Lawn

You can find more of Dan's work on his blog, Out of Line .

Americans love their lawns, but not the work needed to keep them lush. In fact, just 7 percent of adults prefer working on their lawns to other chores and activities, according to a Consumer Reports survey. Sixty-two percent said they'd rather cook, one third said they rather visit their in-laws, while nearly one in five said they'd rather go to the dentist. Consumer Reports suggests several ways in which homeowners can reduce their hours working in the yard, but still have an attractive lawn.

You can find more of Dan's work on his blog, Out of Line .

Tea light candle holders with the potential for a high flame and lawn mowers posing a crash hazard are among this week's recalled consumer products. Here's a closer look at the specific products: RIDING LAWN MOWERS DETAILS: Red and gray Exmark Quest 42-inch ZRT Riding Mowers from 2009-2010 with model number QST20BE422 and serial numbers ranging from 790,000 through 860,652. The model and serial numbers are on a metal plate behind the seat. "Exmark" is printed on the side and "Quest" is printed on the front of the mowers.

NEW YORK - Tending to the lawn and being kind to Mother Nature have been at odds since the first power mower was built in 1919. From the sprawling fields of rural America to the manicured lawns of suburbia, our ceaseless weekend obsession has wreaked havoc on the environment. The worst culprits are emissions and water waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each year Americans clock in more than 3 billion hours using yard equipment, emitting as much hourly pollution as 11 cars with a push mower and 34 cars with a riding mower.

Just in time for warm weather and green grass, Consumer Reports rated more than 100 mowers and tractors in its largest mower test to date. Consumer Reports testers mowed 19.2 acres and identified more than 30 top-scoring models, including three models from Honda and Toro that retail for $400 or less. Among the top performers is the Black & Decker SPCM1936, $450, one of the few cordless electric mowers with self-propelling wheels, a feature more typically found on gas models.

An 80-year-old man who went to retrieve the morning papers on his lawn sank into an 8-foot hole on New York's Long Island. Michael Ciron's screams on Sunday morning soon woke up his daughter, who summoned police and firefighters to the Oceanside home. According to Newsday, ( http://bit.ly/sCj20z), by the time rescuers arrived, Ciron managed to pull himself up so that his head cleared above ground. The fire department secured webbing around his torso and then pulled him out. Ciron speculated that the sinkhole may have been the site of an old well or...

WESTPORT — I thought it would be fun, with summer approaching, to do a piece on a simple vacation house. The idea is to remind us that good architecture comes in small family packages, not only in prominent buildings by big-name designers. The house I've picked also makes the point that in architecture, no style ever really dies. Styles get put on the shelf for a while, but they are eventually revived by the architects of a later era. In the case of this house, the style in question is modernism.

The maker of Scotts lawn products said full-year preliminary earnings were less than expected after Hurricane Irene reduced demand. Adjusted net income was $2.70 to $2.75 a share and sales fell 2 percent from last year. The Ohio company had forecast earnings of $2.95 to $3.05 a share. CEO Jim Hagedorn said bad weather in September "all but eliminated lawn and garden activity in key markets. "

CLEVELAND - Viktor Schreckengost, an artist and prolific industrial designer whose ubiquitous works ranged from familiar toys and White House porcelain to innovative trucks and even lawn mowers, has died. He was 101. Mr. Schreckengost died Saturday while visiting family in Tallahassee, Brenda Jackson of the Viktor Schreckengost Foundation said Sunday. Mr. Schreckengost, a 2006 winner of the National Medal of Arts, was best known for his 1930s "Jazz Bowl" series, commissioned by Eleanor Roosevelt for the White House.

WESTPORT — I thought it would be fun, with summer approaching, to do a piece on a simple vacation house. The idea is to remind us that good architecture comes in small family packages, not only in prominent buildings by big-name designers. The house I've picked also makes the point that in architecture, no style ever really dies. Styles get put on the shelf for a while, but they are eventually revived by the architects of a later era. In the case of this house, the style in question is modernism.

