With weather on our side here at my farm, my outdoor grounds crew is crossing off lots of tasks from the list, including pruning the long row of Osage orange trees along the fence of one of my horse pastures.
Have you ever heard of the Osage orange? The Osage orange, Macular pomifera, is actually not an orange at all and is more commonly known as a hedge apple, bow wood, or bodark. The fruit is wrinkly and bumpy in appearance, and considered inedible because of the texture and taste, but they're very interesting and fun to grow. Pruning and grooming these trees is challenging because of the many thorns, which serve as a natural defense mechanism against animals and humans, but regular maintenance also encourages fruitfulness and good growth.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Despite its name, the Osage orange is actually a member of the fig family, Moraceae, and a cousin to the mulberry tree, which is also in the same family.
The Osage orange is dioecious meaning that there are both female and male trees; only female trees produce fruit. The fruit grows on thick branches, oftentimes in groups.
It includes a dense cluster of hundreds of small fruits. Some say it resembles the many lobes of a brain.
And, cut in half, the fruit exposes a pithy core surrounded by up to 200 small seeds that are much sought-after by squirrels. It is also filled with a sticky latex sap that some say repels insects.
The leaves are three to five inches long and about three-inches wide. They are thick, firm, dark green and pale green in spring and summer and then yellow in fall. There is also a line down the center of each leaf, with lines forming upside-down V-shapes extending from the center line to the edge of the leaf.
Here is a closer look at the yellow autumn leaves – so bright. Osage oranges should be grown in full sun on well-drained soil.
Here is another autumn photo of the Osage trees. They are located along three sides of my North Maple Paddock surrounding the run-in field and shed, not far from my tennis court, I have Osage orange trees. Properly maintained, these trees make a lovely natural hedge and fence. When established, they can withstand almost anything – heat, cold, wind, drought, poor soil, ice storms, and rot.
The wood of the Osage orange tree is extremely hard and durable. On older trunks the bark is orange-brown and furrowed. The heavy, close-grained yellow-orange wood is very dense and is prized for tool handles, treenails, and fence posts.
Here they are before pruning. These Osage Orange trees grow very fast – the shoots from a single year can grow up to three to six feet long. I planted many of the Osage trees at the farm several years ago and they’re thriving.
And here’s their natural defense – Osage orange branches are armed with stout, straight spines growing from the leaf axils.
In winter or early spring when the trees are bare, they are pruned to keep them in bounds. Without pruning, Osage orange trees grow in dense unruly thickets as multi-stemmed shrubs.
Pasang cuts dead, damaged, diseased, or deranged branches first. Then he prunes out competing leaders, retaining only one strong upright with evenly-spaced branches. Here he is using a pole pruner – it has the cutting power of hand pruners but a reach of eight feet and more.
Pasang is a skilled pruner and oversees the pruning of all our smaller trees on the farm.
For higher branches, Pasang cuts from the cage of our Hi-Lo.
He uses a STIHL telescoping pole pruner. It has a quiet, zero-exhaust emission, and is very lightweight. Plus, with an adjustable shaft, the telescoping pole pruner can cut branches up to 16 feet above the ground.
When pruning, always encourage branches to grow toward the outside of the tree and eliminate those that grow toward the center or cross other branches. Air and light need to penetrate the foliage to the center of the tree as much as possible.
Cesar pulls off the spiny branches that have not fallen from the tree.
And Phurba carries them to a clearing for proper pick up and disposal. Because of the thorny branches, it is important to wear protective glasses, long sleeves, and thick gloves when working with these trees.
Chhiring uses the bucket of a tractor to crush the pruned branches, so they are more manageable.
The branches are taken to the compost pile to await their turn in the tub grinder.
Regular and thorough pruning gives the branches more circulation and room to grow. This is what they look like all pruned. We prune these Osage orange trees every couple of years.
And do you know… before the invention of barbed wire in the 1800s, thousands of miles of hedge were constructed by planting young Osage Orange trees closely together. The goal was to grow them “horse high, bull strong, and hog tight.” Farmers wanted them to be tall enough that a horse would not jump it, stout enough that a bull would not push it, and woven so tightly that a hog could not find its way through. The crew will be pruning these trees for a couple more days. It’s great to know all my trees are well maintained through the years.
