Welcome Mat: It's holiday open house time at local garden centers
Maureen Feighan
Holiday home tours in Metro Detroit
It's beginning to feel a lot like holiday home tour time. Mark your calendars for the following tours and stay tuned to Homestyle for more details on each one:
Nov. 22-23: Northville Holiday Home Tour; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. northvillecommunityfoundation.org.
Dec. 7: Romeo Christmas Walk; 2-8 p.m. http://romeohistoricalsociety.org
Dec. 8: Ford Homes Historic District Centennial Holiday Home Tour; 12-6 p.m. fordhomes.org.
Dec. 8: Indian Village Holiday Home Walk; 12-4:30 p.m. historicindianvillage.org.
Dec. 15: Boston-Edison Holiday Home Tour; 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. p.m. www.historicbostonedison.org.
Dec. 15: Friends of Rochester Hills Public Library Holiday Home Tour; 12-6 p.m. https://rhpl.org
Local garden centers hosts holiday open houses
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who can't wait to start to decorating for the holidays as soon as Halloween is over and everyone else. For those who've been waiting to decorate since Dec. 26 last year, garden centers around Metro Detroit will be hosting a holiday open houses this weekend to offer some new holiday decorating ideas. English Gardens' Christmas Open House is on Sunday at all six of its Metro Detroit locations, where the retailer will unveil its newest trees and decor this season. Ray Wiegand's, 47747 Romeo Plank Road in Macomb Township, will hold its Christmas Open House Nov. 1-3 with new ornaments and trim. And Farmer John's, 26950 Haggerty in Farmington Hills, also will hold its Christmas Open House Nov. 1-3. Call each individual store for hours.
Consider composting old jack-o'-lanterns
Aren't sure what to do with your old pumpkins now that Halloween is over? Consider compositing them, says Aaron Hiday, Michigan's statewide composting coordinator. Hiday says rather than letting old pumpkins rot on your porch or in a garbage bag headed for a landfill, add them to a composting bin if you have one. Smash the pumpkins up, mix the guts in with the material in the bin with a garden fork and "you're well on your way to creating a nice soil amendment for your garden in the spring spring," said Hiday, in a YouTube video. According to the Michigan Department of Environmental, Great Lakes and Energy, every year millions of pounds of pumpkins end up in landfills after Halloween, where they decompose without oxygen and create methane gas which contributes to global warming. For more information about composting, go to michigan.gov/eglecompost.
Check smoke detectors as daylight saving time ends
Sunday marks the end of daylight saving time. It's also a good time to check your smoke detectors, suggests the UL Fire Safety Research Institute. While smoke detectors should be check monthly, a recent survey found only 23% of homeowners did it that often. So as you turn back your clocks one hour on Sunday, the fire safety institute suggests hitting the alarm test button on your smoke detector and replacing the batteries. Some other fire safety tips from the institute: have working smoke alarms on every floor of your home, including in and outside every sleeping area; have an escape plan and practice it, know how to get out if there is a fire; and close your door when you go to bed to put a barrier between you and a fire if one starts.
Pewabic Pottery hosts holiday showcase
Looking for a unique gift for a loved one this holiday season? Check out the Pewabic Pottery Holiday Showcase. The showcase, which kicks off with a special reception from 4-9 p.m. Nov. 7, will feature the work of more than 70 ceramic artists from across the country. Gift ideas will range from Pewabic's signature handcrafted tiles and vases to ornaments and mugs. The showcase runs through Dec. 30. Pewabic Pottery is at 10125 E Jefferson Avevnue.
It's the most Wonderland time of the year
Art Van Furniture will kick off its annual Wonderland display at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at its flagship store, 6500 E. 14 Mile in Warren, with fireworks, hot cocoa and, of course, photos with Santa. The Wonderland display was started by founder Art Van Elslander to rival the holiday displays years ago at Detroit’s downtown Hudson's. The Wonderland kickoff is open to the public. One shopper also will win a fully restored 1959 red and white Ford F100 truck to commemorate the retailer’s 60th anniversary. Almost 55,000 shoppers have entered to win.