One thing I love is the intoxicating scent of a garden rose - especially an English rose.
Earlier this year, I designed a new garden behind my main greenhouse not far from my raspberry bushes. This space had previously been used for planting dahlias, but I decided it would be an excellent area for planting a variety of David Austin roses. Every gardener and rose expert is familiar with the rose hybridizer, David Austin, who started as a hobby breeder when he was a teen and went on to breed a collection of roses renowned around the world. His specimens have exquisite blooms and the most alluring fragrances. My new rose garden was first planted in late May - you may have seen glimpses of it on my show, "Martha Gets Down and Dirty" on Discovery+. And this week, so many of the roses are blooming.
Enjoy these photos.
Last May, we prepared a large bed for my new rose garden. The area was cleared of old plant roots and weeds, rototilled, and then fertilized. Finally, all the holes were dug for our new rose plants.
The David Austin roses came bare root meaning just that – loose with nothing around their roots. They were all placed in trug buckets filled with water. When working with bare roots it’s important to soak the whole plant – roots and shoots – for several hours or even overnight before planting. Never let the roots dry out.
Within the next couple of days, all the roses were planted in neat, tidy rows.
Around the entire perimeter of the garden, we planted foxglove. Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, thrives in full sun to partial shade to full shade, depending on the summer heat. They will thrive in this space.
At the front of the garden bed, I decided to plant two large boxwood shrubs gifted to me by my friend, George Bridge, who first introduced me to boxwood more than 15 years ago. Please go to his web site to learn more about his farm, his amazing collection of plants, trees, and boxwood, and his wonderful landscape design business.
And here is the rose garden now. The plants are still small, but every one of them has at least one beautiful blooming rose.
This is ‘Carding Mill.’ The full blooms are a blend of pink, apricot, and yellow, giving the overall impression of orange. They also have a wonderful fragrance close to myrrh.
‘Vanessa Bell’ opens to medium-sized cups of pale yellow, lightening to white at the edges. At the center, each bloom has a rich yellow eye. The fragrance is similar to green tea with hints of lemon and honey.
This rose is called ‘Tottering-By-Gently.’ This variety has simple single flowers in soft yellow with golden stamens. Paling prettily over time, they have a light musky scent, with notes of orange peel. ‘Tottering-By-Gently’ flowers freely, repeating regularly throughout the summer.
This David Austin rose is just beginning to open. Called ‘Lichfield Angel,’ this flower’s pale peachy pink buds gradually open to form neatly cupped, cream rosettes. Each bloom has a perfect ring of waxy petals enclosing numerous smaller petals. Eventually the petals turn back to form a large, domed flower.
‘Jubilee Celebration’ is bold with large, domed, coral-pink flowers held elegantly above the foliage on graceful, arching stems. This cultivar has a strong, delicious fruity fragrance with hints of fresh lemon and raspberry.
‘Queen of Sweden’ has exquisite little buds open to half-enclosed cups, eventually becoming wide, shallow, upward-facing blooms of soft-apricot pink, gradually changing to pure soft pink over time.
And look at the foxglove. This plant forms a tight rosette of simple, coarse leaves with prominent veins. The ovate to lanceolate leaves with barely noticeable rounded teeth on the margins grow on a winged petiole. The alternate leaves, up to a foot in length, are covered with gray-white hairs.
A couple of the foxglove plants are also blooming. Each plant usually has a one-sided raceme with 20 to 80 flowers.
The downward-facing blooms are tapered and tubular with four lobes. Each 1½ to 2½ inch long pink, purple or white corolla has long hairs inside and is heavily spotted with dark purple edged in white on the lower lip, which serves as a landing platform for pollinators. The flowers are visited by bees – primarily bumblebees – which climb deep into the flower tube to get the nectar inside.
Another beautiful David Austin rose is ‘The Poet’s Wife,’ which bears rich yellow flowers that pale over time. The form has an outer ring of petals enclosing more petals. There is a strong, wonderfully rich fragrance with a hint of lemon, which becomes sweeter and stronger with age.
‘Eglantyne’ is a David Austin favorite. It has perfectly formed, soft pink blooms with a charming, sweet Old Rose fragrance.
