Plant pairing sites prepare combo platter
As a former editor of The Mid-Atlantic Grower newspaper for horticulture and a garden club member, I get lots of e-mails about gardening. Recently an e-mail from Proven Winners announced the launch of a new, free “Perfect Plant Pairings” tool which was developed to...
Growing ‘forgotten fruit’
If you could choose any fruit tree to grow, which would you pick?. Today’s iconic standby, the apple, would likely be the most popular answer. But some area growers with a taste for adventure are branching out, helping to carve a new niche for forgotten native...
Help out those hummingbirds … naturally
One of the sweetest visual treats of spring is viewing those visiting bejeweled beauties, hummingbirds. To keep the seasonal spectacle going, people often double down in their feeding efforts, dutifully purchasing or making syrup, filling, then rigorously cleaning...
A plan to can is a plan for the future
There’s no need to go into detail that 2020 was strange, but one good thing that may have come out of it is more downtime and many people looking to grow and preserve their own food. The process offers a way to cut grocery costs and boost the body with more healthy...
It’s just the way the worm turns
Not all worms are created equal. Gardeners typically consider worms “the best thing you can do for your soils.” But that is not true, asserts Ryan Hueffmeier, director of the Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Center in Minnesota. He was the speaker in a recent Zoom...
When a nest can become a pest
A popular and pesky spot that birds choose to nest, such as this mother blackbird and her chicks, are the corners of a porch or garage roof. There’s something so fascinating about finding a bird’s nest as a child. A little home crafted by birds using bits of nature to...
Classical arrangement: New life for vintage jewelry
Some 40 years ago, Nancy Jarvis opened her front door to find a large unlabeled box she wasn’t expecting. Upon opening it, she found it full of artificial flowers and it fueled her craftiness and creativity. “I just went crazy,” she said. “I started making wreaths and...
Victory garden guru helps create home-grown veggie bliss
Self-described “novice lettuce grower” Page Lansdale was also his family’s lone tomato lover, and he brought forth a crop a few years back. But, in a Claiborne neighborhood laden with Master Gardeners, he yearned for his own vegetable garden. As if by fate, a friend...
Paice’s burning passion for teaching sprouts into sowing secrets
Jena Paice has had a winning way with veggies throughout her 20-year organic farming adventure. The Talbot County cultivator, branded as Spirit Grower, has gained local renown and loyal customers, among them several area eateries, and home gardeners, who rave about...
St. Patrick’s Day planting said to bring good luck
Hard work and patience are important tools for any gardener. But a bit of luck also goes a long way! A four-leaf clover tucked inside an overall pocket might be one way to guarantee a providential outcome. However, as most Master Gardeners know, getting plants into...
Phlox offers a little bit of everything
At the turn of the 20th century, phlox was a mainstay in most gardens for its numerous varieties, soft colors and versatility. Its popularity faded after World War II as perennial gardens became viewed by many as too old-fashioned but has since made a comeback with...
Technology helping us to connect in pandemic
Keeping in touch in current times can be difficult with restrictions, but the pandemic has also shown the importance of reaching out to your loved ones. From the elderly living alone or in assisted living, college kids who aren’t able to easily travel home as often,...
Creativity hanging on by a thread
Before the trees at the Adkins Arboretum naturally show their color this year, a group of creative people are giving some an early burst through the center’s yarnstorming event. With aliases like yarn bombing, guerrilla knitting and “kniffiti,” yarnstorming is a form...
Displays say: ‘Love thy neighbor’
February on the Eastern Shore can be bleak; the sparkle and excitement of the holiday season have passed, and the dreary, gray winter days fade quickly into dark, chilly evenings. An uplifting sight, however, can be found on Talbot Street in St. Michaels every year...
‘Love Letters to the Shore’ documentary lauds locals’ way of life
For those in the know, it’s common knowledge that Maryland’s Eastern Shore has served as the stage for many movie favorites. Just to name a few, scenes of “Wedding Crashers” were filmed near St. Michaels, parts of “Runaway Bride” were shot in Snow Hill and Berlin, and...
Gardening witnessing resurgence of interest
With 2021 well under way, the new year for gardeners is right around the corner. Each year, Garden Media Group issues a trends report, discussing what’s popular and emerging on the gardening scene. “This year, we had to scrap many trends we had identified and examine...
Macramé returns as a groovy way to keep hands busy
For many, macramé harkens back to the Bohemian style of the 1970s with accessories and decoration made of intricately-knotted rope with beads and other flourishes. Now, macramé is groovy again for people looking for a fairly quick and easy craft to learn that keeps...
A hobby with every fiber of your being
Michelle Follett refers to her relatively new shop, in downtown Cambridge, as a “destination for the serious and the curious.” Those already involved in weaving and textile arts are summoned into Michelle Follett’s Textile Teachings with beautiful fiber of every color...
Honey, be the bees’ knees
Many hobbies that revolve around the outdoors often bring benefit to the environment and even with its truly unique qualities, beekeeping surely falls into that category. Honeybees fall prey to a full slate of issues, from tiny mites that infest hives to chemical...
The Chair Whisperer
Chairs may seem like humble functional objects. But over time, those companion pieces can feel almost like old friends. Even as we quickly glance over, they can evoke loved ones we still envision sitting there. They’re also teachers, transporting us to bygone eras of...
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