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 most other plants are still waking up. The early blossoms draw in nectar-seeking insects, including several species of early-season butterflies. But this tree’s beauty doesn’t end with its flowery show. Unique and irregular branching patterns combine with a trunk that commonly divides close to the ground to create a very handsome ..read more

A double-decker raised bed of herbs, a montage of paintings by young students at a Montessori school and bee boxes borrowed from the University of Delaware’s apiary club highlight one section of an exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show entered by the university’s Pennsylvania Horticulture Society Flower Show Club. The display was intended as a miniature version of The Spring Gardens Community Garden in Philadelphia. (Photo by Carol Kinsley) 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 G ..read more

Workshops by Farm Girl Felts took off after a friend asked owner Paige Davis to lead a project for her book club. Now Davis holds four classes a month in Maryland and Delaware. (Photo by Paige Davis) 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 things off your spring list. Whether you choose to go by yourself or reunite with a group of friends, it is sure to be a fulfilling t ..read more

Ocean Sunset Orange Glow’s orange flowers with yellow centers and hot pink edges are about as cheerful as a flower can get. (Photo courtesy Darwin Perennials via Associated Press) 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. These are some of the standouts. Superbissima Wine Red from Cerny Seed is not your grandmother’s petunia (unless, of course, your grandmother plants it ..read more

Starting with a sturdy but modest homestead built in the very late 1700s, there have been numerous additions and renovations over the years to Chloras Point Farm: 1830, 1870, and several in the 20th century. (Photo courtesy Maryland Home and Garden Pilgrimage) 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 picturesque waterfront, the county’s manor houses along the creeks, rivers a ..read more

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(Editor’s note: DeeDee Wood is the owner of Black Cat Curiosities, an online antiques research and sales venue.) Many users of The Brownie admired the clear shots and were impressed by the quality of the film, which measured, in the initial size of the first Brownie, at around 2.25 inches for a negative. (Photo courtesy WikiCommons) Photography has a long history of trial and error, experimentation of materials, many different camera styles, and other attempts of capturing the world on film. In 1900, the public was introduced to something George Eastman, owner of Eastman Kodak Company, calle ..read more

Welcome to National Gardening Month! It is said that April showers bring May flowers, but Mother Nature had a different idea this year. March brought on spring early and many flowers and trees have already finished blooming. Remember one thing: Just remember that even though the air temperatures are warmer, the ground temperatures are still cold, so don’t be tempted to plant warm weather plants until the end of the month. It is a great time to divide and transplant hardy asters, chrysanthemums and other fall perennials now. Other established perennials such as helenium, phlox and shasta daisie ..read more

Each five-petaled, star shaped flower of the Viburnum carlesii starts out as dark pink to red bud that opens up to pure white, looking stunning beside the green leaves. (Photo by Ginny Rosenkranz) Some plants have it all, spring flowers, summer foliage, fall color and winter interest. The Viburnum carlesii, or the Spicebush Viburnum is a lovely deciduous shrub with silver gray branches that spread out near the ground and upwards in a loose rounded habit. In early spring the dark green irregular serrated leaves emerge on the silver stems opposite each other to showcase the bouquets of fragran ..read more