Homes in the northern U.S. are treated to a measure of effortless outdoor decorating for fall: Nature does most of the work by turning the trees a vivid palette of reds, oranges and golds. Add a pumpkin or two on the doorstep and the look is complete.
Ready, set, go. Just as soon as you have new amaryllis bulbs, pot them up, and in a few months the spectacular, colorful trumpets will unfold.
Uncle Sam seems very happy, perhaps because he is 101 years old this year. Or perhaps because his likeness has been used on a beer stein.
Q: I recently moved into a new home and want to put in some miniblinds. Can you offer any advice on how to install them?
We spend about 10 hours a day on average in the bedroom. That’s a good part of the day, so why not make this retreat one of the best rooms in the house?
Just as wardrobes change with the season, so should a home’s style. Spring and summer are for “whimsical” decor, says Wesley Thompson, an Annapolis, Md., interior designer, whereas there’s something about the fall and winter months that’s “more sophisticated and rich-feeling, as a reflection of the hibernating, nesting instinct.”
“Our lives are not totally random. We make commitments, we cause things to happen.” — Wendy Wasserstein (1950-2006), American Playwright, “The Messiah,” “Bachelor Girls”
Q: This is my first year growing pomegranates. I harvested three. The first two I picked too early because the skin broke and I didn’t want something to go after them. I expected them to be red inside. They weren’t. They were an off-white color but they do taste good and sweet. Did I pick them too green?