Have you been to The Bedford by Martha Stewart yet? That's my first-ever restaurant located at Paris Las Vegas. I've received so many excellent responses to our menu and our food! If you're in the area or visiting there soon, be sure to make reservations - you'll love every dish!
The 194-seat dining destination is inspired by my 1925 country farmhouse in Westchester, New York. The menu features French-inspired cuisine along with some of my own favorite recipes - all with the freshest, locally sourced ingredients. Among them - Oysters Rockefeller, my mother's brown butter Pierogies and my daughter's refreshing Chopped Salad, Prime Tomahawk for two carved table-side, and my Smashed Baked Potato served with crème fraîche, chives, and bacon lardons. For dessert, my Upside-Down Lemon Meringue Pie. They're all some of the same dishes I serve to family and friends when I entertain at home. And don't forget, at The Bedford by Martha Stewart, one can also enjoy my signature cocktails, such as my Martha-tini and my delicious Frozen Pomegranate Martha-rita. So the next time you're in Las Vegas and looking for elegance, warmth, charm, and the most flavorful meals, be sure to go to The Bedford by Martha Stewart. I hope to see you there!
Enjoy these photos.
I visit my restaurant, The Bedford by Martha Stewart, whenever I can. Here I am with regional president of Caesar’s Entertainment Sean McBurney, his husband Kenneth, our own EVP of Culinary Thomas Joseph, Chef, Marquee Brands Chief of Marketing Natasha Fishman, and Rachel Terrace, Marquee Brands Chief Commercial and Growth Officer.
I opened The Bedford by Martha Stewart in August 2022 in a partnership with Caesars Entertainment. We all worked hard to make it feel just like my home. Later this year, I’m opening another restaurant at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
For dinner appetizers, we offer these house made bread baskets. Each one has JuneBug’s garden flatbreads, grape-rosemary focaccia, and warm Parker House rolls. This is a very popular appetizer – when one table gets theirs, all the guests at surrounding tables start ordering their own.
Everyone knows my signature Martha-tini, my own rendition of the classic martini. Mine is made with Żubrówka bison grass vodka, dry vermouth, and a lemon twist.
This is a White Cosmopolitan – another popular cocktail at The Bedford.
On my latest trip, I brought two of my staff members from my farm with me – Elvira and Carlos. It was their first time at The Bedford and they loved it. Elvira is enjoying a Pomegranate Martha-rita made with Casa Dragones Blanco tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice, triple sec, and pomegranate concentrate – with ice.
We also offer Oysters Rockefeller, baked with Pernod cream, spinach watercress, and a parsley breadcrumb topping.
Another appetizer – Jumbo Shrimp cocktail with spicy cocktail and tartar sauces.
My mother, Big Martha, made the best pierogis. I could eat plate after plate. I am so happy to serve them here at the restaurant. These are filled with potato and brown butter and one can have them with or without Golden Ossetra Caviar* and sour cream.
This is a Frisée Salad with bacon lardons, poached egg and lemon Dijon vinaigrette. All the salads are always so fresh with just the right amount of dressing.
The service is impeccable. The wait staff gathers at the large counter waiting to bring out various dishes. Above are the hanging copper pans in a variety of sizes from my MARTHA by Martha Stewart collection. And yes, I also hang pots in my own kitchen.
Here is our Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon with wilted spinach and confit shallots. So many of the dishes are the same ones I serve to family and friends when I entertain at home.
If you love seafood, you’ll love every bite of this Cioppino with Alaskan halibut, clams, mussels and prawns with roasted fennel, tomato, and grilled rustic bread.
I like to serve risotto dishes at my own dinner gatherings. This one is Lemon Risotto with Sea Scallops and caramelized fennel.
There is also the juiciest 38-ounce Prime Tomahawk* for Two that is carved table-side and served with braised leeks, watercress Bordelaise and Béarnaise sauce.
