A Gardener's Knowledge

It's spring — time to break out the trowel. As usual this time of year, there's a fresh new crop of gardening books to weed through.

One popular theme among them this season seems to be container gardening. Witness Peter Loewer's Small-Space Gardening, which demonstrates how to grow everything from bulbs to bananas in pots you can use to perk up your patio or add color and class to your front walk. In that same vein is P. Allen Smith's Container Gardens, which features more than 60 "recipes" from the master grower for making ordinary potted plants a blooming success.

Making the Most of Shade, by Larry Hodgson, is another handy book, targeted at yards that are skimpy on sunlight. But perhaps our favorite new read is Tips From the Old Gardeners, Duncan Crosbie's collection of sage advice from wisened green thumbs regarding what to plant and where, and scattered throughout with funny bits of gardening folklore.

Bonus books: Special Places to Stay: Bed & Breakfast for Garden Lovers, edited by Nicola Crosse; Four Tenths of an Acre: Reflections on a Gardening Life, by Laurie Lisle; and Oak: The Frame of Civilization, by William Bryant Logan

JILL BECKER

No Pain, More Gain

The weather outside's delightful, but exercise still seems frightful. What you really need this season is one of these new products to help put the fun back into fitness.

POLAR F11 HEART RATE MONITOR. You wear it like a watch, but it tells much more than just the time. It also functions like a personal trainer: assessing your fitness and helping you design a workout that works for you. Have you reached your target heart rate? Your weight-loss goals? The F11 knows all. $160, polarusa.com

Still not inspired? Try these next few on for size.

H20 AUDIO SV - iMINI. True to its name, H20 Audio has devised a great new gadget for water workouts. It's a fully waterproof MP3 case that fits the iPod Mini, so you can do the backstroke to your favorite soundtrack. It comes with headset and waterproof earplugs. $150, h2oaudio.com

THE PROFESSIONAL. What looks like footwear for a lazy day is actually a tool for toning legs, hips, back, stomach, and thighs. Its multilayered sole makes flat surfaces feel like rolling terrain, so you get a rigorous workout without abusing your joints. $234, swissmasaius.com

DDR GAME. Boogie your way to a slimmer waistline with a game that started out in video arcades. Just place the lighted pad on the floor and step wherever it illuminates. You'll play for hours, without knowing you've also been exercising. From $38 to $625, ddrgame.com

LIFECORDER EX. This high-tech pedometer is fully wired for fitness. Wear it while you walk, then plug it into your computer for feedback on how hard you worked. $395, new-lifestyles.com

JOSH SENS

The Color Purple: Spring's Hottest Hues

Each year, trend experts and paint companies spend months (and moola) forecasting the shades and palettes that will roll into homes and offices in the foreseeable future. Here, a short list of the coolest colors pouring out of cans this spring (hint: purples and blues are big).

VIOLET TULIP
(Pantone number 16-3823) This is 2005's "Color of the Year" according to the Pantone Color Institute, which takes the study of shades very seriously. Violet Tulip's purple haze promotes courage, decreases aggression, and lifts spirits. Have your paint or hardware store match this hue, and get ready for healing. (201) 935-5500, pantone.com

WATERFALL
(color number 2050-50) A twist on robin's-egg blue by Benjamin Moore Paints. For 2005, the company's predicted palettes have been washed-down, "bluer" versions of last year's clearer, stronger colors. A color-trend report and chips of Benjamin Moore's 24 most current colors are $5.95. (800) 672-4686, benjaminmoore.com

DKC COLLECTION
A-list architects and decorators swear by the Donald Kaufman Color Collection, famous for its unusually luminous finish. This spring, don't miss its DKC-36 (left) and DKC 58 (right),two grayed-down — and therefore very sophisticated — takes on lavender. (800) 977-9198, donaldkaufmancolor.com

Rob Brinkley

Remedies and Recipies

Our moms would be proud; we've heeded their warnings and kept their recipes close to our hearts ... and now we're sharing them with you! Wow your friends with our yummy chicken salad or pass along a few of our handy kitchen tips. Either way, your kitchen (and cooking) will be the talk of the town this spring.

Who Doesn't Love Salad Sandwiches?

Whether you're playing host for your best friend's baby shower or just want to add something new to your lunch menu, whip up some of our mom's spring chicken salad.

Mom's Chicken Salad4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tsp lemon and pepper seasoning
1 tsp celery seed seasoning
Real mayonnaise

To prepare: Boil chicken breasts in water until white all the way through. Remove and let cool. Dice chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and mix in a bowl with celery, onions, almonds, and seasonings. Stir in mayo until desired flavor and consistency.

