DO IT NOW
If you got an amaryllis for the holidays, its blooms have probably come and gone. But you can get it to bloom again next year. Here's how: Cut back the spent blooms and the stalks, but leave the strappy leaves. Keep it in a sunny spot, water it regularly and feed it once a month. When the weather warms in late May or early June, you can move it outdoors for the summer.
NEXT WEEK
Feeling the economy's bite? We'll share some tips and ideas for setting your table with items purchased secondhand, or pulled together with simple crafting basics.
HOT TICKET
If fast-paced creativity is your gig, check out Thursday's Duel of the Design. Billed as "two event designers, two chefs, two florists, two hours," the annual competition pits Todd Pinzuti of Bungalow 6 Design against Amy Steil and Amy Fuerstenberg of Mi Mi Design. The design companies, along with chefs and florists, will pull together a menu, tablescape, music and drinks for eight in 120 minutes. 5 to 8 p.m., Graves 601 Hotel, 601 1st Av. N., Minneapolis; tickets are $15 online or at 612-388-2198 until noon on Thursday and $20 at the door, www.theduelofthedesign.com.
STARTRIBUNE.COM
If you need to see something green and growing, check out the great garden photos submitted by readers. Just go to startribune.com/yourphotos. You also can add your own photos to the mix.
WEB WATCH
The furniture retailer has revamped its site to include "My Projects," an area where users can design a room and another where they can upload photos and samples to create an idea board. Also new: an instant rewards program that provides 500 points -- each worth $1 -- toward future purchases before Aug. 31.
ON TV
Ever taken on a kitchen renovation with disappointing results? Check out tonight's 8 p.m. premiere of "Kitchen Impossible" on the DIY Network. The weekly series features homeowners with gaps between their knowledge and their plans. Host Marc Bartolomeo, a carpenter and electrician, will show homeowners how to do the work. Tonight's episode includes info on how to install a backsplash, build a countertop and open up space by removing a load-bearing wall.
WINNERS CIRCLE
Anne Sabraski penned the winning essay to win the $25,000 bathroom makeover from Tile Shop we wrote about here a few weeks ago. The White Bear Lake resident's entry -- including a heartfelt plea for a sumptuous shower for husband Jason Sabraski, a city firefighter -- swayed the judges. Watch for before and after pictures of the completed makeover in a spring issue of Home + Garden.
