This time of year, my grove of Japanese maple trees is aglow with autumn color - I hope you saw the video on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48.
Many of my Japanese maples are varieties of Acer palmatum - trees that have been cultivated in Japanese gardens for centuries. 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.
Enjoy these photos.
What a difference a couple of weeks make. This was my Japanese Maple Woodland earlier this month. The trees were still shades of green and purple-brown.
And this is my woodland now – filled with gorgeous, bright gold, orange, and red. During the active growing season, the maple tree produces large quantities of chlorophyll. Toward the end of the growing season, chlorophyll production slows and then stops all together. Without the active chlorophyll production, the red pigment in the leaves is exposed. Sunny days and chilly nights along with plenty of sun during summer and fall are the best combination for a good show of fall colors.
But those brilliant fall colors aren’t a guarantee. It really depends on the weather. Here in the Northeast, fall weather usually arrives in September, with temperatures cooling off rapidly at night even when the days are still warm. These cool nighttime temperatures trigger the leaf-changing process. Unusually warm early fall weather may even prevent the leaves from turning red. This is because the color changes occur with gradually cooling temperatures – not cold snaps.
Japanese maples are native to areas of Japan, Korea, China and Russia. In Japan, the maple is called the “autumn welcoming tree” and is planted in the western portion of gardens – the direction from which fall arrives there.
Japanese maples prefer dappled sun or part shade. I purposely planted them beneath larger trees in this area of the farm. The varying heights of these trees add a nice texture to the grove.
The best location is a sunny spot with afternoon shade. Red and variegated leaves need relief from the hot afternoon sun, but need the light to attain full color. Golden leaves reach this striking hue with dappled sun, and remain green in deep shade.
Japanese maples typically grow about one-foot per year for the first 50-years, but they can live to be more than a hundred.
Their forms can be weeping, rounded, dwarf, mounding, upright, or cascading. I have included as many different forms as possible in this grove.
Japanese maple trees are particularly suitable for borders and ornamental paths because their root systems are compact and not invasive. Through this woodland grove, they line both sides of the carriage road.
Any heavy pruning should be done in late winter before leaf buds begin to open. I prefer to prune all the Japanese maples myself. I cut out scraggly interior twigs and branches and leave the structural branches alone. Small, corrective cuts can be made any time of year.
Red leafed cultivars are the most popular, followed by green shrubs with deeply dissected leaves. The leaves in the Palmatum Group are most typical of the wild species. The leaf lobes are more divided, nearly to the leaf base.
Japanese maple leaves range from about an inch-and-a-half to four-inches long and wide with five, seven, or nine acutely pointed lobes.
Acer palmatum ‘Tamukeyama’ is a graceful, mounding, dwarf maple tree with waxy, deep red bark, and beautiful cascading branches. The foliage is deeply lobed with a beautiful purple-red color throughout the summer. The color turns a bright showy red in the fall.
Acer palmatum ‘Red Pygmy’ is a semi dwarf ribbon-leaf Acer palmatum. It has leaves that emerge vivid red and turn to dark red to purple in the summer, and returning to brilliant shades of red and orange in autumn.
This is ‘Emerald Lace’ – a fast-growing, deciduous small tree with deep emerald green, lacy foliage. ‘Emerald Lace’ features finely dissected leaves that emerge bright green in spring with red petioles that remain red throughout the season. Summer color lightens to light green with red highlights. ‘Emerald Lace’ has great fall colors that run yellow to orange and finish up with fiery red. Here, one can clearly see the changing leaf hues.
I love the bright yellow-gold color of this lace-leaf variety.
Acer palmatum ‘Winter Flame’ takes on a yellow, orange in autumn and then a fiery bright coral red in winter.
Acer palmatum ‘Hogyoku’ is rounded to broad-rounded, often with low branches. In autumn, colors include shades of yellow, bold red-purple and bronze.
Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’ is an excellent small specimen tree with gracefully branched stems and lovely, deeply lobed, bright green leaves that emerge olive-orange in spring, and turn a brilliant crimson red in the fall, holding the color for several weeks. This variety thrives in dappled shade of woodland settings.
Few trees are as beautiful as the Japanese maple. With more than a thousand varieties and cultivars including hybrids, the iconic Japanese maple tree is among the most versatile small trees for use in the landscape.
