Home and Garden | 15 best native plants to grow in your yard if you also want fragrant bouquets By Tribune News Service June 29, 2024 at 6:01 a.m. With the right preparation and care, a garden of native plants can also supply stunning,...
Home and Garden | Getting rid of poison ivy is a serious matter. What you should and shouldn't do. By Jessica Damiano June 29, 2024 at 5:52 a.m. Getting rid of poison ivy is a serious matter. What you should and shouldn't do.
Home and Garden | How to throw a kid’s birthday party with less waste By Washington Post June 29, 2024 at 5:39 a.m. How to have a greener birthday party: The goody bags, confetti and uneaten food aren't...
Home and Garden | How to care for houseplants during a heat wave By Washington Post June 29, 2024 at 5:27 a.m. Expert advice on how to protect your houseplants as temperatures soar: Water frequently, keep them...
Home and Garden | Corpse flower's 'stinky beauty' has reopened at San Diego Botanic Garden By The San Diego Union Tribune June 29, 2024 at 11:46 a.m. Corpse flower's 'stinky beauty' has reopened at San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas
Home and Garden | Nature Trail at The Nat to debut June 29 By Martha Lynch June 22, 2024 at 7:01 a.m. Nature Trail at The Nat, a free outdoor interpretive exhibit, is San Diego Natural History...
Home and Garden | Tips to find quality furniture at a price you can live with By Washington Post June 22, 2024 at 5:31 a.m. To find quality pieces at a price you can live with, it's important to do...
Home and Garden | 7 ways to use wallpaper — without covering a whole room By The Washington Post June 22, 2024 at 5:15 a.m. Sometimes, less is better: Design pros share their favorite tricks for making a big impact...
Home and Garden | Secrets to growing great basil By Washington Post June 22, 2024 at 5:00 a.m. For healthy basil plants, follow some basic rules about watering, harvesting and disease prevention
Things to do | 5 ways to get better window treatments on a budget By San Diego Union-Tribune June 15, 2024 at 5:15 a.m. Interior designers share their best hacks for getting the look of custom curtains and shades...
Things to do | We asked experts whether cooling bedding works. Here’s what they said. By Annie Midori Atherton June 12, 2024 at 11:15 p.m. Americans are facing a hot summer. If you already struggle with overheating at night, you...
Things to do | Renovation transforms collectors’ waterfront house into lavish salute to iconic entertainers By Jane Margolies June 8, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. Consider the 21 gilded mirrors lining the music room, each more extravagant than the last....
Things to do | Garden Mastery: Outsmarting skunks, raccoons and opossums – meddlesome critters of the night By Michael Harrelson June 8, 2024 at 12:31 p.m. Pepé Le Pew, Rascal and Pogo maybe cute characters on the screen, but skunks, raccoons...
Things to do | 7 extra-large houseplants that make a big statement By San Diego Union-Tribune June 8, 2024 at 12:21 p.m. I live in a mid-century style house with 16-foot ceilings at the tallest point, so...
Things to do | There’s an art to arranging a bookshelf. Here’s how it’s done. By Tim Mckeough June 8, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. In a public library, styling a bookshelf is easy: Just fill it with books. At...
Things to do | WaterSmart makeover: Creating a neighborhood oasis in Escondido By Caron Golden June 12, 2024 at 11:05 p.m. Couple finds the fun in researching possibilities, designing and putting in the hard work for...
Things to do | Designing a space to inspire the growing child By Caron Golden June 1, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. Years ago, Jessica Nicholls, principal designer at Bungalow 56, designed the bedrooms of two daughters...
Things to do | Beware crimes of negligence and omission in the rose garden By Rita Perwich June 1, 2024 at 12:31 p.m. It must have been the atmosphere in the Hall of Justice. On my recent jury...
Things to do | 30-plus tips on helping your June garden produce to the max By Nan Sterman June 1, 2024 at 12:03 p.m. As spring finally transitions to summer, “June Gloom” typically brings us some gray skies, especially...
