Family ties: Man restores home shared by nine generations of relatives

WOODSTOCK -- Despite battles with everything from Indians to time itself, nine consecutive generations of the Sheetz family at some point have called a single house along Narrow Passage Creek home.

Blast from the past: Memorabilia collector enters 'Mad Men' contest

WINCHESTER -- Paul E. Delmerico would fit right in with the AMC TV show "Mad Men," and that's exactly what he hopes will happen.

Compost-haste: Recycling food as fertilizer improves upon land

Any backyard gardener can help the environment by composting. In fact, it's simple enough that anyone who wants to save money and make a difference can do it.

Support grows for urban gardens

WINCHESTER -- Corn stalks and sunflowers tower above squash, okra, cabbage and other vegetables. What sounds like a garden in a rural spot in the Shenandoah Valley actually grows among apartments and homes in the city's north end.

Local farmer uses environmentally friendly practices

EDINBURG -- On a hillside off of Swover Creek Road, snorts and snuffles can be heard coming from the woods. A couple dozen of Jordan Green's pigs are sleeping away a near-triple-digit day in the shade of the trees.

Purchasing power: Housing grant to help communities fix, resell foreclosures for less

Thanks to a generous grant from Virginia's neighborhood stabilization program, officials in the Northern Shenandoah Valley have acquired a handful of foreclosed properties and are renovating them to give low-, moderate- and middle-income families affordable housing opportunities.

World War II veteran cherishes days spent tending to his garden

By Ben Orcutt - borcutt@nvdaily.com "To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds, and watch the renewal of life -- this is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing a...

Paradise: Couple turn backyard into a slice of heaven without breaking bank

WINCHESTER -- The plants, trees, trellises, bridges and other features that make Debbie and Niles Hokkanen's yard on Green Spring Road their own slice of paradise could have cost them thousands.But by piecing it together a little at a time -- buying plants on clearance, getting embellishments at yard sales, and, perhaps most importantly, putting in all the labor themselves -- their unique outdoor oasis has been accomplished on a budget.

Herbfestation: Annual event offers cooking, planting tips and food samples

Flavorful, money saving and beautiful, more than 50 different varieties of herbs will be available beginning today and lasting through the weekend as Sunflower Cottage owner Billie Clifton hosts her second Virginia Herb Festival.

Growing interest: Backyard garden draws in neighbors to help, enjoy

STRASBURG -- With a small orchard; fenced-in, raised-bed vegetable and herb garden; rain garden; and even a salvaged 1800s log cabin, Craig Morris and Michael Marcheterre are making the most out of their .8-acre, J-shaped property on Sharpe and High streets.