I recently blogged about using prayer flags to screen an unsightly view in my yard, including my complaint that they only come in primary colors. I posted the link to my regular Facebook page and immediately got this offer to help: … Read More
I’m no architectural historian, and when I first moved here I wasn’t initially a fan of the look of the 1937 block homes, including my own. It’s just so plain. But some education has turned me around. I’ve learned (via Wiki) that … Read More
When a diseased tree was removed from my next-door neighbor’s back yard recently I couldn’t stop watching. It took four men almost two full days and a lot of skill to do the job. Huge pieces of trunk dangled back … Read More
Recycling Plastic Pots These are just some of the plastic pots I unwittingly acquired in April in my yearly fit of plant-buying. I gathered them here to wash them before looking for the least bad way to deal with them, … Read More
You all remember GHI’s recent kitchen and bathroom renovation contests, right? The winners are here (kitchen) and here (bathroom), with photos and their tips for us. The contests were conducted by the Architectural Review Committee chaired by Lola Skolnik, and … Read More
If you’ve walked around Greenbelt Lake recently you’ve probably noticed this scene along the path – a swath of gold and lots of lavender action, too. I was wow’ed by this scene enough last year to search out the gardener … Read More
Garden writers and reformers of all types are always going on about those terrible Homeowners Associations and their crazy, backward-looking rules against growing edibles, eliminating lawn, growing wilder-looking plants (horrors!) and more. But what if a condo or coop association … Read More
In Old Greenbelt we see an unusual amount of hedges, mainly of privet or euonymus, most of them installed in the early days before fences were allowed. (That happened in the ’50s after the homes became owner-occupied and and pets … Read More
Common Area Gardens This post is for you GHIers out there – especially the ones who’d like to see more plants, more biodiversity, more sustenance and shelter for pollinators and birds, and of course more beauty around their neighborhood. Another benefit … Read More
UPDATE: GHI now (as of 2019) has an approval process for members planting in common areas. Here it is. Time to show off another garden make-over! Unlike the earlier street-side make-over at the end of a back yard, this one’s in … Read More
One reason I moved to Greenbelt was to downsize, especially in the garden, and with my small townhouse property new, mission accomplished. But I soon realized I needed more, more, more outdoor spaces to make-over, make-overs being the most fun … Read More
Yesterday’s Plant Swap was easy to organize, fun to be part of, and really helpful to gardeners. People with established gardens found homes for their extra plants, and people with bare yards got freebies to take home. So I say … Read More
Researching smaller homes recently put tiny houses on my radar, so when I noticed the documentary “Tiny” at DC’s Environmental Film Festival I made a point to see it. The film follows Christopher Smith and his girlfriend and fellow filmmaker … Read More
Finally we’re seeing a trend toward smaller homes being built in the U.S., after decades of increasing square footage. For example, the U.S. Census reported that from 2007 to 2010 the average size of a new, single-family home in the … Read More
Takoma Park made news last summer when it became the first town in the U.S. to ban lawn pesticides on not just public but also private property. As a garden writer with a particular interest in lawns, I jumped on … Read More
