Q: I have had a grapevine for the last six years. The first year when I planted it, I didn’t get grapes but years two, three and four, I had lots. Last year my vine grew leaves and it was time for the baby grapes to show up, but they never did. We’re in the middle of May and I’m wondering what is wrong with my grapevine.
“Security depends not so much upon how much you have, as upon how much you can do without.”
The best time to transplant a Joshua tree is in mid- to late spring, but with this plant it could be done in summer as well. The worst times are fall and early winter months. Stay away from these months for planting a Joshua.
A friend recently asked me about plants that he could install in a desert environment. Certainly, a large variety of plants could fill the bill, but he gave me a caveat — whatever plants I suggested would need to rely on naturally occurring water, not irrigation. That makes a world of difference in selecting the proper variety for this region.
The latest Department of Energy proposed standards, which will become effective in January 2019, would require dishwashers to cut energy use 24 percent and water use 38 percent, leaving 3.1 gallons of water to clean an entire load of dishes in a normal wash cycle.
If you are renovating any area of your home, it may be time to try something new, such as bringing tile into main living areas in addition to your bathrooms and kitchen. New designs, styles and technologies are making tile the most versatile and accessible flooring material.
The antiques auction catalog stated there was a rare and valuable “veilleuse” in the next sale. That is a descriptive word a seasoned auctiongoer would understand, but the antique’s meaning is not in most dictionaries.
Basil, cilantro and Italian parsley are easy to grow here if you prepared your soil adequately and grow them at the right time of year.
Every day, we are each responsible for the increase in carbon emissions whether our activities and choices are big or small. Sometimes there is a bigness to small things like a plastic bag.
A design trend, or in my mind a design staple, is the animal print. Each season as we gleefully see what the design mavens declare to be the latest and greatest, we’re never disappointed to see animal prints back on the list.
It has been said that the kitchen is the heart of the home but this workhorse of a room often serves a much larger purpose than simply being the place where food is stored and meals are prepared.
Don Rees started in the construction industry as a timber framer and eventually became a homebuilder. But as he constructed new houses he still found himself crafting custom wood doors, mostly for clients’ garages.
There is a profound correlation between the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui and good design. It calls for the use of color, for a lack of clutter, and demands clarity and light while always seeking harmony and balance. All fundamentals for a great environment.
When most of us are designing the spaces in our home, we have a wonderful vision of what we want our rooms to look like. But, alas, we also have budgets. I’ve learned from designing my own homes that you can get the high-style look you’re dreaming of without going over budget.
