Did you ever notice this weedy mess at the corner of Westway and Ridge Road, diagonal from Mishkan Torah? Weed shrubs were blocking driver visibility – MY visibility, since this corner was on my regular route home. Walking by, I … Read More
Walking down Ridge Road from Westway to my house, I stopped to admire and capture what may be the smallest and prettiest “court” in all of GHI: 8 Court Ridge. Just four homes, and their front gardens are a delight. (I … Read More
UPDATE: Click here to read Franklin’s blog post about his visit to Greenbelt. Franklin Vagnone is the genius behind Twisted Preservation, a “cultural and museum consulting firm.” Just not your normal consultant. He’s a preservationist with a manifesto – for a more … Read More
I remember being advised, when I first moved into my small GHI home, that I’d better keep the walls all white so the rooms would look larger. I may have mumbled I like color but quietly I was thinking “Boring!” … Read More
Does anyone have problems in their GHI yard, or solutions to suggest for others? Then leave a comment here or even better, come to this weeks’ Board of Directors meeting to comment on a task force being proposed to explore … Read More
The term “Plant Swap” may not convey what actually happened yesterday outside the GHI offices – the popular event organized by GHI’s Woodlands Committee. Above wearing a baseball cap is Mary-Denise Smith, who organized the event with help from committee … Read More
This was the scene this morning at the Northway mulch/compost/wood-chip operation. Very impressive! So out came the smart phone for photos and a 20-minute video, too. Mulch v. Compost I drove up the hill toward the observatory to find plenty … Read More
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