I love the contrast between the bright reds, yellows, and greens in this grove. The heavy leaf cover on the ground also enriches the soil and adds even more fall color. I know my dear baby sister, Laura, would have loved this grove – it is absolutely stunning during this time of year.
I am so fortunate to always have delicious organic produce growing here at my Bedford, New York farm.
As my outdoor grounds crew continues with fall chores, attention is directed toward planting my vegetable greenhouse. I love this greenhouse - its construction several years ago was inspired by Eliot Coleman, an expert in four-season farming. It uses minimal artificial heat - in fact, most of its energy comes directly from the sun, and it successfully grows a variety of cold-hardy crops. Recently, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, planted the seeds for our next growing period.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
This large vegetable greenhouse is located behind my giant Equipment Barn and next to my tropical hoop house. During the colder months, my gardeners keep a good eye on this vegetable greenhouse – temperatures are monitored and the beds are maintained regularly for all the growing produce inside.
The greenhouse is equipped with heavy-duty aluminum vent systems that automatically open and close when needed to allow hot air to escape while simultaneously allowing fresh air into the space. Now that it is colder, both the inside and the outside of these units are covered to help insulate the greenhouse.
Most of the energy in the greenhouse comes from the sun through these giant windows, which can be programmed to open for ventilation or cooling, when needed.
We have a large thermometer at the entrance to the structure, so the temperature can be checked easily several times a day. The ideal temperature ranges from 64-degrees Fahrenheit to 80-degrees Fahrenheit.
We do a lot of prep work to get the beds ready. In this greenhouse we use a compost-based potting soil mix from the Vermont Compost Company in Montpelier, Vermont. This soil is specifically developed for organic gardening and is called Fort Vee potting mix. In all, we have 16 garden boxes for our indoor crops.
Ryan uses this bed preparation rake from Johnny’s Selected Seeds to create furrows in the soil of each bed.
Hard plastic red tubes slide onto selected teeth of the rake to mark the rows. The furrows don’t have to be deep. In general, seeds should be planted at a depth of two times the width, or diameter, of the seed. A seed that’s about 1/16-of-an-inch thick should be planted an eighth-of-an-inch deep.
We always have a large variety of seeds to grow. I am always on the lookout for different seeds when I travel, but seeds are also widely available online and at garden centers. Many of our seeds are also from Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Ryan keeps track of what seeds do well at the farm – indoors and out.
Ryan creates markers to identify what bed contains what vegetables. He also makes smaller markers for the end of each row indicating the plant variety.
Here are two garden boxes all ready for planting.
Ryan starts planting in one of the raised beds. Raised bed gardening allows good drainage, prevents soil compaction, and provides protection for those plants that may otherwise get trampled.
These seeds are five color silverbeet Swiss chard. These particular seeds also come from a great source – Seed Savers Exchange, a non-profit organization based near Decorah, Iowa, that preserves heirloom plant varieties through regeneration, distribution and seed exchange. It is one of the largest nongovernmental seed banks in the United States.
Ryan sprinkles the seeds in the furrows. These raised beds were designed for easy reach from all sides.
Once all the seeds are dropped into their various beds, Ryan uses the back of a tine weeding rake, also from Johnny’s Seeds, to backfill all the furrows. This model is also good for working in tight areas.
And then everything is given a thorough drink of water. In several weeks, we’ll have gorgeous, nutritious vegetables to eat, share, and enjoy.
We also plant in succession, meaning we stagger the plantings, so there is always something growing and something to harvest.
All my plants are grown organically and have no chemical taste at all. I love fresh lettuce. It’s a real treat to have lettuce like this all year long.
Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of dishes, such as soups, sandwiches and wraps; it can also be grilled.
In another bed, we also have a maturing crop of peppers. Everything grows so well in this greenhouse.
Pronounced bee-KEE-nyo, the name of this pepper from Brazil means “little beak,” and adds great flavor to many dishes.
The bright one-inch pods taper to a point like an inverted teardrop. The pepper has the distinctive smoky flavor like other members of this species, but also a rich fruitiness that is enhanced by sugar or sweet-and-sour marinades. It also makes the perfect garnish for barbecues and pickles. My family loves these peppers. We pickle them every year.
The scallions are also growing wonderfully. Growing scallions is actually easier than growing onions since they have a much shorter growth period.
