I love beautiful ornamental urns filled with lush, green plants.
As many of you may know, I have a rather sizable collection of tropical specimens at my Bedford, New York farm. During the winter, they’re all stored in a special greenhouse. And once warm weather arrives, they are brought out for display - many are placed in various locations here at Cantitoe Corners. This week, my crew filled several large planters with philodendrons and sago palms on the terrace behind my Summer House. All very easy to plant and maintain, these specimens will look wonderful all season long.
Enjoy these photos.
At the edge of this terrace are these six stone planters. This year, they’ll be planted with young sago palms. Ryan places one next to each urn. The sago palm, Cycas revoluta, is a popular plant known for its feathery foliage and ease of care. Native to the southern islands of Japan, the sago palm goes by several common names, including Japanese palm, funeral palm, king sago or just plain sago palm.
The plant is not a true palm, despite its common name, but a cycad, part of a prehistoric class of plants. It produces a whorl of dark green, feather-like fronds on its trunk. The pinnate leaves are typically about four to five feet long at maturity, and nine-inches wide, reaching their greatest length when grown in partial shade.
To start, Ryan places a shard at the bottom of each planter. We always save shards to cover drain holes. It keeps dirt from falling through the hole while making sure there is still room for proper drainage. Saving the shards from broken pots is a great way to repurpose those pieces.
Next, Ryan cuts some black garden cloth to line the pot.
The cloth is placed into the vessel to protect its interior. This also makes it a lot easier come fall when the plants are removed from these pots and returned to their designated greenhouse where they live during the colder months.
After the black cloth is tucked into the pot, the plant is inserted and Domi fills the rest of the container with medium. Cycads like a good draining soil. Be sure the soil medium includes elements such as peat moss, perlite, and a little sand.
Next, don’t forget the food. Each plant gets a sprinkling of Osmocote – small particles known as prills which coat a core of nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The resin-coating is made from linseed oil and as the plant’s root system takes-up nutrition from the soil, it also takes up the needed nutrients from the Osmocote.
As each sago palm is planted, Dawa gives it a good drink. It’s always important to water after planting and transplanting. This is a good way to avoid transplant shock, and will help the plant settle in to its new location.
Notice the sago palm’s trunk. It is a rough, symmetrical trunk which becomes leafless as it ages and gives way to its evergreen crown of upward pointing fronds. After watering, make sure the soil level is just below the rim of the container – this means there is just the right amount of soil.
I acquired eight of these gorgeous faux bois containers a few years ago. They will be potted up with big leaf philodendrons. Ryan assesses the pot sizes and decides where each specimen will be placed.
This split-leaf philodendron, Philodendron Selloum, is native to South America. It belongs to the group of philodendron plants that are among the most common of houseplants for their ability to thrive without much maintenance.
These plants have glossy, heart-shaped or rounded leathery leaves that develop deep clefts and oblong perforations as they grow older. The leaves may be as much as 18-inches wide on foot-long leafstalks.
Many varieties of Philodendron produce aerial roots which aid in providing supplemental nourishment. These aerial roots can be trained to climb or directed into the soil. The tough roots grow downward from the thick stem and will root if they touch the ground.
A few of the faux bois pots are tall, so a two-foot section of a tree trunk is placed inside to keep the plant at an appropriate height. Ryan also places pieces of wood between the stump and the bottom of the pot as well as between the pot and the stump for good drainage.
Then he carefully places the philodendron into the faux bois pot. To preserve these more porous and fragile faux bois planters and to simplify the removal in autumn, the philodendrons are also kept in their plastic pots.
Ryan sprinkles Osmocote around the base of each plant and carefully drapes the aerial roots outside the urn.
We always save small pieces of wood from year to year. These are used as shims under the pots, so the water drains fully.
Three to four wooden shims are placed under each urn. Ryan is also using my Non-Slip All Purpose Gloves in slate – available from my collection at Amazon.
Finally, Domi gives the philodendrons a drink.
Here they are the next morning after a soaking rain overnight. Container plants are an easy way to dress up any terrace or patio.
On the opposite side, the sago palms also look great in their summer location. These plants thrive in sunny to shady sites and can withstand some drought once established. And looking out into the sunken garden, everything is so beautiful, lush and green. This garden is tucked inside a tall hedge of American boxwood. And the main focal point is the great old ginkgo tree at the back of the space. Soon, this garden will burst with colorful lilies to accent the bold green foliage – I can’t wait.
I always try to make the most of every business trip I take - visiting gardens and other interesting places that inform and inspire me.
Earlier this spring, during a brief visit to Northern Virginia for a garden club appearance, I stopped in Upperville, to tour the former estate of prominent philanthropists, Paul and Rachel "Bunny" Mellon. The 700 acre property includes the Main Residence, gardens, and the Oak Spring Garden Library - all maintained by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation. OSGF is a nonprofit organization created by Bunny and dedicated to sharing her gifts and ideas. Its main mission is to support and inspire fresh thinking and bold action on the history and future of plants, including the art and culture of plants, gardens and landscapes.
Enjoy these photos.
