Remember the almost magical feeling of your grandmother's garden, bursting with loads of colorful, fragrant blooms and magnificent foliage? There was always something going on in the garden; and nearly every plant had a specific purpose, whether it was for the kitchen, treating ailments, or keeping up appearances.

Gardeners of the past created beautiful landscapes with many of the same plants commonly seen today. Heirloom plants are quite hardy, and many of these vintage flowers have managed to survive on their own throughout centuries, while others have been cultivated into more modern varieties. Nonetheless, these old-time favorites are worth remembering so why not rediscover the past by incorporating some old-fashioned beauties into your own garden.

One of my personal favorites has been around since about the 17th century. A spectacular showpiece during the spring, the Lilac has sweet-smelling lavender blossoms. Today, there are numerous cultivars available, including some with yellow or white flowers.

Another exceptional plant in its own right is the rose. The modern varieties are typically grown for their form and color; however, the old-garden varieties, such as Tea or Damask roses, are sought after for their intense aromas. While these traditional favorites tend to be more like shrubs and very thorny, they combine well with many perennials, bulbs, and ornamental grasses. Old-garden roses are always the perfect choice for country or cottage gardens.

There are many types of plants that are grown for their fragrances. Creeping Thyme is one of them. This beautiful groundcover creates a carpet of scented lavender-pink color and looks just as attractive spilling over stone walls or containers. Keep it near the house for use in the kitchen or making potpourri.

You can even grow Creeping Thyme alongside another fragrant old-timer-Lavender, my grandmother's favorite. Varieties of lavender include unforgettable scents with spikes of lavender to dark purple flowers. Lavender also makes a great groundcover and commonly used in potpourri or massage oils.

Garden Heliotrope was once just as popular in the garden as geraniums. These plants, with white or purple vanilla-scented blooms, enjoy plenty of sun and make lovely cut flowers. Who can possibly ignore the sweet aromas on summer evenings radiating from a bed of Petunias? There are numerous colors and varieties, all providing the same charm of long ago.

The Sweet Pea has been a long-time favorite in many gardens. This flower is great for cutting and its strong scents will fill the area with pleasant aromas. Although sweet peas generally prefer cool summers and plenty of moisture, there are many varieties which are heat tolerant, allowing virtually anyone the ability to grow them.

Feverfew not only smells great, but did you know that its foliage can repel insects, making them a good plant to have around. The plant looks quite at home mixed with old-time roses and foxgloves.

I have always enjoyed the honey-scented blooms of Sweet Alyssum. It makes a perfect edging for beds and blends nicely with nearly any type of landscape.

Since many old-fashioned gardens were surrounded by fencing, flowering vines were often used to enhance its appearance. They were also used in other areas to help provide much needed shade. Dating back to the 1800s, Clematis has long since been known as a vigorous grower with abundant blooms. Don't limit them to fences; however, they look stunning climbing along a trellis or pergola.

The Passion flower can be traced as far back as the 1600s and has religious significance, deriving its name from the crucifixion of Christ. This lovely flowering vine produces masses of scented blooms bearing luscious fruits, and many grow naturally in some areas.

The Balloon Vine (love-in-a-puff) was a commonly grown plant in the 1800s, delighting children with its light-green, inflated seed capsules (puffs) that appear after the vine's white flowers have faded.

While some people may not appreciate its presence, due to its ability to climb anything within reach, the Morning Glory is another unforgettable plant. Morning glories are easy to grow and thrive in all types of soil conditions. Although they can be found growing in the wild, the cultivated varieties are less likely to take over the garden. These beautiful morning bloomers make quite a statement summer through fall-what a wonderful way to welcome each new day.

Numerous annuals and perennials were found growing throughout old-fashioned gardens. As far back as the 1800s, Ageratum has been a garden favorite. The long-lasting, fuzzy blue flowers are great for cutting. It's also a self-sowing plant, popping up in some of the most unlikely of places. Plant them with Heliotrope and sweet alyssum; you won't be disappointed.

