Around your house 4/18/06

Garden

This week in your garden:

When buying bedding plants, choose compact, bushy plants that have not begun to flower. Study your landscape for gaps that could be nicely filled with bulbs. Mark these spots carefully and make a note to order bulbs next August. Enjoy, but do not disturb the many wildflowers blooming in woodlands throughout Missouri. When crabapples are in bloom, hardy annuals may be transplanted outdoors. Fertilize established roses once new growth is 2 inches long. Use a balanced formulation. Begin spraying to control black spot disease. -- www.mobot.org

Home Improvement

Safety-proofing bathrooms

Bathrooms can be dangerous places. But there are things you can do to make washing and bathing safer. Slip-resistant strips on bathtubs and shower floors, for instance, can prevent nasty slips and falls.

Hardware centers carry a wide variety of peel-and-stick strips for traction. For best results, the tub or shower floor should be scrubbed and thoroughly dried, then wiped with rubbing alcohol to remove any soap film or remaining residue. Carefully arrange and apply the strips where you are most likely to stand or step when getting in or out of the tub or shower stall. If you still feel a bit uneasy, consider adding grab bars for extra support when getting in and out. -- AP

Home decor

Glass blocks always in style

Q: Forty years ago, or so, the glass block was very popular. Now it's being used all over. I even see it in TV sets. How can I find out any other information about these glass blocks? I would like to put them at the end of my bathtub. -- Pepe

A: Actually, the glass block never really left the scene completely. A trip that we made through several remodeled Beverly Hills homes about five years ago proved that to us. Unfortunately, glass blocks are as expensive as they are beautiful, but that doesn't seem to stop today's homeowner. There is a manufacturer in North America who makes glass blocks and that's North America Glass. The West German Solaris Co. boasts the largest glass block plant in the world. They make 12 different styles of block that are available in four different colors. -- AP