Here in the Northeast, it's bitter cold. Temperatures are expected to hit 30-degrees Fahrenheit at my Bedford, New York farm today - very different from the weather on the Caribbean nation of the Dominican Republic, where I recently spent a glorious week with friends.
If you follow me on Instagram @MarthaStewart48, you may remember my trip to the Dominican Republic over the holidays. Most of our time was spent in La Romana, at the beautiful resort complex of Casa de Campo, about 70-miles from the historic city of Santo Domingo. We went fishing, enjoyed delicious meals, and relaxed on the most pristine beaches. We also visited the village of Altos de Chavon, home to the Altos de Chavon Cultural Center Foundation, a non-profit educational and cultural entity dedicated to maintaining an arts community within the Dominican Republic. It was a fantastic trip with perfect weather every day.
Enjoy my photos.
My friend, Dominique Bluhdorn, owns the most gorgeous home called La Favorita. Look at the breathtaking views.
Dominique’s house has many seating arrangements in many different scenic locations such as this covered loggia, which is a covered space running along the length of a structure similar to a porch, but with columns or arches on the open side.
This is the formal living room — where we did not sit once.
And here is her swimming pool – also with such delightful views.
These are the steps to the beach and to the swimming pavillion at the end of the pier.
And these are the sitting arrangements on the way to the hot tub, where I went every single day at 7am.
This is the swimming pavilion, with its thatched roof – it’s definitely a favorite place to sit and relax. Dominique’s home is within the boundaries of Casa de Campo Resort and Villas – a seven-thousand acre hotel, resort, and residential community on the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic. The exclusive retreat was built by Dominique’s father, industrialist, Charles Bluhdorn.
Here is one of the dinner dishes we enjoyed – cooked wahoo fish with butter, capers, herbs, and lime. Wahoo is a scombrid fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas – it’s in the same family as mackarel and tuna.
Here is my plate along with rice, avocado, and traditional Dominican Republic empanaditas, or bite-sized empanadas.
And of course… Martha’s Chard, my new wine from 19 Crimes. It was unanimously everyone’s favorite wine at dinner. Look out for it – it will be in stores near you very soon.
For breakfast the next morning, we had house eggs poached with broiled tomato, potato balls, cauliflower, onions, and herbs.
Here are two poached eggs with scallions – perfectly cooked.
The sunrises and sunsets were absolutely amazing. This photo was taken at 7:25am.
We saw some beautiful marine animals. This is a star fish, or sea star. They come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. They also all have spines covering their upper surfaces…
… And soft undersides. When looking at the underside of a live sea star, one can see its tube feet wiggling.
For another meal, we shared a platter of grilled meats and chicken. Dominican cuisine is made up of Spanish, indigenous Taíno, Middle-Eastern, and African influences. And the largest, most important meal of the day is lunch.
Here is a platter of lobster, grilled to perfection.
And here are the Island tamales, known in the Dominican Republic as pasteles en hoja – often stuffed with meats.
We had salads with every meal – fresh, ripe tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, pickled onions, and more.
Here’s my first helping – it may, or may not have been, my last. Everything was so flavorful.
On another day, I went to Puntacana and visited its Ecological Foundation, a project of the Puna Cana Resort and Club. I learned about their composting process. The garden is completely farmed using organic waste and soil from a worm-composting shed. The processed compost at the bottom is then sent back to the resort’s kitchens as well as other local restaurants, and a weekly local farmers’ market.
Here I am with Jake Kheel – sustainability innovator and Vice President of Grupo Puntacana Foundation.
The beaches stretched for miles and miles.
Here I am on the fishing boat – I wonder what we’ll catch.
I learned some great techniques from fishing with Kevin Fox.
And look, we caught a nice sized wahoo.
Casa de Campo is also home to Altos de Chavón a one-of-a-kind 16th century replica Mediterranean village. This project was conceived by Bluhdorn and the Italian architect, Roberto Copa. Dominique is the current president of the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation.
The entire village is located atop the Chavón River. The project began in 1976 when the construction of a nearby road and bridge crossing the river was blasted through a mountain of stone. The stones were used to create the village and celebrates the artisans of the Dominican Republic.
Much of Altos de Chavon is made from coral block and terra cotta. This giant fish sculpture is part of a fountain – it looks like it has been here for centuries.
Each stone was hand cut, each wooden door frame was handcrafted, and each wrought-iron detail hand-forged. The village was finally completed and inaugurated in 1982.
Another attraction in Altos de Chavon is this five-thousand seat amphitheater. It is mainly used for music concerts and other performances. The amphitheater is so beautiful and carved all from stone. The term “amphitheater” derives from the ancient Greek words meaning “on both sides” or “around” and “place for viewing”.
It was a such a wonderful get-away. I hope to return again sometime soon.
