Special Issues

If you’re considering adding solar energy to your home, now may be a good time to do it. Solar panel prices are low because demand slumped after the financial crisis of 2008, when the renewables industry was booming in Japan, Germany, Spain and California. Surplus panels piled up in warehouses and prices dropped as a […]

Years ago friend of mine spent a fall day driving around Springfield collecting bags of leaves. Sounds crazy when most homeowners can’t wait to get rid of the leaves that pile up on their yards, but she turned these leaves into “black gold.” She put the leaves in a garden area that was mostly clay […]

It looked so easy. After all, how hard could it be? You bury a few seeds, dump some water on them and wait, right? Apparently not. I must confess that I have failed at one of the most basic and essential tasks mankind has ever adopted: growing food. If the Titanic were a garden, I […]

As the gardening season gets into full swing, we can be assured of a few things: flowers will bloom, weeds will grow and our bodies will ache. However, preventing some aches and pains is within our control. Gardening could be viewed as a workout. Therefore, consult your doctor before starting an exercise program. Also discuss […]

Ban the beige! That’s the message from designer Genevieve Gorder for do-it-yourself home decorators this fall. The star of HGTV’s popular “Dear Genevieve” makeover show, Gorder also transformed the homes of desperate design-deprived viewers on TV’s “Trading Spaces” earlier in her career.  She can turn a dingy laundry into an elegant foyer and create a […]

What tastes better on a cool fall day than an apple plucked right off the tree? Well, maybe a fresh apple pie, homemade applesauce, or apple butter. This month the fruit is ripening in backyards and commercial pick-your-own orchards. Besides tasting good, apples are also good for you. They’re fat-free, sodium-free, and cholesterol-free.  A medium-sized […]

Until the end of World War II, most gardeners saved their own vegetable and flower seeds because high-quality seeds were not always readily available. Today, affordable high-quality seeds are available at garden shops and in seed catalogs everywhere, and most gardeners prefer to buy fresh seeds each year from a reliable company. However, a few […]

For a sea of spring color invest now Planting bulbs this fall will pay off in the springBy Vicky Katz Whitaker It’s apple-picking time! By Jennifer Fishburn When to save your seedsThings to know if you’re a gardener who believes in self-sufficiencyBy Jennifer Fishburn Interior design tips fromHGTV’s Genevieve Gorder By Sharon Mosley  Sleep on itTry before […]

Do you toss and turn? Do you wake up stiff and sore? Have you slept better elsewhere? It may be time for a new mattress – and finding the perfect fit requires a test drive.     We spend more than a third of our lives in bed. That’s a lot of use, and an older […]

You don’t have to sink a lot of time and effort to create a sea of color in your garden next spring and summer. Flowering bulbs will do the hard work for you over the winter, gardening experts say, provided you get the bulbs in the ground before the ground freezes solid. “Bulbs need time […]