Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we're still enjoying pretty colorful blooms.
While the calendar says fall, the weather in this area has remained quite warm with temperatures in the mid to high 70s. Most of the flowers around the farm have gone, but there are still a few perennials showing off their late-summer color - Russian sage, Japanese anemones, nasturtiums, Montauk daisies, ageratum, monkshood, and of course, the autumn crocus.
Enjoy these photos.
Even in mid-October, there is still a lot to appreciate in the gardens. Often called Montauk Daisy, the Nippon Daisy is prized for its late-in-the-season explosion of perky, white flowers. This easy-care plant grows 24 to 36 inches tall, and thrives in full sun and well-drained soil.
Both the leaves and flowers of the Nippon daisy are frost tolerant and will retain their color right up until a hard freeze. The nectar-rich blooms will also lure colorful butterflies and is deer-resistant.
I have many roses at my farm. Here is a creamy yellow rose growing in my flower cutting garden. In the last few years, I’ve added to my collection – David Austin roses and various varieties from Northland Rosarium. A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae. There are more than a hundred species and thousands of cultivars.
And here is a soft pink rose. Roses come in many different colors, such as pink, peach, white, red, magenta, yellow, copper, vermilion, purple, and apricot.
The anemones are also holding strong. Anemone is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Most anemone flowers have a simple, daisy-like shape and lobed foliage that sway in the lightest breezes.
Depending on the species, anemones can bloom from the earliest days of spring into the fall months.
This is Aconitum, also known as aconite, monkshood, wolf’s-bane, leopard’s bane, mousebane, women’s bane, devil’s helmet, queen of poisons, or blue rocket. Aconitum is a genus of over 250 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Ranunculaceae. The plant gets its name from the shape of the posterior sepal of the flowers, which resembles the cowls worn by monks.
This is a Nasturtium. Nasturtium plants, Tropaeolum, are loved for their rich, saturated, jewel-toned colors. Planted in the spring after the threat of frost has passed, they are fast and easy to grow. Nasturtium is a genus of about 80 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants. It was named by Carl Linnaeus in his book Species Plantarum, and is the only genus in the family Tropaeolaceae.
These flowers can vary in shade, but the most popular versions are orange, yellow, pink, red, or mahogany. There are also varieties in subdued shades of butter yellow and cream.
Here’s a closer look at the interesting leaves of Nasturtium. The leaves are circular, shield-shaped and grow on a trailing plant. They are fragrant, with a mustard-like scent.
Ageratum houstonianum, a native of Mexico, is among the most commonly planted ageratum variety. Ageratums have soft, round, fluffy flowers in various shades of blue, pink or white – with blue being most common. The ageratum flower blooms from spring until fall and is so beautiful when grown in clumps in the garden.
‘Waterlily’ autumn crocus feature fully double, rosy lilac flowers resembling the blooms of a waterlily. This variety bears big blooms with more than 20-petals each.
Beneath the bald cypress trees near my Basket House are glistening pure-white crocus flowers sparked with yellow anthers – these catch everyone’s attention.
And look – growing on another bald cypress tree is this interesting clematis. Clematis is a genus of about 300-species within the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. The name Clematis comes from the Greek word “klematis,” meaning vine. Most species are called clematis, but it has also been called traveller’s joy, virgin’s bower, leather flower, or vase vine.
Across the carriage road in my pergola garden is Perovskia atriplicifolia, commonly called Russian sage. It shows tall, airy, spike-like clusters that create a lavender-blue cloud of color above the finely textured, aromatic foliage. It is vigorous, hardy, heat-loving, drought-tolerant, and deer resistant.
When in bloom, phlox are covered with groups of small, sweet-smelling, star-shaped flowers from clean white to pale pastel, including pink, red, lavender, and purple.
Tricyrtis hirta, the toad lily or hairy toad lily, is a Japanese species of hardy herbaceous perennial plant in the lily family Liliaceae. Toad lilies are hardy perennials native to ravines and woodland edges in India, China, Japan, and other parts of Asia. Toad lily flowers bloom in a range of spotted colors in the axels of the plant.
