I hope you've seen my newest show "Martha Gardens" on The Roku Channel. If you haven't, you can stream it free right now.
My new series welcomes all of you to my Bedford, New York farm, where I share some of my most valuable gardening lessons, tips, and ideas. In the first episode, I show you my new living maze and how I selected and planted the first specimens for this giant and fun project. I started with European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, parrotias, and a variety of espaliered apple trees. My gardeners, outdoor grounds crew, and I have already done some much since we started the maze earlier this year. Recently, we 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. My plan is to plant as many interesting trees, hedges, espaliers, and shrubs as possible in this space.
Enjoy these photos.
I am so pleased with how this botanical maze is coming along. This maze is located in a three acre paddock – among the most beautiful green spaces here at my farm. On this day, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew planted these tall, slender American sweetgums. This tree shows off green foliage in the warmer months and a kaleidoscope of autumnal tones in the fall, including vibrant orange, red, purple, and yellow.
Earlier in the day, I directed where the trees would go and marked the spots with small bamboo stakes.
When it came time to planting, my foreman Chhiring uses the end of a shovel to mark exactly where the hole will be dug. The stake marker is the center. Moises pokes through the soil with the shovel to indicate the circle for the hole.
Then the team begins digging. The holes must be pretty wide – it should be at least two to five times as wide as the root ball.
The hole sides should also be slanted. Digging a wide planting hole helps to provide the best opportunity for roots to expand into its new growing environment.
It is very important to feed the plants and trees. I always say, “if you eat, your plants should eat.” Once the hole is dug, it is amended with fertilizer. We use a quality food with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
Meanwhile, Moises begins removing the plastic wrap around the ball of the tree.
Domi estimates how deep the hole should be. Planting at the proper depth is another crucial part to planting healthy trees. A good rule of thumb is to plant it to the same height as it was in the pot. Planting a tree too deep can kill it. Plant it only at its flare – the bulge just above the root system where the roots begin to branch away from the trunk.
Here, Domi checks the hole to see if it was dug deep enough – looks good.
Before rolling the tree into the hole, Chhiring uses heavy duty wire cutters to cut the wire cage that is wrapped around the root ball.
If left untouched, the metal cage could reduce the ability of a tree’s roots to grow out into the surrounding soil. Some gardeners will leave the wire in the ground, but I prefer to remove the cages of all the trees that are planted at the farm, so there is nothing blocking its root growth.
Slowly the crew rotates the tree on its root ball closer to the hole. When moving heavy trees, only hold it by the root ball and the base of the trunk – never by its branches, which could easily break.
Here is the sweetgum in its new home. The Slender Silhouette sweetgum is highly adaptable, drought-resistant, and easy-to-grow, but it does best in well-drained soil where it can get full sun.
Once again, the team measures to make sure the tree is positioned perfectly in line.
Here, Pasang unravels the burlap covering that is also wrapped around the the root ball to keep it intact.
Brian stands several feet away from the tree to also make sure the tree itself is straight and that its best side is facing out.
Using the burlap, Chhiring and Domi adjust the tree slightly.
Finally, Chhiring cuts and removes the burlap.
And then Pasang backfills the hole. And remember, not too deeply – leave it “bare to the flare.”
Chhiring uses the end of the shovel to tamp down on the soil. He also gently steps around the root ball to remove any air pockets.
Domi uses a hard rake to level the soil and tidy the tree pit.
This sweetgum looks great. When planting any tree or shrub, always consider the size of a mature specimen when selecting where to plant it. All of these trees will thrive in the maze. We still have lots of work to do, but I am so excited to see it all done. Please see more of my maze, including sweeping drone shots from above, on my newest show “Martha Gardens” now on Roku. You’ll love it.
October is a very important month here at my Bedford, New York farm. It's when my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are rushing to get all my warm weather container plants inside the greenhouses.
I have quite a large collection of citrus trees and other tropical specimens. Because I live in a four-season region, during colder months it’s vital these plants move indoors where the temperature and humidity levels can be controlled. Plants that spent the summer at Skylands, my home in Maine, are also brought back to Bedford for storage. Most of them are kept in one of two hoop houses designated specifically for these plants. It’s a tedious process to put all these container plants away, but a very important one that helps to keep my plants thriving.
