Among my favorite plants are the exotic forms of succulents - they make excellent container specimens.
If you like growing plants, but don’t really have the time to care for them properly, I encourage you to consider growing succulents. Succulents are so easy to maintain and are able to survive prolonged drought because they store moisture in their fleshy stems, roots, and leaves. Some succulents look like smooth stones, while others display perfect rosettes or puffing, crescent moon-shaped leaves on long stems. Not long ago, I was gifted some beautiful succulent cuttings to add to my growing collection.
Here are some photos.
Succulents are often grown as ornamental plants because of their striking shapes. Succulents, or fat plants, are those that store water in fleshy leaves, stems, or stem-root structures for times of drought. Most varieties need lots of light, at least half a day to a full day of sunlight.
Recently, I was gifted a nice selection of cuttings. Most succulents root easily in the right container and soil. As soon as I got these cuttings back to the farm, I gave them to Ryan to pot up.
Among these beautiful succulent cuttings – aeonium, euphorbia, senecio, jade, prickly pear cactus, and aloe.
Ryan chooses the appropriate size container for each specimen. I’ve been using Guy Wolff pots for many years – he makes every one of them by hand. I love the patina on these vessels.
For succulents, we use a mix specifically formulated for succulents. This mix contains sand and perlite to help prevent soil compaction and improve drainage. The right soil mix will help to promote faster root growth and provide quick anchorage to young roots.
Ryan also adds in some horticultural sand, a very gritty sand made from crushed granite, quartz, or sandstone. Horticultural sand is often known as sharp sand, coarse sand, or quartz sand.
Ryan sprinkles some Osmocote fertilizer with the soil and sand. Osmocote particles include a core of nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
Ryan thoroughly mixes all the elements in a trug bucket. Because succulents don’t like wet roots, it is important to use a soil mixture that is appropriate and will drain well.
Each pot has a drainage hole. A clay shard is placed over the hole to help with drainage. I also like to use clay pots because they allow proper aeration and moisture to penetrate through the sides and to the plant.
Ryan fills the pots with the soil mix, adding just enough so it is filled up to a half inch below the top of the pot. He also lightly taps on the soil, so it packs into the container for added support.
Opuntia, commonly called the prickly pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae. Prickly pear cactus is easily identified by its broad, flat, green pads. They also have tiny, sharp, and irritating barbed hairs on the pads known as glochids.
The butt end of the cactus pad is left alone for a couple days to heal and dry before setting it in sandy, well-drained soil. In fact, all the new succulents were left to form calluses where they were severed from the mother plants.
Then, using thick protective gloves, Ryan inserts the base end of the prickly pear cactus into the pot just enough so it stands upward.
Ryan adds some pea gravel to the top of the pot. Pea gravel, so named because the pieces are pea-sized, is available at garden centers and comes in different colors.
Here are four smaller specimens planted in one pot. Succulents grow in so many different and interesting formations. I often bring succulents into my home when I entertain – guests love seeing and learning about the different varieties.
Senecio is another succulent grown for its decorative foliage. It is a great plant for trailing over a planter. Before planting, Ryan trims off anything unsightly, along with any leaves that are too close to the bottom of the stem and then just presses the stem into the soil mix.
Aeoniums are fleshy, succulent plants native to Madeira, the Canary Islands and North Africa. Members of the Crassulaceae family, they have rosettes of glossy, waxy leaves.
Aeoniums are mostly grown for their distinctive, unusual shapes and foliage that comes in shades of green or purple-black or variegated in shades of white, yellow, and red.
Here is one in dark purple with a deep green center.
Succulent roots are light in color, long enough to hold the dirt in the pot, and veiny. Healthy roots will appear moist and will taper in thickness the further they get from the plant.
This is a jade plant, Crassula ovata. These succulents look like little trees, with a thick central stem, branches, and oval, green succulent leaves.
A stem cutting should be a few inches long. Ryan also cut off the lower leaves before inserting into the pot.
