Did you see my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48? The sunken garden behind my Summer House is filled with spring growth.
I began this formal garden more than 10 years ago and have added many different kinds of plants and trees ever since. It is a kind of room walled by a tall hedge of boxwood. The focal point is the great old ginkgo tree at the back of the space that was original to the property. Here, I've planted both American and English boxwood, smaller ginkgo trees, smoke bushes, Siberian weeping pea shrubs, peonies, hostas, lilies, Leucojum vernum or spring snowflakes, Heuchera, and so much more. I am so pleased with how well it has grown.
Here are some photos of this beautiful garden taken this week, enjoy.
The former owner of my farm, Mrs. Sharp, occupied two houses on the property. She called this the Summer House, where she stayed during warm weather. Adjacent to it is the Winter House which had a better heating system and where Mrs. Sharp was comfortable during the colder season. Today, the Summer House is used both as a library and as a place for entertaining. And out back is this beautiful sunken garden.
Here is a view from the Summer House terrace. When I first designed this garden, I called it my Boxwood Room. It measures 60 by 120 feet. The garden’s focal point is the old Ginkgo tree at the back of the garden.
Most of the garden is surrounded by a tall American boxwood hedge. And because the Summer House faces a rather busy intersection, the wall of boxwood provides a good deal of privacy.
The smaller ginkgo trees are planted along both sides of the footpath. The ginkgo biloba is one of the most distinct and beautiful of all deciduous trees. It prefers a minimum of four hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. The ginkgo has a cone-like shape when young, and becomes irregularly rounded as it ages.
The ginkgo leaves are unusually fan-shaped, up to three-inches long, with a petiole that is also up to three-inches long. This shape and the elongated petiole cause the foliage to flutter in the slightest breeze. Ginkgo leaves grow and deepen color in summer, then turn a brilliant yellow in autumn.
This year, I placed metal green garden furniture on the terrace, so guests can sit, relax, and enjoy all the beautiful plantings in this garden.
On the terrace, I also have a collection of eight of these gorgeous faux bois containers I acquired a few years ago.
Inside this container is a Norfolk Island pine, Araucaria heterophylla. It is not an actual pine tree, but rather a relative of the monkey puzzle tree, and is often cultivated as a landscape tree in subtropical climates in North America. It features soft foliage, vibrant greenery, and easy-to-care-for growth.
This is the top view of a young sago palm – also in a faux bois planter. The sago palm, Cycas revoluta, is a popular plant known for its feathery foliage and ease of care. Native to the southern islands of Japan, the sago palm goes by several common names, including Japanese palm, funeral palm, king sago or just plain sago palm. The plant is not a true palm, despite its common name, but a cycad, part of a prehistoric class of plants. It produces a whorl of dark green, feather-like fronds on its trunk. The pinnate leaves are typically about four to five feet long at maturity, and nine-inches wide, reaching their greatest length when grown in partial shade.
In this garden, I also have six weeping Siberian pea shrubs, Caragana arborescens, with cascading weeping branches. These are hardy, sun-loving, large shrubs which are tolerant of drought, wind, deer, and varying soil conditions.
The pea shrubs bear pinnately compound light green leaves.
And small, delicate yellow pea-like flowers. Flowers are bright yellow, and about ¾ inch long.
The boxwood shrubs down the center of the garden are carefully groomed with tapered tops. Boxwood is naturally a round or oval shaped shrub that can reach up to 15 feet in height.
This bed is filled with Leucojum vernum – the spring snowflake, a perennial plant that grows between six to 10 inches in height and blooms heavily in early spring.
The plant produces green, linear leaves and white, bell-shaped flowers with a green edge and green dots. Don’t confuse them with Snowdrops. The Snowflake is a much taller growing bulb which normally has more than one flower per stem. Snowdrops have helicopter-like propellers that are green only on the inner petals.
Ipheion uniflorum, commonly called spring starflower, is native to Argentina and Uruguay and features grass-like foliage and solitary star-shaped flowers on six inch tall stems. Flowers range in color from almost white to violet blue. Flowers have a mild spicy fragrance, and the foliage when bruised emits an oniony aroma.
This trout lily is ‘Pagoda Dogtooth,’ It produces up to 10 clustered, 12-inch arching stems that bear yellow, nodding flowers with reflexed petals.
And it’s a bit of a tease, but soon the tree peonies will all be blooming. Tree peonies are larger, woody relatives of the common herbaceous peony, growing up to five feet wide and tall in about 10 years. They are highly prized for their large, prolific blooms that can grow up to 10 inches in diameter.