Enjoy these photos.
Before storing, all the plants are brought to their designated greenhouse and placed outside, so each one can be inspected, and trimmed or repotted if necessary. Then, by size each one is carried into the structure where they will stay for about seven months.
This hoop house is located next to my Stable Barn and across the carriage road from my vegetable gardens. It is currently one of three hoop houses on the farm, but not for long. We’re constructing a new one nearby. I will share photos when it is all done.
This hoop house is 60-feet by 26-feet. Recently, we replaced the “skin” or the plastic that covers the entire structure. These “skins” usually last about four to five years.
The plastic is heavy-duty, woven polyethylene that features an anti-condensate additive to reduce moisture buildup and dripping. It is also covered with a layer that contains UV additives that allow the fabric to maintain its strength.
As soon as the hoop house is fully covered, my outdoor grounds crew begins our annual process of storing all the warm weather plants. This greenhouse works by heating and circulating air to create an artificial tropical environment.
Brian grooms one of many ferns, Nephrolepis obliterata – a large fern, which grows in rainforests upon rocks or in soil near lakes or streams native to northeastern Australia and New Guinea. It is considered one of the most beautiful among all ferns. It has large fronds and upright bushy and sword-shaped leaves.
Last year, we installed strong tables specially designed for greenhouse plants. We have these table lined on one side of the hoop house for smaller potted specimens.
On the other side, we use lumber and stumps milled and cut out of old felled trees here at the farm – I always try to reuse and repurpose materials whenever possible.
This is our Kubota M4-071 tractor. It’s designed to use auxiliary equipment such as the L1154 front loader that helps us transport so many things around the farm – potted plants, mulch, wood, etc. Here it is hauling the heavy plants to the hoop house. During the summer, I like to display large plants around the farm. Some of the pots weigh about 500-pounds each.
The container plants can then be wheeled in on a hand truck. Moises moves this very carefully, so the container is not damaged and the branches of the plant are not hurt along the way.
This project of moving the plants is a big undertaking and takes several days to complete.
The plants are all arranged with enough space in between them, so they don’t touch each other. These plants grow a little more each year, so the placement of these specimens will change every time they are stored.
This greenhouse is also equipped with three circulation fans.
There are also several thermostats. The heater is checked a couple times each day to make sure the temperature remains comfortably warm inside. Too cold, plants will freeze – too hot, plants will rot. This greenhouse is always kept above 50-degrees Fahrenheit.
Here is one of my bird’s nest ferns, Asplenium nidus, The bird’s nest fern is known for its tropical fronds that grow out of a central rosette.
This is a Bismarkia palm, Bismarckia nobilis, which grows from a solitary trunk, gray to tan in color, and slightly bulging at the base.
I keep a large group of sago palms, Cycas revoluta, in this enclosure. I have many of them in all different sizes. They are popular houseplants with pretty foliage, but keep them away from pets and young children, as they are also very toxic if ingested. Sago palms support a crown of shiny, dark green leaves on a thick shaggy trunk that is typically about seven to eight inches in diameter when mature, sometimes wider.
The foliage of philodendrons is usually green but may be coppery, red, or purplish with parallel leaf veins that are green or sometimes red or white. Shape, size, and texture of the leaves vary considerably, depending on species and maturity of the plant. I have many philodendrons that are growing so well here at Bedford.
Look at the fall colors above the hoop house. This week was peak fall foliage time for this area. Peak color is roughly between early October and early November.
The hoop house is pretty full – and in good time, the nights are getting much colder here in Westchester New York. A narrow aisle is kept clear around the entire hoop house, so plants can continue to be watered and checked.
The outside is insulated with bales of hay. I grow a lot of hay here at the farm. The good, dry bales for my horses are kept in the stable hayloft; the bales that my horses won’t eat are saved and used to help winterize the hoop houses and dahlias.
