The first snowfall of the season has arrived here at my Bedford, New York farm and it's transformed it into a beautiful winter wonderland - at least for a day.
Until now, the weather here has been pretty mild. And, although the weekend storm system was very short-lived, it left a lovely two-inch coating of white snow on the landscape. Fortunately, all my plants are tucked away in temperature-controlled greenhouses, but we're still in the process of wrapping my precious boxwood shrubs, hedges, and cold-sensitive garden containers in burlap.
Enjoy these photos of the first snow, and go to my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48 to see more.
There is always a bit of excitement with the first snow of the season. Whenever it snows, I enjoy getting out early to take photos of the untouched snow. This photo was taken at 7am just as the clouds opened up to the day’s blue skies.
The Boxwood Allée looks so different in winter. I am so glad the boxwood is draped in burlap shrouds to keep everything protected from the snow.
We got enough snow just to cover the ground. Here is a view looking south up the allée of lindens. My carport is straight ahead.
Here is another burlap covered boxwood shrub. The snow left a pretty coating of white everywhere.
The snow accumulated on many of the tree branches, but did not weigh any down too much. The light fluffy snow forms when all layers of the atmosphere are below freezing. Because the air is cold, all the way down to the surface, snowflakes don’t melt. It was about 30-degrees Fahrenheit in the early morning and the cold held through the rest of the day.
This is the carriage road leading to my tennis court. Flanking both sides of the narrow road are Styrax japonicus ‘Marley’s Pink Parasol’ Japanese Snowbells and Styrax japonicus ‘Evening Light.’
Driving through the woodland, I took a photo of this full and babbling stream. It is so peaceful in the early morning – one can hear the gently burble as it travels along its bed, bubbling over rocks and branches.
This is the little Basket House nestled in the grove of bald cypress, Taxodium distichum.
And here is the old corn crib that’s original to the farm. The unique “keystone” shape flaring from bottom to top was designed to shed water.
Here is the long row of boxwood that line both sides of the pergola – all covered in protective burlap.
The large linden trees on the right are part of the allée. The linden tree, Tilia, is also referred to as basswood or lime, though it is not related at all to the lime fruit. The specimens to the left are all European beech trees, Fagus sylvatica, or the common beech – they hold tight to their leaves.
I love how snow collects on this 100-year old white spruce fencing I purchased in Canada. This fencing is what surrounds all my paddocks at the farm.
Whenever it snows, I am always grateful for the stakes we put up delineating the carriage roads. We paint the tips of those stakes that mark the catch basins, so if needed, the side openings can be cleared.
This is a view looking down from one end of my clematis pergola. The uprights for this pergola are antique granite posts from China – originally used as grape supports. They’re perfect as posts because they don’t rot over time like the wood overhead.
Nearby is my expansive soccer field or “party lawn”, where I love to set-up games for guests during summer parties and where my grandson, Truman, loves to play soccer with friends. On one side of this “soccer field” are six rare weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus Pendula. These are such graceful and shapely specimen trees, very densely branched and adaptable to various soil conditions.
This view is across my pool – all covered for the season. It is hard to miss the stand of eastern white pine trees, Pinus strobus, in the distance.
Here are the trunks of the mighty pin oaks that grow alongside my large Equipment Barn. The pin oak is one of the most popular trees for landscaping because it’s so easy to transplant and is very hardy and handsome.
The pachysandra is almost unrecognizable under this thin coating of white.
And the cobblestones in the courtyard outside my stable are also coated with snow – light, powdery snow. It did not take long before it melted away.
Just outside the stable is a grove of crabapple trees. These are white with snow right now, but for a short time in May, they are white with fragrant springtime blooms.
The terrace parterre in front of my Winter House kitchen is also white. The clean white looks so pretty atop the newly trimmed and groomed boxwood hedges.
This photo was taken from the back steps of my Summer House. The giant tree at the rear is the old ginkgo – original to the farm. Fortunately, the snow did not harm any of the boxwood shrubs. The crew gently brushes all the snow off these precious specimens. Heavy snow could damage the shrubs and splay their branches. Soon, they will be covered with protective burlap.
And here are four of my five donkeys – Truman “TJ” Junior, Jude “JJ” Junior, Billie and Rufus – waiting patiently for someone to stop with cookies. Clive is to the right eating some of the freshly dropped hay. They love this weather and have naturally thick coats that protect them in the cold. After below freezing temperatures overnight, today is expected to be in the mid- to high 30s melting some of the snow away. We’re expecting more precipitation at the end of the week – winter is here.
