If you’re a southerner, there’s no better place to be in July than in Maine. And, if you’re standing in a magical moss-filled forest with a castle of a house nearby a few hundred feet off the coast it’s even better.
That’s where I found myself about a month ago at Skylands, the summer home of Martha Stewart. My family and I had just pulled in to meet my friend Pat Cullina; Martha’s Skylands assistant Emilee; and Martha’s head gardener Mike Harding. Pat told me how amazing the horticulture and house were at Skylands and suggested that while I was speaking for the Beatrix Farrand Society in Maine I should see if I could visit. Of course I could have never dreamed just how wonderful this place could be.
If you’re unfamiliar with Skylands, the house was built by Ford Motor Company president Edsel Ford and his wife Eleanor. They had architect Duncan Candler design the 12-room house, and Mike told us that it just celebrated its 100th anniversary.
The forest floor was carpeted with moss.
We started by walking a quiet path through the woods to a small lost pool. Mike shared that Jens Jensen had designed the landscape around the house and had installed two lost pools, this being one of them. Mike talked about getting it ready to fill before Martha’s arrival in August.
A lost pool that Jens Jensen designed just waiting to be filled
As we walked further, Mike discussed the work that goes into keeping the moss in good shape by clearing the leaves, the efforts to keep the roads clean, and how the gravel has to be freshened every year because of the snow loads and plowing. We walked over to check out a new pool being built on the footprint of an old house. With the view in the distance, it’s going to be spectacular once complete. And, along the path we admired beautiful Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) that graced us with their blooms and the fallen art of petals underneath.
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) in full bloom
I just love the fallen art these Kalmia latifolia create, and the thin rill is a nice touch.
A few mountain laurel flowers caught on fern fronds.
The view of Seal Harbor from an open spot at Skylands
We then walked down to the carriage house to see the cut flower garden. Raspberries grew near the building, and nearby was a greenhouse and an incredible stone outdoor lobster cooker. Mike paused just outside the cut flower garden to show us the moss he had collected. He uses pieces of nature he finds on the property to arrange ornate displays for the house whenever visitors come by.
My first outdoor lobster cooker I’ve seen. I don’t think I’ll ever see a better one!
The raspberry trellis near the stables was a clever idea for growing fruit for easy access.
Mike’s collection of moss and lichen for indoor creations
Mike opened the gate, and we found the cut flower garden in full production, with glorious Delphinium (delphinium), Zinnia (zinnia), Digitalis (foxglove), Dianthus (pinks), and other flowers coming into bloom. I also noted the beautiful trellising of cucumbers on the side of the house. He briefly took us into the stables, where horses were once kept, along with some of Martha’s carriages and other collections—all protected under white-draped sheets.
A collection of flowers just outside the cut flower garden
I loved the color echo between the Borago officinalis (borage) and Papaver (poppy).
Delphinium and Digitalis were in full bloom in the cut flower garden.
A row of Dianthus (pinks) with lilies in bud behind.
I loved seeing this neat and ordered cut flower patch with Rudbeckia (black-eyed susan) and Zinnia (zinnia) just coming into bloom.
Cucumbers find their way upward on this rustic wooden trellis.
From there, we made our way toward the house along a path freshly covered in pine needles. Along the way, we noticed a miniature grove of Amanita mushrooms. Mike paused to show us the playhouse, complete with a pool table, squash court, and more. From there, we walked up toward the main house and saw the guest house and surrounding grounds. A little trail of lights led to the guest house, which must look wonderful at dusk.
Mike Harding pauses to inspect the fresh layer of clean pine needles being put on a path.
A little forest of warm-colored and potentially toxic Amanita mushrooms grow out of moss
Near the house, ferns and other wildflowers grow in abundance.
Mike and Pat both were commenting that the stonework at Skylands is some of the best you’ll see in Maine.
A view from the backside of Skylands where the house is just coming into view.
What a quaint path with little lights to guide walkers in the dark to the guest house.
Mike then showed us through a deer gate to a set of stairs that let us onto a lower platform where Rodgersia (rodgersia) and ferns lined the edges. He commented that deer had figured out how to climb the stairs! So the gate was a necessity.
