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....
New Plants and Products Preview
Snowdrops and Winter Aconite are starting to pop up in gardens across the region – spring will be here soon! Your local garden centers, nurseries, and landscape designers are preparing for the busy growing season ahead by gathering new product ideas, inspiration, and...
Acts of charity shouldn’t stop just because holiday season is through
The holiday season has always been considered a time of giving along with celebration, not only to loved ones but to those who may be struggling in your community. From gift drives to coat collections to canned food drives, the winter season has several opportunities...
Bokashi is enjoying a revival
Composting has become a household word, thanks to patient but proactive home gardeners who are seeking a natural soil supplement and hoping to keep food waste from landfills. Composting is characterized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a process using...
Beat cabin fever right here on Shore
Winter can be a tough time to stay active and maintain morale. The days are short, the winds are sharp, and outdoor activities are few and far between. Nonetheless, these next few months are a terrific time to take advantage of some local activities that will help you...
Hawkins has longtime touch of glass
Lori Hawkins still has the first piece of stained-glass art she made some 35 years ago. While most of her other works decorates other people’s homes, that first piece, a pair of tulips survived a devastating hurricane and then made the trip from Florida to her home in...
Passive hydroponics offer a simple solution for growing indoor greens
The season for indulgent holiday feasting will soon be followed by fervent New Year’s resolutions to eat healthy. Having access to fresh salad greens grown inside your home, ready to harvest and enjoy all winter long, could provide just the satisfying, nutritious...
Trevor’s Heroes effort strives to get each local veteran grave a wreath
During the holidays, it’s common for relatives to visit the graves of loved ones and beautify the resting places with flowers, ornaments and wreaths. For the last five years, Dorchester County youngster Trevor Geer and his family have placed wreaths at the graves of...
Iris grower finds joy in breeding new varieties
For decades, Pat McNeal had the same dozen or so irises in her flowerbeds. She maintained the beds and plants just as she did the rest of her landscape. But while tooling around the internet in 2007, she came across iris varieties she had never seen before and got...
Keep those poinsettias alive for next year
Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are popular winter houseplants because they flower in mid-winter, and their beauty comes from colored leaves or bracts, instead of flowers, making their attractiveness long-lasting: Some gardeners are not satisfied with this long...
Holiday Events
Cookies Just 4U
Turn Halloween pumpkins into treats for pigs and other critters
Even before the calendar or temperature announces the arrival of fall, a plethora of pumpkins seem to magically appear on every home gardener’s available outdoor space. The seasonal decorative bonanza culminates with Halloween. Come November, much of this pumpkin...
Pumpkins are welcome by wildlife, too
If you don’t live near a farm that’s taking pumpkins for its livestock, there are other ways to recycle your gorgeous gourds. Here are several all-natural ways to recycle them with local wildlife in mind, courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation. 1. Compost Your...
What’s your ‘garden horoscope?’
(Editor’s note: For the uninitiated, becoming a plant parent can feel like an undertaking of cosmic proportions. Not sure which specimens are for you? Let the planets dictate your picks. In honor of the 30th anniversary of the University of Delaware’s Botanic Gardens,...