My dahlia tubers are now well-protected for the winter.
When in bloom, dahlias provide some of the garden's biggest and most spectacular flowers in many different sizes, forms, and colors. However, native to Mexico, dahlias are not winter-hardy and tend to split in freezing temperatures or mold in soggy, wet soil. In most areas outside the warmest regions of the United States, dahlia tubers must be dug up and stored or covered before the cold season. In previous years, we've always uprooted our dahlias and kept them indoors for the winter. Now, we cover the entire bed with burlap and a thick layer of hay. It's proven to be a great solution for protecting the plants so we have viable dahlias come spring.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Remember all the gorgeous, colorful dahlias we had this year? Dahlias are among my favorite flowers. They begin to bloom with great profusion just as other plants pass their prime, and they last right up until the first frost – this season, they lasted through October.
The dahlia garden is located behind my vegetable greenhouse, in an area protected from any damaging winds.
Last month, my gardeners Ryan and Brian cut all the stems down and left them to dry. Always wait until the foliage has turned brown before any winterizing. This is important so that the plant can gather energy for the following year. It will store starches in the tuber which will fuel the initial sprouting in summer. The best time is a couple weeks after the first frost when they’re well into dormancy yet haven’t been harmed by the cold.
Dahlia stems are hollow making them quickly susceptible to rot. This is also why dahlias often have to be staked to help support their very large flowers.
Last year, we decided to protect them in place instead of uprooting them and putting them in the basement – and it worked. The first step is to cover the bed with old burlap – burlap fabric that was too timeworn to use as boxwood coverings. We save these older pieces in a dry area of barn, so they can be repurposed. I always try to reuse, repurpose or recycle everything at the farm.
Here is Phurba covering every area of the bed with burlap.
Phurba also cuts small slits around the granite posts. If you follow this blog regularly, you may recall this area was previously used for growing grapes.
I grow a lot of hay here at the farm. The newer bales for my horses are kept in the stable hayloft; however, the bales that my horses won’t eat are stored here above my run-in shed. This hay is saved and used to help winterize the hoop houses and these dahlia tubers.
The bales are delivered to the dahlia bed in large batches.
And then wheeled manually and carried to their designated row. Each standard two-string square hay bale weighs between 40 and 75 pounds each.
The two work from the front side to the back, lining the bales neatly over the burlap and the dahlia tubers.
Brian ensures the bales are positioned tightly together – it is important to cover the area completely, so the tubers are well-insulated. This process takes several hours to complete.
This thick layer of hay acts as a barrier to protect the plants, much like a thick layer of soil or mulch would do.
Phurba walks over the hay to look for any wide gaps. Any spaces between the bales are filled with loose flakes of hay.
Next, to keep excess moisture from saturating the tubers, Brian and Phurba also cover the bales. They uses old tarps, also saved from another project.
Brian and Phurba spread the tarps across the bed and in between the posts.
Phurba and Brian put down the next tarp, overlapping it slightly with the first one making sure it all looks neat, tidy, and covered.
To keep the tarps in place, Brian ties them down with strong twine.
He secures the tarp at the corners and then across the bed every few feet down its entire length.
Protecting them this way now will make sure we have lots of healthy plants next spring. And, we covered them just in time – the temperatures dipped over the weekend and we saw the first snowflakes of the season here at the farm. How are you protecting your dahlias this year? I’d love to know – share your methods in the section below.
If you're still thinking of what to get that special someone on your list, shop my collections for great ideas - we have items for decorating, cooking, baking, entertaining, gardening, and so much more.
With just two weeks to go before Christmas, it can be hard to come up with that perfect gift. My collections are filled with lots of innovative and meaningful options to delight all your family and friends. If you're sending family photos to loved ones, consider getting a Martha Stewart Mixbook. What about a gift basket from my collection at iGourmet - they offer several items in one for the baker, the foodie, the coffee drinker, etc. If you're looking for sweets, send one of my offerings from Goldbelly - there are lots of pastries, cakes, and even my banana pudding, have you tried it? Shop my bedding at Target, my eyewear at Amazon, and my tableware and entertaining gifts at Macy's. Plus, don't forget Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon. Our meal kits include Martha Classic Cookies for the month of December. I have something for everyone.
Among my favorite gifts this year are my new stainless steel cooking utensils — inspired by the cherished cooking utensils I use every day at home. Made from professional-grade 18/10 stainless steel, these tools are strong and beautifully designed – spoons, turners, whisks and my popular square ladle.
These are special House on the Hill cookie molds. These charming molds come attached with hooks, so they can hang on your tree when not being used for making cookies. Go to Martha.com and order some for yourself and give some to a baker on your list.
