When we moved into 92 Maryland Avenue, which Lynne quickly named the Annapolis Green House, five years ago, the garden was overgrown and planted with old, withering non-native shrubs that were shaded by three beautiful and huge elm trees on the property of the next-door neighbor and the State House. Sadly, these magnificent trees fell to Dutch Elm Disease changing the property to a full-sun garden almost overnight.

With the help of Homestead Gardens and funded by several grants, we removed the shrubs and installed a conservation garden of pollinator friendly native plants whose flowers are spectacular in spring and summer and provide food to beneficial insects and shelter to songbirds.

The rain barrel we installed next to the porch, donated by Lynn Gardner of Rain Barrels of Annapolis, harvests rainwater we use to water the plants and fill the birdbaths and to reduce stormwater runoff – an environmental benefit. The birdbaths, donated by local artisan Donna Brookes, are made from repurposed materials thus keeping those out of the landfill. Garden design work was donated by professional landscape architect Deb Schwab and involved volunteer work by members of the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy and others over the years. The wonderful young Carew family even donated the Opti that we installed as a unique maritime planter!

After adding vegetables to the landscape for two years, we started the Here We Grow program last year to educate and encourage local gardeners by showcasing the benefits of gardening during the pandemic: connection to nature, Climate Change mitigation and growing food in with the flowers. “Pretty and Delicious” is what we call it.