Today, the temperature is expected to hit 44-degrees Fahrenheit at my Bedford, New York farm with clouds and possible showers in the afternoon - melting and washing away most of the recent snow.
Over the years, I've shared many photos of the white fluff across my farm's landscape, but the most beautiful are those images which capture the snow stuck to all the trees, shrubs, fences, and other surfaces. This happens when the temperature is slightly warmer than freezing, which is 32-degrees Fahrenheit or zero-degrees Celsius. The snowflakes melt around the edges and stick together to become big, heavy flakes.
Yesterday's snow was picture perfect. I shared some photos on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48. Here are some more, enjoy.
Whenever it snows, it’s a rush to get photos before everyone starts arriving at the farm for work. On this morning, the farm was covered with about seven inches of beautiful white snow. Here is an image taken of the driveway in front of my Hay Barn. (Photo by Patrick Tierney)
Across the carriage road are six of these weeping hornbeams with my pavilion on the right. We prune these rare hornbeams regularly to keep the beautiful shape. (Photo by Chhiring Serpa)
This was not a strong storm, but it did drop heavy wet snow, which stuck to all the branches. Fortunately, there was no damage to any of the trees. These are some of the evergreens in my pinetum, an area I developed behind my Equipment Barn and near one of my weeping willow groves. The pinetum collection has grown so well over the years. It includes pines, spruces and firs, as well as other evergreens. (Photo by Phurba Sherpa)
Here is a view in between the stable and my carriage house looking north. The outbuilding on the opposite end is my stable office, where my business manager, property manager and operations manager work. (Photo by Fernando Ferrari)
Fernando also took this photo – down the allée of linden trees near my stable. The road is still so clean and white.
My outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, took this photo just before sweeping the snow off the burlap-covered boxwood along my pergola. I am happy all the boxwood shrubs and hedges are still protected with burlap. This snow came very late in the season. (Photo by Chhiring Sherpa)
The frames under this burlap are made of steel and are regularly used to frame hoop houses. I knew the same materials would be great for covering the giant shrubs along the Boxwood Allée. (Photo by Fernando Ferrari)
Here is my studio building just below my carport. The snow seems to outline every branch of the Sargent crabapple trees. Malus sargentii, occasionally called Sargent’s apple or Sargent crabapple, is a species of crabapple in the genus Malus. This photo was taken before 8am. By late afternoon, much of it was washed away by rain showers. (Photo by Chhiring Sherpa)
Here is another photo showing the boxwood covered in front of my Winter House and around the herbaceous peony bed. (Photo by Elvira Rojas)
The snow was so wet that it stuck to the upright bark of these majestic pin oak trees.
Here is a view looking into the orchard – such a different scene than summer, when these trees are laden with colorful peaches.
The streams that meander through the farm’s woodland show the reflections of the snow covered trees above.
In this area of the woods, it is so quiet, one can just hear the snow falling in clumps from the trees.
This tree is barely visible covered in snow.
This carriage road is still clear of any tire marks. The untouched snow is so pretty early in the morning.
These trees are part of my “Christmas Tree” garden. I planted hundreds of evergreens here more than 10-years ago and they have all grown so beautifully – White Pine, Frasier Fir, Canaan Fir, Norway Spruce, and Blue Spruce.
These apple trees are original to the farm. They produce lots of delicious fruits every year.
Venturing further to the back hayfield, one comes across this stand of trees along one edge of the carriage road. I’ve planted thousands of trees here at the farm.
Do you recognize this? It is one of many catch basins around the property. They are all marked with black tipped stakes, so they are easy to find under the snow. They are all checked during the inclement weather to be sure the drainage holes are all clear. This one is in good working order.
This is my newest tropical hoop house – one of six greenhouses here at the farm. Because of the shape of this structure, snow just rolls off it – accumulating on the hay bales surrounding the base.
Here is a view across the paddock with the great Eastern White Pines standing strong and bold green.
Just outside my Winter House are four rows of espaliered apple trees. Birds love to congregate here after dining on the hanging bird feeders nearby.
Across from the dwarf espaliers are these espaliered “Gravenstein” apples.
The grove of bald cypress, Taxodium distichum, looks stately even without any foliage. The small structure nestled within the trees is my basket house – filled with beautiful antique and vintage wicker baskets.
This snow even covered every surface of my long and winding pergola. One can see snow on the granite uprights as well as the wooden cross beams and rafters.
