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By MICHAEL CONNORS

HOLYOKE — After a months-long investigation into a large-scale heroin distribution operation, police and federal authorities raided two addresses and arrested a city teenager on drug and firearm-related charges Wednesday. Luis Garcia-Figueroa, 19, was...

By PRISCILLA TOUHEY

Q: My husband and I are “discussing” when we should rake up the leaves in our yard — after they are all down (him) or as soon as the lawn is covered (me). Help! Any thoughts on a solution? —C.J., NorthamptonA: We New Englanders love our vibrant red,...

By MICKEY RATHBUN

Crabapple trees are one of my favorite ornamental spring trees. A mainstay of the New England landscape, they offer three seasons of interest, plus a handsome branching habit that looks good all winter long, especially when decked with freshly fallen...

By VALERIE REISS

When Cat Thomson and Steve McDonough moved onto their ¾-acre lot in Leeds, the landscaping consisted of dirt, dirt, and more dirt.“It was a blank slate,” said Thomson, a freelance writer and editor. They built their house on developed land that was...

By LUIS FIELDMAN

SUNDERLAND – Newlyweds Martin Jutres and Micki Kahn had lived in New York City for several years, but about a year ago, they wanted a change. City life had them burned-out, they said.There were several options the young couple considered. Among them...

By MICKEY RATHBUN

I have a big patch of daylilies behind my house. They are a disorganized jumble of plants that were given to me along with others that I’ve bought at plant sales, nurseries and farmers markets. I have never paid much attention to this part of the...

By DEBBIE CARLSON

Yard sales are a great way to get a few extra bucks for items that might be just a little bit too valuable to toss or donate, but what if you don’t have a yard?Don’t let that stop you; think creatively instead.Yard sales are all about getting rid of...

By PRISCILLA TOUHEY

Q: I have a ton of vinca growing under my trees and would like to start replacing it this fall with native groundcovers. Any suggestions of good options? –R.M., Hatfield A: I am so glad you asked, R.M.! Vinca minor (Periwinkle) does fit the...

By RAY DUCKLER

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the Concord Monitor on May 5.CONCORD, N.H.The young woman with the familiar last name was seated in the Friendly Kitchen, her eyes focused on her cellphone, hidden under shoulder-length blonde...

By HomeAdvisor

Professional chefs around the world have known for years that cooking with steam means moister, better tasting food and faster cooking times. In fact, steam assist ovens have been standard fare in the restaurant business for quite some time. Lucky for...

Growing up in Virginia, one of my favorite spring sights was the blooming of eastern redbud trees, Cercis canadensis. Redbud trees are one of the earliest spring bloomers. Their abundant pea-sized flowers bloom simultaneously, creating purplish pink...

By HomeAdvisor

Colors have a proven psychological effect on our moods. And the colors we choose for our homes have a proven influence on our overall quality of life. Using color psychology, we can create a home that relaxes, energizes and focuses us where and when...

By Mary Carol Garrity

Settling into our cottage has been a long and languid journey. It started with the Great Purge, when Dan and I let go of many of the furnishings that filled our larger home in Atchison, Kansas. Because our cottage is so small, we could only keep the...

By Gabrielle Savoie

Times change. Twenty years ago, people saw yoga as a strange practice with no tangible physical benefits. Since then, we’ve been so widely exposed to its positive effects both on the body and mental health that it’s become as mainstream as green...

By LISA SPEAR

Sunlight streams in through the sliding glass doors as Lynne and Ron Dutton sit at their dining room table on a recent Saturday sipping cups of dark roast coffee, spiked with shots of liqueur. They can feel the room swaying, but it’s not because...

By MICKEY RATHBUN

How does a gardener celebrate the first day of summer? The June solstice was traditionally a time for farmers to mark their calendars for dates to plant and harvest crops. For Peter Schoenberger, the newest member of the Garden Club of Amherst, it’s...

This summer, you may have noticed that many trees and shrubs are being defoliated by gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) caterpillars. We are experiencing an unusually heavy infestation this year, as we did in 2016, and the effect on our trees has been...

By LISA SPEAR

A Japanese maple tree with windswept branches leans to one side as if hanging off a mountain cliff —  but this tree has never seen high altitudes and the air here is mostly still.The tree lives in Jim Gipe’s backyard in Northampton in a shallow...

Most spring bulbs have flowered by now and are looking a bit forlorn, surrounded by burgeoning spring perennials that are growing almost visibly by the day. The green stalks and leaves of tulips, narcissus and other bulbs may look idle, but they are...

By JACK SUNTRUP

NORTHAMPTON — Local organizers have chosen a site for homeless youth and youth at risk of homelessness, and spent Sunday working to renovate the Hatfield Street property. Fundraising since January 2016, the two organizations — DIAL/SELF Youth &...