It’s all about annuals. If you want to make a dramatic difference in your garden this spring, you gotta get annuals.

Fences with gates in good working order -- especially those that are self-closing and self-latching -- can protect your home, family and property. Now’s the time to inspect fencing, gates and gate hardware around your property to ensure all are in good working condition.

Winter is generally a harsh time for plants -- indoors and out, but gardening experts say there are simple ways to bundle up outdoor plants and healthy ways to care for indoor plants so they’ll grow and bloom again for years to come.

When looking at summer home improvements, many times we think about adding an addition to expand our livable space. But building an addition can be inconvenient, costly and take a long time. A new trend with consumers is to add retractable awnings to their home’s exterior.

Like an alarm clock for our senses and our gardens, the thermometer swelling to 60 degrees awakens us in the spring. We all get the irresistible urge to get outside, birds are chirping, animals come out from hibernation and plants start unfurling their leaves and flowers to color our world.

The top gardening trends for 2009 reveal a resurgence in perennials, growing native plants, creating "blended" gardens using vegetables and herbs in flower beds, cultivating with best practices, planting to attract wildlife and going local.

Before firing up the gas grill or rolling out your portable patio heater this spring, first make sure that your propane appliances are in their proper place and in good condition.