Things to do | Luckily for cooks and gardeners, some herbs come back year after year By Jessica Damiano June 1, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. If you like to cook, odds are you’re painfully aware of the price of herbs...
Things to do | Laying it all out: Design pros share what to look for when rug shopping By San Diego Union-Tribune May 25, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. There’s no denying the transformative power of the right area rug in a room. A...
Things to do | What to do if you find a bird nest near your home By San Diego Union-Tribune May 25, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. If you live in a city or suburb, it can be hard to feel surrounded...
Things to do | How to clean an Oriental rug By Jeanne Huber May 25, 2024 at 12:16 p.m. Q: My neighbor is moving and gave me her 8-by-12-foot Persian rug. She says it...
Things to do | Growing tips for your best tomatoes By Kate Morgan May 25, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. The tomato might just be the quintessential summer produce. It’s the first thing many new...
Things to do | A room-by-room guide to finding and dealing with mold in your home By San Diego Union-Tribune May 25, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. Mold spores float through the air and settle on surfaces, even in the cleanest homes....
Things to do | Tidying tips from an extreme clean queen By Kate Morgan May 18, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. Brogan Ingram isn’t a cleaner by trade. But never mind that. Her cleaning videos have...
Things to do | 9 things to consider when shopping for a grill By Laura Daily May 18, 2024 at 12:31 p.m. Thinking about adding an outdoor grill to your cooking arsenal, or replacing a well-loved model?...
Things to do | No dining table? You can still throw a grown-up dinner party By San Diego Union-Tribune May 18, 2024 at 12:11 p.m. Plenty of homes don’t have space for a proper dining table, much less a formal...
Things to do | Proper care for ‘delicate’ clothes’ worth the extra TLC By Stacey Colino May 18, 2024 at 12:06 p.m. When it comes to cleaning a beloved silk blouse, wool sweater, velvet jacket or lacy...
Things to do | Poor soil or no soil? Grow your garden plants in straw bales By Jessica Damiano May 18, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. If you'd like to install a raised bed but don't have the resources to build...
Things to do | WaterSmart makeover: A garden 45 years in the making By Caron Golden May 11, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. Just a block away from La Mesa’s downtown is a residential street lined with sweet...
Things to do | Garden Mastery: Lavender plants offer a wealth of uses By San Diego Union-Tribune May 11, 2024 at 12:31 p.m. “Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green,When I am king, dilly dilly, you shall be queen.”—...
Things to do | A more resilient home? San Diego consultant in wellness design explains the importance By Jamie Gold May 4, 2024 at 1:09 p.m. Introduction"Wellness by Design" was written before COVID-19 shut the world down. Not long after the...
Things to do | 15 pro tips for starting vegetables in the May garden By Nan Sterman May 4, 2024 at 12:46 p.m. May is the busiest month in my garden. Spring blooms give way to early summer...
Things to do | Blunders and bloops keep us humble in the rose garden By Rita Perwich May 4, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. Let’s be frank. Rose gardens keep us on our toes. Sometimes it is the pests...
Things to do | These local home upgrades create a feel-good connection to the outdoors using biophilic design By Caron Golden April 27, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. When Janet Koenig and her partner, Tom, bought their Cardiff home back in 2011, the...
Things to do | How to make the most of your limited kitchen counter space By Aaron Hutcherson April 27, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. There are certain aspects of cooking, such as one’s skill or technique, that can be...
Things to do | He built a mini-Disneyland in his backyard; you can walk through it this spring By Todd Martens April 27, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. LOS ANGELES — The castle is immaculate, its gold etching regal and its towers a...
Things to do | Master Gardeners to present two-part Spring Garden Expo, May 4 and 18 By Union-Tribune Staff April 26, 2024 at 11:21 a.m. The Spring Garden Expo, presented May 4 and May 18 by the University of California...
Things to do | Wash your pet’s food and water bowls to prevent salmonella By Deedee Stiepan April 23, 2024 at 12:10 p.m. Salmonella is a bacterial infection that can cause fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea....
