Q: On the side of my house next to my outside wall is an open area that we want to close in so the dog won’t run out. It’s a small dog, so we only need a fence about 3 feet high. The guy we bought the house from already installed metal poles in the ground for chain-link fencing. My question is, how do I stretch the fencing across the poles?
Q: Peaches from my dwarf peach tree were very small again last year. This is the third year the fruit developed into a small size. We fertilize them twice a year with vegetable spikes and our in-ground system fertilizer system has Dr. Benson’s Natural Mix added five times per year. Any suggestions?
Dear Gail: I’m going to be selling my home and was wondering whether or not I should stage it. I’ve been reading a lot about staging and wanted your thoughts on if I could do it myself or hire a professional stager. Will it really make a difference since our market has improved? — Sam
To interior designer Wendy Blackband, the West is sophisticated and refined with a casualness that speaks to the laid-back California/West Coast lifestyle that promotes the freedom to break the rules.
Q: I have some tomatoes and pepper plants in pots. They are about 18 inches tall. Is it too early to plant them in my raised bed garden? It’s been too cold lately to plant.
Nearly everyone has infused a scent into their home. Whether it’s by burning a candle or incense, melting fragranced wax or spraying a room with a certain smell, Americans seem to love scenting their homes. In fact, the recent Las Vegas Market showcased several fragrance-inducing methods for home and business owners alike.
Q: I am from San Miguel Community Garden, a nonprofit garden located near the North Las Vegas Airport. We are considering adding more grape plants to the garden. We have Flaming Red and Thompson grapes. You said you have grown many different varieties in the Las Vegas Valley, and I was wondering if you would share with me other varieties that were successful for you so we can explore them as well.
Installing patio pavers is plenty hard compared to concrete. There is a lot of digging and lifting, as well as the renting of heavy equipment. The paving system is a multistep process that takes several weekends, whereas concrete is done in an afternoon.
With the uptick in those working from home, the need for a dedicated home office space has increased. Now, some families are carving them into nooks, others are transforming bedrooms and some are converting that one-time guest casita into an office.
Many people contacted me about whether they could plant seeds or put transplants into the ground because of this unusually cold weather. My answer was the same to them as it is here. It depends.
“There is no useful rule without an exception.” — Thomas Fuller, M.D. (1608-1661), English churchman and historian, “Gnomologia” (1732)
Norwalk recently partnered with Kim Salmela, a Los Angeles-based designer whose collection has been described as “chic lifestyle with a fresh, modern bohemian vibe.”
Installing a pocket door during new construction is easy because the walls are open and everything is visible. Installing it into a closed-up wall can be a real challenge since you have to cut open the wall.
Q: I want to propagate my prickly pear and bunny ear cactus. Should I place the cuttings immediately in the ground or in a pot and plant them in the ground later?
For years, when it comes to wine room design, replicating Old World cave-like environments was the norm. In the past five years, however, wine storage design has taken a page from contemporary interior design, creating unique spaces that can be found in just about any area of a home.