Kitchen Confidential

Sponges: Old sponges can be disinfected by boiling them in water for a few minutes or putting them in the microwave, wet, for 2 minutes.

Fix that faucet: Fixing a single dripping hot-water faucet can save you 200 gallons of water a month.

Cleaning the microwave: Mix together two tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar and two cups of water in a four-cup, microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, and then carefully remove the bowl and wipe the microwave with paper towels. While heating, the water loosens stains so they are more easily removed.

Garlic odors: To remove the smell of garlic from your hands, rub them on your metal sink faucet.

Herbs: You can freeze fresh herbs in water until you're ready to use them.

Sticky pasta: To prevent pasta from getting too sticky as it cools, warm your colander before draining the pasta.

Tasty cookies: A piece of bread in your cookie jar will keep cookies moist.

Michelle Reneau

Pitching In

Tired of hearing ..."Aw, Mom, do I have to?"

Is the weekly battle of getting your kids to help out around the house really worth it? Experts agree that household responsibilities are crucial to children's development. But getting kids to participate can be a challenge. Dr. Lawrence Balter, a professor of applied psychology at New York University and the editor of Parenthood in America: An Encyclopedia, urges parents to set a positive example and explain what they're doing. "Kids don't realize that things don't just happen," he notes. "Someone does the laundry. It has to be pointed out." Fun and reciprocity should also be emphasized. Stamford University affiliates research psychologist Dr. Shari Young Kuchenbecker, the author of Raising Winners, got her own children to help out by saying, "I'm making dinner. Who's going to set the table?" While it's OK to pay kids for special jobs, routine chores should not involve monetary incentives. The underlying message, both Balter and Kuchenbecker say, is: "We're a family. We work together."

LESLIE JAY

LIGHT BULBS :: LASTING LONGER
"Heat will shorten a bulb's life, so you should avoid small, tight fixtures, which prevent heat from dissipating."
-Al Harris, Mr. Electric Owner, Northwest Florida

Keeping Current

Now approaching its 104th anniversary, the world's longest-lasting light bulb shows no sign of dimming. "Yes, it's still burning," reports Lynn R. Owens, retired division chief of California's Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, where the handblown incandescent bulb with extra-thick filament (at Fire Station #6, 4550 E. Ave., Livermore) is a cherished attraction.

While ordinary light bulbs are unlikely to pass the century mark, you can take a few steps to extend their light-years. "Heat will shorten a bulb's life, so you should avoid small, tight fixtures, which prevent heat from dissipating," says Al Harris, owner of Mr. Electric of Northwest Florida. Wattage does not affect bulb longevity, but a mismatch in voltage can promote early burnout. "If lamps don't last, check the fixture with a meter; it's common for the voltage to be higher than 120 volts," Harris explains. In residential settings, fluorescent bulbs provide the most energy-efficient option. For extra savings, try replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents; if you have dimmer switches, look for compatible fluorescent models.

Leslie Jay

Kidz Quiz on Electrical Safety

The Electrical Safety Foundation International wants you and your family to stay safe this May (and the rest of the year for that matter) as it promotes National Electrical Safety Month. To test your child's knowledge of electrical dangers, have them take this short quiz.

Look up! Look down! Look out! Presented by Mr. Electric

True or False:

1. Electrical cords that run under carpet, rugs, or behind baseboards can overheat and cause a fire.
2. KEEP DRINKS away from the computer when doing your homework.
3. It is ok to keep electrical devices, such as blow dryers and curling irons, plugged in around water.
4. Replace batteries in a battery-operated product at the same time and with batteries of the same type and manufacture.
5. Iif you are playing outside and see a bolt of lightning, go inside immediately.

For more information on electrical safety or National Electrical Safety Month, visit electrical-safety.org.

ANSWERS: 1-T 2-T 3-F 4-T 5-T

A Simple Fix

The Sticking Door

It's the little things that go wrong around the house that seem to irritate us the most. A squeaky floorboard, a broken light fixture, and my personal (least) favorite, the sticking door. Here are three quick and easy steps to freeing the door — and yourself.

Step 1
Check all of the door hinges for loose screws. Sometimes wobbly screws or hinges can cause doors to sag, making it difficult to open and close. Quick tip: If the wood around the screw will no longer hold, drive an ordinary golf tee covered with wood glue into the hole. Let it dry and cut off the excess tee. Drill a new hole in the repaired wood.

Step 2
If all of the screws and hinges are fixed tightly in place, remove the door completely. Carefully sand the area that makes contact with the door frame.

Step 3
Clean the area and apply a light coat of paint to match the original finish.

CASEY CASTEE