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...
Give caterpillars a ‘soft landing’ under your trees
If you’re like most well-intentioned gardeners, you might give a lot of thought to planting the “right” plants to nourish pollinators and other wildlife, with nectar, pollen, seeds and fruit. But have you given much thought to those animals’ habitat? In addition to...
Transform fallen leaves into valuable leaf mold this fall
There are a lot of leaves outside my window, and I’m guessing your view might be similar. This carpet of dead foliage is often viewed as a nuisance, but it can be an important component in the garden. I’ll push a 3-inch layer of them into beds and borders to serve as...
Thanksgiving: ‘It’s a really nice time of year to run’
Thanksgiving is a holiday built around traditions: The same food, the same people and in a lot of cases, the same places. One tradition that continues to gain a following is participating in a race or other run/walk event. More than 1 million people will lace up their...
Festival of Trees ready to celebrate 40 years
After experiencing the loss of a loved one who was an early patient of Talbot Hospice, Midge Fuller and her friend Leslie Ware began a crusade and spent a year organizing the very first Festival of Trees in 1985. They traveled to Wilmington, N.C. to see firsthand how...
Environmental Concern evolving, but mission remains the same
Environmental Concern has underwent extensive changes in recent years, but its mission to create and restore wetlands, promote native plants, and create healthier shorelines for generations to come remains the same. Following the sale of its St. Michaels property in...
Transform your festive dining setup without breaking the bank
As we head towards the holiday season, the pressure to create the perfect dinner table setting looms large. But achieving that high-end, magazine-worthy look doesn’t have to mean emptying your wallet on expensive decorations and fancy tableware. Caitlin King, CEO of...
Enlist a scarecrow for your yard
Looking for a greeter for your doorstep or a guardian for your garden?. Carving pumpkins might get much of the glory for fall crafting, but don’t forget about the fun of making a scarecrow. Many of the supplies you’ll already have around your home to create the...
Brighten winter with indoor blooms by forcing spring bulbs to flower early
If the wait for bulbs to bloom in spring seems excruciatingly long, you can pot some up now and enjoy a floriferous winter indoors. Gardeners are constantly gaming the system, using fertilizers to force plants to direct energy toward more blooms, more fruit or faster...
Dulin thrives in turning old into new again
Much of what Webb Dulin uses in landscaping his Dorchester County property has been around for years, even decades. But he takes pride in giving it a fresh look several times a year. Using antique farm and household items, Dulin turns old into new again. His long...
Pumpkin puree a promise to the future
Between the flavored lattes, donuts and farm markets, it’s pretty easy to track down pumpkin and pumpkin flavored food this time of year. But, that get’s a lot tougher after Halloween to say nothing of the spring and summer months. Now’s the time to preserve fresh...