This is ‘Princess Alexandra of Kent’ with its unusually large, bright pink flowers that are full-petalled and deeply cupped. It features a strong fresh tea fragrance, which changes to lemon, eventually taking on hints of blackcurrants.
And here is ‘The Alnwick Rose’ – with broad, full-petalled shallow cups of soft to rich pink.
‘Brother Cadfael’ bears large, globular, clear pink flowers, reminiscent of peonies. They have a particularly strong and rich Old Rose fragrance.
‘Lady of Shalott’ shows chalice-shaped blooms with loosely arranged, orange petals. The surrounding outer petals are salmon-pink with beautifully contrasting golden-yellow undersides. It gives off a pleasant, warm tea fragrance, with hints of spiced apple and cloves.
And a perfect white rose named ‘Tranquillity.’ This one has beautifully rounded flowers, with neatly placed petals making up the rosettes. The buds are lightly tinged with yellow but as the flowers open they become pure white. I hope you have at least one David Austin rose in your garden. If not, I encourage you to get one, or two, or even three – they’re exquisite.
For those of you asking how my geese are doing, they're doing great and thriving here at my Bedford, New York farm.
I currently have 18 beautiful geese - Sebastopol geese, Toulouse geese, African geese, Chinese geese, and of course my Pomeranian guard geese. Last spring, I decided to move them to a larger enclosure next door to the peafowl and the pigeons, where they could enjoy more room to roam. In their new space, I also installed several more pools and built them a new shelter that would provide ample shade, protection from strong winds, and a safe place to nest and lay eggs.
Enjoy these latest photos.
My geese have a large new yard, but they love to gather close together most of the time. Here are all 18 of them in one corner. This yard is located right outside my stable, where they can be watched closely during the day. I am very happy that all my geese get along so well. A group of geese on land is called a gaggle. This is because when geese get together they can get quite noisy and rowdy.
Outside the enclosure I have my espalier of pear trees. There are so many fruits growing this year – I am so excited to eat these delicious pears. Here, I have six ‘Shinseiki’ and four ‘Nijisseiki’ pear trees. ‘Shinseiki’ Asian pear means “new century” and was developed from two of the best Asian pears of the 1940s. The ‘Shinseiki’ Asian pear is round, medium to large, yellow smooth-skinned fruit with little or no russet. It has crisp, creamy white flesh, and a mild, sweet flavor. The ‘Nijisseiki’ pear, or the 20th Century Asian pear as it is often called, is incredibly delicious, easy to grow, and smells just like a pear, but, like an apple, the outside of the fruit is crisp, firm and round.
I also have a stand of young crabapple trees growing in front of the goose pen. At maturity, crabapple fruits vary from yellow to orange to bright red like these. The fruit of some crabapple varieties color and ripen in August, others mature in the fall.
And here are two Sebastopol geese coming to say hello. Sebastopols are considered medium-sized birds. Both males and females have pure white feathers that contrast with their bright blue eyes and orange bills and feet. Sebastopol geese have large, rounded heads, slightly arched necks, and keelless breasts. And what is most striking is the plumage. The plumage of the head and upper two-thirds of the neck is smooth, while that of the breast and underbody is elongated and well-curled.
This buff-brown goose is a Toulouse. On this breed, the bill is stout, the head large and broad, and the moderately long neck is thick and nearly straight. Often suspended from the lower bill and upper neck is a heavy, folded dewlap that increases in size and fullness with age. The body is long, broad and deep, ending in a well-spread tail that points up slightly. The Toulouse has a rounded breast, and often exhibits a wide keel. The abdomen is double-lobed and often brushes the ground, particularly in females during the early spring.
Here is Toulouse and a Sebastopol – these geese are very curious.
Here is my pair of Chinese geese. The Chinese goose is refined and curvaceous. Its bill is relatively long and slender, with a large, rounded, erect knob that attaches to its forehead. The Chinese goose holds its head high. Its head flows seamlessly into a long, slim, well-arched neck which meets the body at about a 45 degree angle. Its body is short, and has a prominent and well-rounded chest, smooth breast and no keel. Mature ganders average 12 pounds, while mature geese average 10 pounds.
