Home Tips: Fall Chore Shortcuts 1. Clean painted woodwork with a solution of 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 1 gallon of lukewarm water. No rinsing is necessary with this solution. 2. Clean vinyl shower curtains without taking them down by wiping them with a sponge dampened with white […]
It was the summer of 1953. Ernest F. Fetske, a prominent naval architect from New York, and his wife, Bettina, were taking a load of bricks in their boat out to their vacation home on five-acre Brockway Island in Essex, Connecticut. They’d been spending weekends there since purchasing it in the early 1940s. Folks around […]
Someone from, say, Kansas might laugh at the notion, but there was a time when Vermont merited the nickname “breadbasket of America.” During the 19th century, farms around New England devoted significant acreage to wheat; in the 1850s, Vermont alone boasted about 40,000 acres of wheat-growing land. However, as transporting grain from the Midwest became […]
I’m distressed that some of the plants in my perennial garden are really overgrown and crowded. What should I do? — J. K., Wellesley, MA Fall is an excellent time to transplant perennials such as hosta, daylily, peony, iris, and a multitude of others that you can readily divide. By autumn most plants have attained […]
When the Hallee family moved into their 1950s Cape Cod house in Portland, Maine, the lack of storage space was an issue that needed to be addressed. Ken; his wife, Lisa; and their young daughter, Emma, live in a cozy two-bedroom home where “storage has always been an issue,” Ken says, and no more so […]
Looking for a way to use up the abundance of acorns the oak trees dropped this year? These “magic” acorn refrigerator magnets are a fun (and easy!) fall craft project.
Make refrigerator magnets and napkin rings with acorns. Autumn is an ideal time to harvest some of New England’s woodland bounty for yourself. Yankee‘s acorn crafts will dress up your kitchen and dining area in true autumn style–sure to bring a smile to the faces of your family, friends, and guests. Go nuts!
1. Help save quarters and energy with an easy-to-store clothes-drying rack ($39.95-$49.95). The Vermont Country Store Rutland, VT 802-362-8460 vermontcountrystore.com 2. Roommates will covet Le FP’s 98-percent organic shampoo ($16 for 8 ounces) and 92-percent organic conditioner ($18 for 8 ounces). Le FP Green Body Care Peterborough, NH 603-924-7444 lefpgreenbodycare.com 3. The handles of these […]
When it came to the kitchen counters, Stephen Florimbi opted for thin over thick: “I wanted something that had a classic New England look with a slightly modern touch.” This boatbuilder found his solution in a material he’s more than a little familiar with: copper. He cut out two sheets of the metal (one for […]
For years Stephen Florimbi and his partner, Sarah Price, had a vision of what they wanted in a home: a life tucked away in the woods, isolated, private, off the grid. For Sarah: lavish vegetable gardens. For Stephen, a boatbuilder: a barn for his work. And at the center of the property: a small, energy-producing […]
Scoping out fall foliage from a vantage point on a pristine pond or gently flowing river means enjoying a double dose of riotous color: bedecking the trees overhead and reflecting off the water’s glistening surface. We found the perfect leaf-peeping vessel in the new Vapor 12xt Recycled kayak from Old Town Canoe Co. ($709 suggested […]
Yankee‘s gardening expert R. Wayne Mezitt recommends lawns as a great ground cover. “Mowing controls weeds, and your lawns don’t have to be big consumers of water, fertilizer, or pesticides,” he says. More garden solutions. Learn more about natural lawn care.
