Tip Toe Through the House and Garden

Nestled against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains just west of Middleburg, this year’s Historic Garden Week is scheduled for Sunday, April 24 and Monday, April 25.

The tour, under the auspices of the Garden Club of Virginia and organized in this area by the Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club, features four spectacular houses and gardens. They’re all located within the 18,000-acre Crooked Run Rural Historic District and the Mosby Heritage Area along the scenic roads among the villages of Middleburg, Upperville, and Paris. 

Slam Poet Opens Highland Hearts and Minds

by Megan Catherwood

When 2014 National Poetry Slam champion Clint Smith came to Highland School last month, his greatest connection with students may well have been on the subject of silence. The spoken word poet and activist probed the dangers of “things that are left unsaid” and in doing so, encouraged his young listeners to develop their own courageous voices.

Life in the Country

by Missy Janes

As property owners in the northern Virginia Piedmont, our responsibilities are great. The Piedmont’s rural landscape—its rolling green hills, pristine waters, and scenic roadways, farms, and towns—has an allure that has drawn us to a life in the country. Our collective challenge is to sustain this magic for future generations.

Vine or No Vine, That is the Question

by Marcia Woolman

Spending winter days in the surrounding woodlands, or even observing trees in villages and on old estates, brings an awareness of vines growing on far to many trees. 

Always looking for an important conservation issue, I was prepared to warn readers of the danger of vines killing your trees. But, I wasn’t sure to what degree this was true, so I set out to read and learn whether vines really do kill trees.

Creative Juices Flowing in Marshall Shop

by Sophie Schepps

Dustin Aliff finds himself completely consumed with creativity on a daily basis. After spending his working daytime hours repairing antique oriental rugs with his father David at David’s Oriental Rugs in Marshall, he shifts to music, poetry, and painting in the evenings.

As a high school student at Liberty High School in the mid-1990s, Aliff suffered from seizures, fainting spells and terrible migraines. After several hospital visits, he found relief from the same doctor who performed surgery on the late Christopher Reeve.

Of Note: What’s Going On

Music: After a successful inaugural season, the Middleburg Concert Series returns with its first concert of 2016 on Sunday, March 13 at 4 p.m. with a visit to the baroque era. Concerts are held at the Middleburg United Methodist Church at 15 West Washington Street and admission is free.

Middleburg’s Finest Chocolates: How Sweet It Is

Sitting pretty. That’s what customers will find behind glass cases of Middleburg’s Finest Chocolates. Rows and rows of artisan chocolates beautifully sculpted to tempt chocoholics or satisfy anyone on the hunt for a cocoa fix.

As an experienced entrepreneur, Stephanie Yowell was looking for a local business to run. She decided on Middleburg’s Finest Chocolates, previously known as Shenandoah Fine Chocolates, and purchased the business last Sept. 15. A Culpeper native, Main Street quaintness is in her blood so it was a natural fit to land her new venture on Middleburg’s Washington Street.

Badger Len: Beware The Lone Star Tick

Here’s a story that merits attention. It involves an insidious and apparently increasingly common threat known as the Lone Star tick. Originally identified in Texas, it’s now made its way up the east coast, and for some, its bite can trigger a serious allergic reaction.