Nature

How Trees Benefit Hearts and Homes

Anna Aquino, a Richmond-based landscape architect, can quickly rattle off a litany of why trees make good citizens—they provide oxygen, improve air quality, enhance wellbeing, improve moods, filter pollutants, prevent soil erosion, offer shade and cooling effects, shelter wildlife, reduce noise pollution, and beautify spaces in which they grow. “Trees have an almost magical beauty,” […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Bradford Breakup

Is it time to end our romance with the darling of suburban landscapers? Time was, nearly every Southeast subdivision hopped on the Bradford pear train. Instantly popular, the trees were touted as disease-resistant, adaptable, and inexpensive. A 1964 New York Times article heralded it as a near perfect ornamental tree while developers […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Field of Carnivores

At this Stanardsville nursery, insects are on the menu. (Photo courtesy of Robert Sacilotto) Look closely: the rows of colorful flowers at Botanique, a curious plant nursery in the Blue Ridge foothills, are not flowers at all. They’re carnivorous pitcher plants. Robert Sacilotto was first inspired to grow carnivorous plants—which survive on insects […]

by Jackson Landers

The New Herbal

A beautiful book of illustrated plant portraits and botanical knowledge. With his 1543 herb manual, botanical pioneer Leonhart Fuchs created a masterpiece of Renaissance botany and publishing. This edition is based on Fuchs’s personal, hand-colored original and features over 500 illustrations, including the first visual record of New World plant types such as maize, […]

by Staff

The Vantage and the Vista

Over the last decade, an Orange County couple has created an ambitious, spectacular garden with English, French and Italian influences. But the strongest presence of all is the Virginia countryside beyond. (Photography by Roger Foley) Crowning the second-highest point in Orange County is an estate called Mount Sharon, with a garden that […]

by Staff

Early Bloomers

The thrill of spotting spring’s first fleeting flowers. virginia_final2 (Illustration by Andrea Cobb) Long Bloomers are easy to love: that blowsy hydrangea, the patch of black-eyed Susans, the marathon of dahlias that stretch into fall. But the gift of early-blooming spring ephemerals is evanescence, not endurance. “‘Ephemeral’ means ‘fleeting,’” says Elaine […]

by caroline kettlewell

For the Love of Trees

The Bonsai Exhibit at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden gets you thinking and relaxing. (Photography by Tim Snyder) At Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, a bonsai exhibition (ending February 25) showcases the work of Todd Stewart and Bob Chilton, two leading experts from Gardens Unlimited—a Ruther Glen nursery that specializes in the Japanese horticultural art of cultivating […]

by Konstantin Rega

Touch Not the Cat

The venomous puss caterpillar is no cuddly kitten. (Illustration by Miriam Martincic) As we sat stuck at home last fall, a flurry of local news stories seized on the apocalyptic spirit of the season: “Weird-looking poisonous caterpillars are on the loose in Virginia,” one headline announced. “Alien hairball sends woman to emergency […]

by caroline kettlewell

Smile and Say “Sheepshead”

This fish story has teeth. (Illustration by Michael Frith) Ever tried to crack open a clam with your bare teeth? Yeah, me neither. But if you did, you’d probably want a mouthful of industrial-strength teeth that could make quick work of a shell and crush a crustacean or two, for good measure. In […]

by caroline kettlewell

The Thrill of the Hunt

At preserves across Virginia, you’ll find good dogs, good birds, and great camaraderie. Kyle LaFerriere Photography LLC I was eight the first time I stepped into a covey of quail, while taking a shortcut through a neighbor’s field. Without a bird dog to warn me, I was rattled by the feathered explosion. But in that moment, […]

by jones clarke c.

If You Plant It, They Will Come

How pumpkins turned this quiet family farm into a can’t-miss destination. Parrish Pumpkin patch in Lunenburg county, Virginia. Their plans were modest. A few pumpkins, a small corn maze, a tent in the front yard. But you know how it is with these things. One year you’re throwing a few gourd seeds in […]

by caroline kettlewell

The Sound, The Fury, and the Lanternfly

Learning to accept the things we cannot change—and which things need to be changed right now. Illustration by Zohar Lazar MY SPRING FEVER IS AS PREDICTABLE AS THE SEASONS. A string of 70-degree days sends me to the back patio, where I rhapsodize about the musty, rich odor of the forest coming […]

by Robert Nelson

A Passel of Parks

New outdoor spaces across the Commonwealth help Virginia recharge. Design Pics Inc / Alamy Stock Ph Alamy Stock Photo EAWN2B EAWN2B Image of a downy woodpecker pecking at a tree. Paradise Creek Nature Park is an oasis on the industrial Portsmouth waterfront. Summer visitors walk through trails lined with wildflowers, kayak, take […]

by Staff

For Foragers (and Those Learning)

List of resources for folks learning how to forage in the wilderness

by Staff

Salt of the Earth

Exploring the world’s largest salt flat, Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, and its vast expanse of white. Starkly beautiful, it is a landscape that is simultaneously inhospitable and undeniably alluring.

by tricia pearsall

Dark Wings, Dark Words

It’s intelligence, more so than the famous quote, that sets the raven apart.

by caroline kettlewell

Hello, Scissorlips

Ancient and armored, the longnose gar is a long-lived survivor.

by caroline kettlewell

Snow Birds

In cold-weather months, golden eagles soar high above Virginia’s western mountains.

by caroline kettlewell

Oh, Daddy!

Forget that urban myth, the daddy longlegs is a harmless arachnid on stilts.

by caroline kettlewell

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Events

July 1, 2025

Virtual Battle Brief – The End of the Valley Campaign: The Battle of Port Republic, 1862

National Museum of the United States Army

July 2, 2025

June – July @ Art Works!

Art Works

July 2, 2025

Waitress at Virginia Repertory Theatre

Virginia Repertory Theatre

The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

Eight Virginia schools received the National Blue Ribbon 2024 award for their high performances. The Exemplary High Performing Schools are Spring Hill Elementary in McLean, Green Run Collegiate in Virginia Beach, Bethel Manor Elementary in Hampton, and St. Andrew the Apostle School in Clifton. The Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are Central Academy Middle […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

UVA Claims Top Spots Among Public Universities

The University of Virginia has climbed to No. 4 among public universities in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Colleges rankings, advancing one position from last year. The university maintained its No. 24 overall ranking, tying with Emory and Georgetown universities. UVA’s commitment to accessibility and student success stands out in several key metrics. […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Can’t-Miss Spots in Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park offers breathtaking views, scenic trails, and diverse wildlife—the perfect prescription for nature lovers. Some spots to add to your itinerary include: This article originally appeared in the Best of Virginia 2025 issue.

by Stacy Watkins

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How Trees Benefit Hearts and Homes

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Virtual Battle Brief – The End of the Valley Campaign: The Battle of Port Republic, 1862

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Waitress at Virginia Repertory Theatre

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The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

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Can’t-Miss Spots in Shenandoah National Park

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How Trees Benefit Hearts and Homes

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Events

Virtual Battle Brief – The End of the Valley Campaign: The Battle of Port Republic, 1862

June – July @ Art Works!

Waitress at Virginia Repertory Theatre

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The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

UVA Claims Top Spots Among Public Universities

Can’t-Miss Spots in Shenandoah National Park

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