The furry catkins of pussy willows are one spring's earliest harbingers - their branches shimmer in the moist to wet soil near meadows, swamps, and streams. Sometimes the furry twigs can be seen even when there's still snow on the ground.
Earlier this month, my gardeners cut bunches of pussy willows from a grove I planted along the wetlands behind my main greenhouse. These deciduous shrubs, Salix, naturally grow up to 20-feet tall, or even more if left unpruned. They are very easy to multiply and make wonderful cut arrangements. We always collect a good number of branches of various cultivars to make large, dramatic displays for my home.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
Pussy willow is a common name given to many smaller species of the genus, Salix. During this time of year, fuzzy nubs start to appear along the branches of pussy willows. These soft silver tufted plants are named for their resemblance to tiny cats’ paws, but they’re actually the flowers just before they fully bloom. The soft coating of hairs acts as insulation to protect these early bloomers from cold temperatures.
My pussy willow grove is located in a field where there is room for them to flourish. Pussy willows grow in almost any kind of moist soil and thrive best in full sun, but while they don’t take up a lot of space, their roots can be quite invasive, so don’t plant them near water lines or septic systems.
Pussy willow trunks can be either single or clustered with flexible branches and branchlets.
Some pussy willows have very large, furry catkins.
While other varieties have smaller catkins. This is ‘Purple Heirloom’. It has attractive blonde bark, thin grassy stems, and lots of small dark purple catkins.
Although they can be allowed to grow unpruned, pussy willows will benefit from regular pruning after blooming. Pruning makes picking reachable and quick. These pussy willows are pruned every couple of years.
Here is Ryan assessing the length and growth of these pussy willow offshoots. Most of the branches will be cut down without the use of a ladder.
This year, I wanted to pick only the straightest and longest branches.
Shorter ones and those with many branchlets will be left alone.
And look who’s sitting nearby – Blackie loves to watch the crew at work.
This unusual willow is Salix udensis ‘Sekka’, or Fantail Willow. It has a unique, flattened form, rich color, and small catkins.
Only some of the twigs develop the flat “fantail” at their tips. The rest maintain their pencil profile to the tip. Fantailed or not, all the stems are red at the ends, with the middle portions of the stems becoming more orange or cinnamon in color.
Here’s Gavin cutting a nice, long and sturdy branch.
Try not to pick too many of those that are already beginning to flower and change color.
Ryan carries the first of several bunches to the side before going back to cut more. I always like to have lots and lots of pussy willows for my arrangements.
Gavin has another good bunch of pussy willow branches.
Depending on their appearance, we always gather as many different varieties of pussy willow as possible.
After cutting enough to fit the back of the Polaris, the bundles are ready to be transported to my Winter House.
Each bunch is tied in a bundle using jute twine. Sometimes I like to keep the arrangements tied in the container for added support.
All the bunches are tied together by type and then stood up in a dry bucket and left in my carport where I can see them as soon as I get home from work.
Later that weekend, I placed one big bunch in this urn located in my dining room. The pussy willows will keep their upright position. I love making large arrangements for use indoors – the bigger, the better!
And here is another arrangement on the opposite side of the room – I love the choice of long straight branches. The willow buds will last for weeks and will not open as long as they’re kept dry. I’ll keep them here through the Easter holiday – my guests will love them!
Whenever I am home, I love spending time in my greenhouse caring for my large collection of houseplants.
Houseplants bring life to any room and I love all kinds, especially orchids - the vibrant colors and variations in shape and size make me so happy. My orchids, along with all my other container specimens, are kept in the greenhouse, where they can be nurtured properly. Caring for orchids is a daunting process for many, but if you take the time to understand their basic needs, there is no reason why they couldn't bloom and thrive in your home. Here are some photos of the orchids that have been flowering at my farm over the last several weeks.
Enjoy.
My orchid collection takes up two long sliding tables in my temperature and humidity controlled greenhouse. When in bloom, I love to bring various selections inside my home where they can be enjoyed by me and my guests.
These are ‘Martha Stewart’ Cattleya orchids. The Cattleya is a genus with more than 100-species and numerous hybrids, which range in bloom size, color, and smell. These are from Kalapana Tropicals. Cattleya orchids are among the most popular. They have often been called “corsage orchids” or “Queen of orchids” because of their big, showy flowers. http://www.kalapanatropicals.com/index.php
Paphiopedilum orchids are often called lady slippers or slipper orchids because of their unique pouch-like flowers. These specimens are easily grown as houseplants, and look wonderful with their striking green leaves.
