Located in southwest England's Dorset countryside just outside the historic village of Milton Abbas is Milton Abbey, a stunning mansion and church - and a beautiful setting for a wedding.
I hope you saw some of my images on my Instagram page @marthastewart48. I traveled abroad over the weekend for the wedding of my godson, Laurence Booth Clibborn. My niece Sophie Herbert Slater joined me. I was asked to help assemble and decorate the cake made by the groom's mother, Julia. It turned out so beautifully. And although it was such a brief trip, I also toured the Dorset county town of Dorchester, walked around Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, and visited the Mute Swans at Abbotsbury Swannery.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Dorset, England is largely rural with low-lying valleys, beautiful landscapes, and charming villages.
Upon arriving, the first thing we did was tour the quaint market town of Dorchester, the county town of Dorset situated on the River Frome.
This is the Roman Town House discovered in the 1930s. It is a Roman ruin and monument. It was built around 307 AD and then expanded in 341 AD. It has flint and stone walls and sits on a grass covered site.
Part of it had mosaic floors.
This is Came House, the reception venue. It is a 1754 country house and estate near the village of Winterborne Came in Dorset.
The estate, which is now exclusively used for weddings and other events, includes formal gardens, a cast iron domed conservatory, and room for 32 guests.
My task was to help assemble and decorate the cake.
Here is the silver stand for the multi-tiered cake.
Julia Booth Clibborn, the groom’s mother, baked a traditional English fruitcake, which was covered in white frosting.
Here is the cake before I added the decorations – it looks so wonderful.
And here is Milton Abbey, set in the rolling hills of Dorset. It is a former Benedictine monastery founded in 934 and features a 15th century tower.
This is a view of a large stained glass window from the inside. The church was extensively restored and remodeled in the late 18th century.
The walls of the church are made from a mixture of Ham stone, Chillmark stone, and flint. The structure is an example of Decorated Gothic architecture.
After the wedding ceremony, my niece Sophie and I decorated the cake with cheerful yellow Banksia roses, Rosa banksiae, a species of nearly thornless climbing rose.
Here I am with Julia. I am wearing a three piece ensemble by Libertine.
And here I am with my godson and groom, Laurence.
Laurence and his wife, Alice, cut the cake with Alice’s grandfather’s sword.
After the wedding, we drove by this cottage on the countryside. Notice, it has a thatched roof – meaning its roofing system is made from natural materials such as straw, reeds, or palm leaves, providing insulation, waterproofing, and a rustic aesthetic.
Sophie and I also went to the Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, a 30-acre property featuring more than 6,000 species of rare and exotic plants. Sophie is standing in front of one of my favorites – Gunnera, large and striking perennials native to regions including Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Papuasia, Hawaii, Southeast Asia, eastern Africa, and Madagascar.
Gunnera thrives in damp, boggy soil and likes full sun to light shade.
And then it was off to Abbotsbury Swannery, home to a colony of more than 600 Mute Swans on the Dorset Coast. Here is the house at the entrance pointing guests to the swans and the living Willow Swan Maze.
This is a statue of a Mute Swan. Perhaps some of you remember the wounded Mute Swan that landed on my farm five years ago – it is now happy and living at a New York sanctuary.
One of the Swannery’s main attractions is the Willow Swan Maze planted in the shape of a swan. Here is the entrance.
The maze was planted in 2008 and has only one entrance and one destination. The maze grows and changes with the seasons. At the center is a 10-foot wide woven willow egg.
And here is one of the swans. The Swannery is the only one of its kind in the world. Established by Benedictine monks in the 1040s, it now serves as a sanctuary for these swans.
Here is one in its nest. Mute swans mate for life and are very dedicated and strong parents. Here at Abbotsbury Swannery, more than 100 to 150 pairs of swans nest here.
Heading back to the airport after a wonderful weekend and a most beautiful wedding, we saw a flock of sheep resting in a field. Dorset is a beautiful area, steeped in history and charm – visit if you can.
Here at my farm, I always try to impress upon my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew to "use the right tool for the right job" - for efficiency and for safety. Among our favorites are the durable, easy-to-use items from STIHL.
I've been using STIHL products for a long time. STIHL is recognized as a worldwide leader in outdoor power equipment and offers an extensive lineup of different pieces including professional-grade chainsaws, blowers, trimmers, pressure washers, and so much more. Last week, I received several of STIHL's new mowers - both gas powered and battery operated. They're great for using in large lawn spaces as well as any flat, narrow, tight areas around my home. They're easy to maneuver and provide good, precise cuts.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
It was so nice to have STIHL Territory Manager Michael Calyer and STIHL Regional Sales Manager Robert Pulver come by the farm to teach me and my crew all about the newest mower models.
Here are three STIHL zero-turn mowers – the RZA 748 and the RZA 760, which are both run on batteries, and the RZ 560 K gas powered mower.
The zero-turn mowers are excellent for my large lawn spaces, such as this one between my long pergola and my orchard. This gas-powered unit is built for durability.
The rear has a space for supplies, a trailer hitch for towing additional accessories, and safety bars around the rear base and above the unit. The safety bar above protects the operator during a rollover.
The controls are easy to access and use…
Adjustments to cutting can be done easily while seated.
Padded handles offer comfort while operating. And a flexible side rubber discharge chute for grass clippings is within good view from the seat.
In addition, a majority of STIHL products sold in America are made in America.
These specific units are from a local distributer, Ossining Lawn Mower.
For tight places, such as between my raised garden beds, we use push mowers. A push mower is a walk behind unit that an operator pushes forward or backward to mow the lawn. Here are STIHL’s RM 756 gas mower and two RMA 453 PV battery mowers.
All these mowers are built with professional grade use in mind – powerful, efficient, and long lasting.
