A production as grand as a Thanksgiving feast deserves to be staged with appropriate scenery. It’s time to wash off, polish up and steam-iron the...

Q:I have huge amounts of nut grass especially in the summer. Most of it has gone away now, but it will be back when it gets hot next year. Is there a pre-emergent...

Calendar of events relating to homes and gardens One Great Morning of Raking: Help Maymont’s staff tidy the estate’s Japanese Garden, 9 a.m.-noon...

Reusable labels Stylish and reusable PlaceTiles are erasable ceramic labels that can be used as guest place cards or a descriptive accessory for each dish...

Q:I inherited a desk from my stepfather and would like to know more about it. All I know is that it came from England. It has two drawers, twisted legs...

What is that bird you’ve just spotted? Whether you’re in your or away from home, there are times when unfamiliar species challenge your ability...

Even if money and time are tight, you can still have a wonderfully rich and full Thanksgiving. All it takes is a little organization and a willingness...

Candles. It’s that simple. They are the answer to any decorating dilemma or bare space in need of embellishment, whether it’s a dining table,...

Not to be unpatriotic, but another “cranberry” outshines our traditional Thanksgiving cranberry. This fruit, sometimes called mountain cranberry,...

NATHALIE Four years ago, Richmond engineer Robert Moss was standing in a thicket of pine trees, tangled vines and poison oak deep in rural Halifax County...

Calendar of events relating to homes and gardens Petersburg Area Art League Arts & Crafts Show, 6-9 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. tomorrow and 11 a.m.-5...

Q:My wife received a rather large cutting from her mother’s rose in the late spring. It had flourished in New Hampshire for nine years. We have nurtured...

Decorate in a flash Usually home decorating is an evolving process. But sometimes speed is of the essence—say, when you’re preparing to sell...

PROJECT: Kitchen backsplash TIME: One week COST: $1,200 HOW HE DID IT: Jeff Wilson took a week of vacation to install a tile backsplash in the kitchen...

Want to learn secrets of Richmond’s top interior designers and home-improvement experts? Tips and tricks of the trade will be unleashed Thursday...

Q:My wife and I would like to learn more about an object we found in our attic. It is marked on the bottom. I believe it is sterling and was made before...

In theory, we all know how to paint a room with latex paint. Dip a brush or roller in a color, and spread it over the wall. But painting neatly and efficiently...

Maymont is seeking donations of greenery, floral arrangements, wreaths, swags and other seasonal items for its “Deck the Halls” auction next...

There’s no way to ensure mortgage stays with lender Q:I read with interest one of your responses to a reader who asked why mortgage applications...

Clichés and rhyming weather lore passed down through the generations supposedly predict weather patterns and seasonal changes. Naturalists and amateur...

Color experts are hinting that green may be the “it” color for 2010. Although fashion and décor gurus haven’t officially announced...

Q:I have about 17 peonies in a garden. During the second half of every summer, they get black spot. This year, some also got powdery mildew, even though...

Calendar of events relating to homes and gardens Holiday Shoppers’ Fair: 15 Richmond-area museum stores collaborate with an unusual array of gifts...

Q:I have a silver tea and coffee service that belonged to my grandmother. On the bottom, it is stamped “Ascot Sheffield Design, Reproduction by Community.“...

Yes, we know it has been only six days since Halloween, but Christmas is up and running today at the Richmond Raceway Complex. The Craftsmen’s Christmas...

Did it yourself? The budget is tighter, but home-improvement needs and wants never seem to end. The solution may be to get out the toolbox and do it yourself!...

PROJECT: Bookshelf unit/window seat TIME: Two weeks spread over six months COST: $600-$700 HOW THEY DID IT: Jim Savage saw an idea in a home-improvement...

Bryan and Brent Halstead, draped in fake fur from head to claws, were a tad overdressed for a warm fall afternoon. But the brothers had worked on their...

Vibrant foliage isn’t enough to cheer gardeners this time of year as they watch their labors of love shrivel and suffer a crunchy brown death. But...

PROJECT: Backyard fountain TIME: About one weekend COST: $200 HOW THEY DID IT: John and Kristi Anzivino’s project started as a way to recycle a valuable...