Paul and Bunny Mellon maintained residences in Europe, North America and the Caribbean, but their primary home was this estate in Upperville, Virginia called Oak Spring Farm. This is the front facade of the home. An Asian pear tree is espaliered against the front wall. (Photo by Max Smith, Oak Spring Garden Foundation)
This is a view into the brick hallway in the Mellon’s residence and the front door.
Outside the Dining Room is this display of ceramics belonging to the Mellons. Most of Mrs. Mellon’s ceramics were sold at Sotheby’s after her death in 2014, but a selection of pieces were kept and used here.
Paul Mellon was the son of Andrew Mellon, one of the longest-serving U.S. Treasury Secretaries. Here are Andrew’s monogrammed place settings in the Dining Room. Embroidered linens were designed by Hubert de Givenchy.
This is a facsimile of “The Melon” by Edouard Manet, c. 1880, oil on canvas in the Dining Room at Oak Spring. The original was donated to the National Gallery of Art by Paul and Bunny.
This is the Blue Kitchen, or Sunday Kitchen, at Oak Spring. Portuguese tiles, featuring Bunny’s signature blue diamond patterned floor, are beautifully maintained. The windows offer great views of the garden.
Here is a statue of Mill Reef in the Broodmare Barn courtyard. Mill Reef was probably Paul Mellon’s most successful racehorse. He raced in Europe between 1970 and 1972, where he won the Epsom Derby, the Eclipse Stakes, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Here is a topiary American Holly tree standing over planting beds shaped like butterflies and a small reflecting pool. Bunny Mellon developed a love of plants and gardens at a young age. She began collecting botanical books when she was just 10 years old. She also loved garden design. In fact, you may know that Bunny designed gardens for some of her dearest friends, including the Rose Garden and the East Garden at the White House for Jacqueline Kennedy.
Many of Bunny’s garden designs at Oak Spring remain intact. Tulips and Narcissus line the beds surrounding the square garden. This view looks south toward the Mellon’s residence.
This tree is Malus ‘Katherine’. Malus is a genus of about 35 species of deciduous trees and shrubs from Europe, Asia and North America. The name comes from the Latin for apple. ‘Katherine’ is an upright, spreading crabapple that matures to 20 feet tall. It was discovered as a chance seedling in Rochester, New York in 1928. Pink buds open to pinkish-white, double flowers in spring, then fade to white. The flowers are followed by greenish-yellow crabapples blushed with red that mature in fall and persist into early winter.
Here’s a view toward the schoolhouse along the wall beds. Tulips fill out the wall beds on the northern side of the garden. Apple trees are trained against the wall in the candelabra style of espalier.
A burbling fountain extends from the wall of the Honey House and feeds a linear stream that cuts across a portion of the garden adjacent to the croquet lawn.
Inside the Honey House is a carved stone bird bath by William Edmondson (c.1874-1951), the first African-American folk art sculptor to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Here’s an arrangement of baskets on the ceiling of the Mellon’s Basket House. When Mrs. Mellon was alive, this room was a place for rest and relaxation. It is now used as a meeting and education space for visitors to the Oak Spring Garden Foundation who come to participate in workshops, short courses, and other programs.
This is a reflecting pool in front of the Formal Greenhouse. Sitting at the end of the pool is the Cake House – a gazebo so named because it was used to shade the wedding cake when Bunny Mellon’s daughter, Eliza Lloyd, married Derry Moore, the 12th Earl of Drogheda in 1968.
Looking directly up at the vaulted ceiling in the central room of the Formal Greenhouse is this decorative chandelier.
The central room of the Formal Greenhouse is surrounded with a mural in the trompe l’oeil style by the french artist Fernand Renard. The work was commissioned by Bunny and serves as a sort of visual biography of her, depicting many real world objects she owned and things about which she was so passionate.
Sometimes the real physical objects in the greenhouse can be hard to distinguish from the objects painted on the walls. Look closely…
A few feet further is the inside of the Formal Greenhouse – still filled with plants.
Back outside – a replica finial on top of the Formal Greenhouse. The original was designed by the Tiffany artist-jeweler Jean Schlumberger. Exposure to the elements and deterioration led to the original being taken down for conservation in 2018. It is now on display in the nearby Oak Spring Gallery.
This is the main gallery of the Oak Spring Garden Library. The library contains around 19,000 rare books and objects relating to plants, gardens, and landscapes – some dating back as early as the 14th century. The library was built close to the home in 1981 as a gift from Paul to Bunny. It was expanded in 1997 to contain her growing collection of books, manuscripts, and art. Mrs. Mellon’s wish was that this collection continue to be a resource for scholars after her death. In 1993 she established the Oak Spring Garden Foundation with the purpose of maintaining and sharing those collections. (Photo by Max Smith, Oak Spring Garden Foundation)
And here’s the original Greenhouse Finial on display. It is being featured as part of an exhibit about its designer, Jean Schlumberger, and his creative partnerships with Bunny Mellon.
