GREEN EYE Plant your own forest If you’re longing for a more verdant landscape outside your kitchen window—or if you just believe in the importance of oxygen—how about planting some trees? The Virginia Department of Forestry grows and sells upwards of 24 million tree seedlings every year, in a few dozen varieties—from hardwoods like red […]
GREEN EYE Plant your own forest If you’re longing for a more verdant landscape outside your kitchen window—or if you just believe in the importance of oxygen—how about planting some trees? The Virginia Department of Forestry grows and sells upwards of 24 million tree seedlings every year, in a few dozen varieties—from hardwoods like red […]
The fragrance of Froot Loops permeates the air, wafting from three winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) fortuitously planted at the base of an electric pole out in the east garden between the house and road. Over a dozen years they’ve matured into softly rounded cloud-like forms about 8’ all around, without any pruning other than occasional […]
It’s been three snotty, sore-throated weeks in the Baker household. After a lovely snowed-in weekend with family up in Philadelphia, we brought home some belated Christmas gifts and what we have been referring to as the Demon Cold from Hell. The sickness first hit me on the return drive to Charlottesville. My two sons, Pierce […]
Vinegar is a magical elixir in the kitchen. It’s produced by acetobacter, a bacterium that thrives in warm, oxygenated environments and transforms alcohol into acetic acid. While acetobacter is the sworn enemy of winemakers (because it can “spoil” large quantities of wine in a short time) it is the friend of homemakers and cooks because […]
It was a strange form of pioneering. For a year after Frank and Linda Dukes moved into their new house in the Belvedere development in August 2009, Frank said, “there was no construction going on anywhere.” The Dukes’ house sat nearly alone in what had been envisioned as a 675-home neighborhood, stranded by the 2008 […]
In a rough housing economy in which homeowners have to routinely lower their asking prices to sell their homes, it’s logical for a seller to want to save money wherever possible, making the For Sale By Owner property seem like a good idea. A For Sale by Owner (FSBO) is exactly what it sounds like: […]
When Spanish architect Iñaki Alday accepted his position as Chair of the Department of Architecture at UVA in 2011, it meant moving his family from a bustling life in the heart of Barcelona to a house surrounded by trees in Charlottesville. “Even though we love pedestrian spaces, we thought for the kids, maybe we should […]
When Charlottesville was formed on a 1,000 acre tract of land back in 1762, it was named in honor of Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III.
Setting the bar Bar food’s come a long way from the petri-dish peanuts and popcorn put out to keep you thirsty. Pull up a stool at these spots in town for a unique and attractively priced menu that makes dining in the main room feel like a snooze. What’s more? You’ve got a bartender at […]
The best wine pairing for a menu that makes use of local ingredients is a local one.