The Charlotte Observer Home & Garden News

Get the latest news and tips for your Charlotte NC home and garden from The Charlotte Observer newspaper. Check back often. This information is updated daily.

CharlotteObserver.com: Home and Garden
Community garden in Kannapolis	3/10/2010 3:16 PM
The city of Kannapolis is about to get its first community garden. The Kannapolis Environmental Stewardship Commission and the congregation of First Wesleyan Church will establish the garden on church property beside the Cabarrus Arms neighborhood.
I'm so cheap	3/10/2010 3:16 PM
Who needs Maybelline? I'm so cheap that recently I made up my own concoction: I mix a few leftover coffee grounds in with some cheap lotion or cream and use it as a facial scrub/exfoliator. It works well plus I feel like my face wakes up from the caffeine! I guess you could use it on other body parts, but I haven't tried it.
Money machine attaches strings to future home sales	3/10/2010 3:16 PM
How about this for a new and ingenious real estate money machine: Every time a house sells during the next 99 years, 1 percent of the price goes back to the original developer or is shared among investor partners. Ka-ching!!! The levy won't be subject to haggling between future buyers and sellers, either. That's because it's a covenanted mandate - a novel type of lien on the underlying real estate - called a private transfer fee. It's not a government transfer tax. Nor is it a homeowner association or environmental protection covenant.
Fightin' mad birds go after their own worst enemy	3/10/2010 3:16 PM
Right on schedule, I have started to get questions about why birds are attacking outside windows and automobile rear-view mirrors. The comic character Pogo once said "We have met the enemy and he is us," and this perfectly illustrates what's going on. The birds are fighting their own reflections in the windows and mirrors.
Indoor bulbs can bring early spring	3/10/2010 3:16 PM
Don't get me wrong. I love living in a state that has four seasons, especially after living most my life in Southern California, which has one long neuter season punctuated by torrential rain, ravenous fires and winds so furious they peel paint. However, come March, I'm ready for spring. Mother Nature, on the contrary, usually isn't.
Soldiers at war turn to gardens	3/10/2010 3:16 PM
(By Dean Fosdick, Associated Press) Gardening can be comforting - even therapeutic - for troops trying to shake the stresses of war. There's a long history of soldiers growing plants in the extreme conditions of a war zone. "Trench gardens" produced needed food as well as healing diversion for soldiers mired in the muck on both sides of the Western Front in World War I.
How to track down a professional for a home energy audit	3/10/2010 3:16 PM
(By Al Heavens, Philadelphia Inquirer) Q. My husband and I want to get an energy audit of our home and are having difficulty locating a company. Can you give me any ideas on how to locate an independent company that has no vested interest in selling doors, windows or a new furnace? There are public utility and government sites in every state that offer step-by-step information on do-it-yourself home-energy audits, but it is probably wise to bring in a qualified professional to do the work.
Save water easily in the bathroom	3/10/2010 3:16 PM
Water is our planet's most valuable resource. Providing enough clean water for every person will be one of the biggest challenges we face in the coming decades. Americans use more water per person than any other country. On average, each one of us uses about 100 gallons of drinking water a day, and almost half of that is in the bathroom. Do Your Part and install some easy fixes in the bathroom that will save water and money instantly.
Conquer clutter	3/10/2010 3:16 PM
(By Kim Palmer, Star Tribune) Ever wonder if you'd enjoy your home more if there were less in it? Rita Stollman-Levin doesn't have to wonder. She knows. Since clearing her clutter and rethinking her space with the help of a professional organizer, she's loved living in her century-old Victorian home.
Mint Hill armchair interior designer competing on HGTV	3/10/2010 3:16 PM
It's a long and winding route from Cuba to Miami to Mint Hill, then out to Los Angeles to compete in an interior design contest on HGTV. That's the path that Barbara Arcaini took. The rest of us get to share part of the adventure later this month.