July 1993

A FOND FAREWELL AND A NEW BEGINNING

Dear Readers, This is the hardest of these letters I've ever had to write because the time has come to tell you all good-bye. I'm leaving my job as editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine to work full-time at starting new magazines for our company. ...

HOW TO TAME A WILD BACKYARD

TAMING A SLOPE WITH TERRACES

FIRED UP FOR FUN

Rediscover the joys of summer-camp cookouts with a deck that's a fire pit at heart. Relax on the built-in benches while the fire blazes. After the embers have cooled, top off this backyard hot spot with a wooden cover that turns the pit into a picnic, serving, or coffee table.

A WELL-BLENDED DECK AND GAZEBO

A STUNNING ENTRANCE

Take a good hard look at your home's entryway. After studying theirs, Bob and Sandy Tatge built this handsome front porch. More than just shelter from the elements, this shapely addition perks up their home's facade, creates a sunny outdoor sitting spot, and offers a friendly first impression to visitors.

A CUT ABOVE THE REST

START FALL CROPS

TOOLS FOR TOUGH TASKS

SHEAR ANNUALS

Gardening where you live

Handpicked from across the land, our regional test gardeners, Karen Kees, Peter Chan, Phyllis Cole, and Roy Wyatt, are some of the best teachers we know. Here's an update on their gardens and a roundup of some of their favorite midsummer gardening tips and techniques. Try them in your garden this season.

WHY FATHERS COUNT

Most research on child rearing has focused on the mother/child relationship, relegating fathers to the proverbial backseat. Yet, the few studies that do exist on the role of fathers underscore their importance.

BEATING THE NEW-SCHOOL BLUES

Carol Nelson was a freshman in California when her dad, an engineer, brought news of yet another transfer-- their seventh. Her father flew out ahead of time to find the best schools for Carol and her three brothers before purchasing a house.

TAKING THE HEAT

The heat is on. But before you decide to climb any mountain or hoe any row, take a few minutes to learn the facts about working up a sweat in the hot weather. Failure to heed these warnings could lead to fatigue, weakness, prickly heat, or even a life-threatening condition called heatstroke.

HOW TO BE HAPPIER

You don't have to break the bank on fancy cars, expensive homes, or lavish vacations to find happiness in your life. Affluence, as well as age, gender, race, and education, are rarely connected to inner joy, research shows.

Building for the future

High among the Douglas firs on an island in the Pacific Northwest, Iowans Ann Patterson and Rick Martinez built a vacation hideaway-- and the stepping-stone to a whole new chapter in their lives.

A CHANGE OF SCREENS

Got something to hide? Space to divide? Call in one of these nifty numbers. Easy and inexpensive to make, folding floor screens can hide ugly registers, storage, even crumbling plaster; or, let one close off a problem walkway. Stand this lattice screen in front of a window to diffuse light.

FRIENDLY HOME OFFICE St-yled for stowing

Endless summer...

Decorating can be a breeze when you open the door to fresh ideas. Inspired by a love of the beach and easy summer days, Susan and Charlie Dodson invited in a surprising mixture of livable furnishings. No matter what your surroundings or the season, their ideas can relax your rooms-- on a limited budget of after-mortgage dollars and after-work energies.

From boring to bright

When baby made three, this tired guest room and adjacent bath (following page) needed a wake-up call. For rooms that would age well, the owners revved up the spaces with bright hues and white furnishings. Sure, the happy scheme is great fun for baby, but replace the crib with a bed, daybed, or desk, and the room would work for all ages.

Divine salvation

making the most of found objects Broken china and tile, discarded doors, salvaged knobs and brackets, hand-me-down toys-- bring these and other castoffs back to life and add wit, personality, and style to your home.

MAKE YOUR MARK

CONSERVING WATER IN YOUR HOME

Water covers three-fourths of our planet, but less than 1 percent of it is available for human use. As pressures from population growth and pollution continue to grow, the cost of finding and purifying our water is increasing.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

With each recipe, we give important nutrition information. The calorie count of each serving and the amount, in grams, of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fiber, and protein will help you keep tabs on what you eat.

BUILD YOUR OWN ADIRONDACK FURNITURE

NEW-CAR LEASING

Leasing once was considered the private domain of businesses and the wealthy. Today, it has become a practical alternative for many new-car and new-truck buyers, and the competition is fierce. That can mean good deals for consumers. You'll also find faster approval for both leases and loans than in past years.

Driving Big Sky country

MONTANA sprawls across the western U.S. like a state gone land hungry when everyone else was out to lunch. Known as Big Sky Country because of its vast expanse of plains, mountains, and national forests under a seemingly endless sky, Montana divides itself into six vacation regions.

PET IDs: KEEPING TABS ON TABBY

Some cats and dogs are getaway artists. No matter how carefully you supervise them, they manage to slip through an open door or wriggle through your grasp. Others, show and hunting dogs in particular, can net a high bounty, which makes them a popular target for thieves.

Shopping editor's choice

Discover the ease and pleasure of shopping by mail. Order from the convenience of your own home with complete confidence.

EASY STEPS TO A SPARKLING BATH

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

Aunt Opal reports that she gets more exercise than ever since buying a new TV. "I spend half the evening lifting cushions and bending down to look under the sofa for the darned remote control," she reports.