Poor airflow in upstairs vents likely a simple fix

Question: I had a new furnace and accessories replaced four years ago for my two-storey home, built in the 1980s. I’ve noticed that the basement and main floor receive a lot of heat and air conditioning, but the upstairs does not . . .

Posted: 2017-09-30

These vacuums leave the rest in their dust

For houses with kids or pets, a handheld vacuum is a near-necessity for crumbs or pet-hair pickup. "This is what you’re going to reach for when your kids spill cereal in the morning or you spill coffee grounds, " said Allison . . .

Posted: 2017-09-30

Breaking barriers for more access to your home

There’s no doubt about it — busting through an existing exterior wall to introduce a new entryway can be a nerve-racking renovation. It is next to impossible to predict what’s within the wall cavity — you just don’t know until . . .

Posted: 2017-09-30

Transform your yard into an enchanted garden

Many fine gardens are candidates for visiting and enjoying, but only one garden matters, and that’s your own. Yours may amount to a narrow urban yard or just a few containers on a patio. It’s not the space you have, it’s . . .

Posted: 2017-09-30

Savour the hushed magic of Japanese gardens

PORTLAND, Ore. — In a year when big changes have taken root at the highly acclaimed Portland Japanese Garden, I found myself standing stock still a few steps inside the garden’s Nezu Gate, looking and listening, silent and unmoving. Everything here . . .

Posted: 2017-09-30

Manitobans write the book on ideal Prairie trees

New book by Jeffries Nurseries outlines a variety of species that suit our Prairie climate

Columnar poplars have been a favourite for many years for narrow-space locations along fence rows and in small gardens. The older varieties are not suitable for our urban yards because of their limited lifespan and propensity for disease. I recently met . . .

Posted: 2017-09-30

Location, livability & loving care

Immaculate home offers contemporary design

In 2001, a sprawling bungalow was built on a huge, park-like lot in picturesque Normand Park. Sixteen years later, the 1, 953-square-foot home is up for sale, its empty-nester owners looking to downsize to a smaller, more manageable abode. RE/MAX Professionals’ . . .

Posted: 2017-09-30

Don't crowd your choices for a new tree

Clients and readers often ask me what type of trees they should purchase. My typical response to this question is, "How much space do you have in your yard?" There is an observation that I am constantly encountering: people typically . . .

Posted: 2017-09-23

Fall for your garden

These tips will help your plants make the most of autumn

Most fall gardening tasks can be divided into two categories — mandatory and optional (with some being more optional than others). Should you cut back your perennials in fall? Will flax straw protect your borderline hardy perennials? How can you prevent . . .

Posted: 2017-09-23

My procrastination cost me -- again

I'll be with my Aunt Madge's outhouse, down in the dumps

I Have just been diagnosed with PTOD: Post Traumatic Outhouse Disorder. My condition stems from my failure to save my Aunt Madge’s outhouse from her yard in Margaret, Man. I procrastinated and the local folk did a town-wide clean up of . . .

Posted: 2017-09-23