In the front is euphorbia, a genus of more than 2000 species commonly called spurge. About 1200 of them are succulents, some with unusual shapes and wide, fleshy leaves. After potting, these plants are placed on a table where they can drink in lots of natural light even when the sun isn’t directly over their pots. I am so happy to add all these to my growing collection of succulent specimens.
One of the easiest and most beautiful ways to observe and appreciate wildlife is by feeding the wild birds. During this time of year, the bird feeders at my farm are filled with chirping hungry creatures.
I have a number of bird feeders at my farm, and all the birds love to come by and feast on the seed I provide. I also set out fresh water and cut holes in the burlap covers over the boxwood, so birds are able to take shelter during inclement weather. Helping the wild birds is important to sustain local wild bird populations, especially during the harsh winters and challenging migration periods.
Enjoy these photos.
I have long fed the wild birds that visit my farm. Feeders are set up where they are easy to see, convenient to fill, and where seed-hungry squirrels and bird-hungry cats cannot reach them.
All my wild bird seed is stored in galvanized metal cans and kept inside my generator room next to the carport.
This is a wild bird seed mix. This includes white millet, black oil sunflower seeds, striped sunflower seeds and cracked corn. The birds love this seed.
Nyjer is a great seed to offer birds, especially in winter because it contains more oil, and a higher calorie content, so birds can store fat to survive the season.
I have several feeders under my clematis pergola. This is a Martha Stewart Copper Bird Feeder from one of my previous collections – very durable and attracts many avian visitors through the day.
These feeders are the first to empty. Birds just love to eat from here and perch on the copper lipped tray and watch the activities around the farm.
This feeder has four feeding ports aside from the lipped tray to catch any fallen seeds.
When starting to feed birds, it may take time for new feeders to be discovered. Don’t be surprised if the feeding station doesn’t get birds right away. As long as feeders are clean and filled with fresh seed, the birds will find them.
In winter, we fill the feeders in the morning, and then check them again in the afternoon. Once refilled, it doesn’t take long before birds start arriving again.
Here’s a downy woodpecker on the granite upright of my pergola. This is the smallest type of woodpecker in North America.
During this time of year, I also help provide shelter for the visiting birds. I purposely create these holes in the seasonal burlap covers that protect my boxwood. They love to go in and out, especially when it is windy.
A long row of bird feeders are hung behind my carport. Currently, there are more than 10 here – in spring, there are a few less. It’s important to feed the birds consistently as they become accustomed to looking for food here at the same times every day.
Some of the birds perch patiently in nearby trees until they’re ready to feast.
When filling these high feeders, we use a pole with a hook on one end. Each feeder is carefully removed from its hanging location and refilled on the ground.
Here is a closer look at the pole with the handy hook at the top – it works very well and makes filling these feeders very easy.
Every feeder is filled to the top depending on the time of year, these feeders can quickly empty. Each of these tube feeders holds about three quart-sized containers of seed.
These tube feeders allow the seed to flow only when birds peck at it, which helps keep any spillage to a minimum.
Many birds prefer tube feeders – hollow cylinders with multiple feeding ports and perches. Tube feeders attract small perching birds such as finches, goldfinches, titmice, and chickadees.
The tufted titmouse is a small songbird from North America. It is rather tame, and active, with an echoing voice, and can often be found near bird feeders especially in winter.
The feeders are visible from my Winter House steps – it’s always so nice to see what birds come to eat. I have up to 125 different birds visiting the farm every day.
This is a black-capped chickadee. These birds are highly curious about everything, including humans. Its black cap and bib, white cheeks and gray back, wings and tail make it an easy bird to distinguish and identify.
When feeding birds, take note of which type of seed is eaten most often. And always discard any seed that has become wet, moldy or foul smelling.
Here’s another chickadee sitting on a branch nearby – safe and hopefully full. What birds do you see outside your home?
I look forward to Super Sunday weekend every year - and no matter where the Big Game is held, there’s always so much to do.