Here’s a stand of dawn redwoods, Metasequoia, with their straight trunks – impressive trees by any standard, and beautiful in any season. One can sometimes tell the direction of the wind by the way the snow collects on the trees – it creates such interesting patterns on the tree trunks.
Here’s a view of the 100-year old white spruce fencing from Canada. It has newer cedar uprights to support it. I love how the snow collects on the fence rails.
One of the first tasks after a snow storm is to shovel all the snow leading to the bird enclosures and areas within the fenced in yards. The chickens are happy to venture out and enjoy the newly fallen snow. By afternoon, temperatures had already risen into the upper 30s.
This photo was taken in the late afternoon – the snow has already fallen off these linden trees. We’re expecting another storm end of this week, with possibly more snow – winter is definitely not over yet.
It may be a little late in the season, but we're finally seeing some snow here at my Bedford, New York farm. We're expecting snow and rain showers throughout most of today.
Yesterday, my outdoor grounds crew, gardeners, and stable staff worked hard to prepare the farm for the storm - making sure the greenhouses were well-secured and that all the heaters were in good working order, checking that the road and catch basin stakes were in place, and readying any equipment that would be needed for the cleanup process once the storm ended. It's very important to be prepared for any storm system - big or small. One never knows what could happen. Additional tips include: knowing where all the flashlights are kept and making sure they are equipped with fresh batteries, stocking the first aid kit, and checking that all vehicles are filled with gas - a full tank will keep the fuel line from freezing.
Here are some photos.
Early in the morning, it didn’t look like snow was on its way – the skies were blue and temperatures were in the high 30s Fahrenheit, but we were all listening to the weather reports, so we could all be properly prepared. We were expecting five to eight inches of snow in this region.
One of the first tasks is to make sure all the animals are safe and sound in their enclosures. Phurba makes sure the chicken yard is clean, raked, and all the coops are equipped with heaters. The chickens will be checked again in the afternoon to ensure they are comfortable after they are put inside.
These chickens don’t seem too phased by the pending snow. They are all enjoying their cracked corn and the calm before the storm.
I do provide shelter for the geese, but they prefer to stay outside, so we lay down extra hay for their bedding. They will all huddle together in one large group to keep warm if needed.
High traffic areas of the goose pen are also covered with extra hay in case of freezing. The hay will prevent the birds from slipping and getting stuck to any ice.
Fernando checks every stake along the carriage roads and secures any that have gotten dislodged from the soil.
These stakes are very important here at the farm – they mark where the roads meet the grassy lawns and garden beds.
Stakes that are tipped with black paint indicate where the catch basins are in case they need to be cleared during or after a storm.
By afternoon, the clouds started rolling in and the blue skies began to disappear. In the distance, one can see the long Boxwood Allée covered in protective burlap. If snow accumulates on top, the burlap will protect the plants from any splaying due to heavy wet snow.
Here is the path between the paddocks with the old corn crib on the right and part of another covered boxwood shrub in the foreground. A little snow cover is actually good for the gardens – it’s just coming a little late this year.
All the hoop houses and greenhouses are checked to make sure they are all closed tightly and that there are no open areas around the perimeter where cold air could enter.
Here’s Juan cleaning one of our trusted Polaris vehicles, so it is clean and ready for all the chores after the storm.
The crew drives around the entire farm to make sure nothing is amiss. This is the back hayfield with the great sycamore tree, the symbol of my farm, in the distance. There were no winds – it was very calm.
Pete has been working on filling the sides of the carriage roads where rain and snow may collect and pond. This area along a pin oak allée near what I call my “Contemporary House” is looking so much better.
Here is Fernando blowing leaves and debris in the middle field – we are always doing work in the woodland to keep the farm looking its best.
Chhiring and Pasang continue chipping the wood branches – it’s a race to get as much done as possible before the ground is covered with snow.
Hylke and Geert are out in their pasture during the day to exercise and get fresh air and then they’re brought indoors before the snow starts falling. I like my horses in their safe and secure stable during any inclement weather. Rinze, Bond, and my Fell Pony Banchunch are in the paddock across the road.
Extra hay is brought into the stable for all the equine residents.
