At PlantMasters it’s all in the family. D & E VanThomme Greenhouses was establish from the ground up in the Detroit area in 1940.

Leelanau County is fortunate to have an abundance of high-quality lakes and streams that everyone can benefit from for swimming, boating, fishing, drinking water, or simply enjoying. However, the health of these bodies of water is dependent on how well we, Leelanau County residents, care for them.

Empire residents will have a little help with invasive garlic mustard this spring with help from Northwest Michigan Invasive Special Network (NMISN). Garlic mustard is on NMISN’s top 12 list of invasive species and presents a high risk to our regional ecology.

After a long and cold winter season, it’s no surprise that people are excited to get back outside to plant their gardens in warmer temperatures. Local nursery owners like Betsy Ernst of Peninsula Perennial Nursery, have seen growing interest in gardening in recent years, and said it’s just one of those activities in life that people can continue finding joy in.

The Suttons Bay By-the-Bay Garden Club will meet Monday, May 13, at the Suttons Bay-Bingham Fire Station. Emily Douglas of the Leelanau Conservancy will present a program on “Pink Lady Slippers.” Gathering will be at 12:30 p.m.

Having been built in a community with a strong timber industry, many of the older homes in Leelanau County have flooring made of maple, cedar, and even oak trees. This flooring connects these homes to an older and simpler time in the county, so it’s understandable that many homeowners want to preserve that history for as long as possible.

The father-son duo of Bob, 62, and Aaron, 31, at Novak Painting have been paving their own way over the past two decades as the painting business celebrates turning 25 this summer. Bob started Novak Painting while working with his father-in-law who owned Kraus Painting Company of 80 to 100 people in Traverse City.

The Glen Lake Library in Empire will host a Traverse City-based professional organizer and home simplification expert Ali LeJeune, Monday, May 20. LeJeune will discuss how to bring calm and clarity to your spaces, exploring both the emotional and practical aspects of managing belongings.

Diversified Carpet in Suttons Bay has officially changed hands as John Bourgault sold to Mike Oprish in April. Bourgault, 80, has owned Diversified Carpet for 34 years after opening the business in 1990.

Spring has sprung and it’s time to throw open the windows and breathe in fresh air. And for some, it’s time to reset and clean house — from top to bottom.