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‘HOUSE & GARDEN’

Adding houseplants to your home’s interior provides color and life. Many species help ’scrub’ the air while adding the benefit of a living thing to the home. The sight of a healthy, growing plant gives a lift that can be provided in no other way. Read the rest of this entry »

Choosing a pot is one of the most important decisions anyone interested in indoor gardening has to consider. Even when plants are bought already in the container, making it seem as if the choice has been made for you, you need to consider whether that plant will thrive in that pot. Read the rest of this entry »

Most houseplants require some care year round. But exactly what you do is heavily influenced by the season. Most houseplant species have an active growing season in the Spring and early Summer, followed by a tapering off in the Fall. Many become dormant in Winter, even though the temperature in the house remains relatively warm. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most enjoyable aspects of having houseplants is the opportunity they provide for doing interior design. A home can be lovely with good furniture, fine table-top items and beautiful paintings but adding indoor plants can expand the choices enormously while moving the decoration into a whole new dimension. Read the rest of this entry »

Outdoor plants are relatively self-regulating. They get most of what they need from the surrounding air and soil and often require no feeding aid. Indoor plants are much more reliant on the gardener’s tender ministrations. But it’s possible to overdo it. Read the rest of this entry »

There are about 60 different species of the Genus Sansevieria, variously known as Snake Plant, Mother-In-Law’s Tongue and many other names. Many are natives of Africa, but it can be found in Australia, China, Japan or Hawaii as well as other areas. These beautiful plants make for an excellent addition to the indoor garden and they’re very easy to grow and care for properly. Read the rest of this entry »

The overwhelming majority of houseplants get most of what they need by their own efforts, from decent soil and adequate sunlight. But, unlike their outdoor cousins, houseplants are very much at the mercy of their owners for proper watering. Read the rest of this entry »

The Braided Money Tree (Pachira Aquatica) is a beautiful and unusual plant that makes for an excellent addition to any home. The tree is composed of several trunks that wind around one another, reaching anywhere from a foot to several feet in height. The bonsai version is around a foot, while full sized trees reach up to seven feet. Read the rest of this entry »

The easiest way to add houseplants to your home is to buy mature plants. You bypass the time it takes to grow them from seed and you can enjoy them immediately instead of waiting for them to develop. But, there’s something to be said about watching a seed sprout or a cutting develop into a mature plant. Read the rest of this entry »

The Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum) makes for an excellent houseplant. They’re attractive and easy to care for. Though, as with any houseplant, it’s possible to over or under water, they’re much more tolerant than most, and they live practically forever. Read the rest of this entry »

Jade Plants provide a great option for indoor gardening, since they’re hardy and easy to grow. They thrive in containers and enjoy warm, dry conditions. As succulents, they tolerate low-water conditions well and require very little fertilizer. Read the rest of this entry »

Houseplants are living organisms and get attacked by other living things that produce diseases. Here are some common symptoms and tips on how to treat the diseases they indicate. Read the rest of this entry »

There are millions of species that feed on houseplants. But there are a few that are found in almost every area. Read the rest of this entry »

Many plants will do equally well indoor or out. But some thrive best in the protected environment of the house, while others won’t flourish unless they are in the elements. Anyone considering a bit of indoor gardening and decoration with houseplants will want to do a little research to find out which falls into which category. Read the rest of this entry »

Bamboo is one of the more interesting choices for a houseplant. It’s decorative, hardy, and can spread like wildfire, so it can be a beautiful but challenging plant. Read the rest of this entry »

Palm trees are often associated with the tropics with images of banana bearing trees coming readily to mind, swaying in the breeze under a hot sun. But there are many palms that tolerate cold very well and that adaptability, along with their attractive appearance and easy care, make palm trees an excellent houseplant. Read the rest of this entry »

Most plants receive their nutrients solely from the soil and air, taking up nitrogen, water and other needed materials by capillary action. They soak it up through the roots and distribute it through the stem and leaves. Read the rest of this entry »

A good contractor earns every dime you pay them, a bad contractor may take every dime you have. Read the rest of this entry »

Choosing a material for your countertops involves considerations of cost, appearance and use. Some are as inexpensive as $10 per square foot, others as high as $100 or more. Which you choose will depend on your taste and budget, as well as how you plan to make use of the surface. Read the rest of this entry »

Apart from possibly the bathroom, kitchens get more traffic from more individuals in most homes than any other room. And, unlike bathrooms, they’re one of the most visible. Make your kitchen functional and beautiful on a budget with these simple ideas. Read the rest of this entry »

Few spaces in the home are as personal, and as practical, as the bathroom. Bathrooms are a place to refresh, re-group and prepare for the coming day. They’re also a place to wind down from a day just past and prepare for bed. Read the rest of this entry »

