Gardens of endless possibility

Starting with just one plant, you can build something amazing in your backyard

Fresh, innovative container design often begins with a single plant and the many possibilities presented by its unique texture, form or colour. Consider, for example, Heuchera Forever Purple. A zone 4 perennial, this Coral Bells variety boasts ultra-purple glossy leaves with . . .

Posted: 2017-05-20

Ohio buckeye makes great ash alternative

In a previous article, I wrote about the impending devastation coming to Manitoba ash trees within the next three years from a largely uncontrollable population of voraciously feeding emerald ash beetles. My suggestion is to plant trees that so far . . .

Posted: 2017-05-20

Where there's growth, there's new construction

Housing analysis sees bright spots in urban centres

The Altus Group, a well-respected research team that specializes in Canadian housing, recently published its outlook for 10 Canadian cities. The cities it looked at were Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and Winnipeg. In this article, I . . .

Posted: 2017-05-20

The best in sound

After a tough semester, gift will be music to their ears

What freshly minted grad wouldn’t appreciate a good headphone as a graduation gift? Here’s a selection of the top headphones to choose from, both wireless and wired. Bose QuietComfort 35 CNET rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (Outstanding) The good: The Bose QuietComfort . . .

Posted: 2017-05-20

All about the small wins

On long and gruelling projects, the daily victories count

After spending upwards of 10 to 12 weeks on one job site, converting often what is an empty shell into a functional and visually appealing space, it is sometimes the daily victories that provide the greatest sense of accomplishment. When potential . . .

Posted: 2017-05-20

No moisture issues with painting subfloor

Question: What are your thoughts on painting a structural plywood subfloor over the crawlspace in our new home, so that we can use the space for now and finish it properly in a couple of years? Any potential moisture-related harm . . .

Posted: 2017-05-20

Light mopping the best way to deal with footprints

Question: I am very frustrated! We just replaced our flooring with luxury Alterna vinyl tile and laminate, and I have used a variety of cleaning methods. Professional Boba, Armstrong once and done, club soda and water with vinegar. I use . . .

Posted: 2017-05-20

Repairing a relic

My century-old caboose is in rough shape

Yes, we have a caboose in our family. It’s in our backyard, actually. It’s a 1905 CN Railway caboose that has been a ton of fun since I bought it at an auction in Gordon many years ago. My winning bid . . .

Posted: 2017-05-20

Affordable luxury

Striking bungalow boasts space

Affordable luxury — an expression that becomes more unwieldy when applied in the context of a custom-built home. It’s a myth Avanti Custom Homes is looking to debunk through applying a ground-breaking approach to building luxuriously-appointed custom homes, says Blair Holm, . . .

Posted: 2017-05-20

Building big love in a tiny home

Most couples I know wouldn’t consider sharing a studio apartment. When my partner and I decided to move in together, we weighed the options of my centrally located studio versus his slightly distant one-bedroom. We ultimately decided on the latter, . . .

Posted: 2017-05-20