Summer is here and so is the heat. Fear not, because this summer you can stay cool and be mindful of the planet. Many of the tips listed below are easy to integrate into your life and are free or low-cost, even saving you money in the long-term. Replace incandescent light bulbs with LED light […]
Nowadays, many kitchen and bathroom appliances, from faucets to microwaves, sport a glossy chrome finish. There’s just something sleek and modern about that silver shine that makes a bathroom look sparkly. But the slightest amount of water or soap leaves streaks or stains, robbing your home of that extra polish. So what’s a natural, […]
For a fiber- and protein-filled breakfast, nothing hits the spot quite like overnight oats. Fitness gurus and nutritionists always point to oats as a powerhouse food, but the amount of time it takes to prepare a hot bowl of steel-cut goodness generally has me reaching for a granola bar instead. Enter overnight oats, possibly the […]
For a super-modern twist on the hanging planter or vase, try repurposing old lightbulbs for your plants. This is an easy DIY that involves unscrewing the metal part of the bulb and removing the burnt-out filament (find step-by-step instructions here). If you want to hang the bulb, coil wire around the lip of the metal to […]
Going organic starts with the right plant in the right place with the right care. But when things go awry, here’s a guide to natural pest control. By Carol O’Meara A garden is a cheerful way to accessorize your home, wrapping your house in colorful flowers and fresh vegetables. Growing a garden takes patience, time […]
Beat the heat this summer with boozy ice pops! While recipes for picture-perfect alcoholic popsicles abound online, the real name of the game is experimentation. Take your favorite cocktail and mix in something to make it a little sweeter, whether that’s simple syrup or juice. Next freeze your concoction in either a popsicle tray or, […]
Making spice rubs for summer BBQs is simple. Just start with a few basic ingredients and add others to your liking. You really can’t mess up a spice rub. You simply adjust the seasonings to your tastes. But starting with the freshest, highest-quality spices “makes a huge difference,” says Dan Hayward, owner and managing partner […]
By Lisa Truesdale The “co-creative process” these homeowners engaged in resulted in a spectacular home that’s smart and sustainable. When Michael and Nancy Linsley get hungry, they just wander over to their indoor greenhouse or outdoor vegetable terraces to grab some kale and tomatoes. When they feel like serving that meal in a pretty new […]
Is your yard bee-friendly or a bee bomb? Here’s how to help these beneficial pollinators. The world would be strangely quiet without the subtle hum of bees busily foraging the world’s 250,000 or so flowering plant species. Their prolific pollinating abilities have earned bees top billing as a keystone species. In North America alone, bees […]
This landscape endured some hard knocks before a couple revived its pervasive beauty. Just inside the rusted gate, beneath a dying 75-year-old willow, she saw it: A lone framed door standing in the middle of the yard, opening to a tangle of wilted and overgrown flower beds. “I saw that and I knew this place […]
Enjoy colorful, carefree flowers come fall if you plant these natives this summer. It’s easy to get carried away in spring, when plant sales, garden centers, home-improvement stores and supermarkets are replete with floral temptations. Even those of us who know better are drawn to whatever is blooming at the time, predisposing our gardens toward […]
High-altitude gardening requires an attitude adjustment. But with a little knowledge, you can make the most of the short growing season. Many serious diseases afflict plants, but sometimes I think the worst is one most gardeners rarely acknowledge—“zonitis,” which causes many plants to perish before their time. This dread disease has definite symptoms and manifestations. […]
Growing fresh herbs and chiles is easy, and it saves you a bundle at the supermarket. You too could become an herbivore Show of hands. Who wants to pay $3 for a tiny package of fresh herbs when the recipe calls for a small amount and you can’t use the rest before it rots? If […]
Plum, gray and metallic are the top beauty hues this summer. In the fashion epicenters of Paris, London and New York, city sidewalks are a veritable runway of the latest designer clothes and accessories. In Boulder County, however, the sidewalks are full of pub patios and we dress for the outdoors rather than catwalks. So […]
A potting station can be a creative project that pays off in terms of gardening ease. It’s hard not to covet the potting stations we see at nurseries, especially when we drive home with soil and flowers and ponder the project ahead: lugging pots and garden tools from the garage, mixing soil and compost, filling […]
Dear Reader: Summer is such a glorious season, full of growth and promise. But before one can grow, one must sow a seed. I want all of us to sow seeds of kindness and compassion. I’ve noticed a lot of people in not-so-charitable moods lately, and it’s making me wonder why. Could it be the […]
Repurposed K-Cups K-Cups have taken over the home-coffee market because of their convenience and ease of use. Just pop in a plastic cup, press a button and you have a mug of fresh-brewed java. But that cup isn’t recyclable and unless you use refillable off-brand cups (which don’t jive with the Keurig 2.0 brewers), you’re […]
Dear Reader: Spring at last! Every year, we wait for this bountiful season to roll our way. The crocuses and daffodils make us dizzy with delight as they pop through the brown, snow-covered ground we’ve endured all winter long. What are your spring plans and pledges? I need to clean out the garden, clean up […]
The color wheel is a good tool for helping you pick colors for your garden. By Arna Cohen The world is full of spectacular gardens: Pierre du Pont’s sprawling Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. Frederick Law Olmsted’s Biltmore Gardens in North Carolina. British Columbia’s magnificent Butchart Gardens. And then there’s Versailles, the crown jewel of gardens. […]
Fracking is a divisive issue, and properly regulating it is difficult until conclusive data are available. By Tanya Ishikawa At least two truths about fracking are indisputable: It’s controversial and the risks to human health and the environment are not clearly known. The fracking process is becoming better understood, but experts agree that more data and […]
