I have three maples -- two silver, one red -- and want to find a perennial ground cover for their beds. I would like to use epimediums. Are there any varieties that would thrive under the trees?

Despite your best efforts, certain apple varieties will still be more prone to scab than others.

Do you know of any place that could repair my several pieces of antique white wicker furniture? One piece, a chaise, has attached upholstery.

Scared of having a holiday party with everything else you have to do? Take this advice from those who throw festive gatherings every December.

A rundown of this year's gift wrapping trends, and tips on creating beautiful environmentally-friendly packages.

Learn how to create homemade napkins featuring photos of beloved people and places.

Growing a vegetable garden is an exercise in humility, disappointment and pride. And sometimes, anger. Hungry deer or rabbits undo the gardener's hard work, but you can accept that there is no mischief involved.

Rich Williamson and his girlfriend were talking about kids. Not necessarily whether they'd have them, but what sport their hypothetical offspring might play. "I don't want my children to play football. It's too violent," the 38-year-old Alexandria resident decided. Baseball was deemed boring. And as...

Dear Dr. Fox: My son has a 6-year-old male Great Dane. A couple of years ago, the dog began to get an open sore on his leg. We took him to our vet, who treated him, but it continues to grow. When asked to have it removed and the wound closed, the vet said that because of the location, that would be...

Fifty years ago this month, Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadiens became the first goaltender in NHL history to wear a full-face protective mask in a game.

These food establishments were closed because of health code violations. The list, compiled from health department reports, reflects actions taken by the departments.

Dear Dr. Gridlock : Your article about the District reviving streetcars [ Commuter page, Nov. 1 ] made me recall my experiences in the Boston area in the late 1960s. Streetcars were in use on several lines then, but the suburb of Watertown, Mass., used electric buses, powered by overhead lines.

The signature holiday attraction of the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor contemplates what an ice age would be like if there were carefully crafted holiday scenes everywhere. The event, in a 15,000-square-foot room, features 2 million pounds of ice hand-sculpted by 40...

Gift wrapping advice from Paper Source in Georgetown.

It's thrilling to get a package in the mail, but not so great if the box looks as though it has been through the mulcher. Here are ways to make sure your holiday gifts get to their destinations in one piece:

For delivery by Dec. 25, send cards and packages by these dates:

These sales were recorded in Prince George's County and supplied to The Washington Post by Spatial Systems Associates, the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation and the Maryland Office of Planning. To find sale and assessment records for homes in Prince George's and other Washington areas,...

Sow corn or Shirley poppy seeds in garden beds for a display in the spring. The seed should be sown on the surface of sunny beds that are free of heavy mulch and fallen leaves. Winter weeds are beginning to germinate, so weed the beds before sowing the poppy seeds.

Dealing with kids' weight is one of the most delicate dances of parenthood.

Marc Jacobson, who practices pediatric and adolescent medicine in Great Neck, N.Y., and is a spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), acknowledges the challenges parents face in helping their kids maintain a healthful weight.

-- Put your napkin in your lap. -- Have a clean face and hands when you sit down at the table.

Doris Burton taught U.S. history in Prince George's County for 27 years. She had her students write 3,000-word term papers. She guided them step by step: first an outline, then note cards, a bibliography, a draft and then the final paper. They were graded at each stage.

The following cases were received by the Prince George's County Department of Environmental Resources' Animal Management Group. Call 301-480-7200 for directions to the county animal shelter, hours of operation and adoption and licensing procedures. The shelter's Web site is at...

Prince George's County Animal Shelter, 3750 Brown Station Rd. in Upper Marlboro, makes animals available for adoption by residents of the county and other jurisdictions. Adoptable animals, as well as lost pets, can be seen at the shelter's Web site, at http://www.goprincegeorgescounty.com . Under...

A Bowie church's ministry campaign is banking on generosity to feed 500 families for one week.

The historic buildings on the City of Laurel Walking Tour contain more than just century-old bricks and mortar. As lifelong Laurel resident Joseph Robison can verify, each home, church and shop has its own story.

Martial arts instructor Johanna Williams climbed onto the bleachers in the gym at Thurgood Marshall Middle School and turned to face several dozen sixth- and seventh-grade girls lined up on the floor in front of her.

Laurel volunteer firefighter Mike Sellner can relate to the ordeal that many overseas military service members face when calling home to the United States. Sellner, who served in the Navy and was stationed in Cuba in the mid-1970s, remembers the stacks of quarters and dimes sitting atop pay phones...

1. Apartment complex . Quincy Manor, Silver Spring. A site plan application for 411 townhouse units on 17.04 acres, on both sides of Newton Street, near Quincy Street, Bladensburg.

Confidence was in high supply at the first Fashion With a Purpose event at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Southwest Washington.

The governors of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware have announced a partnership designed to promote and coordinate the development of wind energy off the mid-Atlantic coast.

Greenbelt's Mishkan Torah synagogue will host a panel discussion featuring authors on how spirituality transforms darkness as Jews prepare to celebrate Hanukkah, the festival of lights.

Hyattsville Mennonite Church is requesting a Thanksgiving food offering Sunday. Needed items include canned tuna, chicken, salmon, peanut butter, canned fruit, pasta, whole wheat pasta, rice, brown rice, macaroni and cheese, tomato-based sauces, light soy sauce, chili, ketchup, mustard, stew, light...

"AMID CHEERS OF THOUSANDS" EARLY-AVIATION EXHIBIT, large-scale photographs of the Wright Brothers' historic flight trials at College Park and Fort Myer. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, through Nov. 30, College Park Aviation Museum, 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Dr. $4; seniors, $3; ages 2-12, $4; 1 and younger,...

These were among incidents reported by Prince George's County police. For information, call 301-772-4710.

Aviation fans should check out this demonstration of the care and work that went into making early aircrafts. Watch the building of a 1909 Wright wing rib, which is a key element in the structure of a plane's wing, and gain some appreciation for how far aircrafts have come since the days of Wilbur...

The second Sunday of every December, you'll find Eileen Milner of Alexandria pulling a filet (medium rare, hopefully) out of her oven as 20 friends crunch on homemade coleslaw and trim her tree.

"Help! We have a walkout basement that is one large room. We currently have multiple uses for the space, including a home theater and kids' play area."

It may be getting colder outside, but in the kitchen things are starting to heat up. I think of November and December as the Grand Slam season for the cook and entertainer: a blur of Thanksgiving feasts, holiday buffets, open houses, brunches and New Year's parties.

Along with the joy of holiday gatherings comes an intense fear of your child doing something egregious at the table: chewing with his mouth open, burping the first half of the alphabet, constructing a volcano with her mashed potatoes.