If you're planning a trip to the Bahamas between now and January 29, 2022, why not make it a bit more special by visiting a "Rosé Paradis Garden" - a luxury pop-up experience now open at The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort.
The Bahamian hotel launched the one-of-a-kind experience in honor of its upcoming 60th anniversary. The pop-up was done in partnership with France’s Château d’Esclans to offer guests a taste of France that includes a sampling of Whispering Angel and other wines from the Château d’Esclans portfolio. The enchanted setting is within The Ocean Club’s expansive Versailles Terraced Gardens, adorned with a curated collection of stone and bronze statues and outdoor furniture pieces sourced from French antiques markets and refurbished to match the exact shade of pink found in Château d’Esclans iconic Whispering Angel rosé. I flew to Paradise Island last month to celebrate the resort's newest activation with my longtime publicist and friend, Susan Magrino. Some of you may recall, Susan and her husband, James Dunning Jr., were married at The Ocean Club in 2004 - click here to read the story in Weddings. It was a short, but most enjoyable trip with good friends.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here I am just before boarding our plane to the Bahamas with my Rimowa luggage. Rimowa calls this “bamboo green.” I call it “Martha green” inspired by my love for vintage Fire-King glassware.
When we arrived at The Ocean Club, it was a bit rainy, but the views were still stunning. The Bahamas, or The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is a sovereign country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic. The archipelagic state consists of more than 700 islands, cays, and islets in the Atlantic Ocean. It is located north of Cuba, southeast of Florida, and east of the Florida Keys. Have you been there?
This is a look at The Ocean Club’s expansive Versailles Terraced Gardens. The quarter-mile stretch of manicured grounds include a curated collection of stone and bronze statues and marble cloisters at the top overlooking Nassau Harbor. This is the setting for the pop-up “Rosé Paradis Garden” – open to local residents and visitors through the month of January 2022.
The gardens were developed by George Huntington Hartford II, the former owner of the Ocean Club and of Paradise Island itself. (Photo by Christian Horan for The Ocean Club)
Heir to the A. & P. Tea Company, George bought the property in the 1960s. George envisioned a luxury estate for the business elite and imported European fountains and statues. This gazebo sits on the slope to the harbor.
Kevin Sharkey, who also accompanied me on the short three-day excursion, stepped into the gazebo to see its interesting roof design.
Among the 13-statues is this copy of “Hercules” leaning on his club with his lion skin draped on his shoulder overlooking a lily pond. “Hercules” is positioned at the center of the garden. Considered the guardian of Mankind, his likeness towers at eight feet tall.
On another tier, a bronze statue called “Mother and Child.”
George’s biggest purchase was in 1961 when he acquired the disassembled parts of the 12th century cloisters.
George hired architect J.J. Castremanne, to assemble the pieces that had been sitting in crates for more than two decades.
At the center sits a 1928 marble statue titled, “Silence” – placed there by artist William Reid Dick, also cast in statue within the Garden.
Here are some of the tables and chairs displayed in a “Rosé Paradis Garden” where guests can indulge in lavish menu items and toast to good times with the featured Whispering Angel rose.
The outdoor furniture pieces are even refurbished and painted to match the Château d’Esclans iconic rosé – pink. Here, guests can enjoy the exclusive rose wine pairings in lounge style seating.
This is Melissa Katz. The “Rosé Paradis Garden” was the brain child of Melissa and The Ocean Club. On this night, we celebrated the launch at the resort…
Bottles of Whispering Angel and Château d’Esclans wines decorated the shelves. (Photo by Christian Horan for The Ocean Club)
Later we attended a party hosted by Whispering Angel at Dune, the acclaimed restaurant by Michelin starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. We all drank Whispering Angel and Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial Rose champagne. It is also where Susan and Jim had their wedding dinner years back.
Did you see this on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48? The next day, I enjoyed this pina colada and a dip in the water.
Here is a photo of Susan and Jim at the spot where they married in 2004.
Artist Jamaal Rolle, also known as “The Celebrity Artist,” attended the launch party and the dinner and then presented me with this portrait the next evening. Jamaal has created portraits for some of the world’s most recognizable and influential figures including Prince Harry of Wales, Academy Award Winner, Sir Sidney Poitier, and NBA Champion Lebron James. It was an honor to get one of my own.
Here I am with Susan just before going to dinner at Nobu located at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort.
We enjoyed a host of of sushi dishes. The menu at Nobu is a blend of classic Japanese cooking with influences from Peru and Europe. I try to include a visit to one of Nobu’s restaurants whenever I can.
