In order to keep my working farm and all its gardens, allées, and groves as beautiful as possible, I pay lots of attention to the maintenance and care of all my trees. This time of year, my outdoor grounds crew is busy pruning many of the trees - most recently, my allée of lindens.
Lindens, Tilia, are medium to large sized shade trees that are easy to maintain and attractive in any landscape. I have two linden tree allées - one that runs from the old corn crib all the way down to the chicken coops and the other slightly older allée near my stable. These trees, with their pyramidal shape and slow growth, are excellent specimens for the type of pruning called pollarding, a very severe method that involves cutting the branches back either to the trunk, or even all the way down to the top of the trunk to promote the growth of club-headed stems and dense new foliage and branches. Pollarding should be done annually. We started pollarding these lindens in 2021, and already we've noticed good development.
Enjoy these photos.
These lindens have grown beautifully here at the farm. This allée is adjacent to my pigeon pen and just outside my stable. This photo was taken in summer when the trees were full of leaves. Lindens have a loose canopy that produces dappled shade on the ground below, allowing in just enough sunlight for shade grasses and flowers to develop nicely.
And in autumn, the leaves take on a beautiful golden hue before dropping. Linden trees are easy to care for and ideal for urban landscapes because they tolerate a wide range of adverse conditions, including pollution.
This photo was taken last April, a couple months after we first pollarded these trees.
And here they are just before this year’s pruning – look at all the growth from the past 12 months. The best time to prune and pollard trees is when the trees are dormant, during the cold winter months. It’s best to complete all pruning before early spring when the buds begin to form. Dormancy pruning reduces the amount of stress placed on the tree. The reduced flow of fluids in the tree during the time helps the pruning wounds heal quicker.
My peacocks and peahens are always so intrigued by all the activity around the farm. Here are some of them watching the crew as snow is falling.
Chhiring begins by cutting off suckers and low dead, damaged, diseased, or crisscrossing branches. He uses a good pair of Okatsune bypass pruners. Each crew member always carries a pair of sharp snips. Remember, a sharp tool always cuts clean, and helps the plant to recover better. Dull cutting tools rip and shred the plant tissue.
Here, Chhiring uses a long-reach pole pruner to cut higher branches.
This tool has about a 1/2-inch cutting capacity making it perfect for suckers and new growth.
This branch shows some of the lower cuts that were made.
The following day was much more sunny. This entire process takes a few days to do properly by hand, but it is all worth the efforts to have well-manicured, healthy trees. In pollarding, each year the long slender shoots that grow below the cuts are removed, and a set of new shoots develops creating a gnarled appearance. Pasang continues pollarding high up in this tree. He is trained in climbing trees and wears all the necessary safety equipment including gloves, a helmet, eye protection, and a body safety harness.
Pasang is essentially forming a “knuckle” or “bole” by removing growth back to the main stem.
Here is one tree all done – notice the tops are starting to develop the “nubs” or “knuckles” – these will look even better in a couple more years. More thought and planning goes into pollarding than regular topping, and lopping. Pollarding is similar to coppicing but when a tree is coppiced, it is regularly cut back to ground level to stimulate the growth of vigorous, new stems.
Here, the lindens in the front are done, while those in the back have yet to be pruned. Pollarding is started when a tree or shrub reaches a certain desired height.
Down below, the crew spreads out a large tarp to catch all the fallen branches. This makes cleanup a lot easier and a lot faster.
Once the tarp is full, the branches are loaded onto the dump truck and taken to a designated pile for the wood chipper. Traditionally, the cut branches were either burned as fuel or used for building. Pollarding was a way of using wood over time, rather than cutting it down and having only one-time access to its wood.
This is a dead branch – notice the dark brown wood. Dead branches, or those without any signs of new growth, are always cut, so the energy is directed to the healthy, living branches.
And for comparison, here is a cut live branch – light in color.
Pasang moves onto another tree and also removes branches that appear weak or have a crotch angle of less than 30-degrees.
The peafowl seem to like the pollarded trees – they perch on each one as it is done.
This peacock claimed another tree all to himself.
Pollarding can help make trees live longer by maintaining them in a partially juvenile state and by reducing the weight and windage of the top part of the tree. By the end of the second day, nearly all the trees are complete.
And here is the allée all finished after three days. Some of the other types of trees that can benefit from pollarding include beech trees, black locust trees, catalpa trees, hornbeams, horsechestnuts, London planetrees, mulberry trees, redbuds, and willows. There are many ways of pruning and training trees to grow in unusual shapes. I will continue to share photos of my pollarded linden trees as they develop.
Valentine’s Day is less than two weeks away - how are you spreading the love?