This mower is lightweight, making it easy to maneuver. And the controls are built to be ergonomic in design, so it is comfortable to use all day.
This 22-inch gas powered push mower provides really sharp, accurate cutting and easy bagging.
It’s also easy to fill from the top of the unit.
Adan Morales is my resident mower. He knows exactly which mowers are best for every area of the farm. Here he is mowing the strips of grass on one side of my pergola. Another benefit of this mower is that it is equipped with a blade brake clutch system that allows one to stop the blade without restarting the engine to remove obstacles in the path.
There is a mono-comfort handlebar, which is sturdy and secure. It also has a large capacity foldable fabric grass bag that is easy to empty.
This machine has a cutting height range from .98 to 3.54 inches to accommodate a variety of different grass types, terrains, and weather conditions.
Here is Adan on the gas powered zero-turn. This day was a good one for mowing. Try to always mow when the grass is dry. We only mow dry grass at the farm. Mowing a wet lawn doesn’t harm the grass, but it can fill and clog a mower, and make the cut look uneven. Mid-morning mowing is the healthiest for your grass – it’s cooler, drier and allows time for the grass to recover after cutting.
Also remember to avoid scalping the grass, which means cutting it too short. A scalped lawn is vulnerable to grass burn, diseases, and weed infestation. Scalped turf also tends to be more weak and sparse.
And adjust the mower height throughout the growing season. Shift higher in summer and allow the grass to grow longer. Taller grass helps shade the soil, which prevents weed growth and slows water evaporation. Taller grass also develops deeper roots, which help the lawn to withstand drought. In late autumn lower the cutting deck for the last mowing of the season to help prevent snow mold from forming on the grass.
And always be ready to mow with the proper safety gear. Luna and I took some photos before I tested the zero-turn myself. I’ve used STIHL equipment for years. I’m looking forward to using the right tool, the right mower, for the right lawn space at the farm.
I'm always looking for ways to improve my gardens. Sometimes that means changing an entire space - removing plants and trees, selecting new specimens and designing how they will be placed. It doesn't have to be a daunting task. In fact, it can be one of the most rewarding.
I decided to make some big changes to the gardens near my front gate. I carefully removed what was there and transplanted them in other areas of the farm. In their place, I wanted to put in a group of small, medium and large sized boxwood that would add both color and texture to the beds. I called on my friend, George Bridge, owner of George Bridge Landscape Design, Inc. George first introduced me to boxwood more than 25-years ago. George is a leading grower and supplier of one of the largest collections of unique and mature plants, trees, and boxwood in the United States. Earlier this week, he and his crew delivered 10 American boxwood shrubs and planted every single one - they all look perfect.
Enjoy these photos.
I love boxwood, Buxus sempervirens, and have hundreds of these bold green shrubs growing all over my farm.
I also enjoy designing outdoor spaces and watching my gardens evolve and flourish. Adding rich foliage is good for the landscape – it improves air quality, absorb pollutants, and helps purify the air.
Earlier this week, George personally delivered 10 handsome boxwood shrubs. I knew they would be perfect for the space. Boxwood has upright, naturally cone-shaped habits making them excellent for planting free-form or for a sculpted hedge or border.
Buxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood. The boxes are native to western and southern Europe, southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Boxwood shrubs are slow-growing with dark green glossy leaves arranged opposite from each other, making pairs. Leaf shape depends on the variety; some are round while others are elliptical.
George specializes in collecting rare, vintage, and mature landscape plant material, including shrubs, hedges, fruit and ornamental trees, and even woody vines. His boxwood collection includes large, mature boxwood ranging from six to 12-feet tall and up to 95 years old. Visit his web site for more information.
George and his team meticulously wrap and lace the root balls for transit, so they arrive in the best condition possible.
The first step was to clear the space of several trees – Cotinus and Stewartia trees, along with various spring blooming bulbs and a collection o hosta plants.
Here is a cart filling fast with hostas. Some will be replanted in different areas of their current garden and others will move down to the hosta garden near the chicken coops.
Here is a Stewartia tree getting dug out for transit.
Cotinus trees are also moved – nothing is thrown away unless it is dead or diseased.
And then digging starts for the new boxwood shrubs.
Holes are dug twice as wide as the boxwood root balls, but no deeper. Once in the hole, the top of the root ball should be a half-inch higher than the soil surface.
And then one by one, each boxwood shrub is brought to its designated hole. And look who is driving the Hi-Lo – it’s George Bridge himself.
The boxwood is slowly and carefully put into place.
Its best side is turned out, since that is what guests will see when passing the garden.
Here it is a shrub just above the hole.
Here is a large shrub being moved to its new location. This specimen was originally planted in 1936 – it’s 90 years old.
I think George is having a good time driving the Hi-LO. This day was actually very pleasant for working outside.
It looks so great in its place already. Boxwood shrubs have shallow root systems, so proper mulching after they are planted will help retain moisture and keep the roots cool.
Backfilling begins.
George oversees every move to ensure the shrubs are placed just right.
Smaller boxwood shrubs grown right here at my farm from cuttings are used to accent the larger specimens and fill the bed. Boxwood prefers well-drained soil with a lot of organic matter. Loamy soil or sandy conditions are best. Most boxwoods like some shade, but some varieties handle full sun exposure better than others.
In winter, these boxwood will also be covered in protective burlap to prevent snow and ice damage.
With the additional hosta plants and the smaller boxwood, I think the garden bed looks excellent. It was the right choice to make!
I am very pleased with how it cam out. These will all grow together so beautifully.
Everyone at the farm loves the transformation.
So don’t be afraid to change your garden. Gardening is an evolving practice and occasionally changing how it looks — it’s a good thing.
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