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Country Lifehome garden rearview mirror (well, we technically have a couple more weeks until fall, but close enough…), you might start to think of the next few months. With the holiday season right around the corner, host- ing indoor get-togethers could quickly pepper your calendar. With summer in the Install a hot water dispenser: Who wants to wait for hot water in the kitchen if they don't have to? A hot water dispenser provides hot water in an instant, and is perfect for a quick cup of tea or preparing a bowl of oat- meal. Installing the water dis- penser itself is pretty straight- forward—it's the heating tank, filter and tubing that'll take most of the time. Don't worry, though, in around 40 minutes, you'll be enjoying that tea. Install pen- dant lighting: Versatility defines this type of And with that in mind, now's the perfect time to think about a few easy upgrades, DIY style. & 5 easy upgrades for the home cient thermostat with a new, efficient one is just as easy. Have a screw- driver lying around? Because that's the only tool you'll need for this super-quick install that only takes around 20 minutes. Sean Murphy Project Home lighting. Do you prefer a bowl or mini pendant? And does your living space need up- or down-lighting? Since a pendant typically isn't too big and heavy, you probably won't need to worry about a junc- tion box. You'll just need a few tools and roughly 20 minutes of install time to totally rejuve- nate a room with a new pen- dant. Install an electronic deadbolt: Electronic door hardware is defi- nitely the wave of the future. Using a code that you come up with, an electronic deadbolt eliminates the need to carry around a key and creates the freedom to grant entry to anyone with the code. Sound simple? Wait until you see the install. You're about 30 minutes away from having secure electronic protection. A screwdriver is all you'll need. Install a thermostat: Programmable ther- mostats are the easiest and most effective way of maintaining a com- fortable temperature in your home. And replac- ing an older, less effi- Install a toilet: Quick! How efficient is your toilet? If it uses more than 2 gallons per flush, it's time for a more efficient model. Toilets are more power- ful and use less water per flush than ever, and performance hasn't taken a hit, either. Of all the upgrades on this list, this 60-minute install is the most challenging. Be sure to have an extra set of hands available, though. Toilets are heavy and unforgiving if they fall to the ground. Even small individual upgrades can pay huge dividends in both style and efficiency. And planning the upgrades can give you plenty of time to shop around and get the work done long before the first guest arrives. Happy Home Improv- ing! Sean Murphy is a copywriter for Build.com in Chico. Visit the company's website for more home improvement tips at www.build.com. Until next time, your cake and eat it too? Start growing Crimson King basil. It will be showy in the landscape, while providing enough for your favorite Italian cuisine. a Genovese-type Crimson King is basil reaching 18-plus inches in the garden. These types of basils are the culinary aristocrats used in Italian cooking, ideally suited to those favorite pesto and tomato-basil recipes. They are known for having crinkly turned-in leaves with a rich spicy clove scent. It would be hard to find a prettier basil for the garden as Crimson King basil stunning Want to have it is every bit as striking as a coleus in the flowerbed. This year I had the opportunity to see it used with Fresh Look yellow celosia and partnered ever so elegantly with a varie- gated gold colored liriope. Whether you pronounce it "bay-zil" or "baah-zil," you are sure to agree on one thing: Freshly harvested leaves of Crimson King basil mixed with juicy tomatoes, olive oil and garlic is a true feast when spooned over hot pasta. Besides being a culinary delight and a stunning garden plant, Crimson King basil is incredibly easy to grow. It adds grace to both the herb and vegetable garden. In the land- scape the deep dark purple leaves will go with just about any other flower color, actually making them look showier. It is kind of like the way a jeweler places the diamonds on black velvet. Crimson King basil asks for nothing more in the garden than full sun and well-drained soil. Prepare the soil by spreading 3 to 4 inches of organic matter and 1 pound per 100 square feet of a slow release, 5-10-5 fertilizer, and till to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. Saturday, September 15, 2012 – Daily News 3B Set transplants 18 to 24 inches apart. They will grow to around 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. Mulching will help conserve moisture and deter weed growth. Crimson King basil thrives in our warm summer weather and excels in fall plantings as well. Keep your plants watered and harvested and flower buds pinched for a long crop. Harvest just as the flower buds are forming for the most concentrated oils, flavor and fragrance. Apply the same fertilizer with small applications every four to six weeks, or after harvest. Cut or pinch Crimson King just above a leaf or pair of leaves, removing no more than one-fourth of the plant at any one time. This leaves enough foliage to keep the plant healthy and looking good in the landscape. Every picture tells a story. http://dfm-ssp.medianewsgroup.com Visit dfm-ssp.medianewsgroup.com throughout the day. See photojournalism at its best. Bookmark dfm-ssp.medianewsgroup.com today. If every picture is worth a thousand words, the dfm-ssp.medianewsgroup.com Media Center will take your breath away. 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