As a serious and passionate gardener, whenever I have the time I always enjoy visiting nurseries in search of new and rare plants to add to my collection.
Last week, my friends Kevin Sharkey and Terre Blair accompanied me on a brief trip to Long Island to visit one of my favorite garden sources, Landcraft Environments, Ltd., a pre-eminent wholesaler of tropical, tender perennials, shrubs, bulbs, and uncommon annuals located in Mattituck on the North Fork. Landcraft Environments is owned by garden designers, Dennis Schrader and Bill Smith who have been in business together since 1982, initially specializing in landscape design. Realizing a tremendous need for unusual plant material, Dennis and Bill purchased the property in 1992 when it was just an overgrown potato and corn farm. Now, it features their beautifully restored 1840s farmhouse, a lovely four-acre public garden, and thousands of local and exotic plants from around the world - all encircled by 10 acres of rehabilitated meadows with mowed paths for viewing native plants and wildlife.
I always enjoy visiting Dennis and Bill at Landcraft Environments. There is always something amazing to see. Here I am standing in front of a Colocasia Thailand Giant or Colocasia gigantea. It grows up to 10-feet tall with leaves up to five-feet long and four-feet wide.
In this patch of beautiful plantings is Coleus ‘Bryce Canyon’, Coleus ‘Brooklyn Horror’, Colocasia ‘Diamond Head’, some Australian tree ferns, and Medinilla magnifica.
This double border is planted with Canna Pretoria, Ricinus “Castor Bean”, Rudbeckia, Lantana, and Cuphea, a low-maintenance annual that blooms from late spring until frost.
Aside from their stunning gardens, Dennis and Bill also live on the property. Here is a view of the house from the back lawn. Each year, Dennis and Bill change out many of the pots and displays.
This year, they arranged a lovely summer display of succulents on the back deck.
On this long table for 12 on the west dining terrace, Dennis and Bill also arranged a variety of assorted rare succulents and cacti.
Among them, this handsome Rhipsalis pilocarpa, the hairy-fruited wickerware cactus – a species of flowering plant in the cactus family that is endemic to Brazil. I have several Rhipsalis specimens at my Bedford, New York farm.
More potted succulents are displayed on this coffee table. I love succulents and continue to grow my greenhouse collection.
Dennis designed the Moongate Bench under this pergola. It’s part of his signature furniture line that he sells at Landcraft Environments. (Photo courtesy of Landcraft Environments Ltd.)
Dennis also designs stone furniture – this one is made of native Long Island boulders embedded with ammonite.
This is the entrance to the “Ruin” – one can see Lilium formosa and Clematis planted here.
This is a view looking from the sedum covered green roof to one of the fire alters in the “Ruin.” On the left is a very hardy kiwi vine grown from a cutting I gave to Dennis and Bill from Skylands, my home in Maine.
This art sculpture is by artist Sam Moyer called Bluestone Dependent 4, 2021. It is made from Belgian bluestone and concrete with stone aggregate.
On the property, Dennis and Bill also created a Labyrinth planted with little bluestem. Schizachyrium scoparium, commonly known as little bluestem or beard grass, is a species of North American prairie grass native to most of the contiguous United States as well as a small area north of the Canada–US border and northern Mexico. It grows from one to three feet tall and has a beautiful color that contrasts well with the surrounding field foliage.
Here is a view of one of the paths in the Labyrinth. Unlike a maze, which has many turns and dead ends meant to confuse, a labyrinth has only one path leading to the center. I am building a maze at my farm.
And here we are in the center of the labyrinth – me, Terre Blair, Bill, and Dennis.
In the cutting garden – beautiful, brightly colored sunflowers, Helianthus annuus – a large annual of the genus Helianthus, popularly grown as a crop for its edible oil and seeds.
Many of you may recognize this plant – a staghorn fern. This specimen is more than 25 years old!
This big leaf is part of a Begonia ‘Lotus Land’ – a large thick stem rhizomatous begonia that grows up to three to four feet tall and has thick horizontal stems with large shield shaped, lobed dark green leaves.
In the greenhouse, trays of Eucomis “Pineapple Lily” cuttings.
This is Euphorbia Aeruginosa – a succulent member of the spurge family native to South Africa. It grows as a small shrub with multiple spiny blue-green photosynthetic stems. Its name, which means ‘verdigris’, refers to the coppery-green branches which have contrasting reddish-brown spines.
Growing beautifully at Landcraft Environments are the Vanda orchids. Vanda orchids produce some of the more stunning blooms in the genera. Vanda orchids are heat-loving and native to tropical Asia.
This is called Lophophora – a genus of spineless, button-like cacti. The species are extremely slow growing, sometimes taking up to 30-years to reach flowering age, which is the size of about a golf ball, excluding the root.