And look at the peafowl – they don’t mind the weather at all. For them it is the beginning of breeding season. From late February until early August, the peacocks display their stunning and iridescent tail feathers, strut back and forth shaking their feathers and hindquarters to produce a rattling sound, and make loud calls to the females nearby. It’s always very interesting to watch these mating rituals up close – the “tail show” can be quite amazing.
By early evening, the skies were all gray. Here is a view of the cloud cover above my stable. Once all the horses are put inside, the giant barn doors are closed tight to keep the wind and snow out. The farm will look completely different after the snow. Check back tomorrow for more photos.
My collection of copper pots and pans, with its shiny rose-gold hue, always looks so beautiful after a good cleaning.
Last week, my housekeepers took on the task of cleaning and polishing many of the copper pieces that are displayed in my studio kitchen located in the guest house of my Bedford, New York farm. Copper is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with a distinct pinkish-orange color. It's used as a conductor of heat and electricity, as a building material, and as a popular metal for cookware and other home decorating items. Over time, copper loses its luster and acquires a tarnish when exposed to air, so it is important to clean it regularly.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
A couple of times a year, we try to polish all the precious metals in my home. I have a large collection of copper that I like to display in my studio kitchen. These pieces were just removed from the shelves, so they could be cleaned. Copper was actually one of the first metals used by humans more than 10-thousand years ago, and it remains a common household material today. Polishing copper, silver, brass, or any other metal regularly is generally sufficient to keep it in good condition.
I like to keep a lot of my pots hanging on a rack where they are easy to reach.
There are several ways to clean copper. Experts recommend using a good-quality, non-abrasive commercial copper polish. I’ve been using Wright’s metal creams for years. Wright’s Copper Cream is a gentle formula that cleans and shines – it’s also great for brass. Before starting, it’s also a good idea to get out any sponges and drying towels needed.
Wright’s Cream is also an anti-tarnish formula that leaves behind a protective coating to delay any tarnish from reforming. It is easy to use and comes in a creamy paste form with this application sponge.
Whenever cleaning any precious metal, always use a soft moistened sponge. A soft cloth can also work well. And, for tight areas – a soft-bristled brush is good to have on hand. And always use polishes that are non-abrasive, and opt for formulas, such as creams and gels instead of sprays. Plus, it’s also a good idea to use gloves when taking on this task, so the cleaning cream does not come into contact with the skin.
Completely coat the piece with cream. The copper will start to brighten as it is rubbed. This task is time-consuming, but it is well-worth all the work and elbow grease. And remember to get into the cracks and crevices.
It may take a little longer when cleaning a piece with more intricate designs or indentations. Here, Carlos makes sure to clean the base of the handle, where dirt and crime can accumulate.
After rubbing the piece with cream, wash it with dish soap and water to ensure all the cream is removed.
And then give it a thorough rinse with tepid water.
Enma is ready to dry the pieces as soon as they are done getting washed. Working in a production line fashion helps to get the job done quickly and efficiently.
Drying copper as soon as it is washed also helps prevent watermarks. And never place any copper in the dishwasher. The detergents’ aggressive chemicals, combined with the washer’s high cleaning temperature, will eventually cause any copper surfaces to dull, so hand-wash all copper mugs, pots, and pans instead.
Look at the bottom of this pot – it looks like new.
These molds show the difference between freshly polished and non-polished pieces. Notice the ones on the left are in the final soap and rinse stage – so shiny, while the darker piece on the right is waiting its turn.
Here are some of the pots – also newly cleaned and polished.
The copper returns to its original luster very quickly.
Before returning the pieces, the display shelves are wiped down with a dry cloth.
The copper looks so pretty gleaming on the shelves and hanging from the hooks. Another tip: if you like the way your displays are arranged, take a quick snapshot before you remove them, so you know exactly how they should be returned.
Many of my molds are on display on this shelf. Jello, or jelly, molds became popular during the Victorian era when cooks experimented with recipes such as meat-based aspic. Copper molds, as opposed to the more affordable tin alternatives, were a sign of wealth. And by the 1950s and 1960s, these pieces were used for other recipes, especially those well-loved jelly creations.
I use this kitchen a lot for television and various photo shoots and for other media appearances. I also use everything that is in the kitchen, so it’s important that everything is always clean and “camera-ready.” The smaller dishes are used to store salt and pepper near he cooktop.
These pots are placed with other like pieces on the black shelving underneath my large soapstone island. It’s always so satisfying to check off time-consuming cleaning chores. The copper is now ready for my next cooking shoot!
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