For many of us, the start of summer sees the revival of personal traditions – whether it involves refreshing our outdoor furniture or planting a favorite flower. For Martha Stewart, summer tradition comes in the shape of container gardening that adorns the terrace of her Maine home.
'It’s a tradition I look forward to every year – planting all the beautiful containers up at Skylands, my home in Maine,' Stewart says. According to her blog, the 'iced terrace' overlooks Seal Harbor, located on the southeastern part of Mount Desert Island near Acadia National Park, Maine. The terrace is, as Martha says, 'brimming with beautiful, green plant life once again' – complete with large outdoor urns, pots, and planters.
Martha spends every Memorial Day weekend at Skylands, and part of the holiday includes filling the containers and placing them around the expansive terrace.
'It is quite an undertaking, but it's become a fun tradition, especially with the group that accompanies me,' Stewart says in the blog. 'As soon as I arrive there, I design the layout of where things will go, and we all get to work.'
As with all garden projects, planning ahead is key. The lifestyle guru says she decides where each plant will go before they are moved, which saves lots of time and energy. 'This year, we brought alocasias, agaves, palms, and so many more,' she adds. Alongside these large planters, Stewart brought a selection of smaller plants and ground covers to use as underplantings before adding succulent plants she grew in her greenhouse in Maine.
'The plants are carefully placed around the terrace, in or close to where they will be displayed for the season. The stone trough I bought at Trade Secrets in 2013. It has worked perfectly here at Skylands,' Stewart explains.
Following her recent partnership with Miracle-Gro (in an aptly named campaign called Gro with Martha), we were unsurprised to see that she chose this soil to fill her pots. She specifically turned to Scotts Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix that's blended for a wide variety of container plants. 'And don’t forget to feed – I always say, if you eat, so should your plants,' Stewart notes. She uses Scotts Osmocote to ensure her plants receive the essential nutrients they need to look great all summer long.
Stewart confesses that her Western Terrace is 'among my favorite summer meal spots' – and we can see why she finds it so special. We don't all need a space as expansive as hers to enjoy abundant containers that bring beauty to our outdoor space. All we need are some containers, the right soil and our favorite plants to create a space that's just as perfect for al-fresco dining all season long.
