Home and Garden
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Climbing hydrangeas are vines for the shade gardenJun 04, 2017 6:00 am - The first time I saw a climbing hydrangea, it was growing its way up the trunk of a majestic oak. I was smitten, and Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris also climbed its...
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If a plant looks out of place, it's likely a weedJun 04, 2017 6:00 am - My definition of a weed is a plant that is out of place. A good time to weed is when the soil is moist - the roots come out more easily. It's very important to get weeds...
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Take stalk of your tomato strategy before the summer swelterJun 04, 2017 6:00 am - Tomatoes are the divas of the vegetable patch - luscious, celebrated and notoriously hard to please. If it's too chilly, they'll sulk. If it's too hot, they'll throw a t...
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Centuries-old practice is still teaching new things to botanistsJun 04, 2017 6:00 am - WASHINGTON - A few weeks ago, visiting a rare book library, I came across a volume of pressed plants and was particularly struck by a specimen of primrose. It was mounte...
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These ceiling fans don't just keep you cool - they look cool, tooJun 04, 2017 6:00 am - It doesn't matter how design-minded you are - when the temperature approaches triple digits, you want to beat the heat. But ceiling fans are a contentious topic. Blackli...
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Designers dive right in with water-themed decorJun 03, 2017 6:00 am - Summer for many of us means reconnecting with water - lakeside hikes, paddles in the sea, luxuriant floats in some relaxing pool. And that connection isn't confined just...
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Future income replenishment with a reverse mortgageJun 03, 2017 6:00 am - The more I work with HECM reverse mortgages, the more convinced I become that it is the most underutilized financial tool available to seniors in the U.S. Among the impo...
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Is buying a home at 70 a wild idea?Jun 03, 2017 6:00 am - Q. What do you think of an older person buying a house or a condo? I'll be 70 this year. I am single, and I have excellent credit. I've been looking for an apartment, an...
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Big credit score boosts ahead for someJun 02, 2017 6:00 am - WASHINGTON - If you've heard some people might get a magic boost to their FICO credit scores in the 10-point range - without having to do anything - you're right. But hu...
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Undisclosed septic system failureJun 02, 2017 5:00 am - Q. Last summer we moved from the city to the country and bought our first house with a septic system. A month after we moved in, both toilets overflowed onto the floor. ...