Tomato staking and caging has been a battle nearly every year that I garden, but a simple new staking system — the tomato lasso — may put an end to my struggles. Keeping tomato plants off the ground is important for disease control and preventing early fruit decay from soil contact. Many ...

From windows to wind turbines, tax credits give homeowners an extra incentive to make energy-efficient home improvements.The sweet deals of 2010 — where homeowners could receive a maximum tax credit of $1,500 — are gone. The tax laws for 2011 reverted to the incentives of 2006 and 2007, ...

Through the window I can see just a few yellow dandelion blooms dotted through the grass. Next week there will be more — in the flowerbeds and the vegetable garden and nearly every crack in the sidewalk.While I think a few dandelions are okay, the hundreds of viable seeds produced by each ...

During this year’s round of spring cleaning, think about reaching into your cupboard instead of under your sink when picking cleaning products.The commercial products that many of us use today to clean counters, bathrooms, windows and floors contain ammonia, bleach, chlorine, acid and a whole ...

Exhibitors at this weekend’s Lawrence Home Show understand that folks don’t necessarily have a bunch of money to spend these days.That’s why they’re emphasizing the savings that homeowners can enjoy by spending a few dollars — OK, even a few hundred or few thousand — to boost energy ...

Ever try to do a little too much gardening on those first glorious days of spring? The shrubs need pruning, mulch needs spreading, and the perennials are just begging to have last year’s foliage removed. You spend all day basking in the sunshine with your hands in the dirt, only to be too ...