HOME & GARDEN
The Pawpaw
Why am I writing about one of my favorite trees only now, nearly five years into my Branching Out series?
How Farmhouses Went Modern
Design trends for rural homes April 2025 by Jim Winnerman, Contributing Writer You might be familiar with interior decorating styles known as mid-century modern, contemporary or, simply, modern. Less familiar to you may be a design approach known as modern farmhouse....
Greener Pastures
Cattle do a lot more for the country and environment than just being the backdrop for popular Western dramas.
Geothermal Energy
A hot topic that’s also a cool conversation March 2024 by Will Lange, Contributing Columnist In a world of traditional, fossil fuel-based heating and cooling systems, solar panels on roofs and vast wind farms, you may never have given much thought to another...
Seeing the Forest for the Trees
Virginia pine deserves a second look January-February 2024 by Steve Carroll, Contributing Columnist If you live in the mid-Atlantic, you’ve surely seen Virginia pine, though you may have given it just a passing...
Keeping Your Home Cozy
As you make home upgrades this fall, be sure to use materials designed to withstand extreme weather events.
Bald Cypress
Bald cypress is a truly unusual tree. It’s a conifer — therefore related to pines and spruces — but it drops all its leaves each fall.
The Sourwood Tree
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), also called sorrel tree and lily-of-the-valley tree, shows off dramatic sprays of fragrant, quarter-inch white flowers in early to mid-summer.
The Northern Red Oak
Oaks are found around the world, with about 90 species in North America alone.