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Gardening: Challenge yourself to observe this spring

Thu., April 27, 2023

Everybody loves a good contest. Especially one that involves the whole family in a little friendly competition with neighbors around the world.

News > Home and garden

Ask the Builder: Avoid these mistakes in residential home building

UPDATED: Fri., April 28, 2023

Each week, I have the good fortune to speak on the phone with homeowners all across the USA who ask me to solve problems at their homes. Many of these homeowners are facing expensive repairs because of mistakes made by the home builder. Each error is avoidable. The link to arrange a coaching phone call is go.askthebuilder.com/coaching.

News > Features

In the Garden: Garden Fair returns next weekend, with by-appointment shopping and advice

Sun., April 23, 2023

If You Go Garden Fair & Plant Sale When: By appointment only on Friday and Saturday. Where: 222 N. Havana St., just south of the fairgrounds. More details: To sign up for a time slot, find the link to appointment scheduling beginning at 9 a.m. Monday at mgfsc.org/plant-sale. Foundation members will have received an email containing the link to appointment scheduling on Saturday. There is also a list of plants at the same link.

News > Home and garden

10 tips for creating a beautiful water feature in your garden

Sat., April 22, 2023

Regardless of the size or configuration of your outdoor space, there's always room for water. An aquatic accent can be as humble as a birdbath or as extravagant as a waterfall cascading into a koi pond.

News > Home and garden

Ask the Builder: Sources of sewer gas

Sat., April 22, 2023

Two months ago I received a desperate text from a young woman who’s the cantor at my church. All of a sudden she was smelling noxious sewer gas in her condominium. She had moved in just two months before and for weeks there had not been a problem.

News > Home and garden

Appealing to the senses

Sat., April 22, 2023

Homes have a scent — only sometimes intentionally. Depending on the situation, they can attract or repel. Appealing to the senses, specifically a sense of smell, can be easily achieved, especially for those looking to do so naturally. Looking for ways to infuse scents into your home? Here are some top Design Recipes tips. 1. Consider herbs. From sage to lavender, many herbs can provide an ...

News > Home and garden

Gardening: Some plants, such as blueberries, spruce, grow best if you acidify soil

Thu., April 20, 2023

Now that we can honestly say it’s spring, it’s time to fertilize plants to get them off to a good start for the growing season.

News > Features

In the Garden With Susan: Explore the ‘dark side’ by examining moths that frequent your backyard

Sun., April 16, 2023

In the summer of 2020, I needed to take several moth photos for my book, “The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook.” My goal was to show gardeners what the adult stage of beet armyworms, cabbage loopers, corn earworms, cutworms and diamondback caterpillars looks like.

News > Home and garden

Nine tips to separate remote ‘work’ from ‘home’

Sat., April 15, 2023

As home and work have converged for many, it can be challenging to discern how to separate the two. How do you avoid having home feel like “the office” while still creating an environment that feels like home? Where is the work-life balance? Here are some recommendations for designing an ideal blend of work and relaxation under the same roof. 1. Create a separate area for work. Ideally, this ...

News > Home and garden

Gardening: Plant early bloomers to help pollinators

Thu., April 13, 2023

In mid-March, a friend showed me some pictures of her honey bees coming back to the hive with full loads of yellow pollen tucked along their legs.

News > Home and garden

Ask the Builder: Uncovering — and hiding — treasure at your home

UPDATED: Fri., April 14, 2023

I took over weekly grocery shopping duties to give my lovely wife a break after more than 40 years.

News > Features

In the Garden: Let’s get vertical

Sat., April 8, 2023

News > Home and garden

Get rid of that kitchen island with these clever alternatives

Sat., April 8, 2023

Kitchen islands have taken over the interior design scene for years now — perhaps too long. Some homeowners are starting their own trends by taking out their massive kitchen centerpieces and replacing them with new ideas. Here are some of the best ways you can design a kitchen without installing an island. Freestanding table Islands are great at providing additional kitchen counter space, but ...

News > Home and garden

Gardening: Effects of extreme weather may show up as plants leaf out

Thu., April 6, 2023

We are slowly creeping into spring this year. Temperatures seem to be stuck in the 50s and below and the threat of an occasional snowstorms is lurking in the forecasts. When I checked the soil temperature last Thursday it was barely above freezing, way below what most plants need to start growing.

News > Home and garden

Ask the Builder: Be ready – pipes can burst in any house

UPDATED: Fri., April 7, 2023

You might think that everything is rainbows and unicorns at my house. After all, I’m a home improvement expert. What could go wrong?

News > Features

Ask Dr. Universe: How many beetles are there? More than one can imagine

Mon., April 3, 2023

Washington State University

News > Features

In the Garden With Susan: Bringing flowers to your vegetable garden helps all the things grow

Sat., April 1, 2023

News > Home and garden

How to make over your laundry room - whether you have $300 or $3,000

UPDATED: Mon., April 3, 2023

While such a utilitarian space may not seem like it deserves much attention, homeowners who've given their laundry rooms a facelift say it's actually made them more enthusiastic about doing the wash.

News > Home and garden

How ‘live, laugh, love’ and Rae Dunn took over American homes

UPDATED: Mon., April 3, 2023

In 1994, Rae Dunn took a ceramics class in San Francisco and figured out almost immediately that she loved everything about working with clay. In particular, she developed a fondness for stamping words onto her pottery pieces as a way to express herself.Nearly three decades after starting her ceramics business, a small act of self-expression has exploded into a major business with a cult following.

News > Home and garden

Ask the Builder: Before you sign a contract, pause and get advice

Sat., April 1, 2023

This is a milestone column for me. It’s my 1,500th weekly column.

Latest Stories

Gardening: Challenge yourself to observe this spring

Ask the Builder: Avoid these mistakes in residential home building

In the Garden: Garden Fair returns next weekend, with by-appointment shopping and advice

10 tips for creating a beautiful water feature in your garden

Ask the Builder: Sources of sewer gas

Appealing to the senses

Gardening: Some plants, such as blueberries, spruce, grow best if you acidify soil

In the Garden With Susan: Explore the ‘dark side’ by examining moths that frequent your backyard

Nine tips to separate remote ‘work’ from ‘home’

Gardening: Plant early bloomers to help pollinators

Ask the Builder: Uncovering — and hiding — treasure at your home

In the Garden: Let’s get vertical

Get rid of that kitchen island with these clever alternatives

Gardening: Effects of extreme weather may show up as plants leaf out

Ask the Builder: Be ready – pipes can burst in any house

Ask Dr. Universe: How many beetles are there? More than one can imagine

In the Garden With Susan: Bringing flowers to your vegetable garden helps all the things grow

How to make over your laundry room - whether you have $300 or $3,000

How ‘live, laugh, love’ and Rae Dunn took over American homes

Ask the Builder: Before you sign a contract, pause and get advice

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