Do you know… one large, mature tree can can produce more than 270-liters of oxygen a day? That's nearly half of what the average human needs in a day. The earth needs trees.
Every year I plant hundreds, sometimes thousands of trees here at the farm - it's one way I can give back to the Earth and help create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable planet for my grandchildren and for everyone. Not long ago, we received a shipment of bare root cuttings from JLPN, a family owned tree company in Salem, Oregon. Bare root trees are so named because the plants are dug from the ground while dormant, and stored without any soil surrounding their roots. Once the young specimens arrived, my gardeners hurried to pot them in nutrient-filled composted soil to keep them healthy until they can be transplanted in the ground.
Enjoy these photos.
This is a bald cypress tree, Taxodium distichum, in summer. It is one of several that line one side of the carriage road across from my long pergola. And it is one of thousands that I planted since purchasing my farm.
Since I plant so many trees, I get some that are older and taller for various gardens, and many in the form of bare-root cuttings for hedges, or larger group plantings. Each bundle here contains 25, 50, or 100-cuttings. JLPN’s cuttings are harvested in December, graded, and then held in cold storage until they are shipped out in spring.
The root portion of the plant is placed in the water and left to soak overnight. This good soaking helps the plants get off to a better start. Among the benefits of getting bare root cuttings is that they are very easy to inspect for root development – roots should never have a dry, grayish appearance, or in contrast, be saturated or water-logged.
I feel the bare root trees do best when potted up and nurtured for a period of time before being transplanted in their permanent locations. I have a fenced area designated for these trees in one corner of my middle hay field.
These newest specimens will remain here for about a year or two until they are planted in the ground.
For potting up the trees, we use a nutrient-filled composted manure and top soil mix.
A generous sprinkling of fertilizer developed specially for young trees is added and mixed into the soil.
We save pots whenever we can – they always come in handy for projects like this, and I always encourage the crew to reuse supplies whenever possible.
The trees in this shipment include bald cypress, Japanese maples, witch hazel, black locust, and hornbeams. A large marker indicating the common name and the botanical name is made for each variety.
The hornbeam, Carpinus betulus, is a fast-growing deciduous tree. Carpinus betulus is native to Western Asia and central, eastern, and southern Europe, including southern England. Because of its dense foliage and tolerance to being cut back, this hornbeam is popularly used for hedges and topiaries.
With more than a thousand varieties and cultivars including hybrids, the iconic Japanese maple tree is among the most versatile small trees for use in the landscape. Japanese maples are native to areas of Japan, Korea, China, and Russia. In Japan, the maple is called the “autumn welcoming tree” and is planted in the western portion of gardens – the direction from which fall arrives there.
Japanese maple forms can be weeping, rounded, dwarf, mounding, upright, or cascading. Red leafed cultivars are the most popular, followed by green shrubs with deeply dissected leaves.
Japanese maples prefer slightly acidic, well-draining soil in sheltered areas with morning sun. My Japanese Maple Woodland is located in the perfect spot just beyond my allée of lindens.
Witch hazel grows as small trees or shrubs with numerous clusters of rich yellow to fiery orange-red flowers.
They perform best in full sun, or filtered shade. Witch hazels also possess shallow, slow-growing root systems, which do best in large planting areas. Fortunately, I have a lot of room to grow these pretty shrubs. I have several mature shrubs near my Summer House and more near my allée of lindens.
Black locust trees, Robinia pseudoacacia, is a medium-sized hardwood deciduous tree, belonging to the tribe Robinieae. These are the leaflets of the black locust – pinnate with seven to 21 oval leaflets on each leaf branch. A leaflet, occasionally called foliole, in botany is a leaf-like part of a compound leaf. Though it resembles an entire leaf, a leaflet is not borne on a main plant stem or branch, as a leaf is, but rather on a petiole or a branch of the leaf.
