Home & Garden | Thursday, April 18,2013

Home sweet ‘green’ home

When Harv Koplo and Annette Chinuge met at Sangamon State University during the 1970s they had no idea their interest in preserving the earth would lead them to become pioneers for sustainable living

Home & Garden | Thursday, April 18,2013

Beat the heat with less air conditioning

By Karen Fitzgerald

It doesn’t seem possible, but 60 years ago people survived without air conditioning. Not only did they survive, but they may have even enjoyed life more, since they actually went outside in summ

Home & Garden | Thursday, April 18,2013

New and recommended flowers and vegetables

By Greg Stack

There seems to be an award for everything, whether it is for the best picture, best actor, best country music video or best automobile for 2013, and gardening is no exception, said a University of Ill

Home & Garden | Thursday, April 18,2013

Grow spinach, tasty, cool and easy

By Jennifer Fishburn

The arrival of yellow daffodils, green lawns and garden fresh salad are sure signs of spring. Leafy greens are among the easiest vegetables to grow, according to a University of Illinois Extension hor

Home & Garden | Thursday, April 18,2013

Rain barrels save dollars and make sense

By Carole Luttrell

The drought of 2012 took a great toll, not only on the plants in the garden, but also on the gardener’s wallet. “It was tough for some gardeners to decide which plants to water and which t

Home & Garden | Thursday, April 18,2013

Another dry gardening season?

By Richard L. Kaplan

Gardeners were really glad to see the cooler weather and some rainfall at the end of the 2012 gardening season. The question is whether 2013 will be any better, said a University of Illinois Extension

Home & Garden | Thursday, April 19,2012

Green lighting

Ways to cut costs and save energy

By Tawny Maya McCray

Starting in July, the U.S. Department of Energy has new regulations to upgrade old, inefficient, mercury-laden fluorescent light bulbs. About 500 million of the lights, called T12, need to be replaced

Home & Garden | Thursday, April 19,2012

Green houses

How to make your home greener, save money and improve your health

By Erika Holst

Homeowners can’t escape to-do lists – weekend chores, long-term DIY projects, or even plans and designs for building a dream home from the ground up. A growing number of homeowners are add

Home & Garden | Thursday, April 19,2012

Recycling opportunities grow

Better yet, don’t buy it in the first place

By Neil Schneider

Abby Walden believes that before Springfield residents start to consider recycling their trash, they should first be aware of the goods they are purchasing.“Products that cannot be reused, you s

Home & Garden | Thursday, April 19,2012

Feeding the soil builds sustainable lawns

By Karen Fitzgerald

Spraying chemical fertilizers and pesticides on lawns is like giving kids junk food, says landscape designer Cathy Bilow. They’ll be invigorated for a while, but eventually they’ll crash a