And on the next morning before leaving, Jamaal returned with a portrait of Susan – done so beautifully and so quickly. Please visit his web site at thecelebrityartist.com to see more of his wonderful works.
It was a very quick trip to the Bahamas, but filled with lots of fun and interesting activities. Looking forward to my next visit. If you’re looking for some joie de vivre, go to the Bahamas and treat yourself and a loved one to a “Rosé Paradis Garden” at The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort. You’ll love it.
There's always something beautiful to see in my greenhouse.
Here in the Northeast, all the garden beds are bare and put to be for the season, but inside my greenhouse are gorgeous blooming camellias - dense shrubs with brilliant evergreen foliage and exquisite flowers. These shrubs blossom prodigiously for weeks, from late fall to mid-spring, showing off beautiful shades of white, cream, pink, and red.
Enjoy these photos.
In all, I have five different greenhouses. This one is designated the tropical greenhouse. It works by heating and circulating air to create an artificial tropical environment. The entire structure is built using heavy gauge American made, triple-galvanized steel tubing. To simulate the best subtropical environment, we try to keep the temperature in this house between 50 and 85-degrees Fahrenheit with some humidity.
On one side of the greenhouse are my camellias. These are from Nuccio’s Nurseries, Inc. in Altadena, California. Camellias thrive in mild climates from California to Florida and are available in thousands of cultivars. Most shrubs reach a height between six and 12 feet, and just about as wide.
The leaves of a camellia are alternately arranged, simple, thick, serrated, and glossy. These are the buds of ‘Pink Wings’ – when in bloom, it will feature soft pink, medium to large, irregular semi-double flowers.
Camellia flowers come in mainly white and shades of pink or red, and various combinations.
Buds start to form in mid-summer and then open from fall through early spring. These are the buds of Camellia ‘Elizabeth Weaver.’
And this is what it looks like in full bloom. Camellia ‘Elizabeth Weaver’ has large formal double flowers in coral pink.
‘Silver Waves’ features showy white round flowers with yellow eyes at the ends of the branches from late winter to early spring. Different varieties of camellias come in various shapes: anemone, single, semi-double, formal double, rose-form double and peony form. Their flowers are usually large and can be about four-inches in diameter.
Camellia ‘Ferris Wheel’ is white with multiple red and pink streaks in various lengths throughout the flower and striking yellow anthers in the center.
This Camellia ‘Nuccio’s Gem’ flower is still unfurling. Their blooms are usually large and conspicuous, one to 12 centimeters in diameter.
Close by, ‘Nuccio’s Gem’ fully open – a pure white, perfectly formed camellia flower with three to four inch blossoms. It is one of the most popular camellia varieties.
I am so happy these camellias are thriving in my greenhouse. Camellias are part of the Theaceae or tea plant family, including the most common ornamental species, C. japonica and C. sasanqua.
This is ‘High Fragrance’ – with large, light pink, semi-double flowers and an alluring scent.
When selecting a spot for a potted camellia, be sure it gets partial shade and protection from hot afternoon sunlight, as container-grown camellias dry out much faster than shrubs planted in the ground. Also water the plant deeply whenever the top two to four inches of potting mix feels dry to the touch and let it drain completely.
‘Frank Houser’ is a hybrid that shows off incredibly large, deep glowing pink to red blooms with darker veins.
‘Elegans Champagne’ is a showy and elegant cultivar with voluminous, anemone-form flowers in champagne pale pink to ivory – a true heritage plant and a popular favorite in Southern gardens.
‘Silver Lace’ has large, silvery white, yellow-centered, semi-double blooms that contrast the glossy dark green leaves. When it comes to fertilizing, feed with a good quality fertilizer specifically for camellias or a general 10-10-10 fertilizer in spring after the flowers have dropped. Avoid feeding camellias after July, as late feeding can cause bud drop.
‘Nuccio’s Pearl’ shows off full double blooms and pure white petals edged with an orchid pink blush.
‘Debutante’ has abundant, large, light pink, peony-style blooms densely packed with clear pale pink petals.
‘Ragland Supreme’ is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Mature flowers are a creamy milk white.
‘Can Can’ has soft rose colored flowers with pale pink striations at the base, occasionally, small bright rose splashes and irregular, very pale pink to white borders.
Large, semi-double soft pink blooms appear from late fall into winter on this variety, ‘Taylor’s Perfection.’
This is japonica ‘Ave Maria,’ just opening. It features small to medium flowers with up to 50-petals in a delicate silvery pink color.
