Articles filed under Home & Garden
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Burning wood emits more than fossil fuels. Here’s how to build a better fire.Dec 30, 2025 6:37 pm - Burning wood emits more carbon and particulates than gas or coal. That doesn’t mean we should extinguish fireside nights. But we can dramatically improve what we burn and where we source it. Here’s how to burn better (and why electricity is still the hottest thing around).
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Too cold outside? Look for indoor garden tasksDec 30, 2025 5:53 pm - It’s cold outside, but gardeners can keep busy with maintenance or preparation tasks, such as checking on vegetables in winter storage, shopping for seeds, organizing your garage or tending to bulbs that you’re forcing to bloom indoors, such as paperwhite narcissus.
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Christmas is over, but what to do with the tree? Here’s some alternatives to the landfillDec 30, 2025 5:05 pm - Some 10 million live Christmas trees end up in landfills every year. There, they decompose without oxygen, generating greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide, which may contaminate groundwater. There are options for tree disposal that will avoid harming the environment and could improve your garden.
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Deck your garden with boughs of holly, a plant rich in symbolism and evergreen beautyDec 30, 2025 4:35 pm - There are more than a dozen holly species native to the continental U.S. Their red berries and deep-green foliage are beautiful year-round garden staples. And their berries provide an important winter food source for birds and wildlife, although most are considered toxic to humans.
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Choosing the best foods for backyard birdsDec 30, 2025 4:14 pm - Feeding wild birds can be a popular and rewarding hobby. Such a hobby facilitates a connection with nature and helps to ensure local wildlife gets the sustenance it needs to survive.
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Water issue not disclosed in trustee saleDec 30, 2025 3:14 pm - New homeowners discover the home they bought from a family trust had a major ground drainage problem at the time of the sale. Buyers have since learned the Realtor was aware of the issue and hid it. Who is liable for damages?
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Why gray squirrels and black walnuts go together so wellDec 28, 2025 3:00 am - For many years, we’ve been finding black walnut bits on the benches surrounding our campfire circle. I know where the walnuts come from and I know gray squirrels are eating them.
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Does association have to comply with utility company’s request?Dec 22, 2025 4:21 pm - Our homeowner’s association board recently received a request from a utility company to temporarily use part of our common area to access utility infrastructure in the existing public utility easement. They also want to use part of our common area to store equipment during the project.
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Tips to avoid the buildup of clutter in your homeDec 22, 2025 3:35 pm - Though clutter is often discussed in terms of removing it, there's also many ways to prevent it in the first place.
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Keep spirit of gardening alive in winter by growing herbs indoorsDec 22, 2025 12:22 pm - Although the outdoor gardening season may be over except for pruning and monitoring for animal damage, you can still garden inside by growing herbs.