Around your house

New gear

Finally, a decent knife for small hands. Launched as part of its new artichoke-colored line of kitchen gadgets, The Pampered Chef's lightweight Color Coated Santoku Knife sports a 5-inch ultra-sharp blade. Though a bit blade-heavy, the knife overall weighs so little the lack of balance between blade and handle isn't bothersome. Recesses cut into the blade and a special coating minimize food sticking to it. In a world where professional-grade (and often quite hefty) knives increasingly are the norm, it's a welcome change for people who don't want to feel as though they are lifting weights when dicing an onion. -- AP

Dinner table know-how

If you ever worry about how to set your own table comme il faut, or which fork to use at someone else's table, here's a handy new source of advice. "Elements of the Table" by Lynn Rosen (Clarkson Potter, 2007) is subtitled "A Simple Guide for Hosts and Guests" and its crisp simplicity may indeed help you navigate this complicated social area. The book's chapters deal with napkin niceties, and the glamour of Champagne and other wine glasses, as well as decoding the multiple forms of knives, forks and spoons. Sizes and styles of bowls, plates and all manner of dishes are explained, too, with photos to help. -- AP

Birds eat many insect pests. Attract them to your garden by providing good nesting habitats. Herbs planted in average soils need no extra fertilizer. Too much may reduce flavor and pungency at harvest. Sink houseplants up to their rims in soil or mulch to conserve moisture. Fertilize regularly. Watch for fireflies on warm nights. Both adults and larvae are important predators. Collecting may reduce this benefit. -- mobot.org