Online Features
Lawn & Garden
Want pristine outdoor spaces next year? Take action in the fall
The cooling weather signals most homeowners to retire their lawn and garden equipment for the year. But before you stow away the rakes and hoes, remember that fall offers a unique opportunity for starting projects that can yield beautiful landscape results next year. You can save time and potentially money by doing a few...
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Beat the heat with water conservation and home safety advice
The peak water usage season, which usually begins in late July or early August, arrived early this year with record high temperatures and widespread drought. During the warmer months, the average American uses about four times as much water as they do the rest of the year. More time outdoors translates into more sweat an...
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Responsible watering tips for keeping your lawn green
Does maintaining a lush, healthy and green lawn to enjoy with friends and family seem daunting? It's often a task that is easier said than done for homeowners. But take heart, a simple watering routine can help grass thrive. Here are some tips.
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Refreshing garden drinks
With warmer than average temperatures the norm for much of the country, people are looking for new ways to cool off. Nothing is more cool and refreshing than sipping on an ice-cold drink while enjoying a meal made on the grill or resting in the comfort of a hammock. The garden can hold the key to some tempting new drinks...
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Tips to keep the garden green during vacation
Looking forward to a nice, relaxing vacation? Don't forget about that garden while you're sipping umbrella drinks on a beach or snapping photos of the Grand Canyon. Make sure you have a plan for keeping the garden green and the grass under control while you're gone.
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Garden now to refresh your outdoor space for entertaining
This summer gardens and outdoor green spaces often look limp and lifeless due to lots of hot, sunny days and limited precipitation. No need to despair, just a few simple tips can help to rejuvenate any outdoor space well into fall - and be water-wise as well.
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How to create the perfect outdoor retreat
Backyards have always been places where families can get away without actually going away. Outdoor areas connect people with their favorite natural treasures while providing a place to relax. Whether it's adding an outdoor kitchen and replacing your old picnic table with a truly impressive dining set, or outfitting your ...
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How to help your garden survive a drought
For many American gardeners, 2012 has not been a kind year. Most of the Midwest is dealing with one of the worst droughts on record. And while the Midwest is bearing the brunt of the drought this year, other parts of the country have also been hit hard in recent years, and climate change may be making matters worse. Sinc...
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DIY projects refresh your space in 1 weekend
Home and style magazines, social media and interior designers on TV are inspiring more homeowners to transform their spaces into places they love. Projects range from renewing your bathtub to refreshing your backyard deck, and can be completed in just one weekend.
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Adding or replacing deck railings a great do-it-yourself project
A good deck system can offer many benefits to a homeowner. Decks provide a place for fall cookouts, neighborhood parties, family get-togethers and countless other outdoor activities. A deck will not only provide years of wonderful outdoor living, it also adds intrinsic value to a home. Adding a good railing system to a d...
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Why more people are installing saltwater pools
One of the hottest summers in US history has sent everyone scurrying into their pools to cool off, and the biggest new trend in swimming pools is salt water. First developed in Australia, saltwater pools offer several advantages over conventional chlorine and have become incredibly popular in the last decade.
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Could acorns lead to an up 'tick' in Lyme disease?
Oak trees produced an extremely high number of acorns in 2010, which led to an increase in the white-footed mouse population in 2011. In turn, the deer tick (or black-legged tick), had ample supply of its preferred food source. Here's how you can avoid ticks when outdoors.
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By Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Emergency workers pulled more than 100 survivors from the rubble of homes, schools and a hospital in an Oklahoma town hit by a powerful tornado, and officials lowered the death toll from the storm to 24, including nine children. The 2-mile (3-km) wide tornado tore through Moore outside Oklahoma City on Monday afternoon, trapping victims beneath the rubble, wiping out entire neighborhoods and tossing vehicles about as if they were toys. ...
By David Ingram WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that the U.S. government had properly classified top secret more than 50 images of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden taken after his death, and that the government did not need to release them. The unanimous ruling by three judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected a request for the images by a conservative nonprofit watchdog group. Judicial Watch sued for photographs and video from the May 2011 raid in which U.S. ...
By Tabassum Zakaria and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's administration has decided to give the Pentagon control of some drone operations against terrorism suspects overseas that are currently run by the CIA, several U.S. government sources said on Monday. Obama has pledged more transparency on controversial counterterrorism programs, and giving the Pentagon the responsibility for part of the drone program could open it to greater congressional oversight. ...