And here it is in full bloom. Camellias have a reputation for being somewhat difficult to grow, but if one is willing to meet their needs, they’ll thrive with a long bloom season just when it is needed most. I am looking forward to seeing all their stunning flowers throughout winter. I will be sure to share more of their delightful blossoms in future blogs.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, the outdoor grounds crew is busy "burlapping" - a term we use for covering all my winter-sensitive boxwood with burlap.
I am a big supporter of "burlapping" shrubbery for the cold season. Burlap covers protect the tender branches from splaying and breaking under heavy ice and snow while shielding the foliage from strong winds. Burlap is also more effective than plastic because it allows air to circulate through the plants. "Burlapping" is a practice I've followed for many years, and I think it also provides a cozy and pretty look to the winter landscape. This week, the crew finished the biggest part of this project - my long Boxwood Allee.
Enjoy these photos.
My long Boxwood Allee extends from the east paddocks and the woodland carriage road all the way to the stone stable. It has developed beautifully over the years, growing larger every season. Here it is in July when all the foliage is bold, beautiful, and green.
In late autumn, just before the holidays, my outdoor grounds crew begins the arduous task of covering all the boxwood with burlap – woven fabric usually made from skin of the jute plant or sisal fibers. When it isn’t possible to use older pieces, we create new covers. This year, we needed a fresh supply of burlap. They come in large industrial rolls.
The first step is to build the frame structures for the burlap. These pipes are made from rolled galvanized 16 gauge industrial tubing. In all, hundreds of ground stakes, purlin pipes, connectors, nuts, and bolts are used for the project. They are actually parts for greenhouse hoop houses. I knew they would be perfect for the Boxwood Allee.
Ground pipes are installed every four feet along the allee. These hollow pipes will anchor the supports. Once the ground pipes are in place, the crew secures taller pipes along the allee.
These are 10-foot wide bow sections – they will last quite awhile and give the boxwood a lot of room to grow. Building the frame at least a foot taller than the boxwood protects any heavy snow from weighing down onto the tender foliage.
Domi begins securing the bow sections. One can see how much room the boxwood has under the framing. This will allow for good air circulation during the season.
Constructing the frame for the burlap takes several days to complete, but the process is well worth the effort during cold snaps, high winds, and snowstorms.
Domi connects the tension purlin brackets. They connect the center piping to the bow sections.
Then, smaller stakes are dropped next to each frame.
These are pounded into the ground next to each steel ground stake. The short wooden stakes provide points at which the burlap can be secured once it is draped over the frames.
Meanwhile, Chhiring rolls out sections of burlap to be sewn. The long pieces of burlap are measured to fit each section. After it is removed in spring, it will be labeled, folded and stored in a dry place for use the following year.
Because the burlap comes in 48-inch wide and 60-inch wide rolls, it’s necessary to sew lengths of burlap, so it is wide enough to cover the boxwood.
Chhiring sews works from one end, while Phurba and Domi work from another. The long sections are all sewn together by hand – five lengths of burlap for each side.
The great “burlapping” project requires rolls and rolls of jute twine. Jute twine is a firmly constructed twine that can easily be twisted into rope that holds up against tremendous weight and friction. It’s extremely lightweight and resistant to the effects of intense heat.
The project also needs needles – Chhiring actually made this one out of a piece of strong wire. He copied the design from needles specially designed for sewing jute. Every grounds crew member has a needle for sewing.
Chhiring has excellent sewing skills – I’ve taught everyone on the outdoor grounds crew how to sew.
Hello, my peafowl. The peacocks and peahens are not phased at all by the “burlapping.” Here they are walking up the path from the allee to my Winter House – probably looking for me and some treats.
Even scraps of wood can be repurposed for various projects. Here, we cut long wooden stakes into small strips. The strips are about six to eight inches long – just long enough to accommodate two screws that will keep the burlap in place.
The burlap is pulled down and attached to the ground stakes using the strips and screws.
Here is one of the ends, pulled together and sewn closed.
At various points, holes are purposely made for any birds that wish to escape the cold and wind.
Here is one finished section of the Boxwood Allee. The burlap still allows the boxwood to “breathe”, and get sunlight, which is important even during the colder months. It is actually very pretty, and gives the allee a whole new look for winter. Any snow that accumulates on top of the finished structures will slide down the sides.
These structures will provide strong protection through the winter and until everything is removed again in spring.
And here’s the entire length of the allee completely enshrouded in protective burlap. I’ve been “burlapping” for many years and find that this is really the most reliable way to protect my hedges and shrubs. Covering this allee with burlap gives me comfort that all will survive the winter unscathed. What are you “burlapping” this weekend? Share with me in the comments section below.
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