Winter

Inside Westminster Abbey, eight 20-foot-tall live trees lined the center aisle during the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William. The trees transformed the space, doing what even the most elaborate floral arrangement could not — providing a natural, living sense of permanence and an air of drama. The move was unexpected, unpretentious and bold. A potted tree on your patio or deck can have the same effect. While not every tree is well-suited for a container, there are a surprising number of options, ranging from crape myrtles to hollies.

Something is killing the honey bees of Maryland. Close to 60 percent of the managed hives died last fall and over the winter - about twice the national average, according to the state bee inspector and local keepers. "I had a healthy hive that produced 50 pounds of honey last year, and we were anticipating another great year," said Stephen Christianson, a Mount Washington beekeeper of three years. "Then, they were just gone. It took my breath away. " Some blame inexperience on the part of the beekeepers, most of whom tend their hives as a hobby, coupled with a bad winter.

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Princeton's Erin McMunn, a Winters Mill graduate, was named Ivy League Attacker of the Year and teammate Sarah Lloyd, a Severna Park graduate, made first team when the conference's postseason awards were announced Wednesday. McMunn was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year last season and is the first Ivy League women's lacrosse player to win one of the top position awards the year following her rookie selection. She is also only the second sophomore in conference history to win one of the major awards.

Even if you're not yet ready to retire, San Miguel de Allende is perfect for a vacation or long weekend getaway. Getting there United and American airlines offer connecting flights (via Texas) to San Miguel's two closest airports, Leon/Guanajuato (BJX), 90 minutes away, and Queretaro (QRO), one hour away. Round-trip airfares start around $600. Multiple airlines offer flights to Mexico City, which is three hours from San Miguel. When to go January may be the sole inclement month to travel, and even then it's nothing compared to a typical Baltimore winter.

Gardens are deceptively dormant in the winter. They are gray-brown and icy-crisp above, but they stir with small signs of life below. So it is with gardeners. Their tools may be oiled and shelved, their sun hats hung and their gloves lifeless, but in winter, gardeners are thinking about their gardens. Winter is the ideal time for such planning. The chores of spring, summer and fall do not allow for rumination. So gardeners have learned -- the hard way -- to write down their winter inspirations in a gardener's journal.

Called to action by the blast of a horn, more than 30 yapping spotted hounds spill down a hill, bound across a country road, leap a fence and rush a faded winter field. On the hound's heels are about two dozen hunters on horseback, men and women in britches and tweed and velvet hats. Motorists, what few there are this deep in the country on a hushed winter morning, a weekday, are slow to take it in. Some stop altogether. For it's something to behold, this pageant of beasts and man -- a scene from another time, another place.

Winter's here and we all say hate to see summer pass away. Robins all have taken wing and mockingbirds no longer sing. The little wren has left her nest and flown south to take a rest. All we have are days of gray that seem to go on day-by-day. But wait, the Ravens still are here listen up and have no fear. Together they will make a team the likes of which you've rarely seen. So every cold and dreary Sunday it will be a glorious fun-day.

Registration for winter classes offered by Anne Arundel Community College is being held at the seven senior activity centers operated by the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities. Classes begin the week of Jan. 11. To obtain a class schedule, visit the senior center you wish to attend or go online at aacounty.com/aging and click on a center for its list of courses, or call 410-777-2241.

The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. Monday. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). Questions? Call 410-332-6605. Volleyball Maryland Juniors is hosting a Juniors Volleyball Development Clinic this winter. Go to http://www.mdjrs.org for more details.   Baseball The Tri-County Umpires Association is holding classes for anyone interested in umpiring youth baseball in Howard County, Baltimore and the surrounding areas.

Kelly, Crane among finalists for Yeardley Love Unsung Hero Award North Carolina junior midfielder Frankie Kelly (Calvert Hall) and Loyola freshman defenseman Jason Crane (Chesapeake-Anne Arundel), North Carolina junior defender Zoe Skinner (Towson High) and Notre Dame junior defender Molly Shawhan , who lives in Fulton, are among the 10 finalists for the Yeardley Reynolds Love Unsung Hero Award. Established in 2011 in honor of the late Virginia player, a Cockeysville native, the award recognizes the selfless acts of initiative and commitment by Division I lacrosse players.

