Love Your Home & Garden

By Meg Walburn Viviano 

When Dorothy clicked her sparkly, red heels together and wished, “There’s no place like home!” she had not spent an entire year confined to her house avoiding a deadly pandemic. 

As our state ordered that we stay away from public places in 2020, most of us had never been forced to stay home before. None of us quite knew how to react or how we’d adapt to the challenge, which was unprecedented in our generation. A surprising set of trends emerged: home improvements, DIY projects inside and outside, and a super-hot housing market. 

In retrospect, this makes perfect sense. When you are stuck at home, you can beautify and improve it to enjoy it more. If it feels like the walls are closing in on you, find a new home with new scenery. These trends came on full force in Chesapeake Country, and have not slowed down—even as vaccines are now available to virtually everyone, and we can see a light at the end of the stay-at-home tunnel. 

Home projects, home buying, and beautifying spaces remain top of mind because the opportunities are right in front of our noses. And this issue of CBM Bay Weekly—our Home & Garden special edition—arrives right on time to give you resources and guidance.  

As Maryland enjoys stunning spring weather, you may be itching to plant a garden, or spruce yours up with new flowers and plants. Our garden guru, Gardening for Health columnist Maria Price, shares (with enthusiasm!) her insight on trendy new plants, help for vegetable garden beginners and lots of options for those with limited space (https://bayweekly.com/gardening-for-health-48/). 

We called on experts from local businesses for ideas to refresh your home décor, important steps for a cleaner home, and pointers on where to pay special attention outside your house this spring. We’re also talking with the region’s real estate leaders about how to get ahead if you’re buying or selling in this very active market (see our special section https://bayweekly.com/2021-spring-home-garden/). 

If The Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy had been under quarantine and virtual learning for the year, she might have been tempted to stay over the rainbow a little longer. 

But with a fresh round of improvements inside and outside your home, you too will soon be saying, “There’s no place like home!”