HOMES & GARDENS

Gardening and home improvement tips, ideas, photos and videos for Portland, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest

While you can sow them directly into the ground, you might have better luck giving them a head-start inside and then transplanting. Full story »

Also known as broad beans, favas are sturdy and easily grown. Plant them in a sunny spot after the last-frost date for your area (generally about April 15 in the Portland area). Full story »

Dutchman's pipe is a fascinating story of how plants, insects and other pollinators have evolved to reproduce and survive. Full story »

Interior notes on the importance of lighting, fixing up your outdoor space, an inspiring blog and some foundations of good design Full story »

Every year when the flowering plums start to break open, the questions begin: What kind of tree is that? Full story »

Designer Carrie Carlson takes out a brick nook to open up the adjoining family room and revises the space in the kitchen and nook for better access Full story »

Bzzzzzz. Give a bee a break, will ya? Everyone gets all excited to see honeybees in action, but it's really the orchard mason bee that does all the heavy lifting around here. Find out why the mason bee is the most efficient Northwest pollinator and how to nab some of your own. See Anne Jaeger's Video of the Week. Full story »

Tips for finding prices, appraisers and places to sell your collectibles. Full story »

The leftover grounds from your morning cup of java aren't acidic as you might think. Use them as a soil amendment, side dressing or as a nitrogen source in the compost pile.  Full story »

Taking the time to divide my Agapanthus was a good thing. Two plants gave me six -- enough to replant two and give the rest away.  Full story »

Money-saving tricks include garden space and plants, pests, keeping your home toasty and a neat tip on a buttonhole. Full story »

Splashy hybrid rhodies draw attention with their big balls of color each spring. But species rhododendrons are a bit more well-rounded. Full story »

You can make a quick wall full of storage with straight pins and colorful baskets. Full story »

Modern furniture designers such as Ray and Charles Eames welcomed the '50s with grace and style, but the decade ended with a sea of ugly, mass-produced look-alikes Full story »