The pouch of a slipper orchid traps insects so they are forced to climb up, collect or deposit pollen, and fertilize the flower.
Slipper orchids have two fertile anthers — meaning they are diandrous.
The key to growing these plants is to keep the root systems strong and healthy. These plants have no bulbs or stems to store moisture and nutrients, so it is important to maintain their roots.
Dendrobium is a large orchid genus, with more than a thousand species. This Dendrobium ‘Little Atro’ grows to 20-inches. The evergreen canes are topped by a single three to five inch long inflorescence, each one producing four to eight flowers.
This is Dendrobium ‘Aussie chip’ x. Dendronbium atroviolaceum ‘Pygmy’ x. Dendrobium atroviolacrum ‘H&R’. Dendrobiums need lots of light, but not direct sun. A lightly shaded south window is best.
Here is a closer look at one of its blooms.
Most orchid genera are epiphytic, meaning they grow on trees and rocks rather than in soil. Orchid roots need to breathe and therefore cannot live buried in dirt.
This is a reed-stem Epidendrum orchid. These plants thrive with medium to high light conditions and should be potted in a well-draining medium. Reed orchids produce clusters of flowers shaped like those of the cattleya orchid, but much smaller. Here, the bright pink blooms stand out against the green leaves. Epidendrums are tough plants and can do well in almost any temperature above 50-degrees Fahrenheit.
These are Cymbidium orchids – look at the vibrant shades of pink. These orchids are prized for their long-lasting sprays of flowers, used especially as cut flowers or for corsages in the spring. Optimum temperatures in winter are 45 to 55-degrees Fahrenheit at night and 65 to 75-degrees Fahrenheit during the day. When plants are in bud, temperatures must be as constant as possible.
Here is another cymbidium. The fantastic range of colors for this genus include white, green, yellowish-green, cream, yellow, brown, pink, red and black with a variety of markings of other color shades – every color but blue. The flowers last about 10-weeks.
Although generally thought of as a tropical plant, orchids grow on every continent, from the Arctic Circle to the southernmost jungle, except Antarctica.
Phalaenopsis, the moth orchid, is perhaps the best orchid for growing in the home, and is also a favorite with greenhouse growers. Well-grown plants can flower often, sometimes with a few flowers throughout the year, though the main season is late winter into spring.
I love getting rare and unusual orchids. This one came from the New York Botanical Garden some years back. If you’re in the New York City area any time through April 28th, stop in at the NYBG for their Orchid Show. This year, the show is entitled “Singapore” – a tribute to one of the world’s greatest orchid cultures.
At this year’s NYBG Orchid Dinner, I purchased two wonderful plants. This is an extremely rare Angraecum Crestwood ‘Tomorrow Star’. Watering these plants once a week to once every 10-days is usually sufficient for larger plants.
Here is a closer look at its delicate star-shaped flowers. This orchid does best where it can get bright light from an east or west window.
And this is a beautiful xCattlianthe Big Ben ‘Blue Mountain’ – such a pretty specimen, with its blue-lavender flowers.
Oncidium orchids are popular indoor orchids because of their large sprays of flowers.
A large, well-grown Oncidium will have several branched sprays of beautiful, colorful blooms.
I also love to display cut orchids – these were gifted to me by a friend. They look so pretty in my servery. What orchids do you keep at home? Share your comments in the section below.
The weather is finally starting to warm up here in the Northeast. Temperatures are expected in the 60s this weekend, and everyone at my farm is working hard to get the gardens ready for the growing season.
As part of the preparations, we’ve started many vegetable seeds inside my greenhouse - among them, eggplant. Eggplant, Solanum melongena, is fairly easy to grow and can be extremely productive. I love eggplant and plant several varieties every summer from small green Asian types to beautifully striped large Italian cultivars. Many of our vegetable seeds come from Johnny's Selected Seeds in central Maine. I discovered Johnny's years ago and have been using their seeds, plants, and tools ever since.
