Home & Garden

As I plant my soybeans this spring, I am hoping along with thousands of other Minnesota farmers that 2005 isn’t the year soybean rust shows up in our state. Experts say the threat of soybean rust is most severe in the southern U.S., where the mild winters and hot, humid summers are more favorable for…

Whether you are looking for something bold and beautiful for your flower border and containers, or something new to try in the vegetable garden, the 2005 All-American Selections have something for you. The All-American Selection winners are selected from many new cultivars that are grown in test gardens throughout the nation. These winners have performed…

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Housing Service has low-interest home loans and low-interest home improvement loans available for families in Stearns, Benton, Sherburne and Morrison counties. These loans, guaranteed by the USDA are based on household income and are for families with low and very low incomes. Qualification depends on adequate and…

Have you ever considered just how large a role plants play in our celebration of Christmas? There’s the Christmas tree, the poinsettia, holly and mistletoe, to name a few, but there are many more. I would like to give you a few tips that may help you enjoy these seasonal plants just a little more…

Homes offer comfort and protection during the winter by providing shelter from the cold wind, freezing temperature and endless snowfalls. Winterizing your house on the outside is probably on your list of things to do, but have you winterized the inside of your home? Homeowners should think about the danger of carbon monoxide and radon…

As outdoor garden and landscape activities wind to a halt, it’s time to focus more on the indoor garden – tropical and subtropical houseplants that keep us connected to the soil and growing things year-round. The indoor environment can be hostile to houseplants, particularly as winter approaches. Days grow shorter, limiting the amount of light…

Where there’s smoke there’s a fireplace … or a wood stove. Old wood stoves produce excessive smoke that can impact your health and the environment. Help protect the environment by replacing or updating old wood stoves or fireplace inserts with a new efficient one certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Inspect your wood-burning…

The strong winds and rain of recent weeks have caused many of our lawns to be covered with leaves. If they are not too thick on the grass, leaves can be mulched with the lawnmower and allowed to decay. However, large volumes of fallen leaves are causing homeowners to search for different ways to dispose…

Use the following tips to save money this heating season. o Set the thermostat at the lowest comfortable setting. Sixty-eight degrees is generally considered a comfortable temperature. o Insulate and weatherize your home. Put plastic on windows, use foam weather stripping around doors, close off rooms that are not in use, and shut vents to…

If any fuel is left in gasoline-powered lawn mowers or garden equipment this fall, owners should add a fuel stabilizer and then run the machine for a brief period. This will make it easier to start next spring, and may help avoid a costly tune-up. Snowblowers will also benefit from fall tune-ups including adding fuel…