Every year I always plant a collection of interesting and beautiful trees. It is such a joy to watch the gardens, groves, and allées evolve and expand around my Bedford, New York farm.
Not long ago, as part of a delivery of plants from the wholesale nursery, Monrovia, I received several magnolias - spreading evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs characterized by large, fragrant blooms, which may be bowl-shaped or star-shaped, in shades of white, pink, purple, green, or yellow. In many of the deciduous species, the eye-catching flowers often appear in early spring before the foliage. I already have several mature magnolias growing around my home. These younger specimens, Magnolia 'Black Tulip' and Magnolia 'Yellow Bird' will make wonderful additions.
Enjoy these photos.
Magnolias are believed to be one of the earliest known flowering plants, with fossils dating back millions of years. Researchers say Magnolia trees existed before bees, when flightless beetles were nature’s main pollinators. This is one of many Magnolias at my farm, and it’s blooming beautifully right now in a grove outside my new vegetable garden and up the carriage road from my stable.
I have several pink, white, and creamy yellow Magnolias. Magnolias produce impressive flowers that range from three to 12-inches in diameter. Some species of Magnolia flowers are also protogynous, meaning they appear with or before the tree’s leaves.
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol. Magnolia blooms do not have true petals and sepals; instead, they have petal-like tepals.
These creamy yellow magnolias are outside my Summer House – also putting on a beautiful floral display this week.
Though it depends on the weather conditions, Magnolia flowers can last about two to three weeks, before falling.
Magnolias come in a vast array of cultivars and species that can grow successfully in most gardens. Eight Magnolia species are native to the United States. Many others are native to Asia. And most Magnolias do best when planted in full sun or partial shade.
Last week, my crew planted several young Magnolia trees. They were strategically placed before getting planted. Magnolias have wide, shallow root systems, so they need lots of room to grow. To prevent any confusion, the sod was removed from the exact planting location before the pot was moved and the hole was dug.
When planting a tree or shrub, measure the height of the root-ball to determine the approximate hole depth. Measure the diameter of the root ball to determine the width of the hole. The hole should be no deeper than the calculated depth. The rule of thumb is that the width of the hole should be a foot wider than the root-ball diameter.
And always have a good quality fertilizer on hand to mix with the soil of the new specimen being planted. Here, a sprinkle of fertilizer is mixed with bottom soil.
And then some is also mixed with the backfill soil. We use Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Flowering Trees & Shrubs Plant Food, which contains micronutrients to nourish above and below the soil.
The coated particles are formulated with kelp, earthworm castings, feather meal, and bone meal that support root strength and tree development.
As with every tree planted, once it is removed from its pot, the roots are scarified. Scarifying stimulates root growth. Essentially, intentional cuts are made to loosen the roots and create beneficial injuries.
Here is a closer look. scarifying helps the plant become established more quickly in its new environment.
Once the tree is properly positioned, the hole is backfilled. “Bare to the flare” is the general saying when planting trees – the top of the root flare should always be above ground.
And then the top soil is tamped down around the root ball to ensure there aren’t any air pockets.
I always like young trees staked to protect them as they develop. A bamboo stake came with this tree, so it will be left with it until it is well-established. This is a ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia, the darkest, most dramatic tulip Magnolia. When in bloom, it shows rich, deep burgundy-red six-inch-wide flowers that appear before the foliage emerges.
There was one bloom left on this tree when it arrived a couple weeks ago.
Magnolia tree leaves vary from shiny or waxy to soft, green, and saucer-shaped.
This is Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird’ has bright canary yellow three-and-a-half- inch flowers that emerge with the foliage later in spring after the danger of frosts. This one is starting to bloom now.
This magnolia tree is planted in the garden just outside my home, where I can see it every day. What magnolias are blooming where you live?
It’s always important to keep up with lawn maintenance chores, especially during this time of year when everything is growing so quickly.
Here at my farm, my outdoor grounds crew is busy edging the carriage roads, so they look crisp and clean. Edging roads, lawns, and around garden beds can be done manually with a variety of spades, but depending on the size of the space, it can become very time-consuming. Rotary edgers, powered by gasoline, electricity, or portable battery reduce the time it takes to complete this job. These machines feature a spinning blade that cuts through the turf as the edger is pushed along the road where it meets the grass border. For this chore, we used our Troy-Bilt TBE550 Lawn Edger. It works really well for creating that beautiful, smooth edge.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I have four miles of gravel-covered carriage road at my farm. Every spring, we all notice how much the grass has grown into the gravel making it difficult to see the exact edge where the carriage road meets the lawn.
Our Troy-Bilt TBE550 Lawn and Driveway Edger is a single purpose machine used for making good, crisp lines along the edges of garden beds, driveways, and lawns.
The covered nine-inch triple edge blade is self-sharpening and has three different bevel options for trimming. The machine is also very easy to maneuver and guide.
Pete and Fernando use bright colored twine and long nails to mark the straight edge of the lawn where the edger will go. The twine is saved and used over and over for making straight lines for a variety of projects.
Once taut, it is easy to see the guiding string for the edger.
It’s always important to wear long pants and closed shoes to avoid injury from any flying debris. Edgers can cause small stones to fly up to nearly 10-feet. Pete also wheres eye protection while using this machine. As it is running, Pete listens to the edger to guide the speed. The machine works harder when cutting through the turf and is generally quieter when it finishes.
