Two weeks before Thanksgiving, Bruce Kern began hitting up all of his friends with vans. It takes quite a fleet to transport 97 large Rubbermaid boxes containing 2,500 Christmas ornaments from a storage unit on Brook Road to Kern’s home on Hanover Avenue in Richmond’s Fan District. SLIDESHOW: Bruce Kern’s “problem” with Christmas

Q:This will be our first Christmas in our own home. We want to buy a living Christmas tree and plant it in our yard after the holidays. Can you give us any tips to help make sure it will survive? Answer: What a great way to remember that first Christmas. Start by choosing a tree species that is naturally acclimated to the environment of central Virginia. Frasier fir makes a classic Christmas tree, but it has a hard time acclimating to our hot, humid summers. Get your tree from a reputable garden center and rely on their trained staff to advise you on a species that will do well in your area.

Q:My husband is passionate about killing weeds in our yard. However, the more weeds he kills, the more we get. What are we doing wrong? Answer: He might need to get into a “regular” sequence of weed control for 12 to 18 months to break their cycle. Basically, you have three main types of weeds in a lawn: perennials, summer annuals and winter annuals. Most of the weeds that were growing at the end of the summer were summer annuals. The best time to control them is when they are young and tender, in early May.

Virginia today is opening a store where it will sell surplus state property. The Department of General Services Surplus Management Office planned a grand opening in Wytheville for its first surplus property retail store. The agency says the store will make it easier for the public to buy computers, office furniture and other state surplus property. In the past, monthly auctions were held to sell surplus property. Items will be sold at a fixed price, similar to commercial retail stores.

BUILDER: Ann Shibut PROJECT: Compost/mulch container TIME: One day COST: $79 HOW SHE DID IT: Ann Shibut built a log-cabin-style compost container in the backyard of her West End home. “My old wire container was no longer adequate or attractive, and when I saw the directions for this one in a book, I knew it was something I could make—even though I am a 73-plus-year-old woman,“ she said. “Friends delivered the materials to my driveway, but after that, I did it all by myself.

Calendar of events relating to homes and gardens Richmond Symphony Designer House: Tara II, 5511 Cary St. Road, is this year’s designer house. It is open daily through Oct. 12, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. $20, benefits Richmond Symphony. Parking and shuttle at The Shops at Willow Lawn. (804) 282-4328 or www.rsol.org.

Q:We had six red tips along our fence for privacy. Last year they were about 30 feet tall and growing outward toward the neigh bor’s driveway. We decided to trim them to about 10 feet. They looked really ugly after that but we figured they would come back this year—WRONG! They’ve only sprouted about 20 leaves each. I say it’s time to cut them down completely and start over with something else. What is your opinion?

Getting children outdoors to play, sadly, now takes an act of Congress. On Sept. 18, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the No Child Left Inside Act of 2008. Sponsored by John P. Sarbanes, D-Md., the act is designed to expand and improve opportunities for children and adolescents to learn about and experience nature. The positive news is that back-to-nature initiatives are springing up all over.

If you build it, they will come.“ The memorable quote from the movie “Field of Dreams” has sprung to life in the backyard of Dee Smith’s Midlothian home. Mechanicsville landscape architect Mike Lemcke turned an overgrown, seldom-used outdoor space into an all-natural playground, with one end devoted to kids and the other to adults.

Q:I would like to know the value of my book “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain. What is unique is that it appears to have been signed by Mark Twain. The book is copyrighted 1917.—J.W. Answer: “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) was first published in 1876. American Publishing Co. is credited for the first American edition. Only 24,000 copies were sold.

A Day of Design, sponsored by the Richmond chapter of the International Furnishings and Design Association, will be held Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event will include visits to some of Richmond’s historic treasures. The morning session (9 a.m. to noon), open to design professionals only, will be held at the historic Bolling-Haxall House, 211 E. Franklin St.

Have you completed an indoor or outdoor home project that you’re particularly proud of? The Home & Garden section wants to hear about it. Whether it’s a small improvement or a wholesale makeover, tell us how you accomplished it, how long it took and how much it cost. Include a photo, if you have one. Your project might be chosen for the “I Did It Myself” feature in an upcoming Home issue.

Q:Could you tell me how to save seeds from the tomatoes I am growing this year? Answer: If your tomatoes are open-pollinated varieties, not hybrids, you can save seeds by allowing the tomato to fully ripen on the vine. Then scrape out the seeds and spread them out on a paper towel. Put them in a cool, dry place and allow them to dry. This will take several days to a week.

Q:We would be interested to read your opinion about the origin and value of a cast-iron circus wagon that recently was purchased in France. It is marked “Overland Circus” and includes a cast-iron lion.—M.S. Answer: Kenton Hardware of Kenton, Ohio, began producing cast-iron toys around 1894. Kenton made many cast-iron horse-drawn vehicles and introduced its Overland Circus line around 1940.

Q:I am unhappy with the reblooming of my Beallara Marfitch “Howards Dream.“ The last time it bloomed, it had a dozen or more large purple flowers. Now it has only a few wimpy ones. What happened?—Page T. Answer: The adage “the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior” applies not only to humans but also to orchids. Chances are if a plant has produced a crowd-pleasing display for several consecutive years, it will continue to do so. When everything is done correctly and the blooming is still inferior, it takes a little detective work to figure out the villain.