Things to do | From a junk-filled yard into a gardener’s jewel By Jeanette Marantos April 20, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. At the top of a roller-coaster hill in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Highland Park,...
Things to do | 6 essential tasks for a stripped-down spring cleaning By Jennifer Barger April 20, 2024 at 12:31 p.m. A century or two ago, spring cleaning was less of a tradition and more of...
Things to do | Ways to keep your garden fuss-free, simple and beautiful By Karen Hugg April 20, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. You’ve heard about minimalism in the context of interior design. And you’re at least glancingly...
Things to do | American Express sues Pirch for $33M over disputed transactions By Roxana Popescu April 19, 2024 at 5:41 a.m. American Express and Worldpay, a credit and debit card processor, have each sued Pirch, alleging...
Things to do | How to make the most of your small patio By Colleen Grablick June 13, 2024 at 3:07 a.m. Just because your patio is small doesn’t mean it can’t be purposeful. Maximizing a compact...
Things to do | Forget fast fashion: Home decorating sets a mindful mood By Kim Cook April 13, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. In a world where speed and convenience have been the siren song to consumers, there’s...
Things to do | Duvet cover have you in a tangle? Try these 3 approaches By Allie Caren April 13, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. People love to hate on their duvet covers. More specifically, they love the convenience of...
Things to do | With some HOAs sour about eco-friendly updates, residents are pushing back By Michael J. Coren April 13, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. Joseph Schiarizzi started his rebellion by planting heirloom tomatoes. With the pandemic raging in spring...
Things to do | Garden Mastery: California’s honeybee swarming season is moving in By Leah Taylor April 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. As spring blooms across the Golden State, an annual spectacle unfolds in the orchards and...
Things to do | WaterSmart makeover: A low-water ‘mountain glade’ in Encinitas By Caron Golden April 6, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. Oh, the things you do when you first buy a house that make you wish...
Things to do | Quiz yourself on rose diseases and learn how to fend off 8 fungal foes By Rita Perwich April 6, 2024 at 12:31 p.m. Remember when you would walk into the classroom and your teacher would announce a pop...
Things to do | A $20 fix can improve your shower and trim your water bill By Michael J. Coren April 6, 2024 at 12:15 p.m. Several years ago, I moved into a condo in San Francisco. My wife said we...
Things to do | San Diego chapter lines up events for California Native Plant Week By Union-Tribune Staff April 6, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. As home gardeners continue to embrace native plants, the San Diego chapter of the California...
Things to do | Planting time is now: 30-plus ways to get growing in the April garden By Nan Sterman April 6, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. The saying may be "April showers bring May flowers," but in our region, it's the...
Things to do | They handed San Diego luxury retailer Pirch their money and their trust. Now they want a refund. By Roxana Popescu April 2, 2024 at 12:13 a.m. For years, Gretchen Pelletier planned her kitchen remodel and dreamed of a roomy sink where...
Things to do | Hidden in plain sight: The secret door is having a moment By Jane Margolies March 30, 2024 at 7:11 p.m. Tabitha Kane is a co-host of a true crime podcast, so it might not come...
Things to do | When the starter home becomes the forever home By Rachel Kurzius March 30, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. When Vickie Franzen and her husband, Jon Crenshaw, bought their first house in in 2018...
Things to do | Adding floating shelves is a DIY task within reach By Jeanne Huber March 30, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. Q: How do I install a floating shelf?A: A floating shelf, as the name implies,...
Things to do | A silver lining to the pandemic? Turns out, all those bidets By Rachel Kurzius March 30, 2024 at 12:01 p.m. While the toilet paper shortages that hit the United States during pandemic lockdowns in the...
Things to do | Pirch, luxury kitchen retailer, is sued for unpaid rent and inventory, totaling $5 million By Roxana Popescu March 29, 2024 at 6:43 p.m. Pirch, the kitchen and bath merchant based in San Diego County that halted operations last...
Things to do | Designing a nursery that a toddler will enjoy By Caron Golden March 25, 2024 at 11:10 p.m. First things first: If you’re expecting a baby and you haven’t even begun to address...
