A noncaustic cleaner that promises to remove mold, moss and mildew from outdoor surfaces without scrubbing has crossed the Pacific to America.

I'm a little discouraged today.

Q: We went on a ski trip to Colorado this winter and absolutely loved the big sunroom at our hotel. We felt terrific sitting in it on a bright sunny day, and I'm really going to miss this wonderful room with its terrific windows when we go back home to Alabama. My husband is concerned, though, that a room like this would be a huge energy liability in our hot climate. Shades and blinds would kill the whole effect, so what do you think of a glass-room like this in the south?

Go ahead. Admit it. You're more likely to buy booze with alluring labels instead of plain Jane numbers. At least when you buy Snow Queen Vodka, you're not only getting a fetching label, you're getting a smooth, delicious, organic libation to boot.

Everyone is pulling cool-season annuals from mixed containers and looking for plants to make a dramatic, warm-season impact. I am seeing a revival of geranium use in containers and in much more creative combinations than I had ever considered.

WHAT'S NEW: SPRAY PRODUCT LOOSENS SOIL

Q: I understand that compact fluorescent lights (CFL) don't work in cold weather. So what I am supposed to use in my unheated garage and outdoor light fixtures?

Q. My lovely, large lace-leaf Japanese maple appears not to have survived the winter. Last spring's late freeze killed most of its new leaves and it never regained its full lush. I was preparing to remove the remains when I noticed several shoots emerging from the main trunk. Is there hope? What should I do?

As daffodils and other bulbs' early spring blooms fade, remove the flowers but leave the foliage intact. While still green, those leaves are providing nourishment for next year's flowers. Remove the leaves only after they turn yellow or brown, which can take several weeks or more.

If you've never made a pillow before, "The Pillow Book" (Chronicle Books, $24.95), by Shannon Okey with photos by Gemma Comas, is a good place to start.

SANTA ANA, Calif. The Newport Beach keeper of the John Wayne brand hopes to introduce home furnishings and accessories under the late Western movie star's name in one to two years.

Mondays are my days to work on the yard.

It's time to give your lawn its first haircut of the season. It may also be time to buy a new lawn mower. Here are some things to consider, no matter which side of the push/electric/gasoline debate you're on.

DETROIT David Michener got rid of his lawn, though not because he is anti-turf.

LEXINGTON, Ky. The copper bean pot-looking lamp with the mica shade that sat in her son's bedroom for years wasn't really to Jane Harcourt's taste.

Q: We visited an energy fair last weekend at a local mall, and a water heater company had a big sign telling people they could save a lot of money by lowering the setting on their water heater. They said it was simple to do. Would making this change make much of a difference in our energy costs?

Q. We have leyland cypresses bordering our backyard for privacy, and before we had red tips. The leylands are now diseased just as the red tips 14 years ago. What would be a good fast-growing replacement?

Q: Why am I seeing box elder bugs in my house already? Is it going to be a really bad year for them?

People like to complain about the new fluorescent light bulbs. The light isn't warm and friendly, the spiral bulbs don't fit their fixtures, and they don't last as long as claimed. But the biggest gripe I've heard is how hard it is to unload these bulbs, and that you have to pay for the privilege.