Valentine's Day is celebrated every year on February 14th. It originated as a feast day honoring early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. Through the years, folk tradition has made it a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance, love, and appreciation in many regions around the world. I love all holidays and on Valentine’s Day, I try to give a little something to close family and friends. This year, we have lots of great gift ideas for you on Martha.com, our new e-commerce site. There are also items from my collections at Macy’s, from Martha Stewart Wine Co., Martha Stewart Kitchen, Canopy, iGourmet, Goldbelly, Mixbook, Sam's Club, and Walmart - lots of great tokens of love and gratitude for those that mean so much.
Enjoy these photos.
This Valentine’s Day, why not give the gift of calm with my special limited edition heart-shaped gift box of my Martha Stewart CBD wellness gummies. Canopy Growth and I are offering this six-flavor sampler gift box packed with gourmet flavors inspired by some of my favorite ingredients.
Go to our new web site, Martha.com for gift ideas for every occasion. On Martha.com, you can shop all the wonderful products I’ve collected, curated, and designed over the years. These are my Patterson Cake Stands. They are glossy white with detailed ruffled edging – perfect for all your delectable Valentine’s Day treats.
My Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s always includes great items for holidays. This is my Cast Iron Heart Pan. Delight your family and friends with heart-shaped eggs, pancakes, and more with this fun offering any time of year.
My Macy’s Collection includes lots of Valentine’s and heart-themed products this season, such as my Ranunculus Heart Wreath, my Pink Magnolia Wreath, my Valentine’s Day Truck, and other small gift and serving items.
And what about these fun heart-shaped dough presses from Macy’s? These are great for everything from homemade fruit hand pies to savory empanadas.
This year, I am happy to partner with Goldbelly, the curated online marketplace for regional and artisanal foods crafted by local food purveyors throughout the United States. Order some of my favorite pastries including rich butter croissants, apricot danishes, and addictively delicious cookies.
If your nearest and dearest like wine, give them a bottle of rosé from our own Martha Stewart Wine Co. My crisp and fruity rosés can be enjoyed all year round!
And have you seen Martha’s Chard – a terrific chardonnay that I just released nationally this week! You can find this delicious new wine by visiting 19Crimes.com for a store near you. Work hard, play hard and drink Martha’s Chard.
This decadent Champagne Toast Gift Box from iGourmet will make any Valentine happy. Curated by myself and my culinary team, it includes a special Heart’s Desire limited-edition triple cream by Cowgirl Creamery, Cocktail Kumquats by Laura Ann Jams, Toast for Cheese by the Fine Cheese Co., The Billy Goat Chip Company Original Potato Chips, Dom Petroff Sturgeon Caviar, and Creme Fraiche by Vermont Creamery.
iGourmet also offers my Martha Stewart Valentine’s Day Sweets Gift Box. Filled with chocolates and jellies, your Valentine will be feeling the sugar rush for days – it includes a True Love Chocolate Bar by Woodblock Chocolates, Farmstead Goat Milk Caramels in Heart Box by Big Picture Farm, Sour Peachy Pink Hearts by Marich, a Dolfin Belgium Chocolate Bar, Marzipanerie by Niederegger, and a Berry Berry Dark Chocolate Bar by Wildwood Chocolates.
Here’s my warm and cozy Faux Fur Coat from my Outerwear Collection on Martha.com. Whether you’re layering it over a formal look for a nighttime event, or throwing it on over jeans for a fabulous finish to your weekend wardrobe, the faux fur will provide instant insulation. Best of all, despite the lush look, it is fully machine-washable. Pair this with the matching Faux Fur Pull-Through Scarf – it’s a great Valentine’s gift and a great winter gift, for a loved one or yourself.
Or, when it’s not too cold, get one of my Short Sleeve Quilted Down Puffer Vests from Martha.com – this one has a soft Faux Fur Collar. This vest is complete with down filling, channel quilting, and a weatherproof, machine-washable finish.
For the foodies you love, give them a tin of ROE Caviar also from Martha.com. This gift set contains a key to open the tin and a beautiful Mother of Pearl caviar spoon.
Also on Martha.com, you’ll find the Perry Street Dinnerware Set – perfect for creating a beautiful and intimate Valentine’s Dinner table setting. The set includes four 11-inch dinner plates, four 8-inch dessert plates, and four 9-inch dinner bowls, each crafted from durable stoneware and finished with a reactive glaze and attractive taupe rim.
Don’t you want this mouthwatering dessert? Serve my Martha Stewart Kitchen Double Chocolate Brownies to your loved ones on Valentine’s day. You can make it your own with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of rich chocolate ganache or a drizzle of warm caramel.
At Sam’s Club, find my Three-Piece Baker’s Set. It includes two bakers and one loaf pan. Homemade makes everything more special on Valentine’s Day or any day.
