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Country Lifehome garden We all love getting our Christmas trees, don't we? Sometimes we escape into nature to trudge up hills through inclement weather and cut the tree down ourselves—an invigorating, rewarding and primal hands-on approach. converted tree lot next to a McDonald's. However you retrieve your tree, be sure to dispose of it in an environmentally friendly way— recycle it. Other times, we settle for a By Kathy Van Mullekom Local city and town govern- ments across the country offer services (probably free-of- charge) to dispose of your Christ- mas tree in an eco-friendly man- ner. The services assigned for tree pick-up can range from a city organization to a local Boy Scout troop, and the trees are often turned into mulch for a number of uses, like ground cover for neighborhood parks. The web site Earth911.com helps you locate recycling centers in your area for everything from hazardous materials and paint to batteries and light bulbs—and, yes, even Christmas trees. Click on Find a Recycling Center, and enter Christmas tree and your zip code for services and locations. Recycling isn't just for Christmas trees, though, with plenty of opportunities to give your holiday sea- son an eco-friendly twist. Sean Murphy Project Home Gift wrapping: After the gifts are opened, the pile of once-used wrapping paper could depress even the jolliest old elf. Much of it can be recycled, but the glossy, dye-filled gift-wrapping cannot be reused and must be dumped in the traditional garbage. Here are some suggestions that might help you feel better when wrapping gifts: • Buy recycled wrapping paper. That way you already have the OK to place in the green bin. • Use newspaper. Put that old sports section to good use by doubling it up as wrapping paper or composting it. boxes, these are great gift receptacles. • Save the wrapping paper. My mom did this for years while my brothers and I were growing up. And even with her eager grandchildren now shredding through the paper from gift to gift with terrifying efficiency, she hasn't given up trying. What perse- verance! • Box it in. From shoeboxes to those tiny cereal • Reusable bags. My wife and I have swapped out wrapping paper for our new tradition, the reusable bag. Our impressive stash of ChicoBags is ideal for birthday and Christmas prizes. Holiday photo cards: Receiving a holiday photo card is a ritual everyone likes and looks forward to. Keep those images alive by re-purposing the holiday photo cards of new faces, grown-up children and cute animals forced to wear embarrassing outfits. Use the photos you received this year as coasters, placemats, framed photo cards and calendars for those same folks next year. — It's fall foliage time in the tiny town of Sugarland. As the weather turns cool and crisp, life chugs on — the dairy farm supplies milk to the sugar refinery so the bakery and candy shop can provide lots of sweets for Candy Cane Village res- idents. The town, served by the Southern R&R railroad, is also home to the Donut Police Station, Red Hot Fire Department, Ginger Snap Park and Rollo Golf Course. Kids attend the M&M Elementary and Sugar High school; Graham Cracker Farm is home to cows, pigs and chickens. As Christmas approach- es, residents look out for a visit from the Polar Express. Welcome to Patricia Moss' backyard, host to Sugarland and the mini many residents who dwell in her railroad garden. "I love gardening and my husband, Charlie, and I like model railroads, so I've combined the two," says Patricia, who lives in York- town, Va. "All buildings have candy or sugary-like names, and most reside on Lemon Drop Lane." Patricia's railroad garden — 200 feet of G-scale track winding through a 40-by- 12-foot space — started in 1997, when she first laid the track on concrete blocks. When voles and moles kept disrupting soil under the blocks, Charlie rebuilt the track on treated lumber sup- ported with plastic PVC pipe. Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) (MCT) NEWPORT NEWS, Va. So, with all the pageantry and elements that go into Christmas, there are clear opportunities for giv- ing Mother Nature a break. Do you have any favorite eco-friendly holiday tips? As always, send them along to me at smur- phy@build.com. Until next time, Happy Home Improving! Sean Murphy is a copywriter for Build.com in Chico. Visit the company's website for more home improvement tips at www.build.com. More than 50 colorful cookie jars in the shapes of houses and businesses make up most of Sugarland's buildings. Patricia finds them in antique and thrift stores, and many are gifts from friends and family. "I never knew that cook- ie jars came in so many wonderful shapes and col- ors," says David Taylor, a member of the Hampton Roads Horticultural Society which recently visited the railroad garden. "Charlie and Patsy have created a jewel right in their back yard." & Recycle your Christmas Tiny foliage accompanies mini train Saturday, November 24, 2012 – Daily News 3B MCT photo The book "Gorgeous Garden Railways" details how to create your own backyard vignette with model railroads and plants. (Courtesy Kalmbach Publishing) gy, plants give the town Mother Nature's special ambiance. Trees such as pines, sweet gums and crape myrtles are pruned to stay small; nandina is a