And these are the feathery needles of the bald cypress tree, a deciduous conifer. Though it’s native to swampy conditions, the bald cypress is also able to withstand dry, sunny weather and is hardy in USDA climate zones 5 through 10. These trees do so well here at the farm.
Each pot is laid out with a small layer of soil ready for the tree and backfill. The crew has devised an efficient production line process for potting massive amounts of trees. Each bare root cutting is placed into an appropriately sized pot. The root section should fit into the pot without bing crowded at the bottom.
Healthy bare root trees get off to a more vigorous start because their abundant, fibrous roots have already had a chance to develop unrestricted. The tree is placed at the same level it was grown by the nursery – where the roots start and the top shoots begin. If it’s in good condition, the plant should sprout leaves in the same year it is planted. If planted in spring, a bare root plant should have leaves by summer.
The soil is then gently filled in around the roots, but not packed too tightly. The important thing is to keep the soil moist. Matthew then pats the soil gently around the roots to ensure good contact.
As each tree is potted, it is placed in a row with all like specimens and the appropriate marker. Some of these have leaves, but most do not. Bare-root cuttings are difficult to identify when there are no leaves, so it is important to keep them separated by cultivar and always properly marked.
While here, these trees will be watered and fed until they are more developed. I already have some ideas where these trees will go. Follow this blog and see where…
My living maze is getting more "a-mazing" with each row of plantings.
I started this three-acre maze in the spring of 2022. I designed the maze with a variety of interesting trees, hedges, espaliers, and shrubs that would all grow tall enough to prevent walkers from seeing the paths ahead. Each row would branch off with pathway options and dead ends - with only one correct route to the center. So far I've planted European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, parrotias, espaliered apple trees, American sweetgums, barberry, London planetrees, yews, hollies, and camperdown elms. This week, we added more privets and hornbeams.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
My crew has been working very hard to clear the designated paths for more maze planting. This living maze is developing so nicely.
Planting any row of specimens always starts with a carefully measured line. The maze is drawn out on a map, so the area is marked according to the map’s specifications.
The next step is to remove the sod from the designated area. This is done with our Classen Pro HSC18 sod cutter. This sod cutter is so easy to maneuver and so sharp, Chhiring finishes one row in just minutes.
The sod cutting machine cuts the sod in two strips, which are then cut and rolled into sections, so they can be removed easily.
This is what the cleared area looks like once all the sod is pulled up. The exposed soil will also be tilled.
These trees are all from Select Horticulture Inc. in nearby Pound Ridge, New York. These are deciduous hornbeams and privets, which are now beginning to leaf out for the season.
All the trees are positioned first before any planting begins. Privets, Ligustrum ovalifolium, are also known as Korean privet, California privet, garden privet, and oval-leaved privet. It is a species of flowering plant in the olive family native to Japan and Korea. It is a dense, fast-growing, evergreen shrub or small tree.
The leaves of the privet are elliptic-ovate, glossy, dark green and about two and a half inches long.
Then the digging begins. Remember the rule of thumb for planting – dig a hole that is two to three times wider than the root ball, but only as deep as the height of the root ball.
Using a Hori Hori knife, Arnold makes the necessary root ball cuts to stimulate and encourage root growth.
Now the first privet is in place.
All these are in good condition, but we always position plantings with the best side facing inward toward the walking path. Alex steps back to check that the privet is straight and facing the right direction.
Once the specimen is positioned correctly, it is backfilled. A good tip is to “plant bare to the flare,” meaning do not bury the tree above its flare, where the first main roots attach to the trunk. Tree roots need oxygen to grow. By placing the root flare at or slightly above ground level when planting gives the tree the best chance for survival, growth, and development.
We always save all the plastic pots for future use. This is one of my favorite ways to repurpose. These pots come in so handy.
Meanwhile, the smaller hornbeams are also planted. This one is placed near the hole to check it for proper size. The hole is also sprinkled with fertilizer specially made for transplanting.
