Every year, I look forward to growing the rare and vivid crimson-colored spice called saffron.
Saffron comes from a flower called crocus sativus, also known as ‘saffron crocus’. It is a beautiful, aromatic, purple flower with bright red threads, or stigmas, which make up the luxurious spice. It is grown extensively in southeastern Asia and parts of the Mediterranean region. Over the last few of years, my longtime friend, and the founding craft editor for Martha Stewart Living, Hannah Milman, has planted thousands of saffron corms right here at my farm. This season, we decided to plant a crop in one of the raised beds of my giant half-acre vegetable garden. Saffron is planted in late summer and then harvested by hand from late October to early November.
Enjoy these photos of how Hannah does the entire process and please follow her on Instagram @hannahcmilman to learn more about saffron.
Hannah first started planting saffron at my farm in 2020. She’s planted thousands and thousands of corms every year since – under the quince trees near my blueberry patch, under the London plane and cotinus allée, beneath the ‘Gravenstein’ apple espalier, and now in my giant vegetable garden.
This vegetable garden is a great area for planting saffron because the beds are filled with nutrient-rich composted soil made right here. Saffron does best in hardiness zones 5 to 8 in full to partial sun. This garden gets at least five or six hours of direct sunlight per day. Here, Hannah begins making all the holes for the corms. With such a large crop, the holes must be precisely spaced.
Saffron is planted in late summer. The main tool for planting saffron corms or any small bulbs is a dibber, which is a pointed wooden stick for making holes in the ground.
The compact corms are small, brown globules that can measure as large as two-inches in diameter, have a flat base, and are shrouded in a dense mat of parallel fibers referred to as the “corm tunic”. Do you know the difference between a corm and a bulb? Both corms and bulbs are parts of the plant that store food to help it grow and bloom. A bulb is a plant stem and leaf that grows underground in layers. A tiny version of the flower is at the center of the bulb. Tulips, lilies, iris, daffodils and onions are examples of bulbs. A corm is an underground stem that serves as the base for the flower stem and is solid, not layered.
Using the dibber, Hannah creates a hole at least four to six inches deep. In general, holes should be three times deeper than the length of the corm or bulb. For planting smaller corms like these, the dibber is the prefect tool – fast and efficient.
And then one by one, each corm is carefully placed in a hole, with the pointed end faced up, or root end faced down. This is very important, so the plant grows properly. When purchasing bulbs and corms, always look for those that are plump and firm, and avoid those that are soft. Hannah also waits until all the holes are filled before covering with soil, so she can keep track of what has been planted where.
By early October, the saffron sprouts are visible. They emerge with thin, straight, and blade-like green foliage leaves, which expand after the flowers have opened. Here, one can also see the small flower emerging from the center.
The lilac-colored flower appears next. The blooms last about three weeks
By the middle of October, most of the saffron blooms are open all over the bed. Look how straight the rows are – they’re all developing perfectly.
It is the bright red-orange threads of saffron, the stigmas, or female portion, of the saffron crocus flowers that make up the spice. Three stigmas are borne in the center of each cup-shaped bloom. The best time to harvest the stigmas is mid-morning on a sunny day when the flowers have fully opened and are still fresh. The stigmas on this flower are ready.
The leaves of the saffron will persist for eight to 12 weeks, then wither and vanish, leaving no trace of the corms below until the flowers appear again next fall.
For several days, as the flowers develop, Hannah and my housekeepers harvest the delicate blooms. Here, Enma uses her fingers to carefully pull the flower.
She places the flower including the threads on a tray.
Here are the flowers from one harvest. Enma brings this batch to my Winter House kitchen.
Here’s a closer look. One can see the bright red threads. They are placed on a paper lined baking sheet to dry.
Hannah also planted and harvested white flowered saffron, which is also aromatic. Saffron flowers have a somewhat sweet honey-like fragrance – Hannah’s mot favorite scent.
Here, Enma removes the three threads by carefully pulling them from the center of the bloom. Enma uses her fingers, but one can also use tweezers.
