March 1997

Between friends

Painted Walls

Turn blank walls into works of an by following these instructions for simple painted treatments.

Bench marks

Benches are the workhorses of the furniture world: Compact, efficient, and wonderfully versatile, they straddle the line between table and chair. Here and on the next few pages, we've assembled a handful of charming two-leggers and put them in unexpected settings to get you thinking about benches in a brand new way.

Napkin magic

If you're searching for quick design inspiration, look no further than your linen closet. With a minimal amount of sewing, vintage or new napkins easily can be recycled as lovely window treatments, wall hangings, and scented sachets.

Groomed to perfection

It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. Any energetic and inquisitive fellow, such as King, the springer spaniel shown here, will get a bit mussed as he claws at buried treasures, stands guard against passing mutts, and rolls around in who-knows-what. So King and dogs like him need an occasional scrubbing. That's why Better Homes and Gardens magazine editors worked with Eukanuba Dog Food and architect Duo Dickinson to design a home dog-grooming center.

An English Accent

Stucco and stone adorn the exterior of this home, lending it a charm reminiscent of English country houses. An elegant wing wall and a bay window-- capped with a standing-seam copper roof-- echo the theme while elliptical arches with masonry keystones above the windows and entrance reinforce it. Inside, an expansive family room and dining room draw you in but also separate the master suite from the home's family spaces. Serving food from the kitchen is a cinch. The room offers ready access to all of the home's living spaces.

Home Plans To Buy

Dashing through the snow

Volvo adds all-wheel drive to its formidable reputation for safety, and the result is a surefooted wagon that will carry you through even Arctic-like conditions snugly and safely.

Better Homes and Gardens

An Environmental Report Card

The nation's environment has gone from good to bad and back toward the positive again in the 75 years that Better Homes and Gardens magazine has been published. If we rate the nation's actions in terms of grades, the report card looks good. But there's still plenty of room for improvement.

Can Values Be Taught?

When schools set out to teach values, some parents may ask, "Whose values?"

Gorgeous Gates

Space-Savvy Bath

Using soft finishes and pampering fixtures, this bath proves that remodeling can take you a world away.

Spring's Blue Hues

For your own beautiful blue perennial gardens like those shown in our gardening feature on pages 156 to 164, try this special collection of plants and corms available exclusively to the readers of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Editor's Choice Fruit Tree Offer

Indoor Orchids

Diamond Jubilee Rose

To celebrate the 75th birthday of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, we've had this charming rose grown exclusively for our readers.

Anniversary Sampler

Also in celebration of the 75th birthday of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, we've created this stunning cross-stitch sampler for our readers.

Personalizing Your Garden

The pawpaw patch. With

LOOKING GOOD

SMART GARDENING

Easy Indoor Orchitis

Orchids grow everywhere-- well, everywhere except Antarctica-- so if they can flower all by their lonesome out in the harsh hinterlands, imagine how brilliantly they will perform with a little coddling in the sheltered confines of your warm, snuggly home. And when an orchid blooms, the blossoms last weeks, sometimes even months, keeping many plants in flower almost continuously. Some orchids, of course, are easier to take care of than others. This is their story.

SPRING'S blue hues

Plant explorer Dan Hinkley mentions only in passing his treks through rugged Nepali territory guarded by wary snow leopards. But get him started on the many plants he's found on these treacherous expeditions and, well... There's the fabled Himalayan blue poppy, the new blue corydalis from China, or this Anemone Pulsatilla (above). It's long-lived, beautiful even in seedhead. And look at the way its silky tendrils glow. Other such unheralded flowers can pick up the pace in the garden during late spring's post-bulb transition. Some of the best of them are blue.

The not-so empty nest

Join us for a day in the country-- smack in the middle of suburbia. It's early morning. At the end of Rumsey Drive, a rooster crows. Inside Bob and Emilie Barnes' house, a fire already blazes in the hearth. Soon grandchildren will be scampering through the orange grove. Though they're only a short drive from the freeway, the Barneses have created a bit of paradise-- a suburban roost filled with tradition, family, and fun.

Kitchens then & now

The refrigerator may have been avocado and the countertops may have mimicked butcher block, but the typical kitchen of the '70s was little more than a box lined with boxes. Granted, you had a choice between galley and U-shaped layouts, but the rest was strictly standard issue: inky-slick cabinets on all four walls, gold-fleck plaster on the ceiling, and faux Spanish vinyl on the floor. The only bright spot was a skimpy window over the sink. That was then, this is now. Today's kitchen breaks out of the box by punching up the ceiling, popping out the walls, and opening up to the outdoors. It liberates the layout with multiple workstations and island staging areas.

Wild Rice House

Wild Rice is the name Kathleen and Dave Daniels of Orono, Minnesota, have planted on their home. It evokes a time when the clock seemed to run slower, the land supplied needs abundantly, and simplicity was a virtue. Wild rice is actually a nutritious water-grass seed harvested each fall in frigid waters throughout the region where the Daniels live. Their newly constructed home satisfies today's hunger for a place where down-to-earth comforts and nature's rhythms are the order of the day.

75 Years of All-Time Favorites

Perfectly Pineapple

Think of it as the friendly fruit. In the Caribbean West Indies, pineapples dangling in doorways have long been a sign of welcome. Using the exotic fruit as a symbol of hospitality spread to Europe and parts of the United States, where its familiar shape often is found today on gateposts, in doorways, or on tableware.

In a Pickle

When packed in jars and stacked on shelves, pickles may look the same, but there are differences. The descriptions below will help you pick a pickle.

Basically Balsamic

Balsamic vinegar's intriguing flavor is one that gives ordinary meats, salads, and sauces a distinct and subtly luxurious Mediterranean accent. Traditionally, true balsamic vinegar is made by boiling the juice of white grapes into a sweet concentrate.

BH&G kids

Tired of snow boots and mittens and scarves? Surf through the following pages for ideas on throwing a Hawaiian beach party, sure to tide you over till spring.

The Shopper's Mart

The man next door MARCH 1997

Our daughter, Rosemary, says "spring break" got its name because it comes just before all the college students' minds begin to fracture from fatigue.