nat- ural because its tall, stalk- like presence naturally looks like a clump of close- growing trees. Creeping Jenny and moss are used for green spaces. "I covered concrete block with outdoor carpet to see the cookie jars on and a beautiful moss started growing there — perfect for my lawn in front of the houses," says Patricia. "Any plants with small left outdoors, even during warm weather. When the mood strikes her, she'll bring them out to run while she has morning coffee or at night when the train lights can illuminate the darkness. "It's like an expanded playhouse," she says. "It's also a tribute to my tery-operated trains. A bat- tery-operated train elimi- nates the need to clean the track. Decide on a garden name, one that allows you creativity and expansion options. leaves such as nandina, Mexican heather, sedum, dusty miller and pencil trees are used to make a realistic look of a miniature town. "Garden Railways mag- azine always has a section on miniature plants to use, but the main idea is to look for plants that resemble realistic scenery for the trains' background. A bon- sai book can help you learn the art of keeping plants small, and ground covers will spread quickly. As winter nears, Patricia While trains and build- ings form Sugarland's ener- takes the buildings indoors where she cleans and stores them. The trains are never By Stacy Downs The Kansas City Star (MCT) Blanc dishes are the blank canvases at restau- rants. Like bright-hued brushstrokes, menu items stand out like an artistic composition on each white plate. Salads look so green, carrots so orange, cranber- ries so red and, well, you get the picture. "You notice the food, not small plates for hors d'oeu- vres and tapas. the plate," says chef Renee Kelly of Renee Kelly's Har- vest in Shawnee, Kan. "That's why white dishes are synonymous with restaurants. They just work." For similar reasons and beyond, white dishware is a practical choice for the home, especially when entertaining. It's easy to find. Every store that carries house- wares carries a wide array of basic white dishware. Some have an entire aisle or section dedicated to white. Unusual pieces save it from being dull. In serving pieces, swooping oval bowls reminiscent of mid- century modern tableware are available at Bed, Bath & Beyond; Crate & Barrel; and Stein Mart. Pier 1 and Crate & Barrel sell white It successfully mixes and matches. If you're low on plates or serving pieces, guests can supplement with their pieces for Thanksgiv- ing so the meal presentation doesn't look like a mish- mash. Just be sure your guests' names are taped to the bottom of the dishes: That's how well they blend in. WHITE ent color. White dishes with white napkins and a white tablecloth can come off as intimidating on Thanksgiv- ing when cranberries and gravy are being passed around. Renee Kellyoften uses tea towels as napkins with white dishes when she entertains at home. "It makes white more HOW TO WARM UP Choose linens in a differ- father who died when he was 59 and was still work- ing for the railroad. My father was a pipe fitter, my uncle an engineer and both grandfathers made their bread and butter from the Southern Railway. "For me, it's displaying life in miniature." ——— ALL-ABOARD TIPS Patricia Moss offers these tips on creating a rail- road garden: Decide how large you want your railroad garden to be and where you want to place it. Plan your road bed — the simplest is floating track on ballast, or installing track directly on chicken grit (oyster shells) mixed with fast-drying concrete bought at hardware stores. Create realistic scenery. Use miniature plants and buildings, relying on 3-inch people as your guide. For example, doors on buildings should be at least 3 inches tall. ——— Buy commercially made track of G scale, which is available in different lengths for running electric or bat- approachable." Add chargers or place- mats. Their texture and pati- na can soften white. Gold, out of fashion for years, is making a comeback and gives white a glow. ways" by Marc Horovitz, editor of Garden Railways magazine, and Pat Hay- ward, horticultural editor of Garden Railways. Full of large photos and helpful text on garden railroad land- scaping, trains, infrastruc- ture and water features. ——— ONLINE Garden Railways maga- zine, with online plant library and pond-care basics, at http://grw.trains.com. Family Garden Trains, including garden railroad construction and plant selection articles, at www.familygardentrains.co m. dishes, even if they're a few decades old, can look new and a bit severe. Kelly will use heirloom glass- ware in different colors with white. Mix in vintage. White An Invitation Wyntour Wonderland Holiday Open House Saturday, December 1st, 9am to 5pm Join us for Cookies and Hot Apple Cider. Shop our Gift Shop Sale, Enjoy Festive displays of Living Christmas Trees & Holiday Cheer! GIFT SHOP SALE 50% Off Most Everything inside the Gift Shop Some Exclusions Apply Always Free Gift Wrapping One Day Only! 8026 Airport Road, Redding I-5 North, Exit #673, Rt on Knighton, Rt on Airport Located 1 mile south of the Airport (Next to Kents Mkt) WYNTOUR GARDENS 365-2256 Facebook inform@wyntourgardens.com Open Mon-Sat 8-5 & Sunday's 10-4 wyntourgardens.com BEST BOOK "Gorgeous Garden Rail- Blanc dishes are black canvas dinnerware that lets food shine