Hard not to love a picturesque snow-covered landscape, especially at my Bedford, New York farm.
Yesterday morning, we got another few inches of beautiful, white snow that was just heavy enough to stick to the tree branches and shrubs, stone posts, walls, and steps, and the tops of all the burlap-encased urns and boxwood - the entire farm was a gorgeous winter wonderland. I always love to tour the property during snow storms. When not busy plowing the four miles of carriage road, I'm taking photos. This storm only lasted a few hours. By mid-morning, the snow tapered to flurries and a bright blue sky appeared.
Here are some of my images, and please go to my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48 to see more, enjoy.
The snow started early in the morning, covering everything at the farm. Here is a cross section of my long and winding clematis pergola. I am glad the large boxwood are well-covered under their protective winter burlap shrouds. Straight ahead, one can see the windows of my Tenant House in the distance.
This is one side of the Pin Oak Allee adjacent to the Equipment Barn. I’ve planted a few different allees at the farm. An allee is a walk or passage, especially one between two rows of evenly planted specimens. 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.
On the left is my blueberry patch surrounded by another granite and wood pergola. On the right, a stand of 16 Chinese quince trees. Below them, my friend, Hannah Milman, planted hundreds and hundreds of saffron bulbs in tight, straight rows. They will look so beautiful in bloom.
Here is a view of my perennial flower garden
– a different look from summer when it is filled with colorful, fragrant flowers.
The back of my carport is a wonderful spot for birds to perch and eat. I have a series of bird feeders filled every day for these avian visitors. I am glad the birds can depend on food here at the farm all year long.
Just across the carriage road is my Gravenstein apple espalier. An espalier refers to an ancient technique, resulting in trees that grow flat, either against a wall, or along a wire-strung framework. Many kinds of trees respond beautifully to the espalier treatment, but fruit trees, like apple and pear, were some of the earliest examples. And, because necessary sunlight reaches every piece of fruit that these trees bear, espalier pruning remains standard procedure at commercial orchards in France.
Here’s the old corn crib, which is original to the property. The unique “keystone” shape, flaring from bottom to top, was designed to shed water.
The snow collected on many of the tree branches around the farm. Luckily, there was no damage. Here are my weeping hornbeams. We prune these regularly to keep the beautiful shape. These weeping specimens are rare and hard to find, but I was lucky to find six.
Here is the view of my ancient apple trees with the burlap-covered Boxwood Allee in the distance. Many of you comment on the fencing. In the foreground is 100-year old white spruce fencing from Canada. I love how the snow collects on the fence rails.
The large linden trees are part of an allee I planted several years ago. The linden tree, Tilia, is also referred to as basswood or lime, though it is not related at all to the lime fruit. They are straight stemmed trees with smooth bark. The specimens below are all European beech trees, Fagus sylvatica, or the common beech – they hold tight to their leaves.
Here’s a photo I took from the center of the allee with my carport in the distance.
Hi Phurba! Phurba is shoveling the walkway to my terrace parterre in front of my Winter House kitchen – the snowfall kept everyone busy.
The tall American boxwood that surrounds my Summer House garden is netted and wrapped tightly together. Heavy snow could damage the shrubs and splay their branches.
If you follow my blog regularly, you may recall my new azalea garden planted last year. It is along both sides of the carriage road between my Summer House and my stable. I wanted to add hundreds of colorful azaleas – a variety of unique specimens in shades of pink, orange, crimson and white. Right now, they are all white with snow, but wait until you see them all in bloom – they will be stunning.
Here is a view looking through my fruit orchard not far from my pool.
This is a view into the vegetable garden – completely covered in inches of untouched snow. And in the center is an herb garden we started this summer.
Behind the garden, one of two giant stands of Eastern white pines. These trees stand so tall and majestic in the fields.
Here is my stone yard where all the stone building materials are stored organized and tidy. Here, I keep extra granite posts, stone pavers, slate roof tiles, and marble.
Can you guess where this area is on my farm? If you guessed my Japanese Maple tree woodland, you are correct. Over the last several years, I’ve planted many of these trees in one section of a shade garden not far from my chicken coops and vegetable garden. I just love them and always look forward to their gorgeous display every fall. These specimens provide countless variations in size, leaf shape, and color, creating a landscape of beauty and texture.
Here’s a stand of dawn redwoods, Metasequoia, with their straight trunks – impressive trees by any standard, and beautiful in any season. I love how the snow collects on the trunks of these handsome trees.
This is the long allee of lilacs located behind the chicken coops, not far from my tennis court. Every spring it just bursts with gorgeous color.
Even from the snow covered Boxwood Allee, it is hard to miss those eastern white pines, Pinus strobus. White pines are the tallest trees in eastern North America.
This is the fence surrounding my pigeon yard. The snow seems to stick to everything.