There’s no particular eggplant seed preparation necessary prior to sowing. They can be planted in trays and transplanted outdoors six to eight weeks later. Here are some tips and photos - enjoy. And be sure to watch the special video at the end.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds is a privately held, employee-owned organic seed producer in Winslow, Maine. Every year, I get a wide selection of both flower seeds and vegetable seeds from Johnny’s. Once they arrive, Ryan sorts them according to type. http://www.johnnyseeds.com
Seed starting trays come in all different sizes and depths. Select the right kind of tray based on the size of the seeds. These trays are also from Johnny’s. They come with rounded cells in trays of 24 or 38 each.
Each cell is a couple-inches deep and recommended for a variety of vegetable seeds including our eggplants.
Ryan fills the seed starting tray with mix and pats it down lightly into each compartment. The soil should be level with the top of the tray. We seed many plants, so Ryan works in a production line manner in order to get as many trays started as possible.
Because I share a lot of eggplants with my family, we plant several trays and several varieties. When starting from seed, it is best to use a pre-made seed starting mix that contains the proper amounts of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss, available at garden supply stores.
Once all the packets are organized, Ryan determines what order the eggplant seeds will be started in the trays depending on how long it takes each plant to germinate. Here is a selection all ready.
Next, Ryan creates a quarter-inch deep furrow in the middle of each compartment by pressing a finger gently into each cell. This can be done pretty quickly, even with multiple trays.
Ryan labels the seed markers and keeps them together with the matching packets. Seeds are usually started about two months before the last frost in the area. If you’re not sure, check online or ask garden center associates when the last frost usually occurs in your location.
Once he is ready to drop the seeds, Ryan places a marker into one of the cells, so it is clear what variety is growing in what row of each tray.
Every year, we plant both favorite varieties as well as ones that are new to us. There are numerous unusual varieties available to those who grow from seed.
Here, the seeds are easier to drop straight from the packet. Eggplant seeds are small, so be sure to take your time dropping them into the tray cells. It’s also a good idea to keep a record of when seeds are sown, when they germinate, and when they are transplanted. These observations will help organize a schedule for the following year. One to two seeds are dropped into each compartment and will be selectively thinned in a few weeks. This process eliminates the weaker sprout and prevents overcrowding, so seedlings don’t have any competition for soil nutrients or room to mature.
Here is one of last year’s eggplant beds – I always dedicate a few beds to these heat-loving plants. Although eggplants don’t require staking, the fruits will be straighter and easier to harvest if they are staked. We also stake various vegetables to keep fruits off the ground and to reduce the risk of disease. We use two anchoring stakes at each end of the bed and run gardening twine between them for support.
Here are just a few of the glorious eggplants we harvested last summer.
Some of the varieties we are planting this season include ‘Paloma’ with a vivid white skin and clean look. ‘Paloma’s’ bell-shaped fruits have distinctive ribbing, a mildly sweet flavor, and a creamy texture. (Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
This is ‘Orient Charm’ – a purple Asian type. These grow eight to 10-inches long and range in color from light lavender to bright purple. (Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
‘Orient Express’ is a very dependable eggplant. These plants produce armloads of attractive, slender, and glossy fruits eight to 10-inches long. They are tender, delicately flavored, and quick cooking. (Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
This is a traditional black Italian type called ‘Nadia’. ‘Nadia’ produces dark purple fruits that are flavorful, glossy and blemish free. (Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
Another traditional looking eggplant is ‘Galine’. This is a high-yielding black to purple bell variety that is very glossy and uniform, with fruits that are six to seven inches long when mature. (Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
This purple-and-white mini eggplant is called ‘Fairy Tale’. These are attractive, two to four inch long fruits with wonderful flavor and no bitterness. (Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
And here is ‘Calliope’ – a small, oval white-and-purple variegated Indian eggplant. ‘Calliope’ does well even in cooler climates and is flavorful picked either young or fully mature. (Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Selected Seeds)
Once all the seeds are planted, Ryan covers the trays with a top layer of soil mix and pats it down gently to ensure good contact.
And then places the trays along with the others in our commercial-sized Urban Cultivator. The Urban Cultivator’s pre-programmed control center adds just the right amount of water, light, humidity, and air. The seeds will remain here until they germinate and can be moved into the main greenhouse. There’s a lot to do before the gardening season begins. What vegetables are you planting from seed this year?
Plus, have you seen this video on my Instagram page @marthastewart48? Your favorite dinner party duo is back, and I can’t wait to reunite with my friend, Snoop Dogg, for more fun in the kitchen. Tune in for Martha and Snoop's Potluck Party Challenge premiering Wednesday, April 3rd at 10/9c on VH1. Enjoy this promo!
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