July 2005

1716 LOCUST

If you took a look at my office right now, you'd think I was in the business of building houses versus making magazines. Site plans, floor plans, elevations, material samples, landscape plans, construction schedules and budgets, and piles of scribbled notes and drawings have taken up residency on my desk. A contact list of designers, architects, and builders is at the ready between my computer and phone. And while a tool belt hasn't replaced my briefcase yet, some days it feels like it has.

CUSTOMER SERVICE ON BHG.COM

NEW! PLAY A GAME

SAVE AND PRINT RECIPES FROM THIS ISSUE!

Construction Is Under Way!

July

Use easy appliqué to dress your home in all-American red, white, and blue.

Engineering togetherness

About 400 feet of track wend through the railroad garden in Mike and Janet Elmore's backyard. Seven engines pull 30 cars, all of which are brought inside when not in use.

MOVING TOWARD THE LIGHT

A San Francisco artist gave his 1,000-square-foot Edwardian flat a major facelift when he opened it to the light that had been there all along.

Are you In or Out?

Imagine spilling tea on the rug under your dinner table and simply hosing it off. Dining by electric chandelier in a light rain. Running your home's indoor wall and flooring materials outside, with no maintenance issues at all.

WHEN THE GROWING GETS HOT

These South Carolina gardeners have a message for anyone who lives where summers are sultry: Grow plants from the tropics. They take heat and humidity in stride.

PROJECT TO GO: A Single Swatch

Birds of a Feather

Beauty on display

INTERACTIVE WALL ART

Innovations

Our ongoing Innovations series features cuttingedge products that tie in with the forward-thinking design of our Better Home Better Living house. Here's what has us excited this month.

VIEWING IT LIKE A PRO

A mom with culinary training renovates a Maine kitchen-- getting the clever features she likes while having the space open to relaxing ocean views.

EXPRESS YOURSELF

PAPER CHASE

FLOAT AWAY

KEEP IT COOL

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

BERRY POWERFUL

MAKING BUTTER BETTER

TRY THIS COOL COMBO

Here are two sure-fire plants that will give you a beautiful view from spring to fall.

A Garden gets Going

In Part Four of our Resolutions series, the Frandson family takes on a planting project-- the first step in an overhaul of their landscape.

Living a great American adventure

In the second of our three-part series, Better Homes and Gardens suggests ideas for living out an ultimate American experience.

Investing in peace of mind

Planning for retirement has never been easier or more hassle-free. Take a look at some of the financial strategies that can help grow your nest egg.

Amusement park survival guide

Get the most fun out of your park visit. Use these tips to plot your day and avoid the pitfalls of long lines and water-soaked mementos.

Answering the tough questions

When parents are stumped by an awkward or unusual question, these proven strategies can help them find the right response.

POWER PERENNIAL COLLECTION

Robust and full of color throughout the growing season, this Power Perennial Collection is the answer to your smaller space gardening needs. We've selected a group of su-loving, hardy flowers (see "A Garden Gets Going," page 118) that are the perfect plants to plaec in the ground this fall for an abundance of vibrant blooms next year.

Live simply, live more

Lori Krueger grew up flea marketing and always has a collection going. A great find is even more thrilling if it's cheap, she says. These old printers' boxes became easy art when Lori glued seashells inside the typeface cubbies.

Seeking Harmony

Some gardens must be coaxed into being, distilled from all the possibilities into a place that feels just right. Sometimes that accord happens early on. Sometimes it takes years to achieve balanced beauty.

The art of compromise

The main section of Laurie and Bob Davis's house is only 18 feet wide. Its narrow shape is a result of the couple's desire to save three 50-year-old pecan trees on the property and create a spacious side yard.

SERVERS ON ICE

Floating Away Stress

The next time you take the kids swimming, set aside a few minutes for yourself and let life float by. Literally. New research shows that simply floating on your back in water can lower your stress, sharpen your mind, and lift your mood. In fact, floating may be among the best and easiest relaxation techniques you'll ever find. Researchers say that even a brief float lets muscles unwind, brain waves slow, and the mind clear.

SWEET STEVIA

Build Your Own Food Pyramid

In April, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled MyPyramid, a revised and updated version of the food pyramid nutrition guidelines first released in 1992, experts hailed it as a useful tool. But many consumers were left scratching their heads over the new triangular icon-- and the guidelines it represents.

A Holiday Without End

No matter how well you plan for a vacation if you don't also plan for the return from that vacation, you can quickly undo many of the stress-relieving benefits. Don't plunge back into your busy life without a parachute. Here are some strategies for extending the relaxing effects of your holiday.

Kids Keeping Up

8 Signs the Kids are Fine

If you thought the infant years were tough, talk to the parent of a teenager. "When they were little, they had little problems," says Kim Hale, a Palmer, Pennsylvania, mother of a 16-year-old son and a 20-year-old daughter. "When they're big, the problems are big." Along with those problems come parental worries, such as drugs, alcohol, sex, driving habits.

SUMMER TRUNKS

Eaten to a Pulp

CREATURE COMFORTS

OH SAY CAN YOU sing

We know the scene: We're in the stands at the ballpark, or at the big Fourth of July fireworks display. A local singer steps forward to perform "The Star-Spangled Banner." Without instrumental backing, she starts: "O-oh, say..." and three notes in, we know there's going to be trouble.