"Parks and Recreation" star Aziz Ansari takes his parks persona seriously. On Monday, the actor and comedian helped New York City's Central Park get ready for spring by lending a hand mowing its 15-acre Sheep Meadow on a riding lawn mower. Ansari was assisted by several park crew members, also riding lawn mowers. Central Park Conservancy spokeswoman Dena Libner says Ansari helped mow about an acre of the lawn. It's used for relaxing and sunbathing. The city is reopening all of its park lawns and ball fields on Saturday.

A tradition among some Foxborough homeowners of selling parking spaces on their lawns and driveways to fans going to games and concerts at Gillette Stadium could soon be a thing of the past. Town officials want to ban the practice, which they say is prohibited by local zoning and threatens public safety. For years, residents near the stadium, especially on North Street, have been allowed to park as many as 10 vehicles on their property for a fee without a commercial license. It started soon after the stadium was built and visitors sought cheaper alternatives to parking in stadium lots.

Malden Police Department photos Christmas items found and returned to owners (above and below). By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent Christmas came early for a few Malden homeowners this year, after officers recovered a slew of stolen holiday home and lawn ornaments, police said. Larry Long, 49, was arrested on an unrelated breaking and entering charge Saturday. Long has been known to the department for "decades," said Lieutenant Marc Gatcomb, spokesman for the Malden Police.

A man in Dummerston was offering a $1,000 reward for the recovery of a deer that was hanging in his front yard. WCAX-TV in Burlington ( http://bit.ly/vJi5cs) says police in southern Vermont were looking for the thief who took an 8-point buck Friday from a tree that was clearly visible from the road. The hunter who shot the deer, 28-year-old Timothy Forrett, offered a $1,000 cash reward for the 177-pound animal, which he called a trophy and priceless. –– Information from: WCAX-TV, http://www.wcax.com

Police say two South Florida women are accused of stealing Christmas decorations from their neighbor's yard and putting them in a yard less than a block away. Police in the Miami suburb of Sweetwater say about $500 of items were taken, including Mickey Mouse on a horse, hugging penguins, Snoopy on a doghouse and Santa on a sled. Miami television station WSVN reports surveillance camera video captured the two thieves taking the decorations from the lawn of Inrid Alemendarez's home (http://bit.ly/tytq7G)

Police say two South Florida women are accused of stealing Christmas decorations from their neighbor's yard and putting them in a yard less than a block away. Police in the Miami suburb of Sweetwater say about $500 of items were taken, including Mickey Mouse on a horse, hugging penguins, Snoopy on a doghouse and Santa on a sled. Miami television station WSVN reports surveillance camera video captured the two thieves taking the decorations from the lawn of Inrid Alemendarez's home (http://bit.ly/tytq7G)

Even garden gnomes need a vacation. A Saugus woman's 300-pound gnome that had been on her front lawn for 18 years disappeared last week but reappeared in front of her house Tuesday. Joan Walton said the 3-foot tall, solid cement gnome with green pants, a yellow shirt, and pointy red hat went missing last Thursday, along with a giant red mushroom. Walton's niece put a 3-by-5-foot sign on the lawn that said: "Bring our gnome home and his pal the mushroom. No ? asked, just safe return.

The annual Veterans Day parade will leave from the Town Hall parking lot at 10 a.m. Friday. After marching through the town's center, participants will return to the Town Hall lawn for a ceremony near the Civil War Monument. Military memorabilia will be on display in the selectmen's meeting room in the Town Hall from 9 a.m. to noon that day. - Christine Legere

An 80-year-old man who went to retrieve the morning papers on his lawn sank into an 8-foot hole on New York's Long Island. Michael Ciron's screams on Sunday morning soon woke up his daughter, who summoned police and firefighters to the Oceanside home. According to Newsday, ( http://bit.ly/sCj20z), by the time rescuers arrived, Ciron managed to pull himself up so that his head cleared above ground. The fire department secured webbing around his torso and then pulled him out. Ciron speculated that the sinkhole may have been the site of an old well or cesspool that opened...