Things to do | What you can and can’t clean with vinegar By Stacey Colino March 25, 2024 at 10:40 p.m. Scientists have long touted vinegar as a powerhouse cleaner. And as people seek more eco-friendly...
Things to do | Bowwow: 6 ways to get more joy with your dog By Stacey Colino March 25, 2024 at 9:43 p.m. The human-dog connection runs deep. Dogs are so tuned in to their people that they...
Things to do | She bought an animal testing site and turned it into a rehab sanctuary By Sydney Page March 25, 2024 at 9:34 p.m. Shannon Keith sends letters to animal testing labs around the country offering to take any...
Things to do | For Women’s History Month, a look at some trailblazers in American gardening and horticulture By Jessica Damiano March 24, 2024 at 4:44 a.m. Women have long been at the forefront of gardening, whether passing agricultural traditions from generation...
Things to do | Downsizing for older adults can be an emotional but rewarding process By Lauren J. Mapp March 19, 2024 at 7:54 p.m. As the parents of El Cajon resident Lisa Bowen began to get older, it became...
Things to do | WaterSmart makeover: A gardenful of succulents By Caron Golden March 16, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. When Catalina Schultz and her husband, Steve, bought their National City home in 2011, the...
Things to do | Pro organizers say some people can’t stay tidy, even with help By Annie Midori Atherton March 16, 2024 at 12:31 p.m. As a professional organizer, Cheryl Larson knows the draw of giving your home a big,...
Things to do | How to make a temporary home feel like it’s really yours By Jaime Stathis March 16, 2024 at 12:16 p.m. Before she became an interior designer, Christine Martin, founder of holistic online interior design firm...
Things to do | Threatened in their homeland, feral Mexican parrots thrive on L.A.’s exotic landscaping By Louis Sahagún March 16, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. LOS ANGELES — During a walk through the Huntington Botanical Gardens with her mother one morning, Brenda...
Things to do | Big dreams on a small scale: TinyFest returns to Del Mar Fairgrounds March 16-17 By Nicole Sours Larson March 9, 2024 at 2:01 p.m. In talking with both organizers and exhibitors at the upcoming TinyFest California, to be held...
Things to do | Garden Mastery: The expense hiding in your garden By Kobi Bardugo March 9, 2024 at 1:31 p.m. Irrigation, by definition, is to “supply land with water” from the Latin word irrigatus.As you...
Things to do | Oahu’s historic homes offer a slice of history and a sense of place By Kristina Linnea Garcia March 9, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. There's a mountain on Oahu named for the Greek myth of Tantalus, for whom satisfaction...
Things to do | Sleep soundly with these 7 expert-recommended sheet sets By Lindsey M. Roberts March 9, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. Choosing a set of sheets is a largely subjective decision. Sleeping habits, after all, are...
Things to do | Spring gardens putting on a show across San Diego County By Union-Tribune Staff April 27, 2024 at 11:59 a.m. In a region known for its mild weather and largely predictable sunny days, the record-setting...
Things to do | To handle rose pests, enter the ‘green garden gate’ By Rita Perwich March 2, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. In March, our rose garden greets us with new foliage and the promise of beautiful...
Things to do | It’s seed-starting time! Get your garden’s planting prep under way as March ushers in spring By Nan Sterman March 2, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. After a wet February, March might even bring more rain, hopefully tapering off by month’s...
Things to do | Building a dream house in wine country By Tim Mckeough February 24, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. Bruce Falck long dreamed of following the example set by his father, who ran a...
Things to do | We bring lots of hang-ups into the kitchen. Here’s how design can help. By Amanda Long February 24, 2024 at 1:31 p.m. In 2016, we renovated the kitchen in our Northern Virginia townhouse. In 2017, I entered...
Things to do | Why cats love to be up high – and how to DIY a lofty spot for yours By Colleen Grablick February 24, 2024 at 1:16 p.m. It’s a scene familiar to most cat owners: Your fluffy friend is curled up on...
