Q: It got to 30 degrees overnight in Boulder City. I’m worried about my little 6-foot lemon tree in a 5-gallon pot on the porch. I placed a queen-size bed sheet over the tree and hung a 100-watt incandescent lamp from a branch last night. I’m hoping that small amount of heat will raise the temperatures above freezing. Is this necessary?
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?
Barbara Sallick knows bathrooms.
If you were asked to name the key component of a room’s design, the spark that makes it all come together and ignite into one glorious setting, what would you choose? The furniture, the floor, the window coverings or maybe the fabrics? If you picked any one of these, you’re overlooking one of the most basic elements in design: color.
Temperatures turned cold this past week. Historically, we still have about three or four more weeks of warm weather so it probably will get warm again soon. But if you plant vegetables from seed, these cold soil temperatures should still be warm enough to germinate radish, peas, beets, possibly carrots and turnips.
The furniture and decor you choose to make your place a home are personal, on many levels. West Elm, with two local retail stores, has searched out Las Vegas artists to make you feel even more at home with your interior design purchase.
Fall and early winter are excellent times to prevent insect problems that occur next year. I received reports of worms or grubs feeding now on the roots of plants. The most common are white grubs.
Dear Gail: We’re remodeling our master bathroom and want to know the different ways we can finish the exposed edges of our shower tile. — Karen
Q: I am having a problem with hot water in my 2-year-old house. My bathroom and water heater are located on opposite sides of the house, and I have to wait forever to get hot water for a shower. I hate watching the cold water running down the drain while I wait. Is there anything I can do?
Thanksgiving, that lovely day for feasting, football and family, is unrecognizable compared with the original harvest meal held in 1621 and shared by Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians. So in order to make this year’s celebration more traditional, consider taking the dinner outdoors, just like the Pilgrims did 395 years ago.
Reading some of the national gardening blogs and articles gives me a chuckle. Frequently they are out of touch with gardening and horticulture in the desert Southwest. For instance, one recently said there was little to do during the winter months. Obviously, they have never lived in our climate.
Fall is a good time to make changes in our energy consumption. Daylight saving time helps us adjust to shorter days and gives us that cherished extra hour of sleep.
“If you look at life one way, there is always cause for alarm.” — Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973), Anglo-Irish novelist and short story writer, “The Death of the Heart” (1938)