Each day, more and more plants are brought to the hoop houses for storing. We still have a lot more to put indoors, but I am glad we’re getting it all done quickly, neatly, and efficiently. These plants will go into my new hoop house very soon. What plant chores are you doing this weekend?
One of the best times to visit the Northeast is during fall when one can enjoy the glorious colors of the season.
Cheryl DuLong, who helps me care for Skylands my home in Maine, loves the outdoors, and often sends me beautiful images taken during her walks. Not long ago, she photographed the colorful fall foliage along the carriage roads in Acadia National Park, around Jordan Pond and Northeast Creek, through Stone Barn Farm, and at the Asticou Azalea Garden. Cheryl is an avid photographer and nature lover.
Enjoy her photos.
One of my favorite places to stop whenever I am in Maine is the Asticou Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor. Asticou Azalea Garden was created in 1956 by lifelong Maine resident, Charles Kenneth Savage, who was inspired by his love of native plants and his study of Japanese garden design. The Garden and its pond are open to the public from May to October each year. The fall colors are stunning.
Asticou features a wonderful selection of rhododendrons and azaleas, a sand garden, and a meandering collection of fine gravel pathways. Cheryl took this photo along the garden path.
This time of year, the Asticou Azalea Garden glows with blazing reds, yellows, and oranges.
Here is a closer look at one of the maple trees at Asticou. Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs. During a few weeks in autumn, various fall shades can be seen throughout many landscapes.
There are many ancient stone ornaments at Asticou. Here is one of several lanterns tucked in among the plantings.
This photo was taken from the town dock looking at the beach – a very different sight compared to the same view in summer when there are many more boats and visitors.
This is Upper Hadlock Pond, located just north of Asticou Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor. Ahead is the 974 foot Bald Peak rock.
This is Northeast Creek, a tidal estuary that extends to the southeast from the waters of Mount Desert Narrows and Thomas Cove. Look at the beautiful reflection in the still water.
Here’s another beautiful image of the fall trees reflected in the clear water – almost as smooth as a mirror.
Here is a view of Stone Barn Farm, a 128-acre property comprised of approximately 20 acres of open field, more than a 100-acres of mixed forest, and at least a mile of frontage on Northeast Creek. The farm was once privately owned by Harry and Cindy Owen who bought it in 1963. In 2001, the Owens conserved their property through a conservation easement with Maine Coast Heritage Trust, which then acquired the land in 2019 to open it as a preserve.
This is the Jordan Pond Bridge built in 1920. This carriage road bridge is 85 feet long, 19.5 feet tall, and may still have some of Beatrix Cadwalader Farrand’s plantings surrounding it. Beatrix was a landscape gardener and architect whose career included commissions to design more than 100 gardens for private residences, estates and country homes, public parks, botanic gardens, college campuses, and the White House.
Here is a fall view of Jordan Pond. Jordan Pond covers 187-acres with a maximum depth of 150-feet. The pond was formed by the Wisconsin Ice Sheet during the last glacial period. It serves as the water supply for the village of Seal Harbor.
Fall foliage seen through the woodland surrounding Jordan Pond – these views never get old. I hope you’ve had the chance to view some of nature’s autumn changes this season.
The Jordan Pond Bubbles are so prominent in the Acadia National Park landscape. The North Bubble on the left has the highest elevation at 872 feet. The South Bubble follows at 766 feet.
Also near Jordan Pond are these wild blueberry fields. I have wild blueberries that grow at Skylands – they’re some of the sweetest most delicious blueberries I have ever had.
Despite being 115 feet in length, this is a somewhat understated bridge located just west of the Jordan Pond House. This is the West Branch Bridge built in 1931. It is 115 feet in length and 22 feet in height. A single narrow six foot wide arch stands above the stream bed.
This view is from the bridge to Little Long Pond and the ocean in the distance.
From a different spot along the road, Cheryl captured this image of Little Long Pond, the Boat House, and then the ocean beyond.
And here is more fall foliage seen along the carriage road.
Cheryl captured this image of a tall pine tree on Sargeant Drive along Somes Sound. It lost the top of its main trunk in a past storm, but is still thriving. What are your favorite places to see the autumn colors? Share your comments with me below.
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