Things to do | For a Ukrainian gardener, flowers offer a way forward By Margaret Roach February 24, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. The Clematis that delight Alla Olkhovska the most among the 120 or so types she...
Things to do | Annual San Diego Bird Festival lands Feb. 21-25 By Caron Golden February 17, 2024 at 2:01 p.m. San Diego lovers of all things avian are eagerly preparing to gather later this month...
Things to do | Noise dispute between neighbors calls for a balanced approach By Annie Midori Atherton February 17, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. If handled incorrectly, a noise dispute with a neighbor can spiral out of control. Over...
Things to do | How to shop for a TV that fits your budget – and needs By Laura Daily February 17, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. Whether you’re a sports fanatic, cable news junkie, sitcom binger or blockbuster movie streamer, a...
Things to do | Experts share their favorite backyard bird feeders By Lindsey M. Roberts February 17, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. Chad Witko, an outreach biologist in Vernon, Vt., has been a birder since he was...
Things to do | Post-holiday decor blahs? San Diego designers’ pointers can help re-energize your home’s interior By Caron Golden February 10, 2024 at 2:01 p.m. We’re in the thick of San Diego’s version of winter, and here’s hoping all the...
Things to do | Garden Mastery: Hops’ tiny green cone blossoms into beer By Barb Sands February 10, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. Have you ever wondered how beer is made and what ingredients are used in this...
Things to do | Are you cleaning frequently enough at home? Take the quiz. By Rachel Kurzius February 10, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. Common sense plays a big part in determining when many things should be cleaned —...
Things to do | A show of hands for the easiest houseplant By Margaret Roach February 10, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. And the answer is: Bromeliads.The question?"Which houseplants can adapt to low light and don't require...
Things to do | WaterSmart makeover: Prize-winning ‘Nana’s Garden’ is a vision focused on variety By Caron Golden February 3, 2024 at 2:01 p.m. There was a time when Lois and Jeff Scott’s El Cajon front yard was awash...
Things to do | For big rose blooms, depend on fertilizer’s big three By Rita Perwich February 3, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. When it comes to our rose gardens, many rosarians can relate to the motto “Go...
Things to do | Get the feel of a fireplace without the flames By Hannah Holland February 3, 2024 at 1:15 p.m. Fireplaces are indisputably cozy. They evoke fresh snow and hot cocoa, winter weekends holed up...
Things to do | These irrigation options can help harness the rain for your February garden By Nan Sterman February 3, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. Soon we’ll be seeing spring’s blooms, but for now, our gardens are still wet and...
Things to do | Amid unusual path to dream botanical job, DIY gardener helps inspire his own neighborhood By Jeanette Marantos January 27, 2024 at 1:59 p.m. LOS ANGELES — Even in his early years, Stephen Reid knew he was destined to work and...
Things to do | ‘World’s Ugliest lawn’ sends beautiful message By Praveena Somasundaram January 27, 2024 at 1:31 p.m. For years, yardwork was at the bottom of Kathleen Murray’s to-do list. She had intended...
Things to do | Save energy, and your clothes, by switching up laundry routine By Allyson Chiu January 27, 2024 at 1:20 p.m. Doing laundry might be a tiresome chore for you, but washing and drying clothes and...
Things to do | Succulents offered solace in time of grief By Anna Braz January 27, 2024 at 1:10 p.m. Twelve years ago, Marissa Engoy, owner of the plant business Good Morning, Cactus, suffered a...
Things to do | Used appliances a great buy if quality stands up By Daniel Bortz January 27, 2024 at 1:01 p.m. If you’re shopping for a refrigerator, dishwasher or other big appliance, finding a used product...
Things to do | Which vegetables to plant come spring? Depends on your taste – and your grocery bill By Jessica Damiano January 27, 2024 at 7:23 a.m. “What should I plant?” is a question new vegetable gardeners tend to ask me over...
Things to do | In a kitchen reno, remember the most crucial thing: light By San Diego Union-Tribune January 20, 2024 at 2:01 p.m. When you’re renovating a kitchen, it’s easy to get swept up in choosing cabinets, counters...