New home products for 2020 just might save you money
“A lot of people really don’t like their cable bill,” stated Boyce Thompson, the author of three books on residential design and construction and one of the featured exhibitors at this fall’s Maryland Home and Garden Show, where he showcased his “Top 10 Life-Changing...
Construct wooden decorations for your garden
Wooden home decorations are an excellent choice for creating a beautiful and cozy home. You do not have to purchase all your wooden decorations; you can make some. Wood is readily available and you may even pick small logs while walking in the woods. Once you have...
Ride out the winter in the garage
Gardening is not just a beloved pastime for many Americans; it’s also a way to get exercise, to get the mental health benefits of spending time outdoors, and to take a little time for themselves during the day. That’s why so many people stick to gardening and...
Trending: Ecological backyard solutions
Although last fall’s edition of the Maryland Home & Garden Show showcased more home than garden, two of the show’s garden exhibitors had some novel gardening ideas that reflected a few of 2019’s top gardening trends, all of which look to continue to grow into...
Zajic’s homegrown botanic gem thriving
Down a private road in Sussex County, Del., is a garden that backs up to Old Mill Creek, the eastern-most branch of the 150-acre Red Mill Pond. This American-style called Mill Pond Garden, is designed by its owner, Michael Zajic, a former horticultural supervisor of...
Train garden on track for 85th year
Last summer I spotted an elf at work in downtown Cambridge. Wearing offseason attire — shorts and t-shirt — he hunkered amidst a gaggle of model train equipment inside the “old” firehouse, the door ajar to let in some air. Waving me inside, it seemed like Christmas in...
Ginger snaps can be a snap, if you want a ‘snap’
For many, Christmas just isn’t the same without the smell of ginger wafting through the kitchen as cookies rest on the counter. Ginger snap lovers often fall into one of two categories, however; those who like a true “snap” when a bite is broken off and those who...
Holly Shimizu’s garden offers new life at historic Lewes property
On a busy corner of that two-lane highway in Lewes, Del., sits an nearly 300-year-old home with a new garden surrounding it. The front is a mosaic of textures, colors, and patterns — around the back, even more garden beds are stuffed full of treasures waiting to be...
Rhodes’ annual train set with lighted houses always draws anticipation from visitors
Charlene Rhodes almost didn’t put up her display of lighted houses and model trains this year but once word got out, family and friends that enjoy it each year had other ideas. “One of my nieces said, ‘Well, what are we going to look at?” Rhodes said, gazing over the...
Mid-Shore Holiday Events
Garage tips for making your cool-weather gardening easy, fun
Gardening is not just a beloved pastime for many Americans; it’s also a way to get exercise, to get the mental health benefits of spending time outdoors, and to take a little time for themselves during the day. That’s why so many people stick to gardening and...
With care, fall mums can be part of springtime planting next year
After the smiles on Jack O’ Lanterns start to droop to the side, most folks are tempted to toss their whole fall setup and move on to the next holiday. While those pumpkins can enjoy a second life as compost, taking a little care of the mums in your fall display can...
Sweet potatoes step up to plate
The local farmstands and farmers’ markets that are still open may not have the summer favorites anymore, but sweet potatoes are in stock as its rise in popularity continues. During World War II, sweet potatoes had a heyday, with about 3 billion pounds produced...
Become a basket case in the winter
As winter approaches, hanging baskets and planter boxes aren’t necessarily something you need to store away with the lawn furniture. Spruced up correctly, they can “hang out” and look festive through the winter months without looking like leftover Halloween décor. The...
Extend that growing season
With temperate weather lasting well into October this year, did it seem a shame to put the vegetable garden to bed? Were you tempted to keep right on growing, even as the air got crisper and the leaves continued to fall? Can you imagine serving freshly picked tomatoes...
Delaware Botanic Garden opens
It takes your breath away. The two-acre Meadow Garden at the newly-opened Delaware Botanic Garden in Sussex County was designed by world-renowned landscape designer Piet Oudulf. It is probably why you made the trip, but until you see it in person, you are not prepared...
Need sleep? Houseplants can help
Do you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting enough sleep? If you do, you’ve got lots of company. You’ve also got a slew of experts studying the problem, plus plenty of wellness prophets hoping to sell you on their solutions. If you’re too...
Artful pumpkins are a touch of glass
Fall is forever pumpkin season. But handcrafting, instead of planting, creates some of today’s hottest varietals, harvested from molten glass, plush velvet and sparkling Swarovski crystals. From the Corning Museum of Glass in New York to the Morton Arboretum in...
Espalier fruit trees definitely worth the fruits of the labor
When apple season arrives, the dream of enjoying one’s very own apple orchard often beckons. That dream may seem out of reach to those with downsized yards, but it doesn’t have to be. With recent talk of food scaping, it’s worth exploring a vintage version of edible...
There’s no shortage of ghost walk tours in Shore’s older towns
Leading up to Halloween, houses, meeting halls, corn mazes and woodland trails get converted to fright-filled fall events with plastic masks, fake blood and any other manner of deceptive gore. But the creepy histories of some of the oldest towns on the Eastern Shore...
The Joy of Sedum
The succulents known as sedums are renowned for bringing joy to even the least practiced gardener. Available in about 500 varieties, they’re among the most fuss-free florae to grow and care for, easy-going about soil type and water required (as succulents, they carry...