Enma places all the threads on a separate tray to dry in a warm, dark place for a few days. Saffron threads can take at least 24-hours to dry at room temperature, but the time depends on the temperature and humidity. It takes hundreds of flowers to produce a commercially useful amount, and lots of labor, which explains why saffron has long been the world’s most costly spice by weight.
Enma creates two piles – one with the flowers ready to pluck and the other, the pile of already plucked blossoms which can be saved for a variety of other uses.
Hannah is also participating in the Plant the Moon Challenge project, a global science experiment that challenges young students to grow crops in conditions similar to the moon. The project is lead by Plant the Moon, Competition Sciences and NASA. Here is a kit Hannah set up in my greenhouse.
The leaves of the saffron will persist for eight to 12 weeks, then wither and vanish, leaving no trace of the corms below until the flowers appear again next fall.
After five weeks, they’re doing great – we’ll see it goes. Hannah is also working with Plant the Moon to get more schools involved – it’s a wonderful way to teach children about space farming and the future of our food systems.
Hannah places the harvested dried saffron in a pretty tin with a few blooms. I can’t wait to use my saffron. Please go to Hannah’s Instagram page @hannahcmilman to see more wonderful photos, Reels, and Stories about saffron. Hannah shows you other places she’s planted saffron and all the different uses for the flower and the spice. Thanks Hannah – for being so passionate about saffron and for teaching all us so much.
If you're thinking about planting a hedge this season, consider European hornbeams, Carpinus betulus. I have many hornbeams hedges around my farm. They're fast-growing, hardy, and provide changing texture and color during the year - green foliage in summer, golden yellow leaves in fall, and natural gray bare branches in winter.
Last week, I decided to plant a hornbeam hedge within my living maze. All 43 hornbeams used were nurtured first in pots from bare root cuttings. My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew worked quickly to take advantage of the warm weather - the area was measured and cleared, the holes were dug, and then the trees were positioned, fed, planted, and watered.
Here are photos, enjoy.
The European hornbeam, Carpinus betulus is native to Western Asia and central, eastern, and southern Europe, including southern England. Because of its dense foliage and tolerance to being cut back, this hornbeam is popularly used for hedges and topiaries. Hornbeams are often confused with the common beech because of their similar leaves; however, the hornbeam leaves are actually smaller and more deeply furrowed than beech leaves. The leaves are deciduous and alternate, with serrated margins. These are the leaves in summer…
… and these are the leaves now, golden yellow. All the leaves will soon fall completely off the trees for winter.
I planned two rows perpendicular to each other in this section of the maze. All the trees are positioned first before any planting begins.
After cutting, Pete removes the sod from the measured space. It has been a very dry season here in the Northeast, with little rain expected in the coming weeks. The sod is very crumbly as it is rolled and moved.
This is what the cleared area looks like once all the sod is pulled up. The exposed soil will also be tilled.
For this project, the holes are dug manually – 43 of them.
Remember the rule of thumb for planting – dig a hole that is two to three times wider than the root ball, but only as deep as the height of the root ball.
Next, José sprinkles fertilizer into the hole and the surrounding soil.
I use Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed, an all-purpose food that is specially formulated to help grow stronger, vibrant, and more productive plants. It contains vital micronutrients, plus added natural ingredients, to nourish above and below the soil.
Each tree is placed into a designated hole.
To be most efficient, the crew works in an assembly line process – digging all the holes first and positioning the trees before backfilling.
These trees have been well cared-for and maintained. I prefer to keep them in pots a couple years to give them a gentle start. Look at the healthy root ball.
Each tree is carefully lifted by its center stem or trunk close to the base – never handle by its branches, which could break.
José makes the necessary root ball cuts to stimulate and encourage root growth and then places the tree into the hole.
Alex measures the hornbeams once again to be sure they are equally spaced. Each tree is spaced about 30-inches from the next.
Once the specimen is positioned correctly, it is backfilled. Do not bury the tree above its flare, where the first main roots attach to the trunk. Tree roots need oxygen to grow. By placing the root flare at or slightly above ground level when planting gives the tree the best chance for survival, growth, and development.