Poppies are hardy, cool-weather annuals that are easy to grow. These old-time plants prefer fertile, well-drained soil and come in numerous shades and varieties.

Once grown for its edible properties, especially for salads, Nasturtiums are among the easiest annuals to grow. You can find them in a variety of colors which will bloom profusely for extended periods. Trailing varieties look great in containers or tumbling down slopes; the compact types are good for use as edging.

An old-time favorite loved for its brilliant foliage is Coleus. This plant is ideal for containers or as a colorful edging.

No garden is ever complete without Zinnias. These colorful showstoppers are excellent for cut-flower gardens.

The interesting flowers and foliage of Foxgloves earn these plants a welcome place in the garden; however, foxgloves are considered poisonous so keep young children away.

One look in grandma's garden and you're sure to find some old-fashioned Hollyhocks. These summer-blooming beauties have found popularity in informal country settings or growing alongside fences and other structures.

Violets have been around awhile and well loved for some time. They make a good groundcover or grow them in containers.

Columbine has been popular since about the 1600s and can be found in white, pink, or blue varieties. Use them as cut flowers or simply mix them in a natural setting with hosta, iris, foxglove, and lady's mantle.

Another personal favorite of mine includes the mixed shades of Sweet William. This perennial flower goes well with many plants, such as foxgloves and peonies.

Some of the most beloved flower favorites come in the form of bulbs and many are ideal for cutting. Dahlias have lavish blooms during late summer and early fall and are available in a variety of colors.

Who doesn't enjoy the lovely blooms and aromas of the Iris? There are numerous varieties to suit nearly any garden.

Another old-time favorite with a wide range of colors and growing conditions is the Lily. Lilies have a long history and have been grown for centuries.

Cannas have also been popular for their dazzling array of colors. Plant them in masses and enjoy waves of colorful blooms summer through fall.

Some of the best plants for your garden, big or small, can be taken from the old-fashioned gardens of the past. These plants have lasted through many generations; and if you want to capture the nostalgia of grandmother's garden in your own, they will continue to do so for many more.

Installing hardwood flooring is very much like putting a puzzle together. There are three main installation methods. These are nail-down installation, glue-down installation, and floating installation. It is assumed that you have a level subfloor that is wood for nail-down installation. Glue-down and floating installations can usually be done on both wood and concrete subfloors, but it must be level also.

Nail-down installation

1. Remove any baseboards or shoe moldings. Baseboard is used to hide the gap that you must leave for expansion and contraction of wood. So, you will want to make sure your subfloor is clear to the walls in order to have a place to come back and install the base and shoe molding later. The standard gap between the flooring and the walls is 3/16" to 3/4" depending on your manufacturer and style of flooring.

2. Screw down any loose or squeaky boards and undercut any door jambs to allow for the wood to be installed underneath. A helpful tip is to use the backside of one of your boards to determine the height needed to be cut off of your door jambs.

3. Start laying out the first row. Try to run the boards perpendicular to your floor joists if possible. You will need to either pop a chalk line or stretch a line parallel to your first wall. Make sure and account at this point for any out of square issues in your room. Once you start running boards they will appear as straight as the first board. You usually would measure from one side of the wall to the other and adjust any discrepancies with this first row. Make sure and predrill your first row or two for nails and face nail them into joists if possible.

4. Dry fit the next 3 feet or so. Make sure you are pulling your strips or planks from three separate boxes randomly so that the natural graining of the wood will vary slightly. This way your installed floor will have a more uniform look. Now you can layout all your boards for 3 feet or so and make your length cuts accordingly.

5. Nail down the next rows. Use a flooring nailer to nail through the tongue of the board. These are usually available for rent at most tool rental outlets. Using a rubber mallet to shoot the nail through the tongue. Make sure you adjust the nailer so that it countersinks the boards. Keep alternating nailing and dry-fitting boards to assure a proper fit.

6. Nail around any obstacles in the floor such as cabinets or pipes/fixtures that come out of the subfloor. Make sure you leave the appropriate gap around any of these obstacles.