Shortly before noon, the peafowl were released from their safe enclosure. The peacocks and peahens love to congregate in the stable courtyard. Here, a couple of them perch on the stone trough, up off the cold snow covered cobblestones.
And by lunchtime, the clouds parted revealing this bright blue sky. Even if you don’t love winter, I am sure you agree, the scenery is breathtaking. Please go to my Instagram page @marthastewart48 for more of my photos.
We're getting so much pruning work done here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Here in the Northeast, winter weather can sometimes be very erratic - below freezing temperatures one day and mild the next. Whenever possible, my outdoor grounds crew takes advantage of the favorable conditions to get lots of tasks crossed off our list, including pruning the long rows of Osage orange trees along the fence of one of my horse paddocks. Last year, we limbed them up, meaning pruned the lower branches to improve shape and visibility. This year, the crew is tackling the tops to encourage fruitfulness and growth. The Osage orange, Macular pomifera, is more commonly known as a hedge apple, bow wood, or bodark. The fruit is wrinkly and bumpy in appearance, and considered inedible because of the texture and taste, but they're very interesting and fun to grow.
Here are some photos.
Have you ever seen an Osage orange? Despite its name, it is not related to oranges at all. It is actually a member of the fig family. Each fruit is about four to five inches in diameter. This photo was take in the fall, when the trees bear fruit.
The Osage orange is a dense cluster of hundreds of small fruits. Some say it resembles the many lobes of a brain.
Along three sides of my North Maple Paddock surrounding the run-in field and shed, not far from my tennis court, I have Osage orange trees. Here they are leafed out. Properly maintained, these trees make a lovely natural hedge and fence.
The leaves are three to five inches long and about three-inches wide. They are thick, firm, dark green and pale green. There is also a line down the center of each leaf, with lines forming upside-down V-shapes extending from the center line to the edge of the leaf.
Osage orange branches are armed with stout, straight spines growing from the leaf axils.
Here are the trees now. The Osage is a small deciduous tree or large shrub. During the mid 19th century, the sharp-thorned trees were often planted as cattle-deterring hedges before the introduction of barbed wire in the 1870s. Afterwards, the Osage orange trees became an important source of fence posts. The Osage orange is also known as a Bois D’arc, a name that was given by French settlers meaning “bow-wood”.
These trees must be pruned regularly to keep them in bounds – winter is the best time. Without pruning, Osage orange trees grow in dense unruly thickets as multi-stemmed shrubs.
And they grow very fast. The shoots from a single year can grow up to three to six feet long.
When pruning, Pasang cuts dead, damaged, or diseased branches first. Then he prunes out competing leaders, retaining only one strong upright with evenly-spaced branches. Here he is using a pole pruner – it has the cutting power of hand pruners but a reach of eight feet and more.
The pruner works with a rope attached to the pole allowing one to pull and cut from a distance. In general, when pruning always encourage branches to grow toward the outside of the tree and eliminate those that grow toward the center or cross other branches. Air and light need to penetrate the foliage to the center of the tree as much as possible.
Pasang also uses this telescoping pole pruner from STIHL. It has a quiet, zero-exhaust emission, and is very lightweight. Plus, with an adjustable shaft, the telescoping pole pruner can cut branches up to 16 feet above the ground.
For lower, thinner, easy-to-reach branches, Pasang uses his Okatsune hand pruners. Pruning shears, hand pruners, or secateurs are a type of scissor used on plants. They are strong enough to prune hard branches of trees and shrubs, sometimes up to an inch thick. Everyone on the crew has a pair.
And he also uses a STIHL pruning hand saw. A pruning saw makes it easier to cut branches and not harm them. It is also very important to make sure all these cutting tools are very sharp. Because of the thorny branches, it is important to wear protective glasses, long sleeves and thick gloves when working with these trees.
This is a dead, woody branch.
In comparison, here is a live branch – still quite green under the bark.
The wood of the Osage orange tree is extremely hard and durable. On older trunks the bark is orange-brown and furrowed. The heavy, close-grained yellow-orange wood is very dense and is prized for tool handles, treenails, and fence posts.
Here, one can see what has been pruned and what has not. Osage oranges should be grown in full sun on well-drained soil. This tough, native plant can withstand almost anything when established – heat, cold, wind, drought, poor soil, ice storms, and rot.
Regular and thorough pruning gives the branches more circulation and room to grow.
All the cut branches are piled up neatly for the chipper.
These Osage orange trees are now pruned and will look very pretty when the leaves return in spring. These trees can grow up to 60 feet tall. Pasang often stops to assess his work and see where the next cuts are needed.
The crew will be pruning these trees for a couple more days. There are hundreds of Osage orange trees along the fence. They are growing so well because of the time and work we put into them. It’s great to know all my trees are well maintained through the years.
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