My photo products from Mixbook are a great way to share the most important moments of your life. Visit the web site for photo cards, books, and holiday greetings.
Does the gardener in your life have a proper bag for all those tools? To store those gardening essentials, we offer the Martha Stewart Heavy-Duty Canvas Garden Bag, with 6 Exterior 11-Inch Interior Pockets. Expertly stitched with premium-quality, heavyweight cotton canvas, this spacious bag can safely stash a variety of gardening essentials. It also has reinforced carrying handles and a sturdy shoulder strap – just the right size to tote around the yard, garage, or garden. Visit my shop on Amazon to see this and more.
A Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon meal kit subscription is perfect for those who are always on the go. We offer 45+ recipes from five categories every week: Health & Diet, Vegetarian & Vegan, Meat & Fish, Under 40 Minutes, and Family-Friendly. Plus, the kits include Martha Classic Cookies for the month of December!
Have you tried my delicious Martha’s Chard from 19-Crimes? It’s so well-balanced and smooth. It will quickly become your favorite new wine. You can find it in stores now. “Work hard, play hard and drink Martha’s Chard.”
Stick Candles are hand-cast in sister studios located in Old Forge, New York, and Highlands, North Carolina, where the small family operation lovingly creates 100-percent beeswax candles fashioned after fallen twigs and branches. These candles come in a variety of colors and boast a 14-hour burn time. Find them on Martha.com
Help someone on your list face the winter elements in my cozy Classic Sherpa Jacket featuring plush fleece pile, a button front closure, loads of pockets and an adjustable drawcord extended-height collar. It comes in cream or black.
At Target, look for my Martha Stewart Bartlett Plaid Cotton Percale Quilt Set. The quilt features two different plaids on the face and reverse. It’s also made with 100-percent cotton percale fabric for layering on cooler nights. Pair this quilt with the gray Mariana Blanket and the White Emerson Duvet Cover from my collection to complete the look.
Recognize my Chocolate Gingerbread Giant Cookies? I call these “one a day” cookies, because they’re large enough to nibble all day long! These big, chewy, chocolatey cookies are the best of both worlds – loaded with chocolate and all the makings of picture-perfect gingerbread cookies!
I love using cake stands for more than just cakes. I use them stacked up to add texture to my buffet table and fill them with all sorts of treats. Find these on Martha.com.
There’s more tableware and entertaining gifts available in my Collections at Macy’s. If you’re hosting a holiday gathering this year, you’ll want to check out my tabletop servers, glasses, and bowls.
This is my Martha Stewart Living and Learning Kids’ Dollhouse Bookcase – constructed with a sloped roof to resemble the shape of a house as well as a multitude of storage spaces and solutions, including three fabric bin-fitted cubbies on the bottom row. Great for storing items or “playing house.”
Do you know… I also have a line of eyewear? This collection includes beautifully designed frames available in an assortment of styles, including rounds, ovals, squares, rectangles, cat eyes, and hybrids. These sunglasses include a comfortable and impact-resistant polycarbonate lens with a protective coating that shields and protects one’s eyes from the sun’s natural and harmful ultraviolet rays, even on cloudy days.
“Martha Stewart’s Cookie Perfection: 100+ Recipes to Take Your Sweet Treats to the Next Level” from Clarkson Potter is a must-have for any baker. I love this book – it makes all those favorite go-to cookies even better. “Cookie Perfection” introduces new flavors, textures, and techniques, and incorporates equipment that isn’t traditionally used for making cookies. We tried all sorts of new toppings, tested unusual flavor combinations, and made sure every single cookie was fun to make and above all – absolutely delicious. Be sure to add this to your gift giving or gift wish list!
To keep the stress levels low this busy season, get my Martha Stewart CBD Wellness Gummies from Canopy. They come in a medley of delicious flavors, but also come in oils, and gel-caps.
In my kitchens, I like to store pots on large overhead racks where they double as a wonderful displays – especially the copper. This is my Tri-Ply 7-Piece Copper Cookware Set. It’s made from durable copper with 18/10 stainless steel tri-ply construction that enables faster heat conductivity and excellent heat retention and temperature control – it’s perfect for any home chef.
And here’s my favorite banana pudding, made with plenty of bananas, cream, and Nilla Wafers! Order a pack of two sharable servings from Goldbelly and gift it to all the sweets lovers on your list, and maybe even yourself. See all these products and so many more on Martha.com. It’s time to get into the holiday spirit! Have a safe and wonderful season.