The flowers of fall Like a dusty hen rustling down onto her nest, trees, shrubs and perennials are settling into fall. Many are going dormant early, yellowing and shedding leaves. This is a natural defensive process (don’t we all shrivel a bit when abundance is not forthcoming?), allowing them to conserve as much energy as […]
The flowers of fall Like a dusty hen rustling down onto her nest, trees, shrubs and perennials are settling into fall. Many are going dormant early, yellowing and shedding leaves. This is a natural defensive process (don’t we all shrivel a bit when abundance is not forthcoming?), allowing them to conserve as much energy as […]
Preserving warmth for winter Summertime swaddles September in sunshine, goldenrod and a dappling of apples, but October edges into autumn, with cooler nights and crystal clear days that are perfect for “working” outdoors. With an average last frost date of October 15, in Central Virginia this is the time to harvest and preserve the last […]
It’s a well-known phenomenon, and Thomas Jefferson was a prime example: builders, carpenters and architects whose own homes are perpetual projects. Like a chef too tired to cook his own dinner, those who spend their days building and designing other people’s places typically have precious few hours and little energy to spend on their personal […]
Leafy hazards For the proud homeowner, there are few sights more appealing than a gorgeous old tree tinged with autumn colors in front of a carefully tended home. But just because a tree may look grand and sweeping doesn’t mean it’s necessarily an asset to the home. In fact, many homeowners don’t give enough consideration […]
Front porch blues A front porch is a wonderful piece of civilization, but not if it threatens to dump guests onto the ground when the framing underneath it finally gives way. This was the unpleasant prospect that drove us to renovate our little veranda. What drove us to do it on a sub-freezing January weekend, […]
All good things come in threes. The Dixie Chicks, tennis balls, SweetTarts, and this month’s project: decorative mirrors. Of course, you wouldn’t have to make only three of these. We have visions of filling up an entire wall with them, each covered in a different pattern. And, for less than $3 each (what’d we tell […]
Saws, y’all! You know you’re a true DIYer when you’re ready to move on from mere paintbrushes, hammers and screwdrivers to the really fun stuff: power tools. One power player that you’ll need for doing serious business such as cutting into plaster, drywall, wood and metal is the hand-held electric reciprocating saw, commonly referred […]
The Albemarle home of Rob Capon looks perfectly ordinary—until you notice the 30-foot radio antenna in the backyard. Together with the small astronomical observatory on the other side of the house, the antenna is a clear sign that someone of a technical bent lives here. And inside the house is another giveaway: an entire room […]
“Restaurants are great places to meet people,” says Dan Epstein, co-owner with his brother of Eppie’s on the Downtown Mall.
Smell is without a doubt the most powerful of the senses.