Hornbeams are often confused with the common beech because of their similar leaves; however, the hornbeam leaves are actually smaller and more deeply furrowed than beech leaves. The leaves are deciduous and alternate, with serrated margins.
As with all trees and plants, whenever it is transplanted, the root ball is scarified.
The tree is placed into its designated hole and then turned so its best side faces the path. The hole is carefully backfilled in the same way as the privets.
Finally, every newly planted row is raked neatly and watered.
European hornbeams, Carpinus betulus, are fast-growing. In fact, it can grow about four to five feet per year. It is native to Western Asia and central, eastern and southern Europe, including southern England. Because of its dense foliage and tolerance to being cut back, this hornbeam is popularly used for hedges and topiaries.
And here are the newly planted privets. One can see that they are all equally spaced. They will eventually grow into a nice thick hedge also, making a wall in the maze. When fully mature, these privets will grow 10 to 15 feet tall. The maze will take some time before it is complete, but I am so pleased with how well it is turning out. It gets more interesting – and more confusing – with each row of plantings.
At 150-years old, the Kentucky Derby is the oldest continuously held major sporting event in the United States.
I hope you saw my Instagram photos @MarthaStewart48. I attended "The Run for the Roses" last weekend with several friends and had a wonderful time. The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes horserace held annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
The race, which is the first leg of the Triple Crown, is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of one-and-a-quarter-miles. It's been called "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports." This year, I was the event's Grand Marshall and delivered the iconic “Riders' Up” announcement to ready the jockeys for this memorable race.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here I am at the 150th Kentucky Derby wearing my outfit by Peter Cohen and my hat made by Suzanne Couture Millinery.
The Kentucky Derby is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville and dates back to 1875, when the track was called the Louisville Jockey Club.
This year, more than 150-thousand spectators attended the event.
I attended this year’s Kentucky Derby with my friends, Douglas Friedman and Kevin Sharkey. Here we are stopping for a fun photo.
The racetrack occupies 175 acres, featuring a one-mile dirt, oval racetrack and a seven-furlong turf racecourse.
Here I am with Abby Melfi, founder of Sacred Spa + Wellness, and her husband, Anthony Melfi, owner and operator of GMP Farm, a 100-acre Equine Rehabilitation and Training facility in Schuylerville, New York. They also own one of the horses competing in the race – Society Man. Abby and Anthony invited us to their viewing box.
And here I am with some of our nation’s sailors.
The Kentucky Derby isn’t the only race on Derby Day at Churchill Downs — more than 10 other races are held through the day. The post-time for the 150th Kentucky Derby was set for 6:57 p.m. ET.
Seated with me are Susan Magrino, Jane Heller, Heather Kirkland, Helen Peparo, and Douglas. Kevin took the photo.
The day was warm, about 80-degrees Fahrenheit and mostly cloudy, but only a 30-percent chance of rain. It was a good day for the Kentucky Derby.
Helen’s ready to enjoy a mint julep. The Kentucky Derby’s traditional cocktail is an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint, and sugar syrup.
Here I am with some of the young workers at the event.
And here I am as I announce Riders Up! “Riders Up!” is the traditional command for jockeys to mount their horses for the race!
And then one by one, each of the horses is brought out to the track and the designated starting gate. This horse is Forever Young.
Here comes Stronghold.
… Resilience.
And Society Man.
The field for the Kentucky Derby has been kept to a maximum of 20 horses since 1975.
Here I am after the race with jockeys Irad Ortiz, Jr. who rode Domestic Product and his brother José Ortiz who was on Catalytic.
This jockey is Ben Curtis who rode Honor Marie, a three-year old colt.
And did you see me with Josh Groban! He attended the race with his mother, Lindy Groban.
And a photo with Kid Rock. It was a great time and an exciting nose-to-nose race. And you all know how it finished. The winner was Mystik Dan, the handsome three-year old colt who who ran it in 2:03.34.
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