Sedum is a large genus of flowering plants, also known as stonecrops. Sedums are members of the succulent family. They have fleshy, water-storing leaves and are drought tolerant. I have sedum growing in the steps around my Winter House terrace.
Hydrangeas are popular ornamental plants, grown for their large flower heads, which are excellent in cut arrangements and for drying. I have lots of hydrangeas growing in a border located across from my vegetable garden and chicken coops. I also have hydrangeas blooming on one side of my tennis court – the flowers are so big, they can be seen from the carriage road.
These hydrangeas have a tinge of pink. Many hydrangeas bloom from late spring to early summer, but the blooms stay on the plant until winter’s chill topples them.
And do you know what this is? Look closely and see the vivid crimson-colored stigmas of that dear spice called saffron. We’re growing it right here at my farm – more and more are blooming every day. I’ll tell you all about it in an upcoming blog. Stay tuned.
Pruning chores continue at my Bedford, New York farm.
I love growing berries and have been growing them for many years. I grow raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries, currants, and of course, blueberries - those plump, juicy, sweet fruits that are low in fat, yet packed with vitamin-C and antioxidants. My blueberry bushes produce an abundance of fruit every summer, but they do need some maintenance to keep them productive. This week, my gardeners, Ryan McCallister and Brian O'Kelly, pruned all the blueberry bushes. Pruning produces larger berries in greater volumes, ensures good air circulation and light throughout the plants, and helps to control diseases that might otherwise spread through the patch.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Blueberries are among the most popular berries for eating. Here in the United States, they are second only to strawberries.
Blueberries produce from early summer through late fall – we pick cartons and cartons of blueberries each year, eat some fresh, and then freeze the rest for use throughout the seasons.
I planted this blueberry patch more than 10-years ago – here, the bushes are just about two feet tall. They are located near my flower garden and large Equipment Barn, next to my grove of quince trees. The posts are the same 18th-century Chinese granite uprights I use for the clematis pergola, my apple espaliers, and to support my raspberry bushes.
Over the years, they’ve developed very nicely. And just before these blueberry bushes are laden with fruits in summer, we place a net over the pergola to protect the developing berries from all the birds. The netting covers the blueberry bushes on all sides and on the top.
Here is what the bushes looked like just before pruning. I asked Ryan and Brian to prune all three rows so the outer rows were within the pergola posts. I also instructed them to trim the middle row a bit shorter, so ample light could get to all the plants.
Here is a view from inside the patch – it is very crowded and in need of a good trim.
Blueberry bushes have glossy leaves that are green or bluish-green from spring through summer. The leaves are ovate, in an irregular oval or slightly egg shape that is wider at the bottom than the top.
In fall, the leaves turn red or take on some reddish hints before falling.
Pruning blueberries is an essential chore for several reasons. Proper pruning maintains an open growth habit, opens the center of the plant to sunlight, and reduces disease.
Annual pruning also maintains productivity by encouraging the growth of new fruit-producing stems. Brian begins by cutting off any dead, diseased, or damaged branches. He cuts the stems off all the way back to where they join a thicker branch.
Brian also makes sure all his tools are extremely sharp, so they make clean cuts.
Here is a trimmed dead branch – noticeable because it is hollow inside.
It’s also a good idea to keep all pruning tools disinfected to avoid the spread of any disease.
The goal of good blueberry pruning is to remove enough old growth to encourage the production of new. Brian is able to prune most of the branches with his secateurs.
For larger branches, Brian uses our Fiskars 28-inch Bypass Lopper. The lopper can cut branches that are one to one-3/4 inches thick.
It’s easy to discern an old blueberry branch from a new one – the newer branches are pliable and dark in color, while the old branches are rough-barked and lighter in color.
When pruning, cut about one-third of the branches all the way down to the ground to stimulate new stems to emerge from the roots.
And for even thicker branches or those that cannot be accessed with the loppers, Brian uses a hand saw. Here, he cuts one of two crossed branches. It is important to do this particularly if one is rubbing against another. And be sure to cut crossed branches off all the way down to the base of the plant.
Here’s just one load of pruned branches ready to be taken to our chipping pile.
