Guests at my farm yesterday

Tuesday was a beautiful day at my farm in Bedford and it was perfectly splendid weather for a tour of the gardens, so I was quite pleased that the Hortus Club paid us a visit.  The Hortus Club is a rather prestigious group of professional horticulturists, which has been around for about 55 years.  The group is small and manageable, comprised of only 30 members, and as you can imagine, it is quite difficult to join.  The organization meets once a month at the National Arts Club in New York City, located in the magnificent historic Tilden Mansion at Gramercy Park.  And of course, they discuss all things horticulture.  Every member of the club is assigned a responsibility, such as arranging guest speakers or organizing garden tours.  Each year, they partake in a summer expedition and 2 years ago, the group visited Skylands, my home in Maine.  Come and see a bit of the tour!

The shade garden is really lush and beautiful.

This group is admiring the Ligularia japonica, which has giant, glossy green leaves and tall, aster-like flowers.

Pierre made rich chocolate cookies from my new Martha Stewart’s Cookies book and flaky blueberry scones, with blueberries from the garden.  Can you believe that this French chef had never baked a scone before?  They were yummy!  The recipe can be found on my Web site HERE

My housekeeper, Laura Acuna, made her refreshing herbal tea with fresh fruit and of course, berries from the berry patch.  It’s so quenching.

Here’s Laura serving a guest.

Here I am posing with Yue Yin and Chun Lu – they’re exchange students from China and are spending the summer at Atlantic Nurseries in Dix Hills, NY.

This is Kristin Schleiter – she organized this day’s visit to my garden and Richard Weir – president of the Hortus Club.  Kristin actually worked on my old television show as a garden producer. 

Everyone went home with the latest edition of Living magazine.  It’s a beautiful summer issue.    

Read some of my recent Blogs!

Time for a trim?

Come see what I picked this weekend at my farm

Paw Paw's grandsons -- help me decide!

More of my photos from last weekend

Come see how I groom my dogs

Comments

[MMC in San Diego]

Thanks, Martha, for the peek at the garden tour. Since you have so many gardening resources available to you, it must be a real treat for other horticulturists to see your thriving garden.

Looking forward, of course, to the next issue of MSL!

[Jan Erickson]

Hi Martha, What an honor to have such a prestigious group tour your farm, as well as, Skylands last year. Everything in your photos show your farm in pristine condition and I'll bet everyone thoroughly enjoyed the tour and delicious refreshments. I can almost taste the delicious cookies, scones and herbal tea with fresh fruit! How great that the beautiful weather cooperated. I've been meaning to ask you if you have wells on your property or are you connected to the city water system? I can imagine that it must take a tremendous amount of water to keep everything so green and lush looking. Thanks so much for sharing. Jan

[Isle Dance]

Beautiful!

[Nan Ashby]

So nice for you to have a visit from such a prestigious group who I bet admired all of your beautiful gardens at Skylands. I really think anyone who visits you is always treated with the utmost hospitality and delicious food. Laura and Pierre are so great at entertaining your guest with the blueberry scones, chocolate cookies, and herbal tea and fruit. Wish they were my chefs and housekeeper, Martha I would love to be a guest of yours anytime. Nan

[Mary]

Looks like a great time was had by all! Martha, your shade garden must be marvelous to stroll through this time of year.

[Paula]

hOW NICE YOU OPEN YOUR GARDENS FOR THESE PEOPLE!! IM SURE YOU HAVE MANY "SPECIMENS" FOR THEM TO ENJOY !!!

[Kathy]

Hi, Martha,
What a treat for the Hortus Club---to experience your gardens. The shade garden is beautiful. Pierre's chocolate cookies and blueberry scones as well as Laura Acuna's herbal tea do look delicious.
Thanks for the tour!
Kathy

[Hardboiledegg]

"on my old television show " well for someone with so many Emmys it might be troublesome for you to remember which show but those of us out in viewerdom I suppose the first show you were on was PBS special then I suppose there was Lifetime network series then there was CBS morning show segments or did that come after the NBC morning programing segments then there was-- what is currently broadcast which I gather can be "picked up" for a price of course -- this one airs on what ever affiliate bought the package but then was there not another show\series before that see there are so many to choose from and here was an opportunity to think oh yes the gardening segments from that series were quite well done and no wonder a person with such credentials it is nice to know the background people have exceptional knowledge now the gardening segments seem fewer and farther between-- lets see one had us dutifully consuming expensive Clementines in order to recycle the wooden crate as a planter box well the Clementine recipe that I used was a Clementine torte and both times I brought it in to work the reception was less then well it was different this Clementine torte according to a web site on baking says it is Extremely popular in Australia. well that made it seem exotic to me then the recipe call for boiling the Clementine then removing the seeds then grinding it up in a food processor skins and all well it was a rather involved cake I did not know the texture to achieve and well HOW ABOUT the test kitchen exploring the Clementine Torte perhaps the Hortus group has a favorite Clementine recipe

[Raisa from Finland]

Oh! That is so sweet and kind of you, Martha! The herbal tea looks sooo delicious! And the cookies and scones, too! Your guests are very lucky to be able to explore such a great garden from such a generous host! I wish I could've been there, too!

