There’s still time for great nearby summer trips
The 12-week stretch of summer sunshine always seems so long, but it goes by in a breeze! Planning a last-minute jet ride off to Hawaii might be out of the question, but there’s lots of last-minute fun to be had on the Eastern Shore and nearby. Here’s a few ideas to...
Dividing perennials: Handle with care
Perennials are plants that die back to the ground with the first freeze but reappear in spring. Perennials may cost more than annuals initially, but you don’t have to buy them again and can enjoy them year after year. An added advantage is that many of them spread to...
Shore sourced: Build a local burger
The thing about a burger is that they can be a simple and quick dinner or they can be dressed up into a fancy gourmet meal. We’ve all heard of the burgers of folklore, costing in the four digit realm. One, the “Golden Boy,” created by a chef in the Neverlands, is...
Between the buns: Condiments are essential
Summer is a time for you to get sweaty, but your food to get saucy. Chances are, you have a whole refrigerator door of condiments. A mustard too spicy, another too sweet. A mayonnaise that you love to mix in with a tangy barbecue. An intriguing sauce that you bought...
Mason Dixon Outfarm graces scene in wildflowers
Shayne Darling-Meyer has always been free-spirited and wild, so it’s not surprising that she is passionate about wildflowers and native plants. She is also described as “creative, compassionate and kind-hearted” — so much so that she can’t stand to see a flower...
Go bug-free? Maybe not such a good idea
Many of us consider insects as something to be feared, an annoyance to be swatted or a germ-carrier to be stomped on. Maybe it’s time to reconsider. Many children are afraid of bees, most of which can’t or won’t sting unless threatened. I have a healthy respect for...
Hydrangeas offer splashes of color throughout Delmarva
Hydrangeas come in a wide variety of flowering shrubs that grow well on the Delmarva Peninsula, and some of them are native to the United States. H. macrophylla Perhaps the most familiar hydrangeas are the French or florist-type bigleaf hydrangeas, Hydrangea...
Stay cool with homemade popsicles
Does the ice cream truck rarely make it down your street? Fret not, pick up a set of inexpensive popsicle molds and get busy making your own treats — without the annoying music. With summer approaching, making popsicles can check a few things off the summer bucket...
Wildflowers allowed to take over
There’s a lot of history at Wye Farm in Queenstown, going back centuries in Anne Habberton’s family. Her and her husband Jon Shaw’s recent efforts to enhance wildlife and plant diversity is as much focused on the future as it is in bringing back aspects of the past....
Black Eyed Susan is a Maryland all-star
There are some things that are just so Maryland: Old Bay and crabs, of course — but also, the simple, cheery look of Black Eyed Susans, rudbeckia hirta, along roadside stands. When it comes to a state symbol, the Black Eyed Susan has Old Bay beat by more than 20...
Dream Weaver: Walton finds solace in fiber art
Jenny Walton’s daughter doesn’t weave but she was instrumental in her mother learning how to do it. It was her daughter’s fifth birthday and Walton selected a child’s loom for a gift. As they were getting it set for the first time, Walton said she got things going...
‘Foodscaping’ slips vegetables among flowers
I recently started my seeds – tomatoes, cucuzza squash, climbing zucchini, golden beets, Florida cranberries, nasturtiums, zinnias, edelweiss, various herbs and Roma beans. Come planting time, they also won’t all fit in my 4-by-4-foot raised beds, grow bags, Earth...
Eastern Redbud a reliable harbinger of spring’s arrival
Like a lot of us, the Eastern Redbud simply can’t wait very long for spring to come. It pushes out flowers even before its leaves break through. Known as the harbinger of spring, delicate blossoms and buds are one of the most dramatic displays of color at a time when...
Students recreate ‘Rooted in Community’ display
One of the more eye-catching exhibits at the Philadelphia Flower Show in March was “Rooted in Community,” a depiction of The Spring Gardens Community Garden in Philadelphia put together by the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society Flower Show Club at the University of...
Crafting workshops in vogue
Spring often feels like a fresh start and a time to try something new, as well as a time to break out of hibernation. With many local artisans hosting workshops and classes at social spaces, there is surely an interesting one happening near you that can check both...
Add something new to your garden
It’s a special kind of joy that only a gardener could understand. I always get an extra spring in my step when nurseries begin stocking the year’s new plant introductions. 2024 brings new annuals and perennials that will make any plant lover bloom from ear to ear....
Talbot County homes featured in Maryland Pilgrimage tour
Talbot County is steeped in more than 350 years of American history. Named in honor of Lady Grace, wife of Sir Robert Talbot and sister of Cecilius Calvert, second Lord Baltimore, Talbot County was settled by the English about 1661. With more than 600 miles of...
Thread painting a dream scenario for Schauer
When Susan Fay Schauer says she dreamt up her art form, she’s not kidding or using a figure of speech. With years of success as a portrait artist, and a diverse career ahead of that involving neuroscience, wood turning and owning a yacht rental company, the pandemic...
Airfields that once were
While studying local history, my guess is that the subject of abandoned airfields does not often come to mind. However, many dot the landscape of the Eastern Shore and reveal some interesting tales Perhaps one of the most recognizable is what was once known as Tred...
What are your garden goals?
What are your garden goals this year? Not your plans — but your goals. Like any goals we optimistically set for a new year, it’s helpful to look back on last year. Now that your personal goals have had a few weeks to get going, shift your attention to making next...
MANTS offers remedy for cabin fever
As I write this, it is steadily snowing outside my window — yet, spring will be here soon! Your local garden centers, nurseries, and landscape designers are preparing for the busy growing season ahead by ordering new products, gathering inspiration, and collecting...