All the hostas are also growing quickly. Hostas are a perennial favorite among gardeners. Their lush green foliage varying in leaf shape, size and texture, and their easy care requirements make them ideal for many areas. Hosta is a genus of plants commonly known as hostas, plantain lilies and occasionally by the Japanese name, giboshi. They are native to northeast Asia and include hundreds of different cultivars.
Look at the giant leaves of this hosta.
This is Heuchera. The glossy dark maroon, almost black, leaves keep their color all season – it adds a gorgeous accent to the beds.
The ferns are looking so vibrant this time of year and they grow taller every day. These graceful perennials are easy to grow, long-lived, and require very little care. They come in a variety of leaf colors, shapes, and sizes. I have many, many ferns here at the farm.
At the end of the footpath is this antique sundial. A sundial is any device that uses the sun’s altitude or azimuth to show the time. It consists of a flat plate, which is the dial, and a gnomon, which casts a shadow onto the dial.
Cotinus, also known as smoketree or smoke bush, is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, closely related to the sumacs. They are a great choice for massing or for hedges.
The stunning dark red-purple foliage turns scarlet in autumn and has plume-like seed clusters, which appear after the flowers and give a long-lasting, smoky haze to branch tips.
This is a view from the side entrance into the garden. Straight ahead is the tall American boxwood hedge that surrounds this area on three sides. Here, one can also see the low manicured boxwood hedges that provide the framing for the garden beds. I love this formal garden – it’s looking more lush every year.
For donkeys, there's nothing quite like rolling in a fresh patch of dirt. And, while rolling on the ground helps to scratch their backs, it's also a natural behavior for donkeys to cover themselves in dust, which provides great insulation and protection from extreme heat and cold.
Here at my farm, my five Sicilian donkeys, Rufus, Clive, Billie, Jude “JJ” Junior, and Truman “TJ” Junior, are no different - they "live to roll." But yesterday, with spring temperatures reaching 75 degrees Fahrenheit, it was the perfect day for a bath to get them all cleaned up. Each one was thoroughly washed, soaped, and rinsed.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
On this day, my donkeys got the full “spa treatment.” In the morning, my farrier, Linda Friedman, came by the stable to check the donkeys’ hooves and give them a good trim. After lunch, they all got baths. Donkeys are herd animals, so they don’t like being separated from other members of their pack. When it’s bath time, they all get cleaned together. First, the boys.
The donkeys are hosed down to get their coats thoroughly wet. Our hoses are hooked up to hot and cold water, so they are washed in lukewarm water. Clive doesn’t seem to mind getting wet.
The donkeys are then soaped up with an all-natural shampoo. First, their backs are all scrubbed…
And then their legs and bellies…
Here, Helen applies a whitening shampoo to Clive’s coat, so it comes out clean and bright. Helen also uses special washing gloves that loosen any dirt or debris. Helen scrubs in the shampoo until it lathers. Clive stays very still.
Donkey coats are very thick and hold lots of dust and dirt. These gloves have special scrubbing pads that help to clean and massage them.
Next, a good rinse – again with tepid water. Temperatures were in the 70s, so these outdoor baths were very refreshing.
It is important to get all the shampoo out of the coat, so it doesn’t irritate the skin. And don’t forget the tail – it can also get quite dirty.
All three male donkeys get along exceptionally well. They are also very friendly and love greeting anyone who visits – even during a bath.
Here is Rufus getting a good rinse.
Clive is almost done.
Now that it is spring, the donkeys and horses are all shedding their winter coats. Helen uses a shedding blade to help loosen the dead hairs and any debris that did not come out already. When using it, always follow the direction the hair grows. This tool has lacquered spring steel blades with sharp teeth on one side and rounded teeth on the other. When used properly, it also stimulates the coat and draws the oils in the skin to the surface.
And lastly, Helen uses a moist hand towel to gently clean Clive’s face. It is important not to get any soap, shampoo, or water in their eyes. I think they all appreciate a good face cleaning.
All done, my sweet donkeys – Rufus, Truman “TJ” Junior, and Clive are all very clean. As a treat, Dolma walks the trio over to some fresh grass to let them graze for a few minutes before returning to their stall.
Next are the girls. Billie and Jude “JJ” Junior are the only females in my stable. Here they are getting shampooed.
… and scrubbed. Look at all the hair that came off the girls’ coats with the scrubbing glove.
The baths are done as quickly as possible, so they don’t get chills. Fortunately, this day is very mild.
Helen rinses every leg thoroughly – so much dirt can accumulate in their coats.
And here is Helen using the shedding blade to remove those dead hairs. It is so much more comfortable for the donkeys to be groomed regularly.
