You love them both — your pets and houseplants — but it can be challenging to safely raise them together in the same house. Reduce the risk by selecting pet-safe plants and safely managing houseplant pest problems. Avoid problems by selecting plants suited to … read more

Barely into winter, and the signs of the season are everywhere. The vibrant aspects of warmer times have left for sunnier climates. Anything left in the shadow of a sunless sky is rendered drab by the unending gloom of rain. Now that West … read more

After months of deliberation and dozens of drive-by trips, a young couple decided to follow their hearts. They stopped the car and fastened a note to the mailbox of the old farmhouse. “We’re looking for a place to raise a family,” the note … read more

Gardening chores may be over, but if you haven’t dug out your dahlia tubers yet, there’s one more job to do. The dahlias, which are native to Mexico, don’t survive a hard freeze (24 degrees or below), so you may want to do … read more

Downsizing a garden to a manageable area does not mean you give up on charm. In fact, small plots are often more creative in utilizing space. The garden of Suzanne O’Clair and David Shelley is one of those places. Though the property may … read more

In 1975, an almost derelict cottage overlooking Case Inlet sat overgrown with blackberry brambles. The previous owner, who was Judi Cleghorn’s uncle, had died, and when the estate was settled, Cleghorn and her husband, Rick Gudmunson, made arrangements to buy the little house. … read more

Water is life, and in the garden, especially when the water moves in a rhythmic sound, it quenches the soul. More than half of the human body is made out of the liquid. No wonder we gravitate to it. We are water; water … read more

For an avid gardener like Jeanne Cronce, the garden is where she spends a good portion of her waking life. For 36 years, the 5 acres that surround Robin and Jeanne Cronce’s log home has been a place for growing food, planting trees … read more

Five-year-old Kavi Ostrom announced one day to her mother, “These plants aren’t doing well because we haven’t put enough compost on them.” Maia Ostrom said, laughing, “I’m pretty sure that Kavi will be running the farm soon.” Maia Ostrom and her husband, Erik, … read more