7. Face nail the last few rows when you come to the edge of the room.

8. Next install your transitions and base moldings. Make sure you allow for a gap inside your transition. Also, make sure that you do not nail down the transition or moldings to the wood floor. You will need to nail the base moldings into the wall and the transitions into the floor in a place where it will not come into contact with the wood. Sometimes it is helpful to add some construction adhesive to the bottom of the transitions as these are usually high traffic areas. Over time this will prevent squeaking.

Glue-down installation

1. Remove any baseboards or shoe moldings. Baseboard is used to hide the gap that you must leave for expansion and contraction of wood. So, you will want to make sure your subfloor is clear to the walls in order to have a place to come back and install the base and shoe molding later. The standard gap between the flooring and the walls is 3/16" to 3/4" depending on your manufacturer and style of flooring.

2. If installing over a wood subfloor, screw down any loose or squeaky boards, Undercut any door jambs to allow for the wood to be installed underneath. A helpful tip is to use the backside of one of your boards to determine the height needed to be cut off of your door jambs.

3. Start laying out the first row. Try to run the boards perpendicular to your floor joists if possible. You will need to either pop a chalk line or stretch a line parallel to your first wall. Make sure and account at this point for any out of square issues in your room. Once you start running boards they will appear as straight as the first board. You usually would measure from one side of the wall to the other and adjust any discrepancies with this first row. Glue down this first row.

4. Dry fit the next 3 feet or so. Make sure you are pulling your strips or planks from three separate boxes randomly so that the natural graining of the wood will vary slightly. This way your installed floor will have a more uniform look. Now you can layout all your boards for 3 feet or so and make your length cuts accordingly.

5. Apply glue a foot or so out from the board and glue down the next few rows. Keep in mind the larger the room the less area away from your board you will be able to glue at a time. Make sure and keep some cleanup rags to try and keep the glue off the wood. Most manufacturers sell these as accessories. You can also use Acetone on a cotton or cheesecloth rag.

6. Glue around any obstacles in the floor such as cabinets or pipes/fixtures that come out of the subfloor. Make sure you leave the appropriate gap around any of these obstacles.

7. Glue down the last few rows when you come to the edge of the room.

8. Next install your transitions and base moldings. Make sure you allow for a gap inside your transition. Also, make sure that you do not glue down the transition or moldings to the wood floor. You will need to nail the base moldings into the wall and glue the transitions into the floor in a place where it will not come into contact with the wood using some construction adhesive to the bottom of the transitions.

Imagine if your great, great grandfather or grandmother had left you a book with their secrets for living. Maybe it contained nuggets of wisdom, yummy recipes, favorite jokes, or just insights for how to lead a good life. Ever since people learned of my next book, Life's Missing Instruction Manual, people are curious how to create their own "manual" for life.

You can leave such a book for your own family. What are the key lessons you've learned in your life? Are you ready to share them with your children and grandchildren - or with your friend, siblings, parents, and grandparents?

What you've gleaned from your life experiences can make things easier for your children or your relatives. In fact, the lessons you've earned from trial and error can be the perfect gift for everyone in your life - or for one person who matters to you. Here's how to commit your insights to writing and share them with your fellow life travelers.

• Carry a pad of paper around with you everywhere for a week.
• Jot down your thoughts and observations as they occur to you. Don't judge them. Just make note of them.
• Add personal stories and memories, as they come to mind. Again, don't edit your thoughts. Just commit them to paper.
• Take a few days to go through your notes, and underline the most important passages, and make additional comments in the margins.
• From this, distill the lessons you most want to share with others: your perspective, your values, what matters most to you, and your reactions to the world around you.
• Find a beautiful journal or blank book - one that you feel a strong connection with. You might find it at a bookstore, an antique store, an online auction site, a craft store, or even a flea market. Where you find it doesn't matter. How you feel about it does.
• Fill the journal with your own instruction manual for life. Make sure to include a title and your name.
• Find a special person to share it with, and turn the presentation of the journal into a celebration.