Daylilies a real-life color-by-numbers
Daylilies got their latin name, Hemerocallis, from greek terms for “beauty” and “day.” They surely are beautiful but don’t let that “day” part throw you off! They are easy to grow and while a bloom might not last long, the plants produce plentiful blooms to add color...
Woodworkers: Live on edge with ‘higher power’
Making anything out of wood takes tools and plenty of hand work to reach a finished product. Local woodworkers add maintaining a live edge aesthetic to projects also relies on a higher power. Having part of the piece, whether it’s a cutting board, a desk or counter...
Wildflowers ‘make magic’ for wedding
The joy and hard work associated with growing things has always been second nature to Emily Jackson, the namesake of iconic Dorchester County family farm business, Emily’s Produce, now in its 24th season. Even as a youngster, she and younger brother Kyle were involved...
An age-old practice able to track nature’s “new normal”
Each growing season, gardeners yearn to learn the crucial dates indicating spring planting and first frost in fall. Seeking reliable guidelines, growers have regularly referred to the color-coded zone maps printed on the backs of seed packets, or their state Extension...
Summertime’s soundtrack
When summer rolls around, even if you can tucker your kids out enough to hit the hay, there’s still plenty of sounds around from all the critters. “Peepers” can be fun to listen to, but could you actually pinpoint what a “peeper” was? What about the other noises in...
It’s that berry sweet time of the year
Strawberry season is so close we can almost taste the juicy sweetness! While berries get trucked up from the south for the winter and spring, May is when Maryland’s you-pick fields and produce stands wow us with their field-fresh taste and flavor. For the months when...
Frases make ‘flowertainment’ their business
There’s some new entertainment in town, and it sure is colorful! As owner Kate Frase, owner of Vintage Family Farms in Hurlock, says, it’s “flowertainment!” Kate and husband Eric’s venture hopes to not only show off their sustainably grown flowers, but to become a...
Peonies a longtime staple in landscaping
Peonies have long been a garden favorite. In fact, some peony plants themselves have long been a favorite in the same garden for up to 100 years! Beautiful, fragrant and with hardy varieties, once a peony settles in, it can become a long-term piece of a home’s...
Perhaps overlooked, ranunculus can’t be forgotten
Ranunculus surely doesn’t roll off the tongue like “rose” or “daisy,” and might not be the first flower people can identify, but to gardeners and florists, they are a household name. Chances are, even if you aren’t sure what one looks like, you’ve seen them in...
Queen Anne’s County to host Maryland Home and Garden Pilgrimage on May 13
The Maryland Home and Garden Pilgrimage comes to Queen Anne’s County on May 13, making 11 stops at some of the area’s most historic homes and landmarks. Established in 1937, the mission of the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage is to preserve and to support the...
Spring bulbs are seasonal superstars
There are many signs of spring, but none more exciting to gardeners than the appearance of green shoots from spring bulbs. Crocus often poke out first, then followed by a flush of daffodils, allium, tulips and lilies. For Rachel Rhodes, University of Maryland...
Turn the page and find your book club
In every stage of my life, I’ve always been a reader. In the past few years with little kids who spend their evenings watching silly cartoons on TV on what seems to be a loop, I’m usually reading with a little lamp behind me while they sit in my lap, knocking my book...
When it’s time to part with a tree
Trees are not only treasured parts of our landscape. These silent sentries become deeply embedded in our world, providing shade, shelter, wildlife habitat, and beauty. Even more, trees serve as living calendars and, in a way, keepsakes, connecting us through each...
Oh, deer! Protect plants, property from wily wildlife
There is something instinctual about gardening in the spring. It can be so satisfying to work up the soil in raised beds to prepare for a vegetable garden, watch the bulbs you so carefully planted burst into bloom, or place a beautiful hanging basket on your front...
A beautifully busy season for orchid lovers
For its legion of dedicated admirers, the show-stopping beauty of orchids offers a bountiful visual feast anytime and anywhere. But for Mid-Atlantic orchid afficionados, late winter and early spring are especially bountiful, thanks to local clubs scheduling shows...
Phippins crafting opportunities for kids
With their relocation to the Eastern Shore from Tennessee, C.J. and Christopher Phippin quickly noticed that there weren’t nearly as many regular opportunities for outings geared towards kids with autism and special needs in the more rural areas of the Eastern Shore....
Purple Martins offer pest control, aerial antics for all to enjoy
Each spring, without fail, Purple Martins return to this region for the spring and summer. These native songbirds in the swallow family are a joy to behold as they dip and dive like bats, chirping and clicking happily. Males are a stunning blend of black, dark blue,...
‘Catching Shadows’ on display through April
If you’ve ever turned up arrowheads or other Native American artifacts in a freshly-tilled field or along the waterways on your farm or property, you know the exhilaration in finding treasure in the area’s history. With the traveling exhibit, “Catching Shadows,” the...
Birdie, its cold outside!
With a minimal investment and a little planning, you can experience the joy and wonder of backyard birding. And what better time of year than winter. A carefully placed feeder can provide hours of enjoyment for the whole family, all from the comfort of your home. What...
Tiny treehouses come from big imaginations
Anyone who had a treehouse as part of their childhood knows how it could allow the imagination to wander. It could be a castle one day, defending a monarch’s treasure, a pirate ship the next, and always a place to escape any unwanted realities of life. So impactful is...
Bringing native bees a home
Have you ever seen a native bee hotel? Hint: It isn’t shaped anything like a hive, and there’s not a drop of honey. But if you spot a structure resembling an open-faced bird house filled with circular nooks and crannies, you may have arrived at one without knowing it....