The middle row looks so much better already – no more overcrowding. Blueberry shrubs are actually extremely hardy. Some varieties survive down to minus-35 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, blueberries need a set number of hours below 45-degrees in order for their flower buds to open and produce berries. Without ample cold weather, blueberries do not produce fruit.
And here are the blueberry bushes all pruned. One can see how much better they look. Pruning takes some time, but the benefits are great. With good, regular pruning and maintenance, our bushes are sure to produce a bounty of fruits year after year.
It’s always so exciting when chicks arrive at the farm - I hope you saw the video on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48.
I’ve been raising chickens for many years. Not only do I love keeping them for their fresh, delicious eggs, but I also enjoy learning about the different breeds and varieties. As part of good animal husbandry practices, and in order to maintain strong egg laying production, it’s very important to regenerate the chicken population from time to time. Yesterday, 54 cute, fluffy, and very healthy chicks arrived from Murray McMurray Hatchery, a 104 year old company in Webster City, Iowa. I got Whiting True Blue, Whiting True Green, French Black Copper Marans, and Silver Laced Wyandottes. The chicks are just days old, but they will start laying eggs in about five or six months. For now, they’re nothing less than absolutely adorable.
Enjoy these photos.
The chicks arrive at the post office in a well-ventilated cardboard box. They’re quickly picked up and driven to my Bedford, New York farm.
They arrive wide awake and peeping. Because they are so young and fragile, it’s important to be well-prepared for their arrival at the farm.
Once they arrive, they are all brought down to the stable feed room, where we set up three brooders – heated enclosures that provide warmth and protection which the chicks would otherwise get from the mother hen.
Each chick is closely inspected one by one and then placed into the brooder. It is important to make sure they are clean and alert.
Each breed is kept in a separate brooder lined with newspapers, and equipped with feeders readied with chick starter. The waterers are all filled, and the heat lamps are on. The temperature should be 90 to 95 degrees for the first week.
The heat lamps are suspended above the brooders. Raising and lowering them will help adjust the temperature. The heat lamps cast a very warm, reddish glow.
The chicks are very eager to explore their new surroundings – a sign of good health.
They are also very curious about all their visitors. This chick looked straight up at the camera.
Whiting True Blue and Whiting True Green chicks display a variety of colors from golden to chestnut to a darker reddish brown. Some chick starter crumbles are put down on the newspaper to help introduce the birds to their food and direct them to the feeders.
As soon as they’re in the brooder, each chick is also introduced to the waterer and feeder, so they know where to eat and drink. They are all familiar with waterers and feeders, but it is still a good practice to show them when they’re moved to new surroundings.
Usually after one chick finds the water source, the others will follow. Chicks are very thirsty after their day of travel.
A good chick starter feed will contain protein for weight gain and muscle development, plus vitamins and minerals to keep them healthy and to build their immune systems. The chicks will be fed organic chick starter feed for the first six to eight weeks.
These chicks have several feeders and several waterers in the brooder. A chick should never have to “wait in line”. On average, about 10-chicks can consume approximately one-pound of chick starter feed per day. For 53-chicks, that adds up to more than five-pounds of chick starter feed per day.
These are French Black Copper Marans. These hens will grow to be tall, elegant birds that lay the darkest eggs.
These chicks all have clear eyes and are very alert.
Silver Laced Wyandottes is a breed known for good disposition. Silver Laced Wyandottes are colorful, hardy, and hens are productive layers. Their broad-feathered, smooth fitting silver-white plumage is sharply marked with lustrous greenish black edging.
Chickens have their own personalities – some are more active or more curious than others.
It’s amazing how fast the chicks adapt to their home as they dart about so quickly. We also include a toy in each brooder – the chicks love to peck at these toys and roost on them.
Baby chicks need constant monitoring until they are at least a month old. They’ll stay in this feed room until they are big enough to move into the chicken yard.
If you could only hear how much noise these little chirpers make – they have lots to say.
It’s hard not to notice the large feet, but it won’t take long before these birds grow into them.
This peep looks like she’s ready for a nap.
And this one is already sleeping – it’s been a long day for these babies. I am so happy with this group of chicks – they are all strong good eaters, and will be great additions to my flock.
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