A lovely site within view of the Patuxent River in Calvert County is the winner of our magazine’s Most Beautiful Garden contest. It was designed and built by Chloe Ewalt with assistance from her husband, Bart. Their garden boasts a nicely executed design, full season elements of interest, wildlife considerations, diverse plantings, and a place to sit and enjoy it all.

With apologies to Ira Gershwin, it’s summertime and the living is easy-if you own a swimming pool. Suddenly your social calendar is full, so long as you’re hosting.

You won’t stumble onto BluHaven Piers by accident. The marina and kayak sales business lies on the shore of Jutland Creek, in the southern reaches of St. Mary’s County, a couple of turns off Route 5 in the hamlet of Ridge. The closest thing to a population center is St. Mary’s College, a few miles north. That’s as it should be, because St. Mary’s is in large measure responsible for the existence of BluHaven.

Pastry Chef Amanda Granados knew the value of a quality, hands-on education upon entering the work force and where to find it. Similar to many students attending a career and technical school in Southern Maryland, she knew what she wanted to do and was able to get a head start during high school.