With a new survey finding the Chesapeake Bay's crab population at its lowest level in five years after a poor spawn last year, Maryland officials announced Friday they would move to tighten catch limits on the region's iconic crustacean. The annual winter survey of Maryland and Virginia waters tallied 300 million crabs, the Department of Natural Resources reported. That's down nearly two-thirds from the number seen last year, when Gov. Martin O'Malley held a press conference at a crab house in Annapolis to declare crabs had rebounded from near-collapse in 2008 and were more plentiful than they'd been in nearly two decades.

When Westminster boys lacrosse coach Steve DeFeo was talking about the qualities that has helped keep his Owls undefeated this season, he made sure to mention how much they enjoy playing together. It certainly showed Thursday night at cross-town rival Winters Mill. The No. 12 Owls shared the ball on attack and put up a strong collective front on defense - dominating the defending Carroll County champion Falcons in every facet to come away with an 18-5 win. Senior attackman Ryan Drenner was the offensive catalyst, finishing with six goals and four assists.

Clarksville resident Tatyana McFadden won the women's wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon on Monday, hours before the race was marred by deadly explosions near the finish line. Though McFadden added to her resume as one of the elite Paralympic athletes in the world, her achievement was rapidly overshadowed by scenes of blood and mayhem. She tweeted that she was unharmed, about an hour after the initial reports of the explosions. "I am okay my family and teammates are okay," she wrote.

Three endangered sea turtles that spent the winter in Baltimore departed Saturday evening, joining a caravan of at least 43 others bound for Florida's warm waters and a return to their natural habitat. The three turtles — Chet, Biff and Two-Bit — were among more than 200 sea turtles to wash ashore on Massachusetts beaches, critically ill with hypothermia, last November and December. When The New England Aquarium's sea turtle hospital reached capacity, rescuers reached out to other facilities up and down the East Coast to find foster homes.

Wedding date: Feb. 9, 2013 Her story: Megan Quick, 36, grew up in Oaklyn, N.J. She is a registered nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her father, Michael, works for Susquehanna Bank and her mother, Doreen, is a retired medical receptionist. His story: Aaron Shirk, 39, was born in Vietnam and lived in various countries. He is a computer engineer for Bill Me Later in Timonium. Both of his parents - Peter Shirk and Roxie Gilmore - worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Climate forecasters canceled an El Nino watch Thursday, with the climate phenomenon no longer expected to arrive this winter. Recent updates had already indicated El Nino was growing less likely, but the probability it will form has fallen to below 50 percent starting in December. In a monthly outlook published Thursday, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center wrote that while El Nino cannot be ruled out, onset is increasingly unlikely over the next six months. The change in forecast may disappoint snow lovers in Maryland, as El Nino winters are associated with above normal snowfall here.

Yes, the Baltimore Farmers' Market is done for the season. It won't be back until April 7. But you get fresh eggs from the Hen's Nest all winter long. The New Windsor farm will be bringing cartons and cases of its brown and white eggs down to Baltimore every other week Saturday beginning Jan. 5, making three stops around the city. The first stop, from 8 a.m.-9 a.m., will be at the parking lot of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, 1400 W. Coldspring Lane. Then, the truck will head east, to 3700 Dillon St., near the Natty Boh sign, where it will park on the parking lot in front of the Push 511 crossfit gym from 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m. From noon-1 p.m., you can get Hen's Nest eggs at the Park & Ride off Rolling Road (Route 166)

Army Pvt. David Pack graduated from basic infantry training at Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga. The 2012 graduate of Winters Mill High School is the son of James Pack, of Finksburg, and Mary Zufall, of Reisterstown. He is the grandson of Ethal Zufall, of Hampstead. Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

The last couple of years my lilac hasn't bloomed. It's always been a favorite. What can I do? There could be several causes. Because we've gotten many calls about this in recent years, it may be related to climate change. Our common lilac will technically grow in areas as warm as zone 7, but it needs a winter chilling period in order to form flower buds successfully. Other things to consider are pH (if it gets too acid, lime will raise it closer to 6.5-7), too much shade encroaching on this sun-loving plant or European hornets stripping bark and girdling branches (remove the oldest canes, which they prefer)