Home & Garden

What’s up with wallpaper?

You could say Amy Reich and her husband, John Pracher, entered the new world of wallpaper by accident.

Gardener’s almanac (Jan. 21)

Warm winter days — As the temperatures continue to yo-yo this winter and the forecast shows no indication of moisture, look for the warmer days for a chance to water outdoor plants. Extension agent Bob Neier also suggests mulch-mowing leaves that have blown into the yard or raking them into perennial beds on such days. If you see that your spring-flowering bulbs have put on leaves, not unusual in the warmth, rake some leaves around them as a mulch and remove it in March, Bob recommends.

On the Grapevine (Jan. 21)

When buying sheets, focus more on the quality of cotton rather than thread count, experts say.

Tangerine Tango sets the tone for action and energy in 2012

The world doesn’t need more gray, and the blues are covered, too. What people need is a jolt, a shot of energy and boldness, Pantone is signaling in selecting reddish-orange Tangerine Tango as its top color for 2012.

Gardener’s almanac (Jan. 14)

Basic Vegetable Gardening Series – K-State Research and Extension will offer a two-evening series on vegetable gardening. The sessions will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and will cover an introduction to vegetable gardening on Jan. 31 and raised-bed gardening and extending the garden season on Feb. 7. The cost is $5 whether you attend one or both sessions. Register online at vegclass.eventbrite.com or call 316-660-0100. The series will be at the Extension Education Center at 21st and Ridge Road.

Annie Calovich: Houseplants good for the soul and body

I have a peace lily that I keep around because it was a gift to me after my mother died. It doesn’t flourish, and any other plant that looked this scraggly would have been tossed long ago, but I keep it for sentimental reasons.

The Grapevine: What’s catching your eye in the gardening catalogs? (Jan. 14)

What seed or garden catalog or plant in it has grabbed your attention this winter?

Your house on a diet

Chances are you know how it feels to put on excess pounds.

How-to books take you only so far in January

The first week of the new year is always so refreshing (especially if it includes days when the temperature is in the 60s) — empty of just-shed holiday pressures, full of promise, decorated with a few new calendars (though I’m missing the annual pilgrimage to Borders for half-off this year).

New Year’s Eve at home

While some people like to go out on the town for New Year’s Eve, home is a safe-haven place to be for others. Staying in can have its own sense of festivity.

Winter working out all right so far

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

A handmade Christmas

When Laura Glunt got married, her new father-in-law, Bill, knew she wanted to have a creche in every room of her home. So the next Christmas, in 1996, he started making her a nativity. Carving figures and structures from poplar, he has added an element of the manger scene every year since.

Gardener’s almanac (Dec. 24)

Let heaven and nature sing! – Merry Christmas!

Santa’s image changed through the centuries

Santa Claus has changed in appearance throughout the centuries. He is now a mixture of the Dutch, German, Scandinavian, British and American characters that have represented Christmas.

Remodel of pianist’s loft strikes a warm note

With their high ceilings, open spaces and big windows, urban lofts are the ultimate in cool. But go wrong with the design, and “cool” can quickly turn to “cold.”

It’s Christmastime in the city

Going into the shortest days of the year ahead of the beginning of winter on Wednesday, the Wichita area is bright with Christmas lights. From over-the-top displays to simple solitary evergreens dotted with multicolored bulbs, the spirit of the season is evident in yards, on house and at businesses.

He keeps Botanica’s fires burning

Whenever I go to Illuminations at Botanica, I’m grateful for the warmth, light and aromatic fragrance emanating from the chimeneas placed throughout the gardens.

The Grapevine: How does your New Year’s Eve sparkle? (Dec. 17)

There’s an indoor winter version of the summertime Kansas Grown Farmers Market going on from 8 a.m. to noon today inside the Extension Center at 21st and Ridge. Vendors will be selling produce, canned goods, baked goods and crafts. “Pick up some provisions for your holiday meals or grab some stocking stuffers …,” the market says. “You will not only support local farms and businesses but get truly unique … items to share over the holidays.”

How does your New Year’s Eve sparkle?

Christmas in little packages

I always get a hankering to have evergreens growing in pots on my front porch in winter, from Thanksgiving until the first annuals of spring. Fortunately, it’s become easier than ever to get the effect without the gamble of keeping a growing plant alive through a dry cold winter.

Gardeners’ almanac (Dec. 10)

Norma Sowell, RIP — Wichita’s herb grower extraordinaire Norma Sowell died this week. Norma was known as “the herby lady,” and she dispensed information and her love of growing and cooking with culinary herbs at many a talk in town. She once shared with me (and Eagle readers) her favorite culinary herbs: Genovese basil, German thyme, Greek oregano, chives, Hill Hardy rosemary, garden sage, French tarragon, lemon thyme, chervil and summer savory. Do you have a favorite tip from or memory of Norma?