Home & Garden

How much do you know about the fabric of our lives?

My beloved wife continues to be mystified by my interest in trivia. I like to read and am utterly unable to distinguish between the important and the tangential. I nodded my head in agreement when Anne Fadiman wrote that she once read a 1974 Toyota repair manual because it was the only thing in her house she hadn't read twice.

Trip to New Zealand yields wealth of new knowledge

Today I am gaining 24 hours. This doesn't mean I'll be caught up on my laundry or answer all of my e-mails, however, because I lost a day three weeks ago crossing over the international dateline. It might sound spooky, but Halloween was the day that disappeared three weeks ago when 20 of us garden lovers set out on a great South Seas adventure trip.

Catalog season is dream time for gardeners

Christmas might be children's favorite time of year, but for gardeners the season of dreams comes immediately after the holidays when the seed catalogs begin to arrive.

Catalogs can be menus for online

Seed catalogs have come a long way from their 19th century origins, when they were valued as much for their art as their information. Now they serve as reference aids to computer users: Many consumers choose from catalogs but order from supplier Web sites.

Explore ways to brighten winter gloom

During the long darknesses of winter, your home's lighting takes on added importance. And when it comes to creative choices, there are many possibilities.

Keep mice out of your house

Question: How can I keep mice out of the house?

Stop cold from air leaks around doorways

Whether you're looking from an economic or from an environmental angle, it makes good sense to tighten up this autumn. — Whether you're looking from an economic or from an environmental angle, it makes good sense to tighten up this autumn.

Tree ornaments reflect trends

Christmas tree ornaments tend to reflect styles we see in the year's home furnishings, as well as what's on the fashion runway. We like to dress our tree as we dress our rooms and ourselves.

Home and garden calender -- Nov. 29

Thursday

Demand for green homes drives technology

LOS ANGELES — Robert Mechielsen's designs for environmentally friendly homes often include cutting edge features such as high-efficiency heating and cooling systems and solar panels to convert sunshine into electricity.