The Martha Blog

September 9, 2026 Pruning and Grooming My Pergola Boxwood Late summer remains one of the busiest times on my farm. My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are hard at work keeping up with the season's abundant growth. I’m especially fond of boxwood, Buxus, and have hundreds of these handsome evergreen shrubs across the property. I take great care in maintaining them year-round. They are fed and mulched regularly.

September 8, 2026 Summer in Maine 2026 Every visit to Skylands, my home in Seal Harbor, Maine, is filled with memorable activities and quality time spent with family and friends. This summer, in addition to enjoying countless delicious meals, I spent my days sailing, swimming, entertaining, enjoying local fairs, walking along local beaches, visiting with friends, exploring nearby gardens, shopping, and simply savoring time at my beloved home.

September 4, 2026 A Guest Blog from a Trip to Kenya Whenever family, friends, and colleagues travel to interesting places, I encourage them to take plenty of photos and share them when they return. Ryan Mesina, our VP of Creative Services at Marquee Brands, enjoys traveling as much as I do. One of his latest trips took him to Kenya, the East African nation renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, abundant wildlife, and rich cultural heritage.

September 3, 2026 A Guest Blog from My Niece, Sophie Herbert Slater What did you do this summer? Did you travel? Did you learn about new and interesting places? I always enjoy seeing photos from others taken during their vacations. This year, my niece, Sophie Herbert Slater, and her beautiful family went on a much-anticipated journey to Great Britain, visiting London, Dorset, Oxford, and Edinburgh, Scotland.

September 2, 2026 Monrovia Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary One of my trusted sources for shrubs, perennials, ferns, and conifers is celebrating a milestone: its 100th anniversary. Not long ago, the wholesale plant company, Monrovia, hosted a Centennial Celebration Expo at their Dayton, Oregon location - a week-long open house that welcomed customers, industry professionals, and garden enthusiasts. More than 1,000 guests attended, enjoying expert talks, guided tours, and gardening demonstrations.

September 1, 2026 Pruning Cotinus In order to keep my farm and its gardens, allées, and groves as beautiful as possible, I pay lots of attention to the maintenance and care of all my trees and shrubs. Smoke bushes, Cotinus, are among my favorite small trees - they have superlative color, appealing form, and look excellent in the gardens. Healthy, established smoke bushes are vigorous growers and can put up to three feet of new growth in a season.

August 31, 2026 Keeping My Stable Courtyard Clean with STIHL At my farm, one lesson I constantly emphasize to my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew is to "use the right tool for the right job." It makes all the difference, not only in efficiency but also in safety. I've been a longtime user of STIHL products. STIHL offers an impressive range of tools, including professional-grade chainsaws, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers, brush cutters, and more.

August 29, 2026 Colorful Summer Flower Arrangements Among the many pleasures of growing one's own flowers is being able to enjoy them both in the garden and in the home. It's always so nice to walk through the gardens and see a multitude of beautiful, colorful blooms. I also enjoy bringing fresh, fragrant flowers indoors, where I can use them to decorate my kitchen, servery, and sitting room.

August 28, 2026 August Flowers in My Cutting Garden As summer wears on, late-season flowers continue to bring vivid color and beauty to my gardens. Down by my chicken coops, in what was once my vegetable garden, I dedicated a space entirely to annuals. Here, different varieties are thoughtfully arranged in beds according to size, color, and bloom time. Every flower is started from seed in my greenhouse.

August 27, 2026 A Dental Check-Up for My Friesian Rescues A well-maintained stable program includes good dental care to keep horses healthy and able to eat properly. My horses receive regular visits from my longtime equine dentist, Brian Stuart. Unlike human teeth, a horse’s teeth continue to grow and naturally wear, so its bite is constantly changing. Regular dental examinations are important to identify sharp edges or misaligned molars that could make eating uncomfortable.