The Dandelion Dilemma
Having a pristine lawn — an enviable lush, green, monolithic, manicured carpet of sod or turf grass — has long defined homeowner pride and curb appeal. How this ideal took hold on the American homefront has been the subject of scholarly and popular exploration. Many...
Did you happen to find a fallen bird egg?
Images of bird eggs nestled in nests are among the sweetest annual offerings of springtime, but sometimes the eggs go astray, landing in lonely spots on the ground. When coming across such a wayward specimen, the instinct to rescue often kicks in, but often carries a...
Use fireflies to highlight a summer garden
To some people they’re lightning bugs, to others, fireflies. For Dr. Sara Lewis, they’re silent sparks illuminating the early summer night sky. On a personal and professional quest to better understand the amazing science behind lightning bug luminescence, Lewis, a...
St. Michaels Community Garden marks 10th anniversary
This year, the St. Michaels Community Garden celebrates its 10th year of providing community members with space to grow vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruits for personal consumption or for donation, as chosen by the gardeners themselves. The garden community shares...
Get pole lima beans started off right
Large-seeded pole lima beans are a unique crop produced by direct market growers and home gardeners in the Mid-Atlantic region. Unlike most legume crops, pole lima beans are usually transplanted into the field. This is because seed is expensive and sometimes hard to...
Councell family falls for Catrup Farm
(This article is part of a series that spotlights historic farmhouses in Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne’s, Kent and Talbot counties. These homes are being given new life by the younger generation that lives in them presently.) Last year when the Catrup Farm on Dover...
‘Tis the season for strawberry treats
New plants, products for garden
Your gardens are starting to break from their dormancy, but all winter things were happening below the soil surface as roots grew, strengthened, and took in nutrients. Your local garden centers, nurseries and landscape designers also spent their winters preparing for...
Nagel Home Farm boasts rich history
(This article is part of a series that spotlights historic farmhouses in Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne’s, Kent and Talbot counties. These homes are being given new life by the younger generation that lives in them presently.) In her novel The Book of Stillmeadow,...
Q&A: Big ideas for small spaces
Being hemmed in by a small space — be it an apartment balcony, tiny urban patio or a front step — doesn’t mean you have to give up on your garden dreams. According to authors Kathy Jentz and Teri Speight, there are numerous ideas available to turn growing dreams into...
Get made in the shade with Rhododendrons
Rhododendron is a good option for partially-shaded areas but not all may thrive the way you want. With 1,200 species in the genus and more than 28,000 cultivars in the world, it’s important to select from the right group when trying to cover a moderately shady spot....
Ears to a succulent Easter
Flowers and bunnies mark the traditional signs of Easter everywhere. In recent years, though, a unique botanical adorably bridging flora and fauna has emerged. Commonly called the bunny ear succulent, Monilaria moniliformis features budding green leaves bearing an...
Fruitful lemon tree has evolved into a fun family project
For years I’d flip past the citrus section of plant catalogs, with just a hint of jealousy, sighing to myself that I’ll just take my Corona without a hint of lime and that plain ole’ water would suffice in summer rather than fresh squeezed lemonade. But one fine day I...
Dukesdale makes a lasting impression
(This article is part of a series that spotlights historic farmhouses in Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne’s, Kent, and Talbot counties. These homes are being given new life by the younger generation that lives in them presently.) When Brianna and George Paugh turned...
Great Scot, it’s Irish Heather!
During this month of St. Patrick’s Day, the plucky green Shamrock might be the first plant that springs to a gardener’s mind. But devoted lovers of all things Emerald Isle related might also conjure a mental landscape carpeted with Irish heather. If you’re imagining...
Don’t be naive: Give a native cutting garden a try
Gardeners are getting on board with using native plants to create a more sustainable landscape for birds, bees, butterflies, and bugs. But how about those hoping for a harvest of cut flowers to beautify bouquets, enhance arrangements, and grace a vase for more than a...
Farmhouse offers charm respite, for Rolands
(This article is part of an ongoing series that spotlights historic farmhouses on the Mid-Shore. These homes are being given new life by the younger generation that lives in them presently.) To put it briefly, it was love at first sight for Lauren Roland. She and her...
Hoya kerrii shows a lot of heart
With its signature heart-shaped leaves, it’s pretty obvious why the Hoya kerrii plant has become so popular around Valentine’s Day. But how it compares and contrasts to a real loving relationship, metaphorically speaking of course, may not be as crystal clear. “These...
Habitat for Humanity’s toolbox expands
Habitat for Humanity Choptank’s mission to help Mid-Shore residents realize the dream of home ownership has become widely known and well respected. Now the organization can add on to that valuable role by bringing home repair and neighborhood revitalization...
Enlightening advice for indoor plant growers
The season for “decking the halls” with festive greenery has passed. But having indoor plants through the winter can keep the joy coming, while also enhancing our physical and emotional health. But partaking of those benefits can be challenging for those with limited...
Helping birds after the last leaf falls
As colder, shorter days and frostier nights arrive, some ruefully suggest that winter is “for the birds.” Turns out, when chilly winds blow, many Mid-Shore feathered backyard denizens do stick around. How do they fare foodwise during the colder months? And what’s the...
