Martha’s Secrets for a Perfect Spring Landscape

America’s foremost gardening authority and a long-time SavATree customer shares exclusive spring secrets from her decades of garden mastery.

As one of our most loyal customers, Martha Stewart was kind enough to share her spring gardening secrets in an interview with our Executive Chairman, Daniel van Starrenburg, on a cold January morning. Her 156-acre Cantitoe Corners property glistened under a blanket of snow as Daniel and Martha sat perched at her kitchen island, enjoying homemade yogurt, croissants, jam, and cappuccinos, discussing the art and science of soil and plant health care.

With her credentials as a master gardener, author of numerous gardening books, including her 101st book, “Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook: The Essential Guide to Designing, Planting, and Growing” and host of countless television segments on the subject, Martha has become one of the most influential authorities on sustainable landscaping and plant care.

For nearly 45 years, Martha has trusted SavATree to maintain the vibrant landscapes of her iconic homes, including Turkey Hill Farmstead in Westport, Connecticut; her Lily Pond Lane home in East Hampton; Skylands, her sprawling summer estate in Seal Harbor, Maine; and her Cantitoe Corners farm in Katonah, New York. This exclusive interview highlights some of Martha’s most important tips for spring and summer.

The Foundation: Spring Garden Preparation

Q: How do you prepare your garden for spring?

Martha: This winter has been different because we’ve dressed all of our beds with my homemade compost— this rich black soil I call “black gold,” supplemented with Miracle-Gro Organic Raised Bed and Garden Soil (I have a lot of gardens to top dress). That’s always the first step, along with cleaning up debris, pruning the dead or dying plants, and shaping others. By spring, everything is ready to start growing.

It’s also important to pay attention to your local agricultural zone in the context of plant selection and caring for what you have. In the Northeast, we’ve shifted from Zone 5 to Zone 6 due to warming temperatures, which allows me to grow things now that I couldn’t a few years ago, like artichokes.

Q: What’s a common spring gardening mistake you think people should avoid?

Martha: Not preparing your garden beds properly. You must clean them and add nutrients. I make my topdressing with vegetable matter and manure—no meat or fish, although my father regularly placed fish heads in his gardens. I supplement with other trusted organic products from Miracle-Gro. Also, don’t overcrowd plants.

Q: You mentioned compost; do you also use biostimulants and soil amendments?

Martha: My plants are very well-fed. I use various biostimulants and plant foods. The key is testing your soil before starting a garden, and then repairing or amending it as needed. I recommend working with your local cooperative extension for soil testing. I test my own soil every other year and adjust minerals accordingly.

The Art of Summer Maintenance

Q: What are the biggest challenges to maintaining a thriving garden during summer?

Martha: Weeds are one of the biggest issues. I hand-weed, always pulling them out by the roots and discarding them in the garbage. I also cover new garden areas with tarps for a year to kill weed seeds before planting.

Irrigation is another priority. I prefer watering with hoses and with stand sprinklers. It’s more work, but it ensures we’re watering correctly. There are areas where my irrigation is automated, such as my pool lawn, which is the only manicured grass on my farm.

Q: How do you handle pruning and planting in the warmer months?

Martha: Judicious pruning is important. Don’t let plants get leggy or out of shape. We have two viburnums leaning to catch the light, so we need to gently encourage them upright. Also, when you buy a tree, make sure you remove all extraneous wrappings from the root ball before you plant it to promote healthy establishment and growth. Seek expertise when necessary. Your arborist knows how to take care of your trees and prune them properly. And you should only buy soil and plants from a reputable garden center or supplier.

Heritage of Horticulture Excellence

Q: Where does your deep-rooted inspiration come from?

Martha: I’ve been gardening since I was three. My father was a serious gardener—he had only a fifth of an acre in Nutley, New Jersey, but he gardened every single speck of that fifth acre. It’s in my blood to be a good gardener, but I’ve also developed good habits. There are rules to follow—some are strict, but there is flexibility in how you apply them. You can do whatever you want, but it’s about good soil, good food, and watering. Enriched soil is the secret.

My big motto is: “If you eat every day, so do your plants. If you drink every day, so do your plants. You have to feed them nutrients and water.”

Q: When did you first start learning about sustainable gardening?

Martha: I learned when I started my first serious garden in Westport, Connecticut, where I first met Ralph Robbins, the founder of SavATree. He and his arborists helped keep my four acres — and later six acres — very healthy. I started to plant trees and learn about landscape architecture. Before then, I really had no experience about which trees would be the right ones to plant. Ralph taught me a lot about maintaining a clean, healthy garden and the importance of shaping and caring for trees properly.

Q: How has SavATree been providing value to you at your Bedford farm?

Martha: Because we have a couple hundred types of trees and shrubs at my farm — SavATree always has an answer for challenges I encounter. I’m now trying to keep my 40-year-old American Beeches alive, and SavATree has been treating them and feeding them almost bi-weekly to maintain their health. I also use SavATree’s state-of-the-art plant health care program, Arbor Patrol, to monitor and treat all my trees and plants. It is clear they are keeping up with science and the latest research in the field. I take comfort in their expertise.

Q: What sets SavATree apart from other providers?

Martha: First of all, it’s the personal attention. But it’s also the level of expertise. I find the workmanship and depth of knowledge to be very valuable. And that’s what kept me a customer for the last 45 years.

Martha’s Favorites:

Shrub: The American Boxwood
I probably have over 5,000 Boxwoods and several varieties that I planted when I first moved here. I am so happy I did because I have hedges of boxwood. It looks like Belgium here.

Tree: Toss Up Between Hornbeam and Stewartia

My favorite tree is probably the Hornbeam. I have weeping Hornbeams and hedge Hornbeams. They are the prettiest trees. I also love Stewartia. I probably have 20 different varieties of Stewartias now.