Regulars (All)

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin - 2/7/13

Be Good to Your Cyclamen

And it will be good to you

A Bay Weekly reader asked how to care for a potted cyclamen she received from a friend. Cyclamen make excellent potted plants, as they come in a large selection of colors and flower for a long time with minimal care. However, the cyclamen has a dormancy requirement, and it will tell you when it is ready to take a rest. Looking Ahead to Tomatoes As I consider seeds, what tomatoes can I expect to do best in Maryland? Last year I had tomatoes but not until September...

Article - Sporting Life by Dennis Doyle; by Dennis Doyle - 2/7/13

Ambitious Plans Would Bring Us to the Water

But without ready money, plans are just plans

In a bold, all-encompassing and optimistic plan, the National Park Service (NPS) has finally brought together all of the players that enjoy the waters creating our great Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Public Access Plan includes Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, New York and the District of Columbia. No prior federal planning efforts for the Chesapeake have attempted anything of this geographical scope. Fishfinder Yellow perch runs are showing...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin - 1/24/13

Are Your Seeds Fresh and Lively?

Here’s how to tell

If you want to be sure your seeds will sprout, buy fresh ones this season. Fresh seeds have a higher percentage of germination and germinate faster than old seeds. New Life for Old Vines? Is it possible to move very old grapevines? I have a friend who wants to remove his, and if so I might want them. –Lois Noonan, by email No. Grape vines have very coarse roots. and it would be nearly impossible to dig enough roots for the plants to survive. Ask...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 1/24/13

Following the Wolf’s Path

Let this bright moon lead you through the sky

Saturday marks the year’s first full moon, called the Wolf Moon by Native Americans and Europeans alike, as with January’s frigid cold and deep snows, the hungry animals came their closest to human settlements. The moon spends week’s end near Gemini. The night of the 24th, look for the waxing gibbous moon at the twins’ feet just five degrees from the second-magnitude star Alhena, the third-brightest in the constellation. The next night the near-full...

Article - Sporting Life by Dennis Doyle; by Dennis Doyle - 1/24/13

Chore Time

Use the off-season to get your gear ready for the fish

If you’re like me, you tried to fish all the way to the end of the season. So your tackle was never put up properly. Now that there’s little angling left, outside of possibly a little pickerel action, it’s time to care for your tackle. The chore is necessary if you expect to hit the ground running in the spring. Get a sponge, some good dishwashing detergent and thoroughly clean each of your fishing rods, hitting the guides with an old...

Article - The Dish; by Lisa Knoll - 1/24/13

Restaurant Weeks Lure Diners out of Hibernation

While Americans bask in the afterglow of a diverted dive off the fiscal cliff, the restaurant business faces its toughest quarter of the year from January through March. It’s always a challenge to lure diners out in the cold winter months. Adding to the disincentives are smaller paychecks thanks the elimination of the two percent payroll tax, post-holiday malaise and three months with only one food-centered holiday (Valentine’s Day, the second-most popular restaurant holiday behind...

Article - Sporting Life by Dennis Doyle; by Dennis Doyle - 1/17/13

Take Me to the Water

Anne Arundel Recreation and Parks promises new effort

Anne Arundel County has the longest Bay shoreline in Maryland at 534 miles, embracing five major rivers and countless creeks and streams. It is home to 40,000 registered boaters. Yet unless you own waterfront property or live in a water-privileged community, you have virtually no access to the Chesapeake or its tributaries. Last week the Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks presented a draft of a new Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plan. A number of...

Article - The Bay Gardener by Dr. Francis Gouin; by Dr. Francis Gouin - 1/17/13

Start Imagining Your Garden

My six favorite catalogs for dreaming and ordering

Seed catalogs begin arriving in my mailbox with the new year. Is there a benefit in ordering from catalogs? Or is it just as good to buy seeds locally? The variety of seeds at garden centers, hardware stores and some grocery stores is rather limited. Some like to tell customers that the seeds were especially selected for our area. It has been my experience that many seeds sold locally are chosen to provide dependable varieties that have survived the test of time. ...

Article - Sky Watch by J. Alex Knoll; by J. Alex Knoll - 1/17/13

With binoculars, you can see today what no one had...

Jupiter’s “Three Fixed Stars”

It was 403 years ago this month, in 1610, that Galileo Galilei trained his telescope at distant Jupiter, and discovered the first four and the largest of its many moons. The first discovery came on January 7, when the Italian scientist wrote of seeing in front of Jupiter “three fixed stars, totally invisible by their smallness.” Lo and behold, when he peered at the objects the next night, he found that they had changed positions, which led to the realization that these were not...

Article - The Dish; by Lisa Knoll - 1/17/13

Healthiest Dish Winner

Dave Kidwell, executive chef at Metropolitan Kitchen & Lounge in Annapolis, prepared the winning Healthiest Dish at last week’s Weight of the Nation event. Read the original story at http://bayweekly.com/node/15021. GRILLED ARCTIC CHAR WITH GINGER MUSTARD (Steamed baby bok choy and hen of the woods mushrooms) 3 oz. Arctic char filet 1 Tbs ginger mustard sauce (recipe below) 2 baby bok choy, halved 1 cup hen of the woods mushrooms, aka maitake, cut into...