HOME & GARDEN
Why Be Evergreen?
Advantages and disadvantages of trees losing leaves in winter January-February 2025 by Steve Carroll, Contributing Columnist As I write this column, most of our trees have dropped their leaves and will remain leaf-free until spring. Most trees, though not all. Obvious...
The All-Electric Home
Geothermal energy is gaining ground May 2024 by Will Lange, Contributing Columnist Have you heard the new catchphrase “electrification”? While you may not have heard about it outside of the transportation industry, electrification is a rising megatrend across the...
Flowering Dogwood
Virginia’s state flower and tree April 2024 by Steve Carroll, Contributing Columnist Flowering dogwood is a small tree that makes a dramatic and much-admired statement in early spring. The Virginia Native Plant Society named it their 2018 Flower of the Year, and in...
Black Cherry
Black cherries make handsome specimen trees. White flowers hang in four- to six-inch, upright to pendulous clusters. They are visited by native bees, honeybees, flies and beetles, and, after pollination, they form purple to blue-black fruits.
A Tropical Look
A banana “tree” is a misnomer. The big trunk of this lush plant that grows with lightning speed from a rhizome is actually a fibrous stalk.
Ash: A Tree on the Brink
A mature, open-grown white ash is a magnificent tree. It grows straight and true, with bark ridges that interlace to form elongated diamonds.
Steps Of Faith
Finding the right flooring for your home sale MAY 2022 by Les O'Dell, Contributing Writer Let’s face it. We don’t give our floors much respect. We put them down, walk all over them and treat them dirty. But when it comes time to selling our homes, Mark Novoa says we...
Looking Good, Selling Well
The old warning that there is no second chance to make a first impression is true not only for people, but for homes, too.
Sweet Spires in the Breeze
If you are not acquainted with the native shrub Virginia sweetspire, you may come to appreciate its wonderful adaptability, especially in today’s perplexing climate extremes.