This is a flower arrangement at the entrance pavilion of the Landcraft Garden Foundation dedicated to inspiring, educating and promoting gardening, horticulture and the preservation of the natural environment. The Foundation Garden is open Fridays and Saturdays now through October, so please visit if you’re in the area.
While there, we all enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by Chef Devin of Landcraft Environments, Ltd. – a summer salad with pan seared scallops, seasonal fruits, and greens.
On our table – a charming arrangement of cut sunflower blooms.
And here’s another nice photo Kevin took of me, Bill, and Dennis just before we left. What a fun and very informative trip to Landcraft Environments. Please follow Dennis and Bill on Instagram and learn more about their great Foundation.
What did you do this summer? Did you travel? Did you learn about new and interesting places? I always enjoy seeing photos from others taken during their vacations.
Not long ago, Marquee Brands Creative Video Director, Anduin Havens, traveled with her family to Europe, visiting 10 cities in France and Spain. For Anduin's husband, Cedric Durafour, it was a long awaited trip home to see relatives and friends. For her daughter, Harper, it was a first-time adventure to the continent. And for the three of them - a most enjoyable and memorable experience abroad.
Here are some of Anduin's photos, enjoy.
One of the first stops during Anduin’s European vacation was the medieval town of Carcasonne – a French fortified city in the region of Occitanie. The first walls were built in Gallo-Roman times, with major additions made in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Walking around, Anduin and her family admired the ramparts, or length of bank or wall forming part of the defensive boundary of a castle, hillfort, or fortified site.
This photo was taken of the sunset from their hotel room inside the city walls.
This was their view from their apartment in Montmartre, Paris – a charming hilltop district, which was once an artists’ village inhabited by Picasso and Dalí.
Here’s a photo of Anduin and her husband, Cedric in Place de la Bastille. They walked from here to the Eiffel Tower – a little more than four miles.
And here’s the famed Eiffel Tower seen from the Roue de Paris. The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889.
One of the dinners was at Madamoiselle Raymonde in Montmartre. They all devoured these delicious grilled sardines with ratatouille.
Cedric also enjoyed his carpaccio. Carpaccio is a dish of meat or fish, thinly sliced or pounded thin, and served raw, typically as an appetizer.
Day two of the trip included a visit to Paris’ la Basilica Sacré-Coeur. The Sacré-Coeur, consecrated in 1919, is one of the most iconic monuments in Paris. From the top, one can see the most beautiful panoramic views of the capital city.
Here’s a view inside the Basilica, where the ceiling is decorated with the largest mosaic in France.
Here is l’Arc de Triomphe – very majestic and imposing. Wanted by Napoleon in 1806, the Arc de Triomphe was inaugurated in 1836 by French king, Louis-Philippe, who dedicated it to the armies of the Revolution and the Empire.
Here is a a look at the vault inside the Arch. l’Arc de Triomphe honors those who fought and died for France during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Under its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the First World War, which was buried here in 1921.
This dinner was at La Couronne, in the lovely town of Rouen. Dinner was trout on a light pea puree, topped with fried zucchini.
Here’s a traditional French dessert: Millefeuille, which means thousands of leaves, referring to the many layers of the pate feuilletee or puff pastry.
There was also this gorgeous cheese offering. Many of these cheeses are aged for a very long time, adding to their texture and flavor.
On this day, Anduin and her family went to Mont-Saint-Michel, a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. They decided to walk from the distant parking lot to experience the pilgrimage. Since it was built in the 8th century, pilgrims have traveled much farther than that to see this wonder.
Here, they’re getting closer. Before the bridge was built, many travelers were stuck on the island or in the quicksands when the tide came in and encircled the Mont.
But it was all worth the long walk – such a gorgeous old town.
They escaped the crowded streets into this very narrow street in Mont-Saint-Michel. It was very helpful to have a native Frenchman as a guide. Cedric knows all the nooks and crannies.
This is St. Brieuc in Bretagne, where where Cedric grew up. Medieval houses were taxed on their footprint, so the upper stories overhang the street to gain more space without paying more.
In Bretagne, there is a castle near almost every village. Cedric’s family was amused at how fascinating this was for Americans, who don’t see castles every day. This photo is of Anduin, her sister-in-law Marianne, Harper, and her cousins Oceane, Maëlys, and Nolann.
Here’s another of the castle’s towers. It was originally built in 1220 and renovated many times, until the French Revolution.
This photo was taken in Le Feria in Dax, a southern city in France. This annual festival celebrates the day the Romans left the city. It’s a 5-day event that includes lots of singing, dancing, revelry, and bull fighting.
Everyone at the Feria wears white and red, and sings local songs while bands of musicians roam the city, entertaining the crowds.
The last city they visited in France was Toulouse, where Cedric lived before he moved to the United States.