Modern chemistry has created both friend and challenge. Hand soaps, shaving cream and other concoctions make life a lot more healthy and convenient than it was a hundred years ago. But some traditional problems are still with us: clogs. Read the rest of this entry »

Whether kitchen or bathroom, fixing a sink can be straightforward or it can be a nightmare. Much depends on the condition of the valves and hoses leading to them. Read the rest of this entry »

Few things are as important to most homeowners as the security of his or her home. Fortunately, today there are more options than ever. Here are some tips on how to select one with confidence… Read the rest of this entry »

Laying carpet is often one of those projects where paying a professional is worth the cost. But if you have a simple installation, or really want to save the money, here are some guidelines to follow for a professional looking job. Read the rest of this entry »

As with any remodeling project, the first step – and the hardest – is preparation. Surfaces on which moulding is to be installed need to be clean, dry and smooth. Read the rest of this entry »

Even beginning do-it-yourself’ers will find that installing kitchen cabinets is do-it-yourself-able. With care, the results can be as fine as any professional job. Here are some tips to achieve that goal. Read the rest of this entry »

A riddle: which one of the important ’systems’ of your home has no moving parts and is spread throughout the house? Answer: insulation. Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to advances in materials science and other techno-wizardry, your lighting design options today are, well, blinding. Any look you want, for any part of the home with any layout is available. Read the rest of this entry »

Installing a tile floor is one of the more difficult home remodeling projects. But with care, it’s within reach of anyone. Read the rest of this entry »

Home heating systems serve a simple purpose. But to achieve it they employ a surprisingly complicated set of components, some of which are prone to failure. Let’s start with the simple and obvious (and cheap!) things first. Read the rest of this entry »

Left alone, cool things warm up from their warmer surroundings. Every air cooling system takes advantage of some very interesting laws of physics to reverse this and make your home temperature lower than the outdoors. Read the rest of this entry »

The average cost for a room addition in the U.S. runs between $50,000 and $65,000. You may want to save that outlay by undertaking the effort yourself. But, be prepared. Read the rest of this entry »

Replacing doors falls into two categories: (1) replacing just the door, (2) replacing the door plus the frame. The first is easy, but the second is within the skill set of the average do-it-yourselfer as well. Here, we’ll cover the first case only. Read the rest of this entry »

If carried out correctly, replacing your screens can be a snap. Be careless and you really will have to replace the whole screen, frame and all. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s easy to read magazines and conclude that your home is a danger to you and your family. But, as anyone can see, people are living longer, healthier lives than ever. Read the rest of this entry »

Fortunately, painting the outside of most homes is easier today than ever. Easier… not easy. When the average cost of a professional paint job runs several thousand dollars (though they do earn it), you may want to tackle it yourself. Read the rest of this entry »

Roof repair can be simple and cheap… or you can wait until the damage spreads and you have a condition only a professional can solve – for hundreds (or thousands) of dollars. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve ever installed an outdoor deck and patio and hooked up an indoor dishwasher, you’ve got the skills needed to install your own hot tub. Read the rest of this entry »

Shower installations are tough, no getting around it. Most home remodeling projects require care, but this is one case where even a small error can lead to disaster. Read the rest of this entry »

With the popularity of HDTV sets, the shape and weight requirements (not to mention the price) of stands has changed. If you don’t want to shell out a few hundred dollars for a stand, increasing the TV’s total price by 20% or more, here are a couple of alternatives. Read the rest of this entry »

With only a few dozen deck screws, lag screws, galvanized nails, bolts, joists, posts, braces, flashing, concrete bags, gravel, stain, thinner, drill, level, plumb bob, hammer, measuring tape… you too can build a deck. Read the rest of this entry »

Keeping decks sturdy and looking new is a three step process that can be low cost and require only moderate effort. Read the rest of this entry »

Gardens provide a healthy, relaxing hobby and give beautiful results, enhancing the appearance of any home or business. But they can also be profitable. Read the rest of this entry »

Remodeling your basement presents several challenges, which can all be turned into advantages. Here’s how… Read the rest of this entry »

Beyond the basics of grading, foundation and floors, and walls and roofs, there are a host of smaller – but still essential – elements to inspect. Read the rest of this entry »

Even when a homeowner doesn’t have the advantage of watching the progress of construction from the beginning, it’s still possible to judge the final result. Professional inspectors do it all the time, and they have extensive lists of what needs to be checked. Read the rest of this entry »

The beginning gardener will find herbs a great choice for those early experiments. Herbs are very forgiving, doing well in poor soil and requiring little or no fertilizer. They’re insect resistant in many cases, and don’t require constant pruning. Read the rest of this entry »

Herbs require very little care compared to many plants. How many times have you had to spray your roses or trim your orchids? Read the rest of this entry »

Creating an herb garden is fun and practical. The aromas are wonderful, the view is beautiful, and many can be used as medicines or for cooking. Read the rest of this entry »