Donna Boyle Schwartz

Natural fences constructed of shrubbery, trees, or flowering bushes are attractive and environmentally friendly havens for songbirds, butterflies, and other desirable fauna. These living ...

For the most part, Americans enjoy some of the safest and cleanest water on the planet. As the recent lead contamination in Flint, Michigan, brought to light, however, some municipalities...

There are some old-house features we sorely miss in today's construction—transom windows, vestibules, and sleeping porches, to name a few. One such old standby that we're lucky en...

Water is everywhere around us, and in most of the United States it's so safe and plentiful that we often take it for granted as we use it to drink, cook, clean, bathe, and play. But no ma...

Strategic landscaping choices can help you get rid of ticks, protecting your family and pets from the danger posed by these insects, even in the seeming safety of your own backyard.

As temperatures rise, homeowners love firing up the grill and eating outdoors. Yet just as with indoor food prep, there are some important rules and guidelines to follow when you're cooki...

Are you dealing with a dripping faucet, low water pressure, or clogged pipe? You’re probably tempted to call a professional plumber, and with good reason. Homeowners usually don’t have th...

Applying for a home mortgage can be a time-consuming, costly, and frustrating process. When the housing crisis hit in 2008, banks and other mortgage lenders dramatically tightened the req...

A die-hard gardener’s ultimate dream is having a greenhouse in the backyard. If this is your dream, it’s not as far away as you might think. You don’t necessarily have to enlist a contrac...

Americans are generally civic-minded and conscientious, and have for the most part adopted the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra popularized by the environmental movement of the 1970s. Neve...