This was lunch on the banks of the Garonne in Toulouse. Market-bought baguette, figs, melon, peach, foie gras en croute, Selles sur cher cheese, and saucisson a l’ail, a garlic sausage.
This is an ancient building in Toulouse, at an important crossroads: Le Quatre Coins des Changes – the Four Corners of Change.
This is the medieval city of Puycelsi. These sturdy buildings have been standing – through sieges, wars, and weather – for centuries. Now 90 families live here year-round.
Behind Harper is The famous exterior of La Sagrada Familia, a large unfinished church building in Barcelona, and the largest unfinished Roman Catholic church. It was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica.
Its interior is so dramatic and unique – Anduin was amazed. The basilica’s massive columns tower more than 200-feet to the ceiling. There are also huge stained-glass windows where sunlight streams through to the interior creating these colorful bands.
Anduin also got this photo of a storm over Barcelona. In all, their trip to Europe was packed with many stunning sights and delicious meals – they can’t wait to return. Thanks for the photos, Anduin.
Every year, I try to spend a few weeks - give or take - at my beautiful refuge in Seal Harbor, Maine. I always have a spectacular time with family and all my dear friends who visit. This summer, Chef Pierre Schaedelin from PS Tailored Events, and I, planned so many delicious menus. We all ate very well, feasting on foods from the local fisheries, the farmers’ markets, and my own gardens.
Here are more photos from Skylands.
We arrived at Skylands on a warm, but beautiful summer afternoon after flying from Las Vegas to see my new restaurant, The Bedford by Martha Stewart in its last stages of preparation before opening. Skylands is so serene. This is the front of my home and the circular driveway with the tall hemlock and maples shading the entrance.
We always enjoy the freshest fruits up in Maine. Here, I brought up peaches grown in my Bedford farm orchard, blueberries from our bushes, and raspberries from Maine – all for this for a most delicious fruit cobbler by Chef Pierre.
On our first weekend, my niece Sophie Herbert and her family came to visit and we all enjoyed a great meal of traditional spaghetti and meatballs – it was perfect.
Here is one of our plates topped with parmesan cheese and of course a couple of sprigs of parsley from my garden.
On this day – avocado toast.
Baked sweet potatoes…
…and a cucumber salad. We had bounties of cucumbers this summer up at Skylands. They were so crisp and juicy.
On one side of my kitchen at Skylands on this large table, we keep all the utensils close at hand along with fresh tomatoes and fruits for easy snacking. My French Bulldogs Bête Noire and Crème Brûlée love to rest under this table – front seats to anything that falls their way.
Here I am with my dear friend and longtime publicist, Susan Magrino, who came up the week of my birthday. Here we are aboard Skylands II, my Hinkley picnic boat. We’re on our way to the Downeast Art & Antiques Show in Blue Hill.
This was the morning of August 3rd, my birthday. I enjoyed the best fried eggs with tomatoes and parsley from the garden – and the eggs are from my chickens, of course.
My housekeeper, Elvira, was also at Skylands this summer. She set the most gorgeous birthday table – such a lovely palette of tans and pinks with my flameless pillar candles available on QVC and white hydrangeas picked earlier in the day from my cutting garden. This table seats 20 guests – we planned a wonderful celebratory gathering with friends.
Here I am with Chef Pierre shortly before dinner. We’ve been planning delicious menus together for years – many of them right here at my beloved home in Maine.
My birthday feast included potato whipped with crème fraîche, topped with Osetra caviar and dressed with scallions from the garden. Osetra caviar is is from the Ossetra sturgeon which weighs up to 400 pounds and can live up to 50-years.
And then we had lobster tails and fresh homegrown beans and puréed carrots.
On another day, we enjoyed this peach lattice pie and peach sorbet – all homemade.
Another lunch at Skylands included this leek quiche, prepared by Chef Pierre. This was a huge favorite – not one crumb left over.
We also had tomato tart – such a great savory dish to make in summer when tomatoes are in season.
There was a fresh corn salad with green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes – all from Skylands.
And a platter of oysters casino.
Another favorite breakfast included these blueberry pancakes – fluffy and made to perfection using blueberries grown right here at Skylands.
I also served some meals outdoors – salads are always so refreshing. We served three different and flavorful salads. This is a tomato salad with onions and basil.
Here is a cucumber and tomato salad.
And here is a classic potato salad – every one devoured and enjoyed.
This is a kilo tin of osetra caviar – converted, that’s more than two pounds. My daughter, granchildren, and I shared this delicious Osetra caviar from Black Diamond.
And the next day, we went out for the best lobster rolls at Beal’s Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor – Jude and Truman approved.
Summers at Skylands are always among my favorite vacations spent with family and friends. I hope you are enjoying many gatherings with your nearest and dearest this season.
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