[Julie]

On a beautiful day, what a fabulous way to spend it! Strolling through your gardens must have been such a treat for them.
I LOVE that recipe for the chocolate cookies by the way. DELICIOUS! My husbands co-workers beg him weekly to ask me to bake a batch for them.

[Desiree']

Martha,
Lovely post, thanks for sharing. Oh how I would love to tour your beautiful garden and have some of that delicious looking tea! Enjoying your blog tremendously!

[Cris]

Martha: I think many would enjoy
Laura's recipe for her:
herbal tea with fresh fruit

I know I would! Thanks.

I'm sure the club was amazed at the splendor of your gardens.

[Jenna]

Can you post the herbal tea recipe? It looks amazing!!! Thanks!!!

[White On Rice Couple]

It would be a life long gardeners dream for us to join this club! Thanks for sharing such an amazing day and we're so jealous of your berry patches!
We were just talking about it yesterday, possibly growing blueberries for next year. We had 2 failed attempts but have discovered a new variety that thrives in the Southern California climate.
Seeing your blueberries is inspiring and we can't wait to start them in our garden for the next season!

[sandra dunn]

Martha, because I work at a day time position I am not able to view your program, so it is nice to come to this web site. I enjoy my almost daily visit with you, it is almost as good as my visits with family and friends, sometimes better, because I do not get, "WHAT!" from you. I know you have lost some of your privacy, teaching us "it is a good thing". Thanks for the opportunity to visit with you. sld

[mary jo]

Martha, Which chocolate cookie was it that Pierre baked from your Cookies book? I see 3 chocolate cookie recipes in my new book that it looks like... They look so yummy.

[Margie]

When I take a tour of our local and beautiful iris farms one of the most pleasant things is the hushed voices in the background. Not only seeing healthy plants is a delight but also hearing sounds of the people admiring them. Next we will need a sound tape to companion your pictures. Just think of how it would be with your dogs chasing the squirrel.

[Sherey]

Truly wonderful for the Hortus Club to have a tour of your amazing farm gardens. I imagine some 'good things' were gleaned from their tour! I've not yet purchased your Cookie Book but i plan to on my return home. A lovely gesture to provide regfreshments and i am sure those in attendance thought so too.

[Akiko]

Dear Martha:
Everything looks so peacefully beautiful! I loved the way how the herbal tea was served and I will copy that on a big summer party we are planning for the end of this month. Would you mind sharing the recipe for Laura's tea?

[Cindy Bricker]

It was a beautiful day yesterday, too, here in Western Maryland...not too awfully warm and moderate humidity levels. You had a perfect day and backdrop to display your showcase to your guests! I'm sure, as you've mentioned recently, that you have had lush rainfall this summer, just as we have. (I relish a rainy summer day!) It's so personally rejuvenating to look out and see things so green and fresh!

My husband and I had "date nite" at our local Borders book store on Monday evening, and wouldn't you know that there were no MSL magazines to be found to peruse and savor?!! No Everyday Foods, either! I was really disappointed!
I left, that evening, feeling a little empty! (Boo!) =^..^=

[Will]

The tea looks great! How is it made?

[Clarissa]

Hi Martha,

Is there any way that Laura would condider sharing her recipe for her herbal tea with fruit as she made it for this tour?
It does look really refreshing and looks like it has fresh mint. I would really appreciate a new way to serve tea.

[Audrey Novak]

Martha your gardens are beautiful. You are such an inspiration to all women. I have admired you for many years and was able to get a autograph copy of your first cookbook. I would love to be able to meet you in person one day and get your most recent book signed. If you are ever in the Dallas, Texas area. Thank you for everything you do and your much appreciated hard work. Grace and Peace, Audrey

[Andrew Ritchie]

Laura's iced herbal tea would have me completely distracted from the gardens! It looks delicious. I'm glad Pierre did a good job on the scones. Someone really ought to write "Mastering the Art of English Cooking."

(Although, whether or not to classify English cooking as an art at all is debatable: bangers and mash, bubble and squeak, fish and chips... scones.)

-Andrew

[Patricia]

Miss Martha

As always I really enjoyed the photos of your farm. People who are invited to spend time there are so fortunate. It surely has to be one of the most relaxing places in the world. I love the fact that you are so open to sharing it with everyone. Thank you.