There is a good chance many of our readers have a pair of binoculars or know someone with them. Even a lowly pair of binoculars are a valuable instrument for bringing you closer to the night sky.

This is the time for harvesting herbs from the garden. Recipes improve when you add fresh herbs for seasoning.

Arnold Feliciano remembers fondly his days as a strolling troubadour, walking through restaurants singing love songs to couples over food. Now he is skipping the middle man: Feliciano starts his mornings by singing to a pumpkin. And the pumpkin clearly loves it: It is 3 feet tall and growing every day.

Jason Klemp, lawn care manager at Barcellos and Kane Landscape Management in Hingham, Mass., says late summer and early fall are the best times for seeding a lawn.

Starlight. The word describes the glitter of Hollywood, dance halls, playhouses and other entertainment venues. Stars of screen and stage dazzle the hours away as we watch from theater chairs or our living room sofas. Entertainment, however, has little to do with the stars in the sky.

Several days of cool temperatures and abundant moisture should work wonders for my garden, and as I look out my window on this soggy Monday morning, I swear my plants are jumping for joy, lifting their heads to welcome the raindrops that bathe their dusty, parched leaves and stems. Hopefully, more rain will be forthcoming as the fall planting season approaches to ensure that our perennials, trees, and shrubs are sufficiently hydrated to survive the colder months that lie ahead.

Weekly home and garden rail, with tips on painting for small spaces, fixing a loose toilet handle and more.

Benjamin Decastro of Cardi’s Furniture recommends that you test a mattress before making a purchase. He says to remove your jacket and shoes, and get into your normal sleep position.

We’re getting a lot of mail from gardeners who have great-looking tomato plants but no tomatoes. Jim finds the cause.
 

Japanese beetles didn't love the weather this summer, but we had other small visitors in our lawns and gardens.

The kitchen sink should be one of the cleanest areas of the home, but with water and food particles constantly swirling through and around it, it can be one of the dirtiest.

Linda Cobb, a cleaning expert and author best known as the Queen of Clean, shared these tips for keeping the kitchen sink looking and working well.

These creative inventions can make it easier and more fun to cultivate a lush lawn and bountiful gardens.

Here are five gadgets you can find in stores and online:

Ideally, you wouldn’t describe your closet as a daunting disaster, overwhelming mess or bottomless heap o’ junk. But let’s face it, it’s always easier to tuck things away than it is to keep them organized.

Wrest back control of your closet with these tips:

Many birds migrate to warmer weather when it gets cold outside. But for the non-migratory birds that stick around, it’s more difficult to find food and shelter when the temperature dips.

Winter’s deep freeze is just around the corner, and perennial plants and flowers need special care to help them through the cold season.

Pete Steiner, manager of Grand Street Gardens in Chicago, shared these tips for keeping plants happy during the winter to ensure blooms in the spring:

Fall 2010 brings new looks and fresh styles for home interiors. Natural products and green items are all the rage, making way for an exciting variety of trends sure to turn up the style in your humble abode.

“There is no place more delightful than one’s own fireplace.” This declaration from Rome’s great orator Cicero remains true even today.

What can be considered the heart of the home, the fireplace is too often a neglected spot. What a pity. The fireplace not only warms a room, it also shows off a homeowner’s personal style and decor. Designed properly, it can be a focal point.

Fireplace upgrades -- from inexpensive quick fixes to total rebuilds -- are an easy way to personalize and improve the value of a home.

Last flu season, we all became familiar with those dictums about the spread of viruses. Indeed, the advice bears repeating.

“The best advice – and most important advice – is to cover your cough and to wash your hands. Respiratory transmission and shaking hands with someone who is ill and hasn’t washed their hands are predominate ways respiratory viruses are spread,” says Jeff Taylor of the Emerging and Acute Infectious Disease Branch of the Texas Department of State Health Services.

But as fall approaches with colder weather – and people spend more time inside and sharing confined spaces – there are other steps you can take to make your home healthier as you get ready to close it up for winter.

Leaves and snow that build up on your roof and in your gutters can cause lots of problems if they’re not cleared away.

Too much snow can lead to cave-ins, and ice dams can damage the roof and interior of your home. Leaves that build up in the gutters put you at risk for water damage, as rain has nowhere to run off to and can leak into the roof and walls.

Unfortunately, leaf and snow removal is no easy task and can be dangerous if it’s not done correctly. If you’re looking to clear your roof and gutters yourself, here are five things to keep in mind: