It's so important to keep up with the maintenance and care of the many trees and plants here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Three years ago, I started creating a garden maze of interesting hedges, espaliers, and shrubs in the pasture across the carriage road from my Winter House terrace. I've planted hundreds of different specimens that add texture and interest - all according to a very detailed map I designed specifically for the space. To keep them healthy and looking their best, I make sure we prune, feed, and mulch them regularly.
Enjoy these photos.
A living garden maze is a puzzle of plantings – most will grow tall enough to prevent walkers from seeing the paths ahead. And each row will branch off with various pathway options and dead ends – with only one correct route to the center. I designed the maze in this three acre pasture in front of my Winter House, so I could see it right from my window. This is my giant eagle. I think it’s in a perfect spot to guard this garden.
Everything is looking so lush and green, in part because of the maintenance and care I give them throughout the year.
Each shrub or bush is planted appropriately with enough space to accommodate its full grown size. These will grow taller and more stout.
When needed, the developing hedges are trimmed. Proper and regular trimming helps keep them thick and full, giving them a neat and tidy look. It also promotes new growth, improves air circulation and light through the branches. Pasang is my resident tree expert. He is pruning the tops of the hornbeams. Landscape twine above provides a cutting guide.
Every so often, Pasang steps back to assess his work. It’s important to look at it from afar to see where adjustments are needed.
Next, Pasang moves onto the apple espalier, trimming any new growth and suckers.
I grow a variety of wonderful apples. And, at the right time, those walking through can pick a fruit while they meander through this botanical puzzle.
All the apple trees are doing so well here – I already have many fruits growing on the branches.
Small pruning jobs can actually be done safely in summer and won’t stress out the plantings. I do bigger pruning chores in winter when the trees are dormant.
All the clippings are discarded in my giant compost yard.
I also planted several Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’ trees, American sweetgums. As these trees mature, they will maintain their erect, columnar form, growing up to 50 feet tall and only about four-feet wide.
Its leaves are a lustrous-bold green, which turns to a mixture of deep purples, reds, and yellows in autumn.
And in this area, 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.
The leaves are light to dark green with three to five pointed lobes. These planetree leaves look similar to maple or sycamore tree leaves. The large, pointed leaves with toothed margins measure about seven inches long and up to 10 inches wide.
Right now, the privets are blooming. Small white flowers with four petals occur on conical or irregularly shaped clusters. The blooms are a nice source of nectar for honey bees, butterflies, and other insect pollinators. And walking by these privets, one can smell the strong, sweet fragrance.
Red Beauty holly has bright red berries combined with glossy, dark green foliage. Many varieties of holly, Ilex, have compact habits and glistening leaves that’s excellent for hedges, borders, and yes, mazes.
This is an Ember Waves Western Arborvitae – a colorful evergreen with yellow new growth that contrasts so beautifully with the maturing chartreuse to bright green foliage.
Paul’s Gold threadleaf false cypress, Chamaecyparis pisifera, has year-round golden green foliage. It adds nice contrasting color to all the green perennials.
And these are the growing Japanese yews. These yew trees, Taxus, a coniferous evergreen, related to pines, spruces, firs, cedars, and cypress fills this row nicely. They are small to medium sized evergreens and are incredibly long lived – in fact they can survive for 900 years before becoming ancient.
The leaves are flat, dark green, and arranged spirally on the stem.
And here is where we left off last year – just a little more to go. The maze is looking so great – I am very pleased with how it is turning out. Follow my blog online and on Instagram @marthastewartblog and see all the latest updates on all my gardens at the farm.
In keeping with one of my favorite sayings, "learn something new every day," I always enjoy seeing photos from others taken during their vacations.
Not long ago, my executive assistant, Dorian Arrich, traveled to the Turks and Caicos Islands located in the Lucayan Archipelago of the the Atlantic Ocean and northern West Indies. The Turks and Caicos are best known for their beautiful beaches, turquoise colored waters, and interesting marine life. During Dorian's brief stay with her boyfriend, the two enjoyed kayak tours through the mangroves, learned about the area's animals and plants, visited various fruit plantations, and feasted on delicious island dishes - every day was filled with activity, learning, and fun.
Here are some of Dorian's photos, enjoy.
Dorian sits on the Board of Directors for The New York Celebrity Assistants Organization and won the trip as a raffle prize. It included a three night stay at the exclusive COMO Parrot Cay Hotel. Here she is just minutes from landing. The turquoise waters off the Turks and Caicos, or TCI, are a shade truly unique to the islands.
The flag of the TCI displays their sovereign state, The United Kingdom.
After a 15-minute drive from the airport, they arrived at COMO’s welcome center for refreshments before departing on a scenic 35-minute boat ride.
During this time of year, the Turks and Caicos weather is generally sunny with temperatures in the 80s. It was just a short distance to the dock where the Captain was preparing the boat for departure.
Upon arrival at the COMO Hotel, Dorian was greeted by their butler, Rikardus, from Indonesia. He’s been working at the hotel for more than 10 years. Because there are no passenger cars allowed on Parrot Cay, Rikardus also provided most of the transportation to and from activities.
The trip fell over Dorian’s birthday weekend, so COMO welcomed her with tasty treats and champagne to start the celebration.
Dorian enjoyed a complimentary lunch with Dr. Ed Butler, Director of Marine Science & Sustainability at COMO Hotel. Before joining COMO Hotels and Resorts in 2022, Dr. Ed led a UK government-funded grant focused on improving sustainability and management of small-scale fisheries in the Turks and Caicos. His research centered on the social-ecological system sciences — the study of linked systems between people and nature — with the aim of uncovering solutions for conservation issues.
During one excursion, Dr. Ed talked about the oceanic white tip shark, which is now critically endangered. Earlier this year, Dr. Ed and his team established the Parrot Cay Conservation Trust, which partnered with US researchers to tag sharks with satellite transmitters and learn more about their behaviors and travels.
Dorian and her boyfriend, Tommy, also went on a guided kayak tour through the mangroves. Mangroves are tropical and subtropical trees and shrubs that thrive in coastal intertidal zones with low-oxygen soil and slow-moving water.
These are leaves of the red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle. These leaves, which turn yellow and eventually drop off, accumulate excess salt from the mangrove tree, effectively shedding the salt to maintain the overall health of the plant.
Christian and Rohan were the tour guides. They pointed out an array of fascinating creatures and vibrant plant life.
Christian held a jelly fish upside down avoiding the stinging tentacles. Never touch a jellyfish!
This is a sea anemone. Sea anemones are marine invertebrates, related to corals and jellyfish, known for their flower-like appearance. Their tentacles also sting and are used for both defense and prey capture.
Christian shows a conch in its shell. Conch shells are primarily found in warm, shallow tropical waters. They inhabit areas with sandy bottoms and seagrass beds where they feed on algae and other plant matter.
The sand in Turks and Caicos is known for its brilliant white, soft texture. It is primarily composed of naturally broken-down coral and seashells.
Here’s another shell Dorian found during a beach walk – ever have a face off with a shell?
COMO treated Dorian to a lovely birthday sunset dinner.
… complete with cake. Here she is making her birthday wish.
Every morning, Dorian and Tommy enjoyed fresh island-made juices – a great way to start the day.
The hotel also offers numerous daily wellness activities and holistic wellness therapies.
Parrot Cay is a private island with a history dating back to the early 18th century. The original name is reported to be Pirate Cay. Legend tells it that pirate Ann Bonny took refuge here in the 1720s when Jamaican authorities dealt with her Captain, “Calico Jack Rackham”.
The tamarind tree, Tamarindus indica, is a tropical evergreen tree introduced to the Caribbean from Africa centuries ago. Locally, it’s sometimes called a “dilly”. The tree is known for its edible fruit, which has a sweet and sour taste, and is used in various dishes and drinks.
Rikardus took Dorian and Tommy to the on-site coconut plantation. The chef made delicious coconut sorbet from fruits just picked that day. One can email the hotel at [email protected] and request to adopt a coconut tree and then have one’s name and year displayed on a sign.