Vintage Wedding by Martha Stewart is part of my Wedding Photo Books Collection at Mixbook. At Mixbook, you can take all your favorite photos of your wedding day and transform them into an album you’ll cherish for years to come. A beautiful gift for him or her.
This Martha Stewart Beaded Melamine 12-Piece Dinnerware Set in pink from Walmart is perfect for Valentine’s Day. They may look delicate, but these pretty and practical pieces are virtually shatterproof. Made from durable, BPA-free melamine, these stylish plates and bowls feature an embossed rim design and faux crackle glaze finish that adds a touch of understated elegance to any occasion.
Everyone appreciates a good hand cream. This fast-acting recovery cream from my Collection at Canopy Growth has Magnesium and Ginger and is perfect for on-the-go application to help soothe tired hands and bodies. Formulated with US-grown, hemp-derived CBD, the cream also includes 5% Broad-Spectrum CBD in every tube.
And, be sure to pick up a copy of my January/February 2022 issue of “Living” for my special Valentine’s treats! Issues are on newsstands now! I hope this helps you choose the best gift, or gifts, for your special Valentine.
Skylands, my well-loved home in Maine, is a winter wonderland.
The recent nor'easter which covered my Bedford, New York farm with almost a foot of snow also hit the Seal Harbor area - residents there got 18 to 20 inches of powder. I don't get to visit my home in Maine as much as I would like during the winter months, but fortunately, Cheryl DuLong, who helps me care for Skylands, is an avid photographer, and always keeps me updated by sending images of the property whenever she can. She sent me these images yesterday. And, just in time - temperatures in Maine are expected to be in the 40s over the next couple of days with lots of rain.
Enjoy these photos.
Skylands is beautiful in every season, but under winter’s glistening snow, it is even more magical. Here are some of the trees just off the main driveway with the morning sun casting shadows of the trees on the clean, white snow.
Many of the tree branches are laden with snow, but fortunately, this snow was light and did not weigh them down too much.
The Council Circle is a favorite summertime spot. My family enjoys gathering around the fire pit, roasting marshmallows, and recounting the day’s activities and adventures.
This photo was taken just to the right of the Council Circle. Beyond are those “Rockefeller teeth” – big granite stones set on the edge to prevent falls from the 30-foot wall.
This is the back door of the main house, where I love to hang Boston ferns during summer. Cheryl stopped to take this photo as she wondered how she would get the shovel through all the snow – look closely and you’ll see it.
Despite all the beauty, it’s a lot of snow to shovel around the house. Various snow drifts topped three feet. These steps run from the back to the front of the house – yes, there really are steps here.
This is a view of the main terrace from the dining room window – the “cracked ice” is completely covered. It is hard to tell the true snow accumulation from the drifts – there is just so much. The Living Hall entrance is under the clock.
Here is a view through the leaded window of my living room looking left of my circular front driveway. Can you see the reflections ahead? They are actually from the window behind Cheryl.
This is a view from the West Terrace looking out through the tall spruce trees to Seal Harbor. On this day, the skies over Skylands are a beautiful bright blue.
These kiwi vines growing on top of the pergola and on the posts are original to the house. All the kiwi vines have endured many snowfalls.
These icicles formed on the kiwi vines just outside the living room window. Icicles are so pretty. Some are a foot long. Icicles elongate by the growth of ice and the right mixture of air temperature, wind speed and the water feeding it. Cheryl, of course, broke off the icicles soon after this photo was taken, so the kiwi vines were not damaged.
This window is nearly all walled in with white.
Here’s another view of the terrace. The “Bedford Gray” colored boxes protect some of my outdoor urns.
Ice crystals formed on this window. These delicate crystals form when water vapor from the humid indoor air condenses on the very cold window glass.
Here is a look at the quiet woodland from the back porch. Notice how the snow fell and drifted just around the tree pits.
Footprints in the snow – I think a deer walked through here.
This is my greenhouse at Skylands. During the cold season, I am able to store a collection of tropical plants inside, but most of the beautiful specimens I keep on the terrace in summer go back to Bedford and winter there.
This shed holds all the pine needles we collect, spin, bag, and then drop along the footpaths in summertime.
This is the expansive garden lawn at Ox Ledge, a home I purchased near Skylands some years ago – the snow is still untouched.
These views are gorgeous. This is Seal Harbor and to the right, just on the other side of the road is a village green – the former site of the well-known Seaside Inn. The Seaside House was originally a private residence built in the 1800s. Over the years, the home went through a few transitions – in 1870, it was a 10-room boarding house. In 1882 a large annex was added. Then in 1891, Amos and James Clement hired Bar Harbor-based architect John E. Clark to redesign the house into a large hotel called the Seaside Inn, which remained until it was completely torn down in 1963. I am already looking forward to my next visit to Maine.
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