Then it’s rinse time. The shampoo is very gentle and soothing to the skin. After they are completely lathered up, Helen and Dolma will wait a few minutes to allow the shampoo to soak into the coats. The donkeys are rinsed multiple times to be sure they are thoroughly clean and soap-free.
Helen cleans their faces with another damp cloth. As warmer weather sets in, the donkeys will be washed as much as once a week.
The donkeys are left to dry naturally on this warm spring day. Five donkeys are now washed and squeaky clean. They’re ready for the weekend.
That bath wasn’t so bad, was it Billie and “JJ”? Are you ready for a treat? Don’t tell them, but today all five donkeys are also scheduled for their warm weather haircuts. Stay tuned for more photos.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, it's hard to miss the beautiful spring lilacs, Syringa vulgaris. My allee of lilac hedges is just exploding with gorgeous, colorful, and fragrant clusters.
I love lilacs and have enjoyed growing them for many years. In fact, the common lilac has been part of the American landscape for centuries. Lilacs planted in 1650 on Michigan’s Mackinac Island are some of the country's oldest known specimens. And, according to the National Gardening Bureau, 2022 is the "Year of the Lilac." If you don't already have these plants in your garden, I strongly encourage you to grow one, or two, or even three of these spring-flowering shrubs - they will give you years of striking blooms.
Enjoy these photos.
I planted this allee of lilac about 16-years ago and it has thrived ever since. It is located behind my chicken coops not far from my tennis court. Lilacs are low maintenance, easy to grow, and can reach from five to 20-feet tall or more depending on their variety.
Here is a view looking down the allee with the tennis court in the distance.
The lilac, Syringa vulgaris, is a species of flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae. Syringa is a genus of up to 30-cultivated species with more than one-thousand varieties. And look at the beautiful lilac color.
Lilacs come in seven colors: pink, violet, blue, lilac, red, purple, and white. The purple lilacs have the strongest scent compared to other colors.
The bold lilac colors look pretty against the vibrant green foliage. Lilac leaves are simple, opposite, ovate, about two to four inches long, and usually shaped like elongated hearts.
Lilacs have pyramidal clusters of blossoms with both single and double varieties – all with the same glossy green leaves.
‘Sensation’, first known in 1938, is unique for its bicolor deep-purple petals edged in white on eight to 12-foot-tall shrubs.
This lilac variety is pure white. Lilacs were introduced into Europe at the end of the 16th century from Ottoman gardens and arrived in American colonies a century later. To this day, it remains a popular ornamental plant in gardens, parks, and homes because of its attractive, sweet-smelling blooms.
And, lilacs were grown in America’s first botanical gardens – both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew them.
Here, one can see how prolific my lilacs are – so many sweet-smelling flowers along both sides of the allee – the fragrance is intoxicating.
Lilacs grow best in full sun and moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil. It must drain well as lilacs cannot tolerate “wet feet” or wet roots. Soil that is average to poor with a neutral to alkaline pH is preferred. Established plants will tolerate dry soil, but newly planted shrubs need to be kept moist for the first year until their roots are set.
Lilacs benefit from regular watering at planting, during bloom, and heavy growth periods.
Most lilacs thrive in hardiness zones 3 through 7, in cooler climates with chilling periods. Lilacs are typically clump forming, producing new shoots from the base of the trunk, which can be used for propagating.
Although lilac flowers are among the most delicate of the ornamentals, some newer hybrid varieties can survive winter temperatures of 60-degrees-below-zero Fahrenheit.
When selecting a location for planting, choose one that has good air circulation to reduce the likelihood of fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew.
And always choose a planting space that will allow for the plant’s mature height and spread. This tip applies to all perennials.
Lilacs appear from mid-spring to early summer just before many of the other summer flowers blossom. Young lilacs can take up to three-years to reach maturity and bear flowers – be patient.
By planting an assortment, bloom time will be staggered and can last for up to two-months. Lilacs should be pruned each year shortly after blooming has completed. At that time, remove spent flowers, damaged branches, and old stems, but never prune after July 4th because at that point, the tree has already begun to set next year’s flower buds.
And don’t forget to feed. Apply granular organic fertilizer early each spring at the base of the plant, and water it in well. Buds are set the previous year, so the fertilizer feeds this year’s leaves and next year’s blooms.
When cutting, cut the lilacs right at their peak, when color and scent are strongest, and place them in a vase as soon as possible.
Here’s a view looking toward the chicken coops. Lilacs have been well-loved by gardeners for so many years. They are tough, reliable, and ever so fragrant. I hope this inspires you to grow lilac, the “Queen of shrubs.” It will quickly become one of your favorites in the garden.
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