The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • D1

1 Chuck Blystone, Features editor (309) 829-9000, ext. 248 LIFE SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 2016 pantagraph.com SECTION DEAN FOSDICK ASSOCIATED PRESS Gardening can be especially rewarding when some of the harvest is given to charity. Contributing just-picked fruits and vegetables not only alleviates hunger but helps develop healthier eating habits. Nearly 50 million Americans worry about where their next meal is coming from, said Roger Doiron, founding director of Kitchen Gardeners International. His organization encourages charitable garden ventures across the country by, among other things, ering small grants and funding tools through a program called Seed- Money.

produce, whether it was grown in a home garden or public garden, has an important role to play in Doiron said. of these giving-garden projects, such as church gardens or community gardens, er other societal ts, such as safe community garden spaces and healthy forms of Numerous public and private food-assistance groups have sprouted up, from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children; to Feeding America; Ample Harvest; and Plant a Row for the Hungry, the latter a creation of the Garden Writers Association. every gardener plants one extra row of vegetables and donates their surplus to local food agencies and soup kitchens, a cant impact can be made on reducing according to the Plant a Row website, which estimates that more than 84 million U.S. households have yards or gardens. What to give? Agencies recommend contributing the most common fruits and vegetables, many of which are among the easiest for children to grow at home or at school.

Using your garden to help feed others A fter landing at the airport following a recent business trip, I spotted my husband behind the glass wall of the waiting area. His face had a pensive look. Something happened while I was away, I thought. he began. daughter has brought someone to the house for you to My mind spun through the potential options.

A boyfriend? A new roommate? Surely, she get married in the past 72 hours? As we pulled into the driveway, my husband announced, in the I headed out the back door (not before putting on lipstick really fast), but saw no one. Then I looked down. Near my foot was a small, 4-pound ball of fur. With four paws and a little tail with white fur at the tip. And two very soulful eyes gazing up at me.

Our daughter, who lives in an apartment near campus, had acquired a puppy. My head was instantly lled with questions such as, will she take care of him while working this But my heart swelled with love. my gosh, he is I bent down and scooped him up. Hello, A tiny, pink tongue licked my face. you had me at I could see there was no turning back.

Any logical discussion or common sense questions about how our daughter will a ord dog food and vet bills on a part-time salary were gone with the wind. She had created a budget, she said, but I knew her plan account for all the unexpected costs of puppy parenthood. Our collective rational thought, however, had left the building. I could see everyone had already bonded (including Pup love shakes up home HGTV VIA AP This undated photo provided by HGTV shows a room with a television creatively mounted on the wall that keeps it from standing out too much or detracting from the design of the rest of the room. MELISSA RAYWORTH ASSOCIATED PRESS Television screens just keep getting bigger, which is great if an avid binge-watcher, but not so convenient if trying to decorate a living room or bedroom with one wall dominated by a huge glass rectangle.

are kind of a necessary says Marianne Canada, digital host and design expert at HGTV.com. want them to be big and have that great picture quality. But you run into that problem of having, literally, this big black rectangle pulling focus in your den or living Los Angeles designer Theodore Leaf, host of Big Under 1,000 Sq. on Apple new channel The Design Network, nds that people are resisting the idea of organizing their living space around a screen. Yet they want the option of a great viewing experience when the mood strikes.

In rooms where windows provide a good view, things get even more complicated: do you orient the furniture to embrace the view, but obviously live a normal life and watch Leaf asks. Here, Leaf, Canada and Caleb Anderson, co-founder of the New York design rm Anderson, er creative advice on decorating around a television and even (shhh!) nding ways to hide one in plain sight. Make it blend in Some homeowners opt to ll one wall with built-in bookcases, leaving space at the center to hang a TV. an attractive option, but custom built-ins can be expensive, says Anderson, and are a fairly permanent choice. A more a ordable approach: Fill the wall with individual shelves arranged around the television.

oating shelves or shelves with really beautiful says Canada, and ll them with mementoes, books and some baskets where you can stash your streaming device or other tech items. Another option is arranging paintings, framed photos and other decorative items around your television to create a gallery wall, so the screen blends in with other pieces of art. Anderson recently worked on a project in Florida where he created an installation out of circular pieces of art around a television, drawing focus away from the screen. Make it disappear For small spaces and bedrooms, Leaf is a fan of hydraulic lift cabinets. What looks like a simple sideboard actually has your TV hidden inside.

At the push of a button, the top opens and your TV lifts out. have a client that just has an incredible Leaf says, she has three kids and they love to watch TV in A hydraulic cabinet placed in front of a window solved the problem. Some lift cabinets can be set on a timer linked to an in-home tech system. will wake you up with the TV lifting out of the cabinet and the lights going Leaf says. Another trick for hiding a large TV: Hang sliding pieces of reclaimed wood on tracks a xed above and below the TV.

Slide these out of the way when time to watch TV. nitely goes with a more rustic Canada says. Anderson agrees that camo- auge can be the solution: He has designed a dramatic custom cabinet with mirrored doors and a TV hidden inside. If you truly want your TV to disappear, Leaf recommends switching to a retractable screen with a retractable hidden projector in the ceiling. To save money and ort, you can even skip the screen by hanging a lightweight piece of art where be watching, and painting that wall a crisp, solid white.

When viewing time, simply take down the art Elephant in the room Home designs that on TV BARBARA QUINN MONTEREY COUNTY HERALD (TNS) Earth Day set a goal this year to plant 7.8 billion trees around the world over the next ve years. Why trees? They are green in multiple ways. Trees absorb excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In a single year, one acre of mature trees can absorb the amount of C02 produced by driving an average car for 26,000 miles. And trees help the air smell good because they can trap odors and foul-smelling pollut- ant gases in their leaves and bark.

a quiz to see what you know about trees: 1. Arbor Day a day set aside each April to celebrate the importance of trees originated in a) Nebraska; b) California; c) the National Mall. Answer: a. More than a million trees were planted in Nebraska on the rst Arbor Day in 1872, according to the Arbor Day Foundation. 2.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, trees can supply food and nutrients from: a) fruit; b) nuts; c) roots; d) leaves; e) bark. Answer: All are correct. However, not all parts of all trees are edible. 3. Spices harvested from trees include: a) allspice; b) Tabasco sauce; c) bay leaves; d) cinnamon.

Answers: d. 4. To plant a tree that will thrive in your area, a) ask a garden professional; b) dig a hole and pray; c) enter a tree name or ZIP code at www.arborday.org/ and the Arbor Day Foundation will help you nd a tree best for planting in your state. Answer: All can be helpful. Trees feed body, soul and clean air Trees provide more than just visual appeal.

DEAN FOSDICK ASSOCIATED PRESS A monthly point system is assigned to clients at The Good Cheer Food Bank near Langley, based on the number of people in their family. Donated produce helps improve the diets of those in need. SUSAN HAZLETT Please see TV, Page D2 Please see Hazlett, Page D2 Please see Garden, Page D2.