Every February, I try to attend the event with my good friend, Jane Heller. This year we traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada - the first time the NFL championship football game has ever been played in that state. My longtime publicist, Susan Magrino, and my makeup artist, Daisy Schwartzberg Toye, were part of our group. And as an early birthday gift, I also had my grandson, Truman, out there with me along with our friend, Ari Katz. We all enjoyed fun lunches, dinners, parties, and concerts. Among our many stops, we visited my restaurant, The Bedford by Martha Stewart. It was a very action-packed few days.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Viva Las Vegas! Here I am in Sin City for the Big Game LVIII.
Susan, Jane, and I arrived a couple days early to enjoy all the festivities surrounding the Big Game.
Las Vegas, often referred to simply as Vegas, is the most populous city in the state of Nevada. Known as the Entertainment Capital of the World, Las Vegas is the sixth-most visited city in the U.S., after New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San Francisco. On the right is Paris Las Vegas, where my restaurant, The Bedford by Martha Stewart, is located.
Business before play. I signed 150 Martha’s Entertaining books for a special luncheon at my restaurant.
The first night, we attended a U2 concert at the MSG Sphere – what an amazing venue.
The Sphere is a music and entertainment arena in Paradise, Nevada, just east of the Las Vegas Strip. Designed by Populous, the 18,600-seat auditorium measures 366 feet high and 516 feet wide.
It was great to watch the famous Irish rock band from Dublin. U2 formed in 1976. The group consists of Paul “Bono” Hewson, Larry Mullen Jr., David “the Edge” Evans, and Adam Clayton.
Of course, when in Vegas I always have to visit my restaurant, The Bedford by Martha Stewart. It is doing so well – we’ve received so many excellent responses to our menu and our food. The 194-seat dining destination was inspired by my own 1925 farmhouse in Westchester, New York. The menu features French-inspired cuisine along with some of my own favorite recipes.
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.
It’s a very popular appetizer. And these flat breads look so beautiful. Have you been to The Bedford yet?
Everything is made fresh right here at the restaurant. Look at this focaccia bread – baked perfectly.
Here I am with Brian Sandoval, who served as the 29th Governor of Nevada from 2011 to 2019, and his wife, Lauralyn.
In this photo I am joined by former 49ers MVP wide receiver Jerry Rice, president of Bank of America Private Bank, Katy Knox, and and sportscaster, Mike Tirico.
Before leaving I took this photo with some of those who have helped make The Bedford by Martha Stewart such a success. We have a great team at The Bedford.
On another night, we saw multi-Grammy-winning artist Adele perform at the Caesars Palace Colosseum. It was magical.
The more than two-hour-long show featured 20-song sets that included hits from her albums like “21” and “30,” including tracks such as “Rolling in the Deep,” “Hello,” “Rumour Has It,” and “Easy on Me.”
Here I am standing with “Sheriff” himself, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Peyton Manning. Peyton played in the National Football League for 18 seasons – 14 with the Indianapolis Colts and four with the Denver Broncos. It was such a treat for my grandson to meet him.
The Big Game was played at Allegiant Stadium, a domed multi-purpose facility located in Paradise, just southwest of Las Vegas. With 65,000 seats, the stadium is home field of the Las Vegas Raiders and the University of Nevada Rebels college football team.
This game was the second Chiefs-49ers Super Sunday face-off. They also played each other four years ago in game LIV, Kansas City.
Here I am with Christine Colaco from Bank of America. She manages events and has been overseeing this Big Game weekend for our group for many years.
I love attending this event – the excitement of the crowds and the action on the field, from the battling NFL teams to the halftime entertainment. It’s a fun time every year. The 49ers are in white and gold and the Chiefs are in red.
And look, I made it to the jumbotron video wall. It was still early in the game – second quarter.
Here, preparations for the half-time show featuring Usher.
Alicia Keys, dressed in a billowing organza cape, appeared as a special guest with Usher during the performance. In the end, Kansas City Chiefs reigned supreme, beating the San Francisco 49ers 25 to 22 in overtime. It was a great game and a very enjoyable time in Las Vegas.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
