21 Aug 2010

Honeybees are beneficial insects that pollinate a third of the crops we grow for food. Bees pollinating flowers help gardeners, but a nest of bees near a home can pose a serious hazard to the occupants and their pets as well as neighbors and visitors.

21 Aug 2010

Garden events

20 Aug 2010

No matter if youre a first-timer seeking the thrill of the grill or a steak-searing veteran looking to upgrade your appliance, now is a great time to shop for a grill.

14 Aug 2010

Based on an ancient Japanese folk tale, the Festival of the August Moon is one of the major events for funding the Japanese Friendship Gardens expansion plans.

7 Aug 2010

The dog days of summer have arrived, and in many communities, water-use restrictions are in full swing. You may have noticed that your water pressure has also gone down due to the high demand.

7 Aug 2010

Everyone is welcome to bid on orchids from around the world at the Palomar Orchid Society auction.

7 Aug 2010

Flowers are the ephemerals of the garden. They vanish without a trace at the end of each season, so you would hardly think them worth pruning during their brief stay. Yet pruning can help make more flowers, make the plants bushier or increase the size of individual flowers.

7 Aug 2010

When you think of bearded irises, you think of springtime -- certainly not August. However, if you want those beautiful flowers in your garden next spring, August is an ideal time to plant them. A few local nurseries will have bearded iris rhizomes in stock soon, and by the end of August most nurseries should have them.

31 Jul 2010

If you follow tech blogs or watch a few infomercials, you know that inventive minds are always coming up with new household gadgets meant to make life easier. Heres a look at a few of the more ingenious ones.

31 Jul 2010

Every day, Doug Lowrance walks out to his tomato garden and talks to his plants.

31 Jul 2010

Anders Gurda hops off his bike at various backyards in Minneapolis, grabs his garden tools and starts weeding.

31 Jul 2010

Learn about plumeria care and grafting today at Walter Andersen Nursery.

24 Jul 2010

Imagine a plant that pumps out flowers almost nonstop -- a plant that practically stops foot or car traffic because it shouts "look at me." Even better, this is a plant that doesnt demand a lot of extraordinary care.

24 Jul 2010

There are roses covering every part of Ruth Tiffanys yard, even climbing up a utility pole.

24 Jul 2010

Wind chill isnt something we normally think about in July. And its certainly not something wed believe could occur in our living room. But when a properly functioning ceiling fan is spinning overhead, wind chill is exactly what we experience.

24 Jul 2010

Varnish or similar coatings would probably peel and flake off in a short time. The best bet is to use a cleaner-polish intended for laminate floors.

24 Jul 2010

The San Diego County Orchid Society will host its Summer Show and Sale in the Park noon to 5 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

17 Jul 2010

Ken and Deni Carpenter got exactly the home they wanted: spacious with a contemporary elegance.

17 Jul 2010

Michelle Obama has Obama-ized the White House with healthful menus, planted bok choy and rhubarb to supply them and ramped up the fashion quotient with metallic strapless dresses and studded belts. Her latest style statement: official flowers in a looser "garden" style by Laura Dowling, the new White House chief floral designer. Dowlings hot-glue gun has been smoking as she has created hundreds of arrangements, many in custom containers wrapped in birch bark, moss and dried apricots. The more relaxed, sometimes unexpected look incorporates armloads of romantic blooms, trailing vines, shaggy ferns and the occasional hot pepper and Brussels sprout.

17 Jul 2010

Upside-down gardening methods such as the Topsy Turvy planter inspired Tony Tangorra, 81, and his neighbor and partner Fred Anderson to invent what they call Fence Top Gardening.