Fetching In the dog days of summer, we all need a cool drink of water. Make sure your pooch’s water bowl adds class, not clutter, to the floor: Choose one of these tail-waggers from a local shop.    

 There is a tiny agent of good at work in the world. In the orchard, in the vegetable patch, and in the flower border on the roadside, each day the honeybee is up with the sun (of course) and out the door without benefit of coffee or shower. It works selflessly alongside its comrades, forming […]

 Working for the University, I often catch myself reflecting on my own days as a college student. These days, I have a little less hair and a little more money, and my china collection has expanded beyond red plastic Solo cups. But I still have a soft spot for my former life. Most homeowners and […]

What’s that smell? The air has been heady with fragrance. Last May, I found myself intoxicated beneath a musky sweet full-blown privet, strewn with honeysuckle and climbing roses, wafting about like an olfactory Disney movie. Scent in the garden is best in early evening when the air is still warm and each plant pregnant with […]

 In first grade, I grew a bean sprout the size of my hand using nothing but a dry bean, a wet paper towel and a plastic cup. Needless to say, when a renter says “I can’t garden in my apartment,” I don’t buy it. Whether because of space restrictions, a landlord with two brown thumbs […]

 Corinna Coffin’s high school diploma sits in a place of prominence on the fireplace mantle in one corner of her tidy, bright room. Various athletic awards and team photos surround this new addition to her display of accomplishments during her time at St. Anne’s-Belfield School. Framed family photos, mostly of Corinna and her brothers as […]

 No vegetable has a perfect reputation, and zucchini—the summer’s most abundant cucurbit —is no exception. From the moment the weather warms in June to the moment nighttime temperatures plunge in October, the zucchini is omnipresent for the farmer, the shopper, and the eater. Is a zucchini a squash? Yes—the immature fruit of a squash plant, […]

 Once upon a time there was a person with lots of cool drinks to share with guests. We’re talking everything from mint juleps to acai smoothies to fresh-squeezed orangeade. Only problem was, this person had nothing in which to serve these refreshing libations. Luckily, a bunch of local shops came to the rescue with a fine […]

Energy house opens to the public If you’ve been following the news about LEAP (the Local Energy Alliance Program), you probably know about its new offices in the ecoREMOD house. Even if you haven’t, chances are you’ll recognize the house. The 1922 dwelling sits at the corner of Ridge and Cherry. A few years ago, […]

What do you need for the perfect outdoor meal? (Aside from the food, that is. And the wine. And the bucolic setting, charming company, and carefree schedule.) We’ve got your recipe for a satisfying summer nosh right here, with the ingredients supplied by local shops. Dig in! Wall Art ($10.95 from Fifth Season Gardening Co., […]