Kitchen remodeling trends, community garden grants and geneaology class: Home and Garden News

What's on your kitchen wish list? Tell us in the comments section.

Not surprisingly, homeowners are making choices to ensure they can live with their kitchens into the future. Most are sticking to the classics with finishes like white cabinets (49 percent), granite countertops (45 percent) and stainless steel appliances (83 percent), according to the survey's findings.

Other survey highlights include:

Top priorities: Ease of storage (65 percent), built-in pantry (44 percent) and pull-out shelves (62 percent) are high on the wish list for new kitchens.

Eye on entertaining: New kitchens often come with an open-concept layout (52 percent), bar with seating (27 percent) and built-in wine storage (21 percent).

Spending: More than half of homeowners budget $25,000 or less for their upcoming remodels (51 percent).

Neighborhood style:The most popular styles for new kitchens include traditional (23 percent), transitional (18 percent) and contemporary (16 percent).

COMMUNITY GARDEN GRANTS: Community garden organizers could win a $3,500 grant to beautify their gardens through the Fiskars ProjectOrange Thumb program. Fiskars Project Orange Thumbis a community gardening initiative that will award 30 applicants across the United States and Canada each $3,500 in cash and tools to create community gardens.Applicationsare being accepted now through Saturday, Jan. 31.

Fiskars Project Orange Thumb has provided over $1.5 million to more than 150 community groups since the program began in 2002. Grant recipients will be announced on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and grants will be awarded in March.

IMPROVING GARDEN SOIL: Look ahead to the upcoming gardening season, and learn how to amend your soil and make liquid fertilizer in a class at theGarfield Park Nature Center. This class on successful gardening meets from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11 at 11350 Broadway Ave., Garfield Heights. Free. Register by Friday, Jan. 9.

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Kitchen remodeling trends, community garden grants and geneaology class: Home and Garden News