The first lady’s doing it. More than 40 million Americans (an increase of nearly 20 percent over last year) are planning vegetable gardens.

As trees begin to leaf out, Onvil Robinson’s Battery Heights garden becomes a festival of color. Money plant, iris, kerria and azalea decorate the ground while dogwood and cherry lighten the sky. Mrs. Robinson shares her tips and experience.

Chattanooga’s Tree Commission branched out on Earth Day, awarding local citizens, groups and businesses for promoting trees.

More teens are gliding onto Chattanooga ballroom dance floors than at any point in recent memory, instructors say.

More teens are gliding onto Chattanooga ballroom dance floors than at any point in recent memory, instructors say.

Two men, legendary golfer Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts, created Augusta National Golf Club, home of arguably the world’s most famous golf event — the Masters.

A properly planted annual bed appears, at first, a bit sparse.

Drumming, screaming, grunting, spitting and dreaming — it’s all part of the atmosphere when 1,000 paddlers row in the third round of Chattanooga dragon boat races.

Have you had your vitamin D today?

Celebrating the end of cabin fever? Waterfest in Rome, Ga., might be the place for you.

Perennials may seem perilous. Plant in spring, and you’re sowing blind. Bloom color might not be known for months or years.

On an average day, attorney Nelson Irvine writes legal documents, catches a few minutes on an elliptical trainer and winds down with a round of hatha yoga.

With more people going green, natural egg dyes are making a comeback.

If only there were a magic plant: one that required no care, bloomed always, never died.

Dutchman’s breeches, trout lilies, early trilliums, bloodroot, Virginia bluebells, phlox and native larkspur.

With money tight, consumers might be looking for a way to decide which personal trainers truly deserve their pay.

“Why drive to the gym to walk on a treadmill,” said Philip Pugliese, bicycle coordinator for Outdoor Chattanooga, “when you can get your recommended daily activity on the way to work?”

Charles Beamon, a retired Encyclopedia Brittanica salesman from East Brainerd, hardly notices the programmable thermostat that kept his power bills and indoor temperatures steady for more than a year.

Don’t just stop throwing chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and money at the lawn to “go organic.”

In a six-week frenzy, nature’s garden puts on a matchless show.

Sleeveless season arrives soon.

Birding is soaring in the Chattanooga area.

You’ve got no excuse, at least not a good one, for staying indoors in Chattanooga.

If you’re looking for a rock-solid solution to gardening in clay and chert, leave the tiller in the garage and build a bed.

Like a never-ending ringtone, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) drives some people nuts.

Sowing seeds seems simple: Dig a hole, plop it in the ground.

Apiarists new and old buzzed around like bees at last month’s Tennessee Valley Beekeepers Association meeting.

For six days, 31-year-old Chattanoogan Jaclyn Greenhill battled local favorite Ligia Madrigal to Costa Rica’s Coastal Challenge finish line.

Agriculture programs have gone organic at area universities.

As spring sun shines through winter chill, gardeners gear up to plant. For most, creating good soil is the first step. “If you get the soil and fertilization right, you can basically grow anything,” said Mike Payne, past president of the Hamilton County Master Gardeners Mr. Payne recommended raised beds well-stocked with organic matter, such as compost. If you add sand, make sure it’s mixed with plenty of organic matter, too.

Last month, Daisy Elementary Principal Kirk Shrum clipped a Parade magazine story about a study that shows physical activity boosts math and English scores among children.

Last month, Daisy Elementary Principal Kirk Shrum clipped a Parade magazine story about a study that shows physical activity boosts math and English scores among children.

Do your family members share a history of cancer, Alzheimer’s or another inheritable medical problem?

Do your family members share a history of cancer, Alzheimer’s or another inheritable medical problem?

This month, the Cooperative Ex-tension System launched a new section on its Web site, www.extension.org, called “Financial Security: Managing Money in Tough Times.”

A new community acupuncture clinic in North Chattanooga offers low-cost care on a walk-in basis.

Local nurseries have begun potting bare-root roses, placing tender roots in rich soil.

Local nurseries have begun potting bare-root roses, placing tender roots in rich soil.

How do you predict a heart attack?

Ruby Falls became the first U.S. company certified last month under the international Green Globe/Green Certifications program.

Chattanooga once had a thriving bonsai community. A local enthusiast hopes to revive excitement for the ancient art. “In the 1970s, we were doing some interesting stuff,” said Al Good, a longtime bonsai fan.

Women trumpet players are rare. But Erika Schafer’s blend of classical and jazz talent may be even more unusual.

Researchers at Cornell and South Dakota State universities want to chart the progress of native ladybug species in the face of an Asian invasion. But they can’t do it alone.

Pickleball is one sweet game, players say.

What new, Senior Olympics sport looks silly, sounds sillier and is a barrel of fun?

Five years ago, John Gaither, a 61-year-old Chattanooga investment adviser, was diagnosed with diabetes, severe hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure and kidney disease. “I was on the verge of having a massive heart attack,” Mr. Gaither said.

Five years ago, John Gaither, a 61-year-old Chattanooga investment adviser, was diagnosed with diabetes, severe hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure and kidney disease.

Aging brains always slow down. True or false?

Kelley Walker, an East Brainerd gardener and Hamilton County Master Gardener, is feeling the pressure this spring.

Recent heavy rains helped bring down a significant number of drought-stressed trees in this area but may have saved others, foresters say.