HOMES & GARDENS

Gardening and home improvement tips, ideas, news, photos and videos

When I was a kid, my best friend's family had a fake tree every year -- a silver one that looked like aluminum foil. There was a color wheel that went around and around. It reflected on the silver, changing it from red to green to yellow to blue. Well, I don't really remember the order, but you get the drift. I still can't get that vision out of my mind when I hear the words "artificial tree." By the way, why don't people just say "fake"?

Continue reading "Fake vs. real Christmas trees: Easy decision" »

Not only is Brent and Jorja Hicks' condo along the north shore of the Columbia River filled with artwork, it is a showcase of local craftsmanship.

From the glass-tile backsplash in the kitchen and the faux painting in the master to the glass countertops gracing the bar and the island, the Hickses' home reflects their eye for art, their desire to give craftspeople artistic license and Jorja's willingness to push for the best design.

Continue reading "Condo owners encourage artisans to pull out the stops in a remodel" »

Anne Jaeger shows you how to bring the outdoors inside and celebrate the season.

Video by Kraig Scattarella

Continue reading "December garden jobs" »

A year ago, City Commissioner Dan Saltzman unveiled a sweeping, green-building policy -- a package of fees, inspections and rebates for homes, offices and shopping centers. He announced it in Chicago, at a giant environmental-building conference, intending to polish Portland's image as a leader in all things green.

Upon returning home, however, a firestorm of resistance singed the commissioner and nearly torched the entire policy. Saltzman retreated, forming committees -- adding the Realtors and homebuilders who were left out of initial discussions -- to rework the policy.

Continue reading "Saltzman offers scaled-back green building policy" »

Once you've put away the Thanksgiving dishes and polished off your last turkey sandwich, it's time to move on to December's traditions. If you're like me, that means donning a pair of sky-blue protective booties and tramping through strangers' homes. That's right; it's holiday home tour season.

And this year, I'm taking the tour tradition to a petrifying new level. My home is on the 21st annual Ainsworth Holiday Home Tour next Thursday, Dec. 11.

Continue reading "You'll find ideas and inspiration on the holiday home tours" »

The angelic figurines look as though they'd be out of place in this Northeast Portland home. But every Christmas, Trina Lundgren unpacks her ceramic carolers in holiday dress to set out in groups around her carefully curated Craftsman-style home.

Lundgren says these vintage carolers don't represent her taste, which the Portland Art Museum volunteer says leans toward Art Deco. But seeing the figures out at Christmastime takes her back to her childhood.

Continue reading "Choir figurines hit a nostalgic note" »

Angie Moore cherishes many childhood memories of her grandmother, who lived next door to her in Louisiana.

"I always associate my grandmother with good food, warm feelings and a sense of well-being," she says. The holidays, of course, were no exception.

Moore adapted one of her grandmother's traditions -- a gumdrop tree -- for her children and now offers it for sale through the Portland Garden Club's holiday sale. Or you can follow her directions to make the tree at home.

Continue reading "Sweet memory: Holiday gumdrop tree" »

This time of year, people keep stopping me to ask, "What is that plant with the purple berries?" No one can believe the color the first time they notice a beautyberry (Callicarpa bodinieri), which is aptly named, don't you think? I felt the same way the first time I saw it.

So enjoy this photo of 'Profusion' taken by John Eickelberg of Cedar Mills, who was kind enough to share it.

Continue reading "Beautyberry: A passion for purple" »

European hazelnuts (Corylus avellana) are among a kitchen gardener's best friends if pruned properly. The nuts are incredibly delicious, whether salted, eaten right out of the shell, or used in sweet or savory dishes. The trees will tolerate a little shade and can be used to produce small, multi-trunked trees, hedges or thickets.

Here are some guidelines on pruning.

Continue reading "Prune hazelnuts properly for good crops" »

Despite the economic downturn, there are still plenty of advertisements touting tours of overseas gardens, especially the gardens of Great Britain. Given that money is much tighter and there are not as many reasons to go to British gardens as there were a decade ago, it's reasonable to ask if such a trip is worth it. Continue reading "Think it through before flying off to distant gardens" »

Every Thanksgiving, we go around the table and say one thing we're thankful for. No one gets to eat until they spill. My list of gratitude is a long one, and gardening is very close to the top.

Among a great many other things, the garden reminds me that we all have a role to play -- even the things we abhor or give no significance to (like flies and slugs and snakes).

Continue reading "Thanksgiving brings memories of childhood plants" »

This year, fall attacked with a vengeance. Goose-down clouds pulled up over our heads, and rain poured down like a Northwest waterfall. We reacted with excitement or regret, depending on our natures.

Every year, the changing weather nudges us indoors and the unfolding of a good book draws us more than the unfolding of nature. All of a sudden, the garden releases us.

Continue reading "Autumn descends, gardeners retreat" »