When visiting friends or family who have both houseplants and young children, I’ve been compared to “Aunt Bonnie” from the Geico commercial “Aunt Infestation.” In it, a young couple who just moved into a new home complains of having pests — not ants but overbearing “aunts.” ...

Now that deciduous trees are bare, trunks and branches have taken center stage, and you might be noticing nuances and irregularities that evaded your attention over the summer. For instance, what are those green masses growing on your trees? Those growths could be either lichens, moss or ...

At first glance, Nina Edwards Anker’s sconces and chandeliers look like ancient scrolls of parchment, or sheets of buttery toffee, wrapped around LED bulbs. Come closer — or just ask the New York-based designer/architect — and you’ll find they’re actually made of algae. She came ...

Chances are if you’ve been to a great restaurant, bar or hotel, you’ve snagged a coaster, matchbook, napkin or card key. Mementoes like these are talismans that help us remember what a fun experience we had. You may hesitate before you pocket the swag, wondering if doing so is OK. Worry ...

Whether in cardboard, wood or porcelain, little villages — with houses, shops, miniature figures and snowy fir trees — have long been part of many families’ holiday decorating tradition. They’re also popular now as part of an ongoing love of the cozy and the ...

In much of the country, much of the landscape goes barren from fall through spring. Evergreens are typically the workhorse plants that carry us through. But not all evergreens are created equal. A subset called conifers provide not only year-round greenery but ornamental cones that command ...