Home & Garden

Homes with window boxes extend a warm welcome. Their design, dimensions and depth are like open arms in living color. For information on how to add them or keep them looking great, read on. ...

Remember when summer was one, long, sun-filled season of possibilities that lasted forever?  Then, suddenly, it became a muggy flash interrupted by Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. Reclaim the season! Our May/June issue is full of suggestions for putting the fun back into summer. ...

Native plants have evolved to our seasons and soil types, so they thrive in less-than-ideal conditions. Native flowers flourish in their natural habitat, even if the soil is depleted, if there’s not enough or too much rain, or if you see caterpillars and other insects on the plants. If your ornamentals are failing to thrive, plant to native flowers in your garden. ...

We're tearing apart flower beds, planting vegetables and descending upon local nurseries like ants on a Popsicle stick. While our reward is dirty kness, sore muscles and a bountiful harvest in a few months, researchers have quantified other benefits: it's good for our bones, too. ...

Cheap, chic and oh-so-fun, furnishing your home with thrifted and consigned items is exploding in popularity. While many of us are right-sizing at this stage of life (and depositing unwanted items at consignment and thrift stores), others have discovered those very places are also great spots to unearth new-to-you treasures. ...

No matter where we go, we take stuff with us: towels, sunscreen, books, food, chairs and more. Whatever you plan to do this summer, we’ve come up with a list of handy take-along gear, some from small local retailers, others purchased online. ...

A fairy garden is a miniature garden that contains a container, soil, plants and fairy accessories. This mini-garden offers us and the grandkids a magical, “small-world” play space to develop their imagination and creativity. Creating the fairy garden with your grandchildren also exposes them to the basics of plant care and gardening. But you don't have to stop there. Northeast Ohio has fairy festivals, too. ...

Who needs a calendar to tell when to plant your perennials or veggies? With current global warming and climate change, “phenology” may be a more reliable indicator. And then there’s the ancient practice of planting by the moon. To find out how you can use these methods to better assure gardening success, read on. ...