I replanted some of my containers last week, swapping out dead pansies for petunias, which will better withstand the heat as summer progresses. As I removed the spent plants from their pots, a swarm of ants immediately covered my bare arms. That wasn’t the first time I’d disturbed an ...
By DAVID HAMILTON AP Business Writer SAN FRANCISCO — Get ready to say goodbye to the once ubiquitous incandescent light bulb, pioneered by Thomas Edison more than a century ago. You can thank — or blame — new federal energy efficiency regulations that went into full effect Tuesday. ...
Each morning, I head outside with coffee and in pajamas to check on my plants. “Who’s thirsty? Who needs a trim?” I ask, tending to their needs as I move from bed to bed. Most days, the visit reveals pleasant changes, like the first Madame Julia Correvon clematis flower of the season ...
Looking to plant something unusual, easy to grow and exotically delicious? Let me introduce you to Asimina triloba, the pawpaw tree. Also known as Hoosier banana, poor man’s banana and false banana, the sadly underused fruit tree will transport you to the tropics, its 12-by-5-inch, droopy, ...
Blasting the air conditioning to counteract stifling heat can provide much-needed relief this summer, but the utility bills that follow might not be as pleasant. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of electricity has been steadily climbing over the past two years. “Most ...
Every spring, I cut fragrant lilac stems from the two bushes flanking my front gate and set them in a vase indoors, where their fragrance perfumes the entire first floor better than any scented candle or diffuser could. In summer, some of my hydrangeas and roses make it indoors too, their ...