Tag: home and garden
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At Home: At furniture bank, handed down furniture offers a hand up
A few months ago, Kat Williams was living with her children — ages 1, 5 and 13 — in her car. When I met her last week, she was picking furniture for a three-bedroom apartment that was “way more than I expected,” she said. Williams and I met at a furniture and clothing bank. Now…
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Year-round gardening: A guide to geraniums and pelargoniums
Geraniums and pelargoniums are easy-to-grow perennials familiar to most gardeners but often confused with one another. While both are in the geranium family, the most common plants sold as geraniums are actually pelargoniums. True geraniums are the “cranesbills,” hardy North American and European herbaceous perennials. The cranesbill name comes from the seedhead that develops after…
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At Home: Dinner party prompts dining room refresh
The prospect of hosting a fancy dinner party at my house filled my heart with panic and my redecorating engine with jet fuel. I had been wanting to update my dining room. Suddenly, I had an incentive and a deadline. “You start seeing everything they don’t even notice,” said my neighbor, trying to calm my…
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Year-round gardening: Now’s the time to join a community garden
Community gardening has existed for as long as people have been cultivating food. In many early societies, individual survival depended on the survival of the group, tribe, community, family or other collective. Today most people do not have that experience of a community connection to food production and consumption. Participation in a community garden may…
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Year-round gardening: Want to garden, but don’t want to spend your life savings?
Gardening is very fulfilling, but the sticker cost to get started can seem a bit overwhelming. Regardless of where you are in your gardening journey, here are a few tips to keep your plants — and your wallet — happy. Save water One of the more costly aspects of gardening is water. Save money by…
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Year-round gardening: Want to garden, but don’t want to spend your life savings?
Gardening is very fulfilling, but the sticker cost to get started can seem a bit overwhelming. Regardless of where you are in your gardening journey, here are a few tips to keep your plants — and your wallet — happy. Save water One of the more costly aspects of gardening is water. Save money by…
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At Home: When is an area rug too small and how to fix it
“Your living room rug is too small,” she said. “No, it’s not,” I said. “Yes, it is,” she replied. “So what if it is. I’m not getting rid of it,” I asserted. We fight like sisters, my friend Susan and I. We disagree on about everything, including politics, diet, and religion. We usually agree on…
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At Home: When is an area rug too small and how to fix it
“Your living room rug is too small,” she said. “No, it’s not,” I said. “Yes, it is,” she replied. “So what if it is. I’m not getting rid of it,” I asserted. We fight like sisters, my friend Susan and I. We disagree on about everything, including politics, diet, and religion. We usually agree on…
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Wallpaper comeback — it’s not just flowers and strawberries anymore
“Wallpaper?” “Yes. Wallpaper,” the designer confirmed. “I haven’t put wallpaper in a home in 15 years,” I replied. “Where have you been? Wallpaper is huge,” he said. Then I started noticing. He was right. A couple of months ago, I got the bug to refresh and update my dining room. I was not being rash.…
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Year-round gardening: Get busy in May’s garden
“While strolling through the park one day, in the merry, merry month of May …” This song lyric was published in 1884 by Willis Woodward & Co. of New York and to this day can still put a pep in the step of Colorado gardeners. It’s finally time to get busy! Early May • Mugo…