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10A Daily News – Saturday, February 11, 2012 Country Life & garden Home and garden news and notes By MARY BETH BRECKENRIDGE McClatchy-Tribune WHAT'S NEW: SMOKE DETECTOR CALLS 911 A new smoke alarm not only alerts you to a fire, but also summons emer- gency crews. The Direct Connect 911 Smoke Detector alerts a central station whenever smoke is detected. The station in turn calls the fire department and notifies additional contacts by phone or email. A manual shut-off button lets you alert the emergency opera- tors to a false alarm. The central station also notifies you when the detector's two-year batter- ies run low or the unit fails a weekly self-check. The smoke detector communicates by the cel- lular network but doesn't require the owner to have a cell-phone plan. Nor does it need to be connected to a building's electricity, Inter- net, phone system or exist- ing security network. The Direct Connect 911 is made by PlugNPro- tect L.L.C. You can order the unit and monitoring service for $9.99 a month at www.directcon- nect911.com or 888-868- 0355, or you can buy a unit and four months' worth of monitoring for $44.97 from www.home- depot.com. ON THE SHELF: BOOK OFFERS WATER-GARDENING BASICS Better Homes and Gar- dens whets a water-feature appetite with its new book "Water Gardening." The book focuses mainly on do-it-yourself ponds, waterfalls, foun- tains and other features, although it does touch briefly on hiring a profes- sional. It gives quick overviews of various types of water features, includ- ing cost, construction and maintenance, and then delves more deeply into various aspects of water gardening. Included are instructions for 15 water-gardening pro- jects, including planting plans to accent them. The book also provides detailed information on planning, building, planting, stocking and maintaining a water feature. "Better Homes and Gardens Water Garden- ing" is published by John Wiley & Sons and sells for $19.99 in softcover. Have a question about home maintenance, decorating or gardening? Send an email to mbrecken@thebeaconjour nal.com. (MCT) — Why give fresh flowers for Valentine's Day, only to know they will soon die. Instead, give an easy-care houseplant that keeps on living and giving. Costa Farms, which grows indoor and outdoor plants for specialty retail sales, recommends these five houseplants for year- round enjoyment. You can get Costa Farms' "Growing Style" free app for your iPad or Android free at www.growingstylemag.co m. You'll find these and other sweet houseplants at a garden center near you. Anthurium Anthuriums are subtrop- ical favorites with varieties growing in such diverse areas as South America and the Pacific. They are perfect as cut flowers or as potted plants in varying sizes. They are popular around Valen- tine's Day, Mother's Day and Easter. To get them to flower continuously, place in a filtered light location and fertilize during the growing season. The plant should be kept clean of all yellow or decaying leaves. Resiliency: Tolerant Light: Medium Temperature: Never below 50 degree Fahrenheit Watering: Keep soil moist, but do not let the plant stand in water or let the soil dry out Average size: 12-24 inches tall and 12-24 inches wide Fertilizer: Feed every two to four months home Houseplants as gifts for Valentine's MCT photo Houseplants such as authurium, Sago palm, peace lily and Boston fern make nice houseplants to give for Valentine's Day and other special occasions. Spathiphyllum, also known as the peace lily, is a popular indoor houseplant. Uses: Windows, bright dining and living areas Sago palm The Sago palm has become a very popular landscape item, but most people don't realize that it is not a palm at all, but rather a Cycad, a totally different type of plant. Cycads, sometimes called "living fossils," are among the most ancient plants in the world. They date as far back as pre- historic times before flower- ing plants appeared. Today, cycads make up more than 100 species of plants char- acterized by spiny leaves Furniture DEPOT Making Room for Our New Merchandise 50-60% off retail the oldies still hanging around All Flexsteel Recliners 50% off retail Simmons Queen Mattress Sets starting at $399 Select Bedroom Sets 50% off retail Book Cases, Desks, Recliners, Dinettes & much more SAVE BIG on our Red Tag Sale They won't last long so hurry in & check out the Red Tag Sale 235 S MAIN ST., RED BLUFF • 527-1657 www.thefurnituredepot.net HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 9:00-6:00 SATURDAY 9:00-5:00 • SUNDAY 11:00-5:00 SWEETHEART SALE BIG DOUBLE TAX REFUND Saturday, 2/11/12 10:00 am - 4:00 pm While most retailers are asking customers to spend their tax refund, we are the only ones offering to DOUBLE it! • Double Your Tax Refund Promotion We are matching home buyers' tax refund amount that they use as cash deposits on purchasing new homes with a price reduction, visa gift card or an interest rate buydown. Max $8,000 Mon-Fri: 9am - 7pm Sat: 9am - 5pm Sun: Closed En Español 26 Sale Lane, Red Bluff • (530) 529-2192 www.Claytonredbluff.com and thick trunks. Resiliency: Tolerant Light: High Temperature: Never below 40 degrees Fahren- heit Watering: Keep soil moist, but do not let the plant stand in water or let the soil dry out Average size: 3-4 feet tall and wide months Fertilizer: Feed every six Uses: Sunrooms and other high-light living spaces Peace lily Spathiphyllum, also known as the peace lily, is a very popular indoor house- plant. In the warmest parts of Florida you find the plant the landscape; it performs best in the shade with pro- tection from wind and tem- peratures below 55 degrees. Resiliency: Tolerant Light: Low to high Temperature: Never below 50 degrees Fahren- heit Watering: Keep soil moist, but do not let the plant stand in water or let the soil dry out Average size: 2-3 feet tall and 3 feet wide Fertilizer: Feed every two to four months Uses: Windows, low- light dining and living areas Boston fern The Boston fern is the quintessential decorative fern. It is the original fern used during the Victorian Era to decorate inside the home as well as outside on wrap-around porches. Like other ferns, the Boston fern enjoys high humidity and consistently moist soil. This plant is a favorite among interior-scapers since it lends any area a lush and rich look. Resiliency: Tolerant Light: Low to medium Temperature: Never below 50 degrees Fahren- heit Watering: Keep soil moist, but do not let the plant stand in water or let the soil dry out Average size: 2 feet tall and wide Uses: Windows, porches and patios Your RED