Alex follows with a hard rake to level the soil and remove any debris.
Finally, the newly planted rows are watered thoroughly.
European hornbeams, grow about four to five feet per year. This hedge will mature quickly. I’m looking forward to seeing it one year from now.
They will eventually grow into a nice thick and tall hedge, making a wall in the maze. If the current weather holds, we will still get a lot more planting done before the ground is too hard.
Here at my farm, my gardeners and housekeepers are rushing to pick the last of the outdoor vegetables before the first hard frost.
A hard frost is when temperatures drop below 28-degrees Fahrenheit for at least four consecutive hours. So far we've had a pretty mild fall, but nights are getting cold fast and there's still a lot of delicious produce growing in my garden, including peppers, eggplants, leeks, and a second crop of potatoes.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
It may be late October, but there’s still a lot of wonderful garden produce to pick. I always keep close track of the weather so we can be sure to harvest all those vegetables that wouldn’t survive a hard frost.
Enma and Elvira picked a bounty of wonderful vegetables for me and my hardworking crew.
They picked as many of the eggplants as possible. Eggplants are part of the Solanaceae family, also known as the nightshade family, and are sensitive to cold temperatures. Eggplants are ready to harvest when they are firm, glossy, and shiny.
And look at this bag of peppers. The most common sweet pepper is the bell – usually seen in green, red, and yellow, but they can also be purple, brown, and orange. It was a great pepper season – I’ve picked a lot this year.
They also got some hot peppers.
Swiss chard always stands out in the garden, with its rich red, orange, and yellow stalks.
Enma picked a handful of Swiss chard. It’s best to harvest Swiss chard when the leaves are tender and big enough to eat.
The leek is a cultivar of Allium ampeloprasum, the broadleaf wild leek. The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. Leeks have a mildly sweet flavor similar to onions, shallots, garlic, and chives.
We did not pick the celeriac just yet. Celeriac is tolerant of a few frosts and can be left in the ground when it’s cold.
And in the two back corner beds are the potatoes – they’re also ready. This bed is a less attractive sight in the garden, but it’s filled with lots of delicious russet, red, white, and yellow potatoes.
My gardeners planted this bed of potatoes in late July after they harvested a first crop – about 100 days ago. Depending on the season and the type, potatoes usually take 80 to 115 days to grow.
Here’s Ryan as he starts to pick through the vines in search of potatoes. The size of a potato can vary depending on the variety. We have all different sizes up to more than two pounds.
The potatoes are ready to pick once the vines have died back – when the tubers are done growing, and the potato plants have begun to turn yellow and withered.
The best time to dig up potatoes is on a dry day. Here in the Northeast, we haven’t had any rain in weeks, so it’s been very dry. To harvest potatoes, Josh uses a gardening fork. It has four tines that can pierce the ground more easily than would a shovel or a spade.
Josh drives the fork into the soil at the outside edges of the plant and then carefully lifts the soil and plant.
Then Josh digs deep into the ground and feels around for potatoes – potatoes will be slightly cool to the touch.
It’s important to dig them up carefully, so as not to damage any of the tubers.
Always be careful not to scrape, bruise or cut the tubers. Damaged tubers will rot during storage.
The skins of mature potatoes are thick and firmly attached to the flesh. If the skins appear thin and rub off easily, the potatoes are still too ‘new’ and should be left in the ground. All of these are just right.
And leave any green potatoes alone. When potatoes are exposed to light, they turn green, a sign the toxic substance called solanine is developing, which may cause illness if eaten in large quantities.
We always keep varieties separated, so we know what grows well and should be grown again next season.
Here’s Ryan with our bounty ready to be stored in a cool, dry place. Another tip – never wash potatoes until right before using – washing them shortens the potato’s storage life. Because potatoes grow underground, it is always a surprise to see how prolific the plants have been. It was an excellent harvest!
And then after all the potatoes are picked, the bed is emptied of vines and raked clean. Later, the soil in all the beds will be amended and prepared for winter.
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