Online Features
Lawn & Garden
Winterize your home in a weekend
Preparing for Jack Frost's arrival can send a shiver down any homeowner's spine. A long to-do list for getting your home ready can feel overwhelming, leaving you wondering where you'll find the time and resources. But, with some optimism, easy tips and access to a few rental tools, you can winterize your home in just one...
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Got deer? Freeze them out this winter
Deer are beautiful, graceful animals, we cannot deny it. But when it comes to where deer decide to dine, most of us just don't want them outside our windows foraging through our foliage. Their beauty and grace comes with the destruction - even devastation - of our well-cared-for and often expensive landscaped yards and g...
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Birding - It's as close as your backyard
Unlike most hobbies, backyard birding doesn't cost a lot, doesn't take tons of equipment, and doesn't require that you decipher complicated instructions just to get started. All you need is a backyard or a balcony.
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Improving the health of your lawn
Let's face it: When you live in the suburbs, a healthy, well-kept lawn is a must. Before anyone even steps into your house, it's your front lawn that makes the first impression of your home. So what's something that can help keep your lawn healthy? Many people seem to forget about aeration.
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How to create the perfect outdoor space
Comfortable spaces don't need to be constrained by four walls, and an outdoor entertaining area can quickly become the most important "room" of your home. You aren't alone if your porch or patio looks outdated and drab. Weather conditions can be tough on outdoor areas, but with a few simple updates, you can create a perf...
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Why fall is the time to tackle invasive plant problems
The crisp days of fall will soon be here, but a long dry summer has left many homeowners looking out on lawns and gardens overtaken with invasive weeds and vines. A yard full of these noxious plants is sure to make it difficult to enjoy the cooler outdoor temperatures.
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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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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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By Malia Mattoch McManus HONOLULU (Reuters) - The city of Detroit may be facing a deepening financial crisis but that hasn't stopped four trustees of its public pension funds from spending $22,000 of retirement system funds to attend a conference in Hawaii this week. The trip 4,500 miles west to a four-star resort on the world-famous Waikiki Beach in Honolulu doesn't sit well with the top officials now running Detroit's finances under an emergency order from the state of Michigan. ...
By Tim Gaynor NACO, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican activist Maria Elena Borquez takes up a paintbrush and daubs a bright splotch of color on the rusted steel fence separating the small Mexican town of Naco from a neighboring town in the United States. "The wall projects hostility," she said, paint pot in hand and surrounded by youngsters from both the United States and Mexico. "The idea is to transform it with art, friendship, colors and life ... into something that unites us," said Borquez, who is director of the local museum. ...
By David Schwartz PHOENIX (Reuters) - The foreman of an Arizona jury that deadlocked over whether Jodi Arias should be put to death for murdering her ex-boyfriend believes she was mentally abused, but said on Friday that had not been enough to excuse her crime. Arias, a former waitress from California, was found guilty this month of murdering Travis Alexander, whose body was found slumped in the shower of his Phoenix-area home in June 2008. He had been stabbed 27 times, had his throat slashed and been shot in the face. ...