Home and garden

My family moved often while I was growing up, living in small apartments and even occasionally on a sailboat, so our entire kitchen inventory – including a saucepan, skillet, stockpot and wok – could fit in one box tucked into the back of our Chevy hatchback. We could cook pretty much everything with those pans, since they were easily adaptable for tomato soup, blueberry pancakes, steamed crabs, fried rice or any other hankering we might have.

Gardening is good for the mind, body and spirit. It is also good for the youngsters in our lives.

As I look back on the decades of giving advice to homeowners like you, one thing stands out in my mind. I’ve always tried my best to tell you the truth about how hard or easy some task might be. That’s the opposite tack of most of home improvement entertainment shows I see on TV. Most share half truths. I’m sure you’re aware that a half truth is a whole lie.

Along with 1980s neon manicures and vintage ’90s blazers, glass blocks are making a comeback thanks in part to a new fan base on social media. One Instagram reel showcasing several types of the retro building material has racked up more than 5 million views since March. It features cross-hatched blocks, frosted blocks and fluted blocks, underscoring the fact that the latest iterations aren’t always quite what you remember from your aunt’s gaudy apartment or the restaurant with a smoking section where you celebrated family birthdays.

Our early summer gardens are bursting with color right now all across the region. With that kind of floral bounty, it can only mean it’s time for the Coeur d’Alene Garden Club’s annual garden tour.

A front door color can make or break your home’s curb appeal. The perfect shade and finish are more than just eye candy; they set the tone for your entire home.

Whether you are making some late additions to your gardens or planning for the future, create combinations of hummingbird-favorite plants to attract and support them with a season-long supply of nectar. Hummingbirds consume an average of two to three times their weight in nectar each day. Feeders and an abundance of flowers throughout the season will support the hummingbirds and help attract ...

The inspiration for this column came to me one Sunday morning as I was greeting people at our church, where my wife and I are ushers. In between people dashing through the door to avoid the drops of rain falling from the steel-gray clouds, I looked across the street. A project at a multifamily building was finally completed.

“I have ants getting into my house,” the customer said as he approached Laylah Gibford, general manager of Northwest Seed and Pet on Sprague Avenue.

Mid-June is the height of gardening season in our region. Our gardens are full of blooming iris, alliums, peonies, dogwoods, rhododendrons and a plethora of perennials. That means it’s also time for the Inland Empire Gardeners to host their annual Spokane in Bloom garden tour.

You might assume, since I write a column about home improvement, that my house is perfect in every way. You’d be wrong. I suffer from a condition where I know how to do 99%t of the projects around my house. A deep inner force within me causes me to tackle all of these tasks no matter the size. I often work alone.

This year’s Spokane in Bloom Garden Tour is partnering with the celebration of Expo ’74. In keeping with the theme behind the 1974 world’s fair, this tour will be about sustainable conservation practices and combining the old with the new.

Make room in your garden or containers for the new All-America Selections 2024 award-winning plants. These winning varieties are tested in trial gardens across the United States and Canada. Volunteer judges rate entries based on their improved performance, flavor, disease resistance and other unique qualities related to their performance in gardens and containers.

With home loan interest rates higher than they’ve been in years, you may not be able to move to a larger home. You might be able to obtain the added space you need by transforming unfinished space to delightful rooms.

It’s hard to believe we are already into June. Our plants have come alive with flowers and green leaves.

It’s a general rule of thumb: No one should spend more than 30% of their income on housing. This is not feasible for the majority of Spokane residents, however.

You move into a new space or want to renovate your current living room and are faced with the daunting decision. Where do I place the TV?

Few things spice up a dish – or, for that matter, an herb garden – like basil. With flavor profiles that include sweet, spicy and even citrusy, the herbaceous staple is a favorite of both growers and chefs.

The cool weather this spring has been good for rhubarb plants. After emerging in early May, the thick, tangy stalks are ready for harvesting to be turned into pie, sauce, jam and rhubarb bread.