In this section, one can see where the edger has passed and made a clean line through the turf.
Once a section has been edged, Pete pulls away the unwanted vegetation between the cut edging line and the lawn using a paddle hoe. The hoe has a six-inch blade on a 52-inch wooden handle attached with a goose-neck for good alignment.
Look how much is pulled away. Pete stops often to check his work. The carriage roads are all about 12-feet wide, which is what it should be after any overgrowth is removed.
This area is alongside my pergola. It looks so different after it is edged.
Fernando follows behind ad uses a soft rake to gather all the debris into one place.
Here’s a finished edge – it looks so straight and clean.
Next, Fernando brings a small load of gravel to the site.
I like to use native washed stone in a blend of gray tones. This gravel is used all over the farm.
The gravel is dropped in small sections along the road for easy spreading. Pete uses a a landscape rake to spread and level the gravel.
This razor-back aluminum landscape rake has a wide head and teeth to level gravel quickly and smoothly. These landscape rakes are easy to find at home improvement shops and some gardening centers.
Gravel roads are attractive, easy to maintain, and accumulate less pollutants over time. It’s important to edge and shape the roads regularly, so they drain properly and look tidy.
This day was cool with little wind, so flying dust from the gravel was minimal.
After a few hours, this section of carriage road looks completely different with its new edge and surface layer of gravel. There’s a lot more road to edge – keep up the good work, Pete and Fernando!
It's always fun to share updates on my pets - the dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, pony, chickens, geese, and peafowl. They bring such joy to me and everyone here at the farm.
I currently have five dogs. I have two Chow Chows, Empress Qin and Emperor Han. And I have three French Bulldogs, Crème Brûlée, Bête Noire, and my puppy, Luna Moona. Have you seen her on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48? All the dogs love being in the kitchen with me, especially when I'm cooking and baking - they're always ready for whatever "falls their way." They love joining me on tours of the farm when I visit the other animals and check on all the gardens. One of their favorite stops is the enclosed pool area where they can run and play on the soft grass.
Here are some of the latest photos of the Cantitoe Corners Canines, enjoy.
If you haven’t seen her yet on my social media, this is the newest member of my family, Luna Moona. She is a 21-week old black brindle French Bulldog. The French Bulldog is an affectionate and playful breed known for its wrinkly, smushy face and bat-like ears.
The French Bulldog is a small, active and muscular dog with heavy bone and smooth coat.
These are my Chow Chows. The big boy is Emperor Han. His sister is Champion Empress Qin (pronounced chin). They are half siblings and both grand-dogs of my late Champion G.K.
One of the dogs’ favorite play areas is the lawn surrounding the pool. Because this area is completely fenced, I often take them here to run and play…
And wrestle… and roll. Frenchies, as they are affectionately called, are the result of a 19th century cross between English bulldog ancestors and ratters from France. The breed is now categorized in the American Kennel Club’s Non-Sporting Group. Here is Luna Moona with Crème Brûlée and Bête Noire.
Luna loves to play. Frenchies are very playful – in fact, they have been referred to as “clown dogs” for their fun loving and vivacious personalities. Here, Luna Moona is exhibiting a “play bow” – front legs out in front and chest low to the ground, with rear end up. It’s a dog’s way of inviting friendly play.
… And here is Bête Noire accepting the invitation.
And here’s Crème Brûlée. The Frenchie should have soft, loose skin especially around the head and shoulders. The head should be large, square and with the distinctive groove between their eyes.
Luna Moona loves to explore. Frenchies have broad and deep chests with the front being wider than the back.
Does Luna Moona also love hide-and-seek?
Loona Moona also likes to play with the grass. Generally, a French Bulldog is about 11 to 12 inches tall. Males weigh 20 to 28 pounds, while females 16 to 24 pounds when full grown.
Crème Brûlée loves to pull herself along the cool grass.
Here’s Qin in her favorite “splooting” position. Splooting is lying in a spread-eagled, prone posture. It’s done when dogs wish to relax or cool down. It’s also sometimes known as frogging.
My dogs are all accustomed to the many sounds on a working farm, but like all dogs, have a very sharp sense of hearing – I wonder what caught Qin’s attention.
The Chow should have a large head with a broad, flat skull, a short, deep muzzle, and very expressive eyes.
The Chow also has a lovely thick mane, with small rounded ears, giving it the appearance of a lion.
It is so important to provide dogs with ample exercise to keep them physically and mentally fit. I make sure my dogs get good long walks, and lots of time to play with each other outdoors. Here they are walking back to my house with their Uncle Carlos “dos.”
Back home, the dogs are let out in their yard, the courtyard behind my kitchen. Luna is still full of energy.
Like most other dogs breeds, French Bulldogs don’t like to be left alone for long periods of time. This court yard is right outside my kitchen, so there is always someone nearby to keep an eye on the inquisitive canines.
Empress Qin is ready to go indoors. Chows should be sturdy and squarely built. Its body should be compact, and heavy boned.
Bête Noire is thinking about a nap.
And Crème Brûlée is already dreaming. These dogs play hard and rest hard.
Despite a sad expression, the French Bulldog is comical, entertaining, and very amiable. Luna Moona and all my dogs are so loved here at the farm. Enjoy the weekend with your furred friends.
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