hArranging flowers

hArranging flowers

Why is it that when natural flowers look perfect, people say they look fake? And when artificial flowers look perfect, people say they look real?

“Simply Elegant Flowers With Michael George” by Michael George, written with Bob Shuman (North Light Books; $30; hardcover), is a colorful guide to arranging flowers with style. The book helps readers create compositions using exotic stems, such as orchids and birds of paradise, and commonly overlooked blooms, such as carnations.

Real-estate counseling

How about some counseling to help you resolve some of your deep-rooted real estate issues?

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sponsors housing counseling agencies nationwide that in turn offer consumers advice on all things real estate.

From buying and renting a home, to default and foreclosure, to credit issues and reverse mortgages, the agencies offer services free or at a low cost.

Counseling services offered in the Orlando, Fla., area include: fair housing assistance, home-equity-conversion mortgages, homebuyer education programs, loss mitigation, money debt management, mortgage delinquency and default resolution, pre- and post-purchase counseling, predatory lending and renters assistance.

Consumers can search for a nearby counseling agency online at www.hud.gov or by calling HUD’s interactive voice-response system at (800) 569-4287.

Ugly lawn? You can win

Finally, it pays to have an ugly yard.

In fact, having one of the four ugliest lawns in the United States can win homeowners professional help, tools and cash.

Running April 15 through June 30, homeowners can nominate their yard or a neighbor’s in a Briggs Stratton-sponsored ugly yard contest. To enter, submit videos on YouTube. Find rules and directions for submitting at www.myuglyyard.com.

The ugly yards will be posted on the Web site, and viewers across the country will vote on which are the four ugliest. In July, winners will receive a consultation from Trey Rogers, a turf grass specialist who has helped design and grow fields for Olympic competitions and World Cup soccer games. They’ll also win $1,000 and two pieces of new outdoor power equipment.

That bit about nominating your neighbor’s yard? Be nice, or he won’t let you borrow that new equipment.