Little garden turned into a blockbuster

VANCOUVER -- It was four years ago that I first noticed Agnes and Manuel Mendoza's garden. It seemed as if overnight a garden had appeared around this little house on. Suddenly, there were trees -- maple, willow, cherry, catalpa, witch hazel . . .

Posted: 2008-07-20

Location is everything in hanging a floral basket

Travelling around Montreal during the nice weather I can't help but notice a lot of basket cases. I'm not referring to inebriated bar patrons, but rather to plants hanging in baskets. Some hang from city lamp posts, others in front of . . .

Posted: 2008-07-20

Spray foam wrong choice for structural repairs

QUESTION: We are going to do some work in our basement this summer and would very much appreciate your help and advice. Our house is more than 100 years old, with an old stone foundation. It sits on the Red . . .

Posted: 2008-07-20

Red, red gravel of home replaces grass

DALLAS -- Instead of a soft, velvety lawn in my back yard, I now have what landscape designers call hardscape, an expanse of reddish, tannish decomposed granite where the grass used to grow. Although I would prefer to see thick, . . .

Posted: 2008-07-20

Make better use of your underutilized porch

Manitobans know all too well about the wrath of the mighty mosquito during the summer months. The only way to enjoy the outdoors during this time is to have a screened-in area that allows you to enjoy the warm weather . . .

Posted: 2008-07-20

Readers across country share super solutions

Back by popular demand, here are 15 super solutions sent in by readers: 1. To store rolls of gift wrap, use an empty wine box. The dividers help hold the rolls upright in a relatively small space. You can store the . . .

Posted: 2008-07-20

Sold!

Birds Hill Address: 27077 Park Road Asking Price: $230, 000 Sold Price: $227, 000 Taxes: $1, 867.71 Square Footage: 1, 274 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 1 Lot Size: 249 x 876 Listing Agent: Denise Everett, Royal LePage Prime, 989-7900 Weston Address: 1439 Lincoln Ave. Asking Price: $114, 900 Sold Price: $123, 100 Taxes: $1, 139.41 Square . . .

Posted: 2008-07-20

Balancing act

Design aims to give family all it wants in home

As a designer, it is always a tall challenge to create the quintessential family home; it's never easy to get the balance -- style, space, utility -- just right. However, some homes stand out from the rest because few, if any, . . .

Posted: 2008-07-20

Taking the time to do things right

Turn-of-century apartment block perfect for condo retrofit

When something good falls into your hands -- in this case, a turn-of-the-century apartment block oozing with character -- you're faced with a choice. On the one hand, you could just perform a series of cosmetic changes that make the place . . .

Posted: 2008-07-20

Cottage development popular with Albertans

Owning a cottage is a dream that many people share --especially at this time of year. And a Winnipeg entrepreneur is working hard to create a new cottage development that he hopes will rival other popular vacation spots around the . . .

Posted: 2008-07-20