TATerri Akman

1. Article · Sep 2, 2026 · Terri Akman

   From a simple awning to a six-figure outdoor room, how Philly homeowners add shade to their yards (opens the original)

   Excerpt · English

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   Carla and Steve Red had a pair of covetable outdoor living spaces on their Fitler Square rowhouse, with a first-floor patio and a rooftop deck. But they weren’t so pleasant in the summer. “During Philly summers, you want to spend a lot of time outside on your patio, but the roof is basically baking in the sun,” Carla said. “There aren’t trees to cover you, and you really get crushed.” So last year they added some shade, and it was a game changer. With the help of a landscape designer

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2. Article · Aug 10, 2026 · Terri Akman

   Planting native species is gaining popularity. Here’s how Jersey Shore gardeners do it. (opens the original)

   Excerpt · Positive tone · English

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   Virginia Rettig’s garden is her passion. The 60-foot-by-100-foot plot on her Cape May property boasts about 200 varieties of native plants, which she estimates have drawn roughly 135 wildlife species. Monarch butterflies, hummingbirds, cardinals, gray catbirds, moths, and a host of other creatures suck nectar from her flowers and drink water from the small waterfall that flows into a pond. Once she even saw a black-billed cuckoo, a rarity in Cape May. “During spring and fall migration, milli

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