Here, OSGF Head Librarian, Tony Willis, shows me a selection of works from the Oak Spring collections by exceptional women artists. (Photo by Max Smith, Oak Spring Garden Foundation)
This view from the Road of Rokeby shows the Blue Ridge in the background. This was the Mellon’s first foothold in Virginia, purchased in 1931 by Andrew Mellon for his son, Paul. Here you can also see the mile-long airstrip that the Mellons used for their private jet.
And this is one of Oak Spring’s most recognizable features – the arbor of pleached Mary Potter crabapple trees. In mid-April, the trees bloom, filling the arbor with soft white blossoms. When they begin to fall, it is like a snow flurry – I am sure it is breathtaking. The Oak Spring Garden Foundation is not open to the public for general admission, but its facilities are used to host researchers, artists, and writers who come through a Fellowship or Residency program. The OSGF also hosts short courses and workshops relating to plants, gardens, and landscapes. Please go the web site at OSGF.org to learn more.
Early June is such an exciting time here at my Bedford, New York farm. It is when my herbaceous peony garden is blooming with brilliant pinks and whites!
Every year, I’m always amazed by the dazzling display of these beautiful flowers - it’s one of the most anticipated sights - we all wait patiently for the floral show. I hope you've seen some of my photos on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48. Friends and family love the peonies as much as I do and rush to see them in all their splendor. When I first planted this garden, I knew I wanted many, many peonies in one large area. I chose a location across from my Winter House, where there's lots of room and full sun - a spot where I could also see them from my window.
Enjoy these photos.
In early May, my herbaceous peony bed is filled with knee-high stems and dense green foliage. Everyone is always so excited to see this peony garden explode with color. Before the flowers appear, my outdoor grounds crew puts up stakes, so the peonies are well-supported as they grow. We use natural twine and metal uprights I designed myself for this purpose.
A week later, look at all the buds atop the stems. When I first planted my peony garden, I focused on pink varieties, and planted 11-double rows of 22-peony types. I chose the varieties for their colors, their forms and their long blooming periods.
By the third week of May, the first blooms appear. One of the reasons these peonies thrive here at my farm is because of the soil. It has a pH of 6.5 to 7.0, which is ideal. It is also amended with superphosphate and Azomite, a natural product mined from an ancient mineral deposit in Utah. These natural additives improve root systems and overall plant vigor, resulting in this fantastic profusion of blooms.
The peony is any plant in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America.
Peonies are one of the best-known and most dearly loved perennials – not surprising considering their beauty, trouble-free nature, and longevity.
By the start of June, the beds are nearly all filled with blooms.
Herbaceous peonies grow two to four feet tall with sturdy stems and blooms that can reach up to 10-inches wide. We spaced the plants about three to four feet apart to avoid any competing roots.
Peony blooms range from simple blossoms to complex clusters with a variety of petal forms.
The single form includes flowers with one or two rows of petals that surround the stamens and anthers in the center.
The peony’s fragrance can vary, but most have sweet, clean scents. And, do you know… pink peonies tend to have stronger fragrances than red peonies? Double form white peonies are also very aromatic.
Semi-double peonies are those which have single or double rows of broad petals encircling more broad petals and an exposed center crown.
This flower form is a bomb with a large number of petals rising in the center to form a distinct mound.
Flower colors come in white, pink, yellow, red and coral and the various shades and tints of each.
The peony is a perennial flower. The majority of peonies are hybrids and classified as herbaceous, or as deciduous tree peonies. The peony is showy, frilly with thick, large green leaves and tuberous root systems.
These blooms just pop in the garden. ‘Beautiful Señorita’, a Japanese variety, has a double row of deep, pink guard petals and a creamy center.
The leaves of the herbaceous peony are pointed with a shiny, deep green color.
Peonies are considered northern flowers – they tolerate and even prefer cold winter temperatures. They are hardy in zones 3 through 8 and need more than 400-hours of temperatures below 40-degrees Fahrenheit annually to break dormancy and bloom properly.
This is ‘Star Power’. It has pure white, large blossoms with bold round guard petals and red tipped stigmas. When using peonies for cut flowers, gather them early in the morning, and cut those whose buds are beginning to show color and feel similar to firm marshmallows. Always cut the stems at an angle and change the water daily.
This light pink peony is so pretty in the morning light. Peonies usually bloom quite easily. Always be sure the plants get at least six hours of full sun per day.
Among the varieties in my collection – ‘Elsa Sass’, ‘Victorian Blush’, ‘Fringed Ivory’, ‘Martha’, ‘Madylone’, ‘Lullaby Coos’, ‘Vivid Glow’, ‘Angel Cheeks’, ‘Miss America’ and ‘Flying Pink Saucers’.
For the most part, peonies are disease resistant. They do, however, take some time to get established, so be patient. And if you happen to see ants crawling on your peonies, don’t worry. The insects are attracted to the sugary syrup produced by the buds. Once the flower opens fully, and the sucrose has been finished, the ants disappear.
Plant peonies away from trees or shrubs, and provide them with shelter from strong winds.
The only disadvantage of peonies is that each field yields one crop of cut flowers for a couple of weeks only once a year, and then that’s it – until the next season when they bloom with splendor once again.
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