Checking out this year’s line of new plants, products

May 1, 2018 | Features |

Do you ever wonder how new plants and products make it to the shelves and nursery benches at garden centers near you? Many gather in winter to do their ordering at the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show in Baltimore. At this year’s event more than 11,500 total registrants (including exhibitors), representing 46 states and 15 foreign countries, came to place orders, network, and learn. The show is technically only open to the horticultural trade, but the garden media is allowed access and I was excited to visit the more than 1,536 booths — covering 300,000-plus square feet of contiguous exhibit...

Philadelphia Flower Power

May 1, 2018 | Features, Sean Clougherty |

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Sale Barn rolls with punches

Apr 1, 2018 | Charlene Marcum, Features |

The Olde Sale Barn has been in Caroline County since the early part of the 20th Century. It has evolved from a livestock auction barn to an arena for amateur boxing matches to an antique mall with an event venue. The Olde Sales Barn’s transformation is a reflection of changes on Delmarva and on the American landscape. It is also a good example of repurposing and preserving a historic building. The 30,000 square foot building was built as a livestock auction barn around 1941. It was used as an auction barn from 1946 to 1980 according to Steven Cahall, father of the current owner Jodie Cahall. “All the lumber used to build it was taken from the woods on the lot,” Steven said. “It was an auction barn for a long time with a meat store down on the end.” “My sons used to work at the barn when they were younger,” he added. “Jodie always had a dream of owning the barn and having a business here.” Jodie now has several businesses on the property including a concrete shop, antique mall and a wedding venue. There are other family members who work at the Olde Sales Barn with Steven and Jodie. Jodie’s mom, Debra, and two brothers join dad Steven in part-time positions. Today the Olde Sale Barn is a beautiful reminder of a less complicated and more...

Checking out at the seed library

Apr 1, 2018 | Debra R. Messick, Features |

For the second growing season in a row, Mid-Shore residents once again can bask in the best of both worlds, courtesy of the Free Seed Library at Talbot County Public Library’s main branch, 100 W. Dover Street in Easton. Sponsored by the University of Maryland Extension Office, the Free Seed Library is aptly housed in an iconic wooden card catalog near the circulation desk, next to the copy machine, and just across the aisle from DVDs, with CDs, magazines, personal computers, and, of course, books, all within easy reach. Nostalgic ambience aside, the catalog’s drawers are perfectly sized for...

There’s always a few shady plants

Apr 1, 2018 | Features, Leslie Milby |

In a perfect world, we’d all have sunny, weed-free gardens but the truth is, it’s just not possible! Perhaps your only possible garden site is along a woodsline, or your yard is surrounded by woods, or, your garden might consist of planting boxes on your patio. While shade isn’t a deal breaker, you will have to take it into consideration. How Shady is it? If you know you have to deal with shade in your garden, the next step is to figure out how much shade you have by doing some “shade mapping.” Before you get to planting, take a day to watch the sun patterns. How many hours is your garden completely sunny, partially shaded, or fully shaded? Peek out your window between chores and jot down some notes. Be sure to note where the shadiest parts are if, like my garden, the sun is passing around something such as a tree or structure. No time to sit and watch the sun rise and set? There also are products that you can stick in your garden to give you a shade report after a 12-hour period. Generally, though, you can follow the rule of thumb that a north-facing garden will likely be shady while south-facing will get the full brunt of the sun, barring any special land characteristics. Shady Plants Turning to the back of your seed packet,...

Category: Features

Checking out this year’s line of new plants, products

Philadelphia Flower Power

Sale Barn rolls with punches

Checking out at the seed library

There’s always a few shady plants

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