Here, one can see the difference in body type between the slender Chinese goose and the Sebastopol on the left. The Chinese geese most likely descended from the swan goose in Asia, though over time developed different physical characteristics, such as longer necks and more compact bodies. The Chinese goose is a very hardy and low-maintenance breed. Because they can actively graze and forage for food, they are often nicknamed “weeder geese.” The Sebastopol is preening itself. Preening is a maintenance behavior where a bird uses its beak to position feathers, clean plumage, and get after any pesky bugs.
This is one of my pair of African geese – a breed that has a heavy body, thick neck, stout bill, and jaunty posture which gives the impression of strength and vitality. The African is a relative of the Chinese goose, both having descended from the wild swan goose native to Asia. The mature African goose has a large knob attached to its forehead, which requires several years to develop. A smooth, crescent-shaped dewlap hangs from its lower jaw and upper neck. Its body is nearly as wide as it is long. African geese are the largest of the domestic geese.
Geese have impressive visual capabilities. The way their eyes are structured allows them to see things in much finer detail at a further distance than humans. They can also see UV light and can control each of their eyes independently.
My gaggle of geese is fun, friendly, personable and protective. These are my Pomeranian geese – the oldest of my geese.
These sentinels come honking and hissing at anyone who comes near. Thanks to their honks, these geese make excellent guardians. They can scare off any animals on the ground and they’re great at spotting aerial predators, such as hawks and falcons.
In another corner of the enclosure, we built this shelter. Waterfowl don’t need roosts – they are very happy sleeping on the ground, but this does give them shelter from strong winds. This area is also lined well with hay for laying eggs.
On this day, the Pomeranian geese are more interested in the pool than the shelter. While both ducks and geese love water, geese don’t require a pond or large swimming pool – they swim much less than ducks and are content with a small dipping pool where they can dunk and clean their noses and beaks.
All the geese love to congregate together. I am so happy they all get along.
Geese are grazing birds which means they eat a variety of different items. They eat roots, shoots, stems, seeds, and leaves of grass and grain, bulbs, and berries. They also eat small insects. I provide them with fresh greens from the gardens every day and also fortify their diet with a mix specifically made for waterfowl.
Unlike most bird species, which molt their feathers one at a time, waterfowl lose their flight feathers all at once. This is called a “simultaneous wing molt”. Geese typically undergo just one complete molt a year, during summer, replacing all body, wing, and tail feathers shortly after the nesting season.
Because geese do not have lips or cheeks, they drink by filling their bills with water and then tilt their heads back to swallow, using gravity to send the liquid into their digestive tract.
Although these birds are not good fliers, they do love to spread their wings. Due to their large size and upright posture, domestic geese can’t really fly. Domestic geese have larger back ends than their wild counterparts and stand more upright.
Geese don’t sweat like humans, so to keep cool on very warm summer days, they open their mouths and “flutter” their neck muscles to promote heat loss.
Here’s one Pomeranian goose resting in the grass watching all the activity at the farm – or perhaps it’s waiting for Dawa to come by with dinner… I’ll see you soon, my dear geese.
Our summer polishing project continues with my large collection of silver flatware. After several cleaning and polishing sessions, all the silver forks, spoons, and knives are shimmering once again.
There are a few ways to clean silver. One nontoxic method is to fill an aluminum pan with hot water, salt and baking soda, stir until it is all dissolved, and then soak the pieces until a chemical reaction occurs that removes the tarnish. This technique is faster than hand cleaning but may cause pitting and remove the more desirable tarnish called patina. Silver cleaning cloths made especially for removing tarnish from precious metals are also available. Many experts recommend using a good-quality, non-abrasive commercial silver polish. I've been using Wright’s Silver Cream for years and love how it works.
Enjoy these photos.
In my Winter House servery, I have several shallow drawers specifically designated for storing silver spoons, forks, and knives. I use these pieces often for entertaining, so they are very lightly tarnished – some pieces don’t even look tarnished at all, but it is always a good idea to clean silver regularly, so it doesn’t develop a thick coat of tarnish that is harder to remove. Polishing them a couple times a year is generally sufficient to keep everything in good condition.
