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Martha Stewart is undeniably an icon, turning food and gardening and self care into a nearly billion dollar empire, and at 85, she shows no sign of slowing down. She's still actively gardening, cooking, and partying with celebs while still commuting into the office in New York City from her Bedford Farm. A self-proclaimed 'Dirt Nerd,' she recently joined Miracle-Gro as chief gardening officer. Here, she gave Brit + Co an exclusive peek into her fall gardening routine, and it's giving less "cozy hibernation" and more "four-acre woodland construction project." Here's everything she spilled.
Here's Martha's fall gardening advice for every skill level!
Martha Stewart on Fall Gardening
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Fall at her Bedford Farm home in New York means cleanup, decorative pruning, and the fun part: the harvest, which she describes as delightfully chaotic: "Giant yellow, red, and purple peppers, all the hot spicy peppers. We're doing okra. We have eggplants. So many eggplants." She's also celebrating a personal milestone, after what sounds like years of trying, she finally has "giant heads of iceberg lettuce."
Recipes From Martha Stewart's Garden
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And she's not just harvesting for fun. The eggplant overload is becoming miso eggplant this weekend, using her friend “Nobu," AKA acclaimed chef Nobu Matsuhisa's recipe, while the peppers are destined for ratatouille and stuffed peppers.
On the Birds & Bees (Literally)
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But the real showstopper? Martha revealed she's planting an entirely new four-acre woodland on her property, using trees she's grown herself from cuttings, some already five to eight feet tall. "We're doing sort of a crowded forest," she explains, adding that the goal is to "grow a woodland that will attract a whole lot of birds and insects." Dreamy!
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Right now, she's also getting spring-ready, tucking lilies, daffodils, crocus, and scilla bulbs into the ground, since they need a full winter underground before they bloom. Her one hard rule for home gardeners everywhere: know your climate zone before you buy anything. As she put it, don't try to plant a lemon tree somewhere it has no business growing.
Martha Stewart On Organic Gardening
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On pests, she keeps it classic and chemical-free: "I have fences and I do not use pesticides. I'm an organic gardener." Her broader gardening ethos: "I keep the earth clear around every plant. I try not to let it get weed infested."
Martha's Advice for Apartment Dwellers
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For apartment dwellers without four acres to spare, her advice is simpler: Lean into houseplants, which she calls "a big hobby for a lot of people now." She's partial to cacti, succulents, ferns, and orchids, though she's candid that "easy to grow" and "beautiful" don't always overlap. Her orchid secret is refreshingly low-key: buy healthy plants and just keep caring for them consistently.
Have a passion for gardening? Check out our Home page and Pinterest page for more inspiration!
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