The most popular side dish to any entrée is my Smashed Baked Potato – smashed table-side and served with crème fraîche, chives, and bacon lardons. One can also enjoy with added Golden Ossetra Caviar* and sour cream.
Here is a peek inside The Bedford – tables fill fast. If you follow my blog regularly, you may notice a lot of the same colors and design styles from my home.
And, a must-have comfort dish – Four Cheese Mac and Cheese. Great for the children and their accompanying adults.
And save room for dessert! This is my Upside-Down Lemon Meringue Pie made with baked meringue, lemon curd in the center, and fresh whipped cream.
Maybe you’ll want two desserts. It’s hard to resist this Snow in the Desert. It’s cotton candy with homemade raspberry sorbet and raspberry coulis or homemade coffee ice cream with caramel sauce – both under a sprinkle of 24-karat gold.
And one can’t leave without a delicious cup of cappuccino! We have a great team at The Bedford. If you haven’t yet come over for a visit, please make reservations – you’ll have a great time! And hopefully, I’ll see you there!
Spring is officially here and all the gardens are beginning to transform at my Bedford, New York farm.
It always amazes me how quickly plants can grow from day to day. I have crocuses, hellebores, irises, puschkinias, and many more. Here’s a glimpse at the flowers blooming in my gardens now.
Enjoy these photos.
So much can change in just a couple of weeks. There are many more crocuses blooming around my farm.
Crocus is an early season flower that pops up usually in shades of purple, yellow, and white. There are about 90 different species of crocus that originate from Southern Europe, Central Asia, China, the Middle East, and Africa. I have a dark purple crocus patch growing beneath some bald cypress trees across from my studio. These are big favorites here at the farm.
Croci can be found in alpine meadows, rocky mountainsides, scrublands, and woodlands.
Golden crocus bears vivid orange-yellow bowl-shaped flowers.
And so many white crocus have naturalized beneath my allée of pin oaks.
This crocus produces several upright, cup-like, purple and white striped blooms on stems rising to four to six inches above basal, grass-like leaves.
The flowers close at night and open up in the morning, but usually remain closed on rainy or chilly cloudy days.
Up in a field near what I call my “Contemporary House” is this – a large area of purple croci. It’s a sight to see every spring.
There are also lots of irises blooming. These are dark purple irises. The blooms have a very light and subtle violet-like scent. Irises come from a vast genus of plants, but nearly all show the recognizable iris flower form – three standard petals and three hanging outer petals.
These dwarf irises are good for use in borders, along walkways, by ponds, or woodland areas in mass plantings.
This is ‘Natascha’ miniature iris – a lovely ice blue color. They bloom in early spring and grow to about four to six inches tall.
And here it is in creamy yellow located in a small yellow garden bed near my chickens.
Puschkinia is a genus of three known species of bulbous perennials in the family Asparagaceae. It is native to the Caucasus and the Middle East. The leaves are green, strap-like, and grow in pairs. The flowers open in early spring in racemes up to about 10 inches high.
I have puschkinia growing in a lot of beds, including a large patch near my Tenant House. Puschkinia is best grown in moist, fertile, well-draining soil in full sun to partial sunlight.
Chionodoxa, known as glory-of-the-snow, is a small genus of bulbous perennial flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, often included in Scilla. The blue, white, or pink flowers appear early in the year. These are planted in the Stewartia garden under my majestic bald cypress trees.
Squill or Siberian squill, is also known widely by its botanical name, Scilla. It is a spring bulb with green grass-like foliage and arching flower stalks that support one to three nodding blue or white flowers.
And the hellebores continue to open down by my linden allée and up outside my Tenant House.
Hellebores can come in a variety of flower forms – single, semi-double, fully double, and anemone.
And do you recognize this? These are new fresh leaves on one of my tree peonies. The flowers won’t bloom until May, but they’ll soon be filled with foliage.
The daffodil border that stretches along one side of my farm is growing fast. There are many daffodil varieties planted in large groupings, providing a stunning swath of color when in bloom. The original daffodil border was begun in 2003. I will continue to share more photos with you as more of my flowers emerge.
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