This drawer is specifically used to store my mother of pearl flatware. Both silver and those with special handles should never be placed in the dishwasher. The detergents’ aggressive chemicals, combined with the washer’s high cleaning temperature, will eventually turn the silver grey or white, with a dull, non-reflective surface.
I’ve purchased many of my pieces from antiques fairs and shops over the years. I try to buy sets whenever I can. When buying antique or vintage silver flatware, always check the lengths of the prongs on the forks and the ends of the bowls on the spoons. These are the two areas which get the most wear. And check to make sure any decoration is also intact.
Wright’s Silver Cream is a gentle all-purpose polish that works on all types of silver. It also works nicely on stainless steel and chrome and comes in a big tub.
Whenever cleaning precious silver, we use soft moistened sponges. Made of all-natural material, these sponges are compressed to a thin rectangle for easy storage and then pop-up when wet. A soft cloth can also work well.
Wright’s Silver Cream anti-tarnish agents leave a protective invisible wax-like surface that actually slows the formation of tarnish. It’s also ammonia-free.
Each piece is washed separately – first, it is coated completely with the silver cream. The silver will start to brighten as it is rubbed. Always use silver polishes that are non-abrasive, and opt for formulas, such as creams and gels instead of sprays. It’s also a good idea to use gloves when taking on this task, so the cleaning cream does not come into contact with the skin.
We also place terry cloth towels on the bottom of the sink, so the metal doesn’t bang against any surfaces. I also do this whenever washing delicate china pieces – just in case something slips through the hands.
After cleaning with the silver cream, these spoons are washed with water and dish soap to ensure all the cream is removed. These spoons look very shiny.
The finished pieces are dried and placed on another towel, so they can be sorted before being put away. Do not let silver air dry, because water left standing can cause spotting.
The same is done for these silver knives with mother of earl handles. Mother-of-pearl, nacre, is a glowing, pearlescent material that’s used to make flatware handles, jewelry and ornaments. Mother-of-pearl comes from the inside of oyster and abalone shells.
Once cleaned, these too are washed thoroughly with regular dish soap and water.
As Elvira cleans, Enma dries – it is a serious process to get hundreds of these utensils polished.
They look so beautiful and shiny after they are done. Mother of pearl is delicate and will scratch if mishandled.
There are so many different types of knives. Look at this sampling – all the handles are different and can be flat, hollow, or solid. The blades are also very different – sometimes beautifully engraved. And the size may vary by as much as an inch or two between patterns. Do you know… knives were the first pieces of flatware used at the table? In fact, knives, or pointed personal “weapons,” sometimes became the source of many dangerous and violent meal gatherings. In 1669, King Louis XIV of France banned pointed knives at the table in an effort to curtail violence. In the 1700s, the blunt-ended table knife became much more popular. Knives and various spades were made for cutting and spreading – for cutting fish, poultry, fruits, desserts, and butter. And there were special knives for using only at lunch, and some only at dinner.
Once cleaned, the knives are returned to the drawer – all organized by type and design.
The spoons are also organized by size, function, and style – notice how similar these are, but none are exactly the same. Spoons also come in many interesting forms – teaspoon, dessert spoon, table spoon, sugar spoon, spoons for basting, spoons for scooping, and even spoons for sifting.
All the drawers are outfitted with shelf liner at the bottom. These shelf liners are available at any kitchen supply store. I like to use non-adhesive grip liners. They stay firmly in place and provide a bit of cushioning for the silver.
Enma carefully returns the spoons back inside the drawer, lining them up with other like pieces.
Here is the drawer of mother of pearl knives – easy to see, access and count when preparing for a dinner party. Another tip for storing silver – keep it away from high humidity and high heat.
Try to make time to use precious silver when entertaining – regular use is the best way to prevent tarnish from forming. If you have a large collection, try to rotate the pieces, so everything gets some use during the course of the year.
And, since silver can easily get scratched or dented you have to handle it with care. That includes storing it so that items don’t bang into one another. Always wash silver soon after using, since any salt and acidic foods can cause damage and pitting. The joy of owning beautiful silver flatware does require some work to keep it looking beautiful, but it is all well worth the effort. Happy summer-entertaining!
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