Enjoying nature is free, but gearing up for a camping trip or extended hike can become an expensive proposition, especially when choosing quality equipment. Erin James and Seth Herman, outdoors enthusiasts who met in Charlottesville in 2010, have addressed that problem (and more) with their new outdoor gear and clothing consignment shop, High Tor Gear […]
When Charles D’Angelo, managing director of D.C.-based Westmount Capital Group, first saw the Clifton Inn and its surrounding countryside, his initial thought was, “Wow.” “It’s a stunning property, from the 19-acre lake and Blue Ridge mountain views to the infinity pool with the canopy of trees overhead,” says D’Angelo. As a business enterprise, however, the […]
Tucked behind a 1920s-era house on a small Belmont lot lies a modern wonder: a water garden oasis featuring ornamental plantings, a raised deck surrounded by a black slate patio, a hand-carved fire pit and a mountainous stone structure from which a waterfall cascades gently into a tiered, purling river. The landscape plan was dreamed […]
Though never featured in formal wedding photos and usually tucked behind closed doors during the reception, the humble sheet cake has long played an important role in wedding planning, and for good reason. Sometimes referred to as a “kitchen cake,” a sheet cake can be prepared alongside the main, multi-tiered wedding cake, called the “cutting […]
The dreamy vision of a beautiful outdoor wedding goes hand in hand with the reality of weather risk, but both soaking rain and punishing sun can be managed with a little insurance by renting tents in advance of the big day. “Rain is a factor that can’t be ignored,” says Lee French, project manager for […]
Agarden’s appearance depends on its purpose, says Marlene Condon, and sometimes messier is better. “Aesthetics for me are secondary,” she says. “The most important thing is the quality of the habitat for wildlife.” Condon is a Virginia-based nature writer and photographer who has penned columns for the Daily Progress and Crozet Gazette, written for C-VILLE […]
“The pleasantest smell in the world,” wrote natural historian Robert Beverly of the Sweetbay magnolia in 1705, and its large, creamy white flowers are just as striking. Associated with nobility and perseverance, the more than 200 species of magnolia vie with dogwood, crepe myrtle, azaleas and camellias for the American South’s favorite plant. Thomas Jefferson […]
While the average person can distinguish a bluebird from a cardinal and a duck from a goose, bird-watching hobbyists, called “birders,” revel in the vastness of the avian world. “There’s a real excitement when you’re out birding,” says Myrlene Staten, membership chair for the Monticello Bird Club. “It’s like a great game of hide-and-seek.” The […]
“Food can affect you from a memory standpoint, like when smelling a red sauce reminds you of your grandma’s house,” says Red Pump Kitchen’s Kendall Moore. “We can do this with perfumed drinks, too.” Last fall, the downtown restaurant’s drink menu incorporated elements like sage-infused vodka and spritzes of cinnamon, clove and mint, […]
Too tired to go food shopping, and bored with the same old take-out pizza? Home delivery options abound to make sure the cupboard is never bare. Shenandoah Produce Farms Lots of people subscribe to summertime CSAs and pick up their bags of produce each week, but Shenandoah Produce goes a step (or two) further. Available […]