Stephanie Cohen — A.K.A. The Perennial Diva, is my guest today. Stephanie is a powerhouse in the garden writer world. She has written numerous books, serves on the boards of many industry publications and businesses and is a horticultural expert (she even has a plant named for her!!). But it is her humor that is most enjoyable and memorable….Stephanie is talking with us today about a new crop of plant names. Stephanie….
Once upon a time plants were named for real people. In jolly old England it was always both names. So we have plants named for some of their illustrious plant hunters, breeders, and designers. We have nam
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Cohen, Cohen Pass
Now is the perfect time to think about building a new home, so why not go “green” and build an energy-efficient and healthy home. The House Designers has just added over 40 new, innovative house plans, which are all ENERGY STAR approved and can’t be found anywhere else. All of the plans in this collection incorporate the latest in green building techniques and home building products.
This warm and charming Craftsman style house plan was “Voted Best in Total Home Comfort” because of its use of ENERGY STAR rated materials and Green Building practices. Its effec
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House Plans, Plans
Part 2: Using landscaping to stay warm over the winter.
When most people think of putting in landscaping, they probably think more in terms of how it can make a home cooler over the summer, which is what I discussed in an earlier post. But people probably don’t think quite as much about how to strategically design landscaping to stay warmer during the winter to reduce energy costs and lower your electricity bills.
Landscaping as a Windbreak
As residents of cold regions know all too well, wind chill can not only drop the temperature outside your home, but can also blow in through the cracks outside your home and drive up heating costs substantially.
So the name of the game with winter weather landscaping is to use it as a windbreak. I
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What to do with those extra paint chips you collected when decorating? Now that you’ve finally chosen a color and have no need of them anymore, be creative and use them in your craft projects!
1. Modern Art Cut your chips into circles to make this stunning artwork that’s guaranteed to match the room.
2. Clock “Facelift” Cover a clock face with several chips, coat with crackle finish, and make your old ugly clock beautiful.
3. Curtains Hang several paint chips for this bright window treatment. It’s simple to do, and makes a bold statement.
4. Mosaic Paint chips make the perfect mosaics.
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Chip, Paint Chip