Send fruit flies packing

Question: How can I get rid of fruit flies? They come out every fall and stay until winter, even though I don’t leave any food on my counters. Lynda Answer: After years of setting out fruit fly traps, this week I . . .

Posted: 2020-10-24

Divert sump pump water to avoid a skating rink

Question: Last year I had a problem with my sump pump exterior discharge area. Since most new homes in the city are close to each other, I had my sump pump hose disconnected in the fall. Through the winter, all . . .

Posted: 2020-10-24

Love affair with hydrangeas rages on

Winter strategies to deter wildlife from ruining the relationship

No other flowering shrub in North America today is as popular as the hydrangea. With improvements in hydrangea breeding and exceptional new hydrangea introductions coming our way in 2021 and beyond, consumers’ love affair with the hydrangea is destined for . . .

Posted: 2020-10-24

Don't touch that dial

Keep the peace or feel the heat

Sometimes I wonder if couples ever get divorced because they can’t stop fighting about where to set the thermostat. That battle is heating up as we speak, so I checked in with a few friends to find out how cold their . . .

Posted: 2020-10-24

Stand tall

Two-storey split pretty and practical

Designing a memorable yet functional luxury home is no simple task. Consequently, when a builder downloads a design concept from their mind’s eye to their trusty 3-D computer-based modeling program, they must make a conscious effort to temper their creativity. It’s not . . .

Posted: 2020-10-24

Dazzling design

Architectural masterpiece with river view remains a stunner

With its riverside location and oversized lots populated with mature elm, pine and birch trees, Kildonan Drive is one of the city’s most historic and revered streets. On any given day, there’s plenty of quiet activity happening on the street: folks . . .

Posted: 2020-10-24

Charcuterie Take 2

Firstly, I wanted to thank all of our readers who recently reached out to me to talk about food. So many of you said how much you enjoyed the delicious tidbits of information I shared in our last Homes Feature, . . .

Posted: 2020-10-17

Side-by-side solitude

Duplexes pose challenges for deck privacy

Sometimes called the ‘side-by-side, ’ a duplex presents uncommon challenges when a rear deck is requested, whereby two factors are of utmost importance; maximizing the square-footage of the deck without eating up too much of an already narrow yard, as . . .

Posted: 2020-10-17

Keeping goose down where it belongs

Fluffed-up feathers less likely to escape garments

QUESTION — I very much enjoy and appreciate your solutions. Here is one challenge I have and I haven’t noticed it mentioned before here. I have a lovely down-filled jacket that is warm and comfortable. But it is a few . . .

Posted: 2020-10-17

There's history on that wall

Barn wood brings a little country to the living room

By the time the COVID-19 vaccine comes into effect, our world will be unrecognizable. Renovated into a whole new reality! So there’s at least one good thing resulting from civilization’s latest pandemic, not to mention a tsunami of babies over the . . .

Posted: 2020-10-17