog’s skin and coat. When bathing a dog, it’s essential to use products made especially for dogs because of the differences in pH balance.
Han is first – once he feels the lukewarm water, Han starts to relax. Han is four-years-old and such a good boy.
My dogs are very accustomed to being bathed. They’ve had many baths, but always keep an eye on any dog who is getting washed – just in case they want to make a quick move.
Apply the shampoo from the back of the ears to the tail and always be very careful around the face, ears, and eyes.
Carlos makes sure to apply shampoo to the dog’s stomach as well. My shampoo formulas are all great for pets with sensitive skin.
After applying the shampoo and letting it soak into the coat a few minutes, Carlos rinses well with lukewarm water. It is very important to get all the shampoo out – a rule of thumb is to keep rinsing until there are no visible bubbles on the coat – and then rinse a little more. Next, Carlos also applies conditioner and then rinses Han thoroughly again.
Qin is a champion show dog, so she is also very used to getting bathed and groomed. My Qin is so beautiful. Here, Carlos pours a small amount of shampoo to Qin’s coat – it lathers pretty quickly.
Carlos wears a full rain suit and boots, so he doesn’t get wet. Here he is stopping for a quick photo with Qin. Carlos shampoos Qin’s entire coat from head to tail.
Carlos scrubs carefully to soap every part of Qin’s body.
Carlos also makes sure to clean the feet, legs and underneath where dirt can accumulate. He talks to her as he is scrubbing. Qin is a good girl and stays very still for the entire process.
After soaping and rinsing, Carlos applies the conditioner and brushes Qin while it is absorbed into the coat.
Then she is rinsed thoroughly once again, making sure there is no shampoo or conditioner left on the coat at all – the water needs to penetrate all the layers of the dog’s heavy coat.
Carlos dries Qin very, very well. Here she is getting wiped down with a large terry towel. This is a good time to have the dog shake the water off. Train the dog to shake on command, so no one gets wet in the process.
The coat must be dried thoroughly. Carlos uses a professional pet hair dryer to blow the coat. Drying completely is crucial. Otherwise, the hair closest to the skin will pack down, retain dirt and moisture, and cause skin irritations.
The benefit of using a hair dryer specifically for pets is that they’re not really drying the dog by heat so much as blasting the water out of the fur. These powerful dryers also blow loose fur from their undercoat which means less shedding later.
Carlos dries the feet thoroughly, including in between the dog’s pads. If one chooses to use a hair dryer for humans, always put it to the no-heat setting. Never use high heat on a dog’s coat. Dogs are much more sensitive to external heat than humans are and have a far more difficult time dissipating heat.
Here’s Qin after she’s dry and well brushed. She looks great. There are two types of coat on a Chow Chow – rough and smooth. Both are double-coated. Qin is a rough-coated Chow. The outer coat is abundant, dense, and straight. The undercoat is soft and woolly. Chows should be sturdy and squarely built. Its body should be compact, and heavy-boned – Qin has a perfect body.
Here’s Han getting dried and brushed. I think Han enjoys his “spa” treatments.
According to the breed standard, Chows must have a lovely thick mane, with small rounded ears, giving it the appearance of a lion when all grown up. Han is a handsome boy.
All clean and ready to go! Once they’re done, the Chows are driven back up to my Winter House in my Polaris. Next for a bath… my Frenchies.
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