Martha Stewart Living March 2022

MARTHA HAS MANY TALENTS. She is as strong in the kitchen as she is in the garden. She decorates and DIYs with equal drive and dexterity, and cleans like a mother: If there were ever a major flour-plant disaster or olive-oil spill, I’d want Martha in charge of cleanup. She’s a veritable track star of the home and field, and has clearly mastered all her events. But one of Martha’s greatest superpowers, in my opinion, is her ability to make the practical pretty. Remember when she first decanted dish soap into sleeker bottles with better spouts? Just a warm-up. Whether upgrading a utility or linen closet, a pantry or potting shed, she’s taught us there’s no reason your home can’t be hardworking, built to last, and beautiful, too. In that…

| ON THE ROAD | Ring in Spring On March 20, the National Cherry Blossom Festival unfurls in Washington, D.C., with four weeks of events, from family-friendly Petalpalooza—featuring live music, art installations, and fireworks—to the Blossom Kite Festival. It’s timed to the flowering of 3,020 trees given to the U.S. by Japan in 1912 (nationalcherryblossomfestival.org). Here, more ways to celebrate the season. COSTA MESA, CALIF. Nowruz, the Iranian new year at the vernal equinox, honors nature’s rebirth. Join the fête at the Pacific Symphony’s musical celebration on March 26. scfta.org SPANISH FORK, UTAH A twist on the Hindu spring ritual, the Festival of Colors on March 26 and 27 offers live music, yoga, and the customary throwing of brightly hued powders. festivalofcolorsusa.com EASTPORT, MD. At the Annapolis Maritime Museum’s Oyster…

I STARTED DREAMING about a vegetable greenhouse—a place where I could grow delicious, nutritious produce all year long—decades ago, when I met the organic farmer and author Eliot Coleman. Eliot was famous for developing a unique, year-round method of cultivating organic vegetables in the ground in unheated greenhouses in Maine, and was providing local restaurants and markets with glorious vegetables. I learned more techniques later at Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, in Pocantico Hills, New York. There, farm director Jack Algiere grows everything from seed in an immense, energy-efficient soil-based greenhouse, nurturing vegetables and fruits with incredible flavors. When I built this greenhouse, I initially sowed directly into newly dug beds in the floor. It worked, but the plants did not stay in tidy rows, which made it…

| FRESH STARTS | Morning Glorious Sitting down to a hearty breakfast doesn’t mean waking up at the crack of dawn on St. Paddy’s Day—or any day. These no-fuss egg cups require just five ingredients and 20 minutes of bake time, so you can rise and dine in no time. First, press slices of potato bread into greased muffin tins to create tasty baskets, then fill them with sautéed shallots, baby spinach, chopped corned beef, or other mix-ins (cherry tomatoes, cooked cabbage, shredded cheddar) from the fridge. Crack eggs on top, bake just until the whites wobble, and dish them out for guaranteed smiling eyes. 1 PREP CUPS Preheat oven to 375°. Brush 6 muffin cups (the deeper the better) with melted unsalted butter. With a rolling pin, slightly flatten 6…

Tech Help Sifting through look-alike thumb drives, cables, and cords can leave you—and your stuff—tied in knots. To organize phone and computer accessories, pop them into clear plastic containers, like the round jars we repurposed from an art-supply store, and old-school cassette and videotape cases with hinged lids that snap shut (yes, they still exist!). Label them, and then you can easily toss whatever you need in your bag on the way out the door. And when you WFH, your electronics can, too: If the drawer is in built-in cabinetry, use an easy-install docking drawer outlet kit to plug devices into; if it’s in a desk, skip the kit—just drill a hole in the back of the drawer. Last, insert a felt-lined tray as a soft landing pad for backup…

IF THE CONDITIONS IN YOUR YARD are less than ideal—hard, rocky clay soil; uneven terrain—raised beds are the ultimate work-around. These elevated mounds of earth, often contained by a rectangular frame, offer total flexibility: You can plot them wherever you want, fill them with your ideal blend of soil, and plant them more densely than a regular garden, which means fewer weeds. Plus, they warm up quickly in spring, so you can start growing earlier than if you were digging in the still-frozen earth. While the beds can initially be more expensive to set up and fill, they pay you back with productivity. See our step-by-step tutorial on the opposite page. How to Make a Raised Bed 1 SIZE IT Scout out your yard and decide what you want…