Many people ask me what I do with all my many vegetables. I always share my produce with my daughter and grandchildren, as well as friends and colleagues. I also use fresh vegetables for my daily green juice. And, when needed, I bring them to the office for use in our photoshoots. I am so proud of this greenhouse and all the wonderful greens that grow inside from year to year.
The beautifully produced documentary, "Julia" is now playing in theaters - I encourage you all to see it.
Earlier this week, Cinema Society, Chef Daniel Boulud, and I hosted a reception celebrating Julia Child and the new documentary directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West, and executive-produced by Ron Howard, Alex Prud'homme, and Brian Grazer under Imagine Entertainment and CNN Films. The event was held in New York City. Chef Daniel and I curated a wonderful menu filled with many of the delicious dishes Julia taught us all how to make in her landmark books and television shows, including Beef Bourguignon, Potato Gratin Dauphinois, Moules à la Marinière, and Pâté en Croûte. And for dessert, we enjoyed Apple Tart Tatins and Chocolate Mousse. It was an honor to co-host the gathering and to celebrate the life of such an incredible chef and teacher -- Julia Child.
Here are some photos.
The event was held at One Vanderbilt, a New York City skyscraper near the iconic Grand Central Terminal. Here I am with Chef Daniel Boulud next to the poster for the new documentary “Julia” – about the legendary cookbook author and television superstar who changed the way Americans think about food. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
It was so nice to see our own team gathered together for the event. Here I am with Jason Schrieber, Greg Lofts, Molly Wenk, Sarah Carey, Thomas Joseph, Heather Kirkland, and Kevin Sharkey. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
Cocktails included Julia Child’s “Upside Down Martini” and a selection of wines and spirits. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
Here I am with award winning actor, F. Murray Abraham. You may recall him in the leading role as Antonio Salieri in the drama film, Amadeus, for which he won an Oscar. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
Here’s a lovely snapshot of Cinema Society’s Andrew Saffir, Kevin, my longtime publicist Susan Magrino, and Daniel Benedict. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
Also in attendance – “Julia” executive producer, Alex Prud’homme, director Betsy West, and chef and cookbook author, Sara Moulton. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
Andrew and I stopped for this snapshot with model Maye Musk. Maye is also the mother of business entrepreneur, Elon Musk, the founder, CEO, and Chief Engineer at SpaceX and an early-stage investor, CEO, and Product Architect of Tesla, Inc. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
Jonathan Cheban, also known as Foodgod, is an American reality television personality, and entrepreneur. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
Here I am joined by fashion designer, Donna Karan. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
I brought with me the dog-eared first edition of Julia’s cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” that I purchased in the 1960s. I used it countless times and now keep it in a very special place in my cookbook library for reference. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
Before the screening began, Betsy addressed the audience and welcomed everyone to the event. At just 95 minutes, this film chronicled Child’s life, much of it told through her own archival interviews and personal letters and diary entries. I also made some opening remarks that included my personal thoughts and stories about Julia. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
Afterwards, we enjoyed dishes inspired by Julia Child herself. These are Nicoise Lettuce Wraps. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
The Moules à la Marinière was a big favorite. Moules à la marinière is a classic French dish that consists of mussels cooked in cider or wine-based sauces. The dish is typically made with shallots, garlic, and herbs. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
This is called Pâté en Croute – pâté cooked in a puff pastry and served as a cold starter. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
Potato Gratin dauphinois is a French dish of sliced potatoes baked in milk or cream, using the gratin technique, from the Dauphiné region in south-eastern France. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
Here is Chef Daniel with a large platter of Beef Bourguignon – one of Julia’s specialties. Beef Bourguignon is a beef stew braised in red wine, often red Burgundy, and beef stock, typically flavored with carrots, onions, garlic, and a bouquet garni, and garnished with pearl onions, mushrooms, and bacon. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
For dessert, guests enjoyed Apple Tarte Tatin – a pastry in which the fruit is caramelized in butter and sugar before the tart is baked. It was among Julia’s most loved recipes. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
And, a decadent Chocolate Mousse. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
Chef Daniel brought in a photo of himself and Julia standing in a kitchen years ago. (Photo by Madison McGaw/BFA.com)
It was a wonderful event and a beautiful tribute to the very special, very talented, and very inspiring Julia Child. I hope you all go out to see the documentary.
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