Next on the itinerary – a banana plantation. The hotel’s banana baked cakes are all made using these bananas.
The time went quickly. Here’s Rikardus sending the two back to Provo for their flight home. A great getaway – now back to work. For more information on how you can help save the oceanic white tip shark, reach out to [email protected].
The gardens are constantly changing - anyone who comes to visit always sees something new.
Most of the private garden tours at my farm are conducted in the spring and early summer - I host a select few every year. Yesterday, I welcomed a lovely group of 25 fellow members from the Bedford Garden Club right here in Bedford, New York. I walked them through my gardens and allées, showed them my pool and orchard, introduced them to some of my animals, and served delicious refreshments on my terrace parterre.
Here are a few photos, enjoy.
The day started overcast with thunderous showers, but the weather did clear up enough for our afternoon Cantitoe Corners garden tour. Here is my terrace just outside my Winter House kitchen.
My housekeeper, Enma Sandoval, picked fresh flowers from the gardens earlier in the morning.
I like to vary garden tour routes. This tour began down at my stable courtyard. This view is looking east down my Boxwood Allée. Do you know what the big pot is in the middle? It’s a giant iron sugar kettle. Sugar kettles were used on 19th century Louisiana plantations for the production of sugar. Sugar cane was placed in the large, spherical vessels and cooked down to make syrup. Because they could withstand such high heat, they were also used for cooking. I have several others around the farm and love to use them for fire pits.
I walked the group through the vegetable garden. They admired the growing brassicas. Everything is doing so well.
Right now, the shelling peas, snap peas and edible pea pods are perfect for picking.
And what a difference a few days make – some of the broccoli heads are double the size after last week. We’ve had a lot of rain, sun, and heat – it’s all done well for my gardens.
The cabbages are also looking so beautiful. Here is one of my Savoy cabbages – so perfectly shaped. Savoy cabbage is a versatile cabbage, similar to green cabbage but a bit milder and sweeter, with leaves that are looser and more ruffled.
I walked the group past what I call the “ancient” apple trees. These are original to the farm and continue to produce an abundance of fruit every year.
Next was my sunken Summer House garden. This garden was just a blank dirt space when I created it. The focal point was the one original giant ginkgo tree in the distance. Over time, I planted American and English boxwood, smaller ginkgo trees, smoke bushes, Siberian weeping pea shrubs, peonies, hostas, lilies, alliums, etc.
All my potted tropical plants are now displayed all around the farm. These agaves are lined up on the Summer House terrace.
I always serve refreshments during my tours. It’s a nice break for my guests and a good time to answer any questions they may have about my farm.
For this gathering, I planned a number of small bites – all prepared by Chef Molly Wenk who has helped me with a number of other events and cooking shoots over the years. These are cheese straws. Perhaps you’ve made some – the recipe is in my 100th book, MARTHA: THE COOKBOOK.
I also served another personal favorite – potatoes with a dollop of crème fraîche and topped with caviar.
And, I served deviled eggs – also a recipe from MARTHA: THE COOKBOOK. And of course, eggs from my wonderful and productive hens.
We also ate bits of this Stilton cheese. Stilton is an English blue cheese, which has Penicillium roqueforti added to create the characteristic smell and taste. And believe me, this cheese is utterly fantastic with my Brown-Butter Shortbread Cookies, also in MARTHA: THE COOKBOOK.
It was so nice to meet everyone in the group and talk about our favorite topic, gardening.
After our refreshments, we walked down the carriage road. On the upright granite posts of my long and winding pergola, I planted clematis in a palette of blue-flowering cultivars. Every year they give a vivid floral display.
But here are the first blooms of the next pergola transformation. Soon this pergola garden will be filled with gorgeous orange tiger lilies.
After the pergola – the pool. Here, the group learned about the staddle stones at the far end, which were originally used in the 17th and 18th centuries as support bases for granaries, hayricks, and game larders. They typically looked like giant stone mushrooms, but mine are square – a more rare and unique version.
And finally a stroll down the Boxwood Allée before leaving. It was a fun tour with a very fun, enthusiastic, and curious group of dedicated gardeners. Happy first weekend of summer.
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