We mash them up with butter (and sometimes bourbon) and put marshmallows on them; we sprinkle them with brown sugar and cinnamon; we make pies out of them, and still they are good for us with all that beta carotene.

Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are swollen tuberous roots on plants native to the tropics.

Sweet potatoes are in the same genus as the morning glory (the good one, not bindweed) and have some ornamental cultivars, including dark-leaved ‘Blackie’ and chartreuse-leaved ‘Marguerite.’
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How do you feel about faux animal stripes underfoot? An Oct. 14 Post article detailed some of the many products sporting the now-hot zebra motif - pillows, towels, martini glasses. The beautiful animals’ mixture of wide and narrow black lines must really look wavy - like they’re moving - to anyone sipping a stout vodka martini from a zebra-striped glass.

Zebra accent rugs have been pictured this year in so many shelter magazines that some designers are stepping out of line, so to speak. Articles quote designers on both sides of the decorating fad: those “so over it” because zebra rugs are too popular, and the other group that values “the instant sophistication” a zebra rug adds to the right room, the element of visual surprise, the touch of fun, the symbol of exotic adventures. Think safari with binoculars only; no zebras have to be shot to fuel this fashion underfoot. Cincinnati’s contemporary furniture showrooms have had for years (they’re not new) those zebra accent rugs made to look real. They’re usually stenciled cowhide, so some unfortunate steer, if not an actual zebra, definitely had to commit to the striped product. I’ve always preferred frankly-fake wool rugs in the zebra pattern, not the cowhide rugs cut in a realistic shape with four extended “zebra legs” flat on the floor. Read more…

So you think your video iPod is good only for watching missed episodes of Lost?

Well, you’re wrong.

Now, home decorating, gardening and crafting programs have jumped on the Internet broadcasting bandwagon, offering regular podcasts and video podcasts online or through iTunes.

Commuters can easily listen-in for inspiration on home decoration or watch clips on gardening tips during the train ride to or from work. So if you’re interested in squeezing some creativity into the daily commute, here’s a listing of some of the podcasts available, and notes on how to tune in.
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Fall-blooming perennials offer one last chance to appreciate our beautiful gardens. In addition to the familiar chrysanthemums, sedum and goldenrod, Japanese anemone offers special fall beauty plus season-long dark green foliage. Anemone x hybrida, also called Anemone japonica, is an often overlooked fall bloomer that tolerates most of Utah’s challenging conditions. Although this plant takes a few years after planting before full flowering, the wait is worth the reward.
During the 19th century, plant collector Robert Fortune found Japanese anemone plants growing on old graves in Shanghai, China. He sent specimens back to England in 1844, where they soon became a favorite of English gardeners. Asian anemone blooms in fall. Read more…

NEW JERSEYCHATHAM The New Vernon Garden Club Brunch, with boutique shopping and a presentation by floral designer Jerry Rose, to benefit the landscaping of the Harding Township Library, 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. $80. Fairmount Country Club, 400 Southern Blvd. Call (973) 540-1595.

ENGLEWOOD “Wildlife in the Hackensack River Watershed,” “(and where, when and how to find and view it)” a presentation, part of the general meeting of the Sierra Club, 7:30 p.m. next Thursday. Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, 443 Van Nostrand Ave. Call (201) 461-4534.
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According to Diane Relf, Extension Horticulturist Emeritus, gardening is the number one outdoor, leisure time activity of America, with 84 percent of households involved in at least one form of gardening activity. Gardening is a source of personal satisfaction and pride providing an opportunity for relief from daily stress. Gardening is an ideal preventative therapy to maintain personal well being.

With a little planning and creativity, it can be available to everyone. Most gardening is part of the traditional landscape or ground-level plantings, but an increasing number of gardeners are discovering the advantages of gardening in planters, containers, and raised beds. These gardening styles can be adapted to make gardening easier for older gardeners or individuals with physical disabilities. They also are adaptable for gardening in a small backyard, an apartment patio, or on the grounds of a retirement home or hospital. Read more…

As Dan and I rushed up my friend Debbie’s front walk, late for her dinner party, I was stopped in my tracks by the shockingly simple but ever-so-grand entry that awaited us. The shuttered front doors, thrown wide in greeting, were flanked by two huge lanterns aglow with candlelight to guide guests on their arrival.

I rubbed my hands together with glee. When a hostess cares enough to create a dramatic entry like this, you know you’re in for one fun night! Read more…

If parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are the only herbs you are acquainted with, let the Huntsville Herb Society broaden your horizons next weekend.

The Herb Fair will be held in Murray Hall at Huntsville Botanical Garden on Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission to the fair is free. Many handmade items for your kitchen, garden, your friends and yourself will be available for purchase.

Your critters will appreciate home-baked dog treats and handmade catnip mice, and your family will enjoy homemade jellies, honey, herbed vinegar, pickles and relishes on the table. Other treats for the senses include dried flowers, fresh flower tussie-mussie miniature bouquets and plants. Soaps and lotions will be available, too. Read more…

When beginning a home decorating project, it’s helpful to know the most common interior design pitfalls. Avoiding these will improve your design, save time and money, and help make your experience more enjoyable.

Furniture.com lead design consultant Davis Remignanti offers these approaches to avoid when tackling interior design projects: Read more…

Margaret Robinson and Keiji Asakura know that their work often goes unappreciated. But that doesn’t mean that it goes unnoticed.

In fact, the two entrepreneurs think that their landscape architecture firm, Asakura Robinson, plays a significant role in improving the quality of life for many Houstonians.

Both of the company’s principals figured out at an early age that they wanted to work in a field that would allow them to blend their love for the science of horticulture with their passion for art. Read more…