Climbing the stairs with Rodgersia (rodgersia) and fern foliage provides perspective of the lower path below
We emerged onto a platform with plentiful foliage plants like Hosta (plantain lily), Actaea (baneberry), Rodgersia, and ferns. In the center was the beautiful statue La Riviere by Aristide Maillol, and the nearby Vaccinium (blueberries) shrubs echoed the statue’s color with their pewter blue foliage. It was here that I really started getting a sense of the color palette around the house at Skylands—a myriad of greens with blue, purple, maroons, grays, and pops of yellow mixed in.
La Riviere by Aristide Maillol rests amongst a host of colorful interesting foliage plants
Looking down on the beautiful foliage.
Mike then led us down a stone path where a collection of various conifers were planted. Mike explained how they’ve worked to balance the perfect amount of blue and green foliage in the planting. With the stonework and the ground layer vegetation, this garden looked like it had been plucked out of the Maine woods and plopped down right next to the house.
The conifer garden just off the terrace provides good texture.
From here, Mike took us to the front of the house at Skylands. He pointed out an area that had been planted with moss that was collected in the forest nearby. It had this interesting tapestry appearance as it began to grow and weave together.
Mike commented on how he planted this moss to help cover a bare spot.
At the front of the house was a circular drive where a variety of shrubs were planted. What struck me most about Skylands was how nature comes right up to the house. I mentioned this to Mike, and he said that’s exactly what they want visitors to feel—that there’s no disconnect between the house and nature.
Kalmia, Cotinus (smoke bush), and other plants add character to the rock cliffs near the welcome circular drive planting of the appropriately named Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’ and Dennstaedtia punctilobula (hay-scented fern).
I admired how nature came right up to the house at Skylands.
Verdant foliage on the west terrace gave a tropical feel to the Maine woods.
Mike then took us through the west terrace where tropicals in containers made us feel we were somewhere more tropical than the rugged coast of Maine. We then walked onto the back patio of Skylands where the color palette of a strong blend of neutrals using a myriad of greens with blues, grays, purples, and splashes of yellow added in here and there continued.
The back terrace was gorgeous. There was the perfect amount of plantings while also having plenty of space to entertain. Pat commented how Martha also really liked to collect concrete planters.
Another glimpse showing the plantings around the house and the intricacy of the windows.
Mike then walked us behind the house to show us another one of Jens Jensen’s lost pools. It was here that I found myself once again admiring how nature had been allowed to creep right up to the house. From there, we said our goodbyes and thanked Mike for his time.
After I returned home, I would read what journalist Karl Schriftgiesser wrote about Skylands in 1926. “The purpose was not to make a prepossessing place . . . belittling its neighbors in its grandeur. … The purpose was to blend the house with the hill, to make the two as much the part of each other as it is possible to combine a man-made affair with nature.” I thought that quote nicely summed up my experience to Skylands, and I’m so happy to see that Martha and her team continue that tradition to this day.
If we could all take that inspiration to make our homes and gardens appear like “a man-made affair with nature,” wouldn’t the world be a much better place?
One final view back at Skylands. Don’t you love how it feels like nature embraces the house?
Inspiration and Lessons from Skylands
Skylands is a big place. But, there’s still some inspiration we can apply at home. Here are a few ideas I took away from Skylands.
Let nature come up to your house. It’s okay to have trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses close by. It doesn’t all need to be perfectly formal with meatballed shrubs. A bit of wildness adds beauty.
Look to nature for design inspiration. Whether it’s sticks, grasses, moss, or pinecones, you can bring the outdoors in. I’m already thinking of what can I use nearby to make arrangements more engaging in our home.
Always have something blooming in the cut-flower garden. I was inspired to grow more cut flowers after seeing Martha’s cut flower garden. It takes planning to make sure that something is always in bloom.
Enhance the nature around you. At Skylands, they clear leaves and pine needles to encourage moss. I’ve done something similar at home by making sure our moss patch out back isn’t smothered by autumn leaves. What can you do to the natural areas around you or in your yard that will help enhance an already beautiful nature? Maybe it’s ripping out invasives, sowing more wildflower seed, or clearing views?
Be generous. I never imagined I’d visit Martha Stewart’s summer home, but because of her and her staff’s generosity, I was able to. It reminds me that in our own gardens, we can share plants, share knowledge, and help each other grow. So, thank you, Martha, Mike, and all those who tend this magical place.