Strawberry pots aren’t just for the fruit
You’ve seen them — those odd planters that look like buildings with windows and balconies on their sides. Maybe you’ve planted strawberries in them. Or maybe you’ve just never understood them Typically made of terracotta, the pots are usually tall and urn-shaped, but...
Disc-cover golf another way
There’s the crack of the bat in baseball, the swoosh of the net in basketball, ... and for disc golf? It is the jangle of the chains when the disc hits the cup. You may have seen disc golf and its chain link baskets when visiting parks or recreation areas, and it may...
Soil is the foundation of your garden. Keep it healthy!
We all dream of it: A breathtaking, lush, verdant garden that nourishes our souls and makes us the envy of the neighborhood. But the garden is a structure, and like any structure, it requires a good foundation. That’s where soil health comes in. Soil is not just...
Feeders can welcome Orioles on deck
Hummingbirds and their feeders may be one of the more popular bird niches, but if you are looking to cater to another fun-to-watch bird, try attracting orioles. In Maryland, two main types of orioles return from the winter for breeding season. The most popular is the...
Farmer finds new niche in overwintering palm trees
As more people settle down along the Delmarva coast, especially for those seeking respite in retirement, they’re also often bringing dreams of creating their very own backyard oasis, palm trees and all The trouble is that most tropical plants like palms can’t survive...
Save money on garden gear with some creative recycling
With prices for many things creeping up this year, gardeners shopping for supplies might be looking to tighten their tool belts Before heading to the garden center, take a look around your home, garage, shed and recycling bin. There might be some perfectly good...
Tulips regarded as a seasonal staple
Spring in Maryland arrives with a mix of chilly mornings, sudden rain showers, and bursts of color across gardens and fields. Tulips aren’t usually the very first flower to poke out of the ground, but they often signal spring is here to stay. Tulips symbolize renewal...
Tip-toeing through the tulips just a short trip away
According to the University of Maryland Extension, tulips are an important crop for cut flowers, with growers using greenhouses or outdoor beds to supply markets from late winter through spring holidays like Easter and Mother’s Day. Several Maryland flower farms have...
Tolchester once a bustling amusement park
Greenhouse grower says how to start awesome annuals
John Whalen, a fourth-generation nurseryman and greenhouse grower in Toughkenamon, Pa., has a lot of experience and opinions on growing annuals and he’s not reluctant to share them. Speaking at a horticulture conference in Delaware this winter, Whalen outlined some of...
Pollinators eager to spring to it
Spring on the Mid-Shore brings a surge of color to gardens, forests, and fields — and with it, the return of essential pollinators. As temperatures rise and early blooms appear, bees, butterflies, birds, and other species emerge to feed on nectar and pollen, playing a...
Matchmaking plants to soil type can keep weeds in check
When it comes to native plants, Landscape designer Larry Weaner says “break the rules” and plant wide swaths beyond the scale of an isolated garden bed. Weaner has spent a lifetime observing how plants grow and proliferate in nature, starting as a child studying wild...
Box tree moth emerges as latest U.S. invasive pest
There’s a new invasive pest from Asia attacking a popular ornamental evergreen shrub in the United States, the boxwood (Buxus spp.) The box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis), completes its development mainly on boxwood. Capable of spreading 100 miles in a year, the...
Hellebores offer sneak peek at spring’s blooming colors
When winter grips the landscape and most plants are dormant, hellebores quietly step onto the garden stage. Often blooming from late winter into early spring, these hardy perennials are among the earliest flowering plants for gardeners. With their nodding, rose-like...
MANTS offers a preview of new garden trends for upcoming season
This is the gray and brown season in our garden, but that doesn’t stop we gardeners from dreaming of the garden season to come. Your local garden centers and nurseries are busy preparing for the growing season during these “slower” winter months by ordering new...
Asian Lady Beetles can be relentless
Not a polka dot nor a wing to be seen one day… swarms of them the next! Children may say, “ladybugs!” while you may say, “What the heck!” Commonly mistaken with more loveable ladybugs, Asian Lady Beetles have come into many Maryland homes with vengeance. The good news...
Use AI help your green thumb through
Artifical Intelligenece and Chat GPT are officially here for everyone, not just tech geniuses!. You may have already dipped your toes in, using a fun filter on a photo, gotten help for the perfect wording for a tricky e-mail or an idea for what to make for dinner. But...
Gardening trends for 2026
In 2026, people are finding sweetness in unexpected places, according to Garden Media’s annual trends report. From cozy games to catios, the report points to consumers embracing small joys and simple pleasures that brighten daily life. The name given to this cultural...
Underappreciated holiday flower has upside-down blooms
If I asked you to name a holiday flower, my guess is poinsettia, amaryllis or paperwhite would be the first to come to mind. But there’s another, underused seasonal plant that deserves attention. Allow me to introduce you to cyclamen. There are roughly two dozen...
Wilson woodwork helping to save history
Greg Wilson had been tinkering in woodworking for years after retirement from the U.S. Navy in 2005, making a lot of lamps and other items, and dabbled in furniture restoration, but “nothing major” until this fall. Furloughed from his current work at the National...
Mahjong: Fit to be tiled
Looking for a trendy and social hobby, but maybe not ready to brave pickleball? A bruise-free alternative is trying out the game Mahjong. As with many things, everything old is new again. In Mahjong’s case, very old, with a start that dates back hundreds of years ago...
