Q: I have an old single-handle shower valve that I want to replace with a modern one. How difficult is this project?
Home and Garden
Q: My young acacia tree has abundant growth but only on the top half of the branches. Each of these branches is losing many leaves halfway up the branch. There is a lot of growth at the top of the tree but not much below. Am I watering too much or too little? I water every five days during the summer.
Drew and Jonathan Scott recently attended Las Vegas Market to showcase their successful Scott Living line.
“Understanding is the beginning of approving.” — Andre Gide (1869-1951), French author and Nobel Prize winner in literature
Tomato plants that were put in the ground early, before this cold spell, didn’t grow much. This is because of cold soils. Cold air temperatures are bad enough, but when warm-season vegetables like tomato plants have “cold feet,” they struggle to put on any new growth, even with warm air temperatures. If they do get larger because of hot caps or Wall O’ Water plant protectors, it’s not because their roots got larger.
Q: How well do strawberries grow in our Las Vegas climate? When is the best time to plant and fertilize them? Any other tips?
“When I speak of home, I speak of the place where — in default of a better — those I love are gathered together; and if that place were a gypsy’s tent or a barn I should call it by the same good name notwithstanding.” — Charles Dickens (1812-1870), English novelist, “Nicholas Nickleby”
It’s been called illicit, daring and truly personal. Graffiti or street art is making a move into the home, pushing aside traditional wall decor, such as wallpaper, paint and canvas.
Dear Gail, We’ve decided to downsize since it’s just my husband and I. We’re sorting through our things to create a more minimal design. At this point in our lives, we’re OK with less than more. There is less to stress over and take care of.
Q: A while back, you wrote about how to repair a problem with landscape lights. My husband and I don’t have such a system yet, but we plan on buying one and would like to know how to install it.
Q: I am trying to grow an avocado tree. I have it in a container, and it’s now 22 inches tall. When is the best time to transplant, and what is the best way to take care of it in our desert?
It’s great having a garage. So many things can be stored there.
Q: I have several cabinets that all have the same problem: The doors don’t close correctly. Some of the doors touch each other either at the top or bottom, while others stay open a crack when I close them.
Q: I have a fruit-bearing plum tree approximately 2 years old. I noticed an amber hard substance on the trunk. I think it’s borer damage. If it is, what can I do to save it and still eat the fruit?
