YOUR PLACE.

PRUNING TIME: Gardeners and rose enthusiasts alike will be venturing into their gardens in January to perform the annual ritual of pruning their roses.

For novices, there's some timely help. Several rose pruning classes are being offered beginning this week. At 8 p.m. Thursday, the Pacific Rose Society is holding a free informative program at the Los Angeles County Arboretum (301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia) in Ayres Hall. The group will hold another class at 9 a.m. Jan. 12 at the Wrigley Mansion (391 S. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena). Rose pruning classes will be held free of charge at all Armstrong Garden Centers at 9 a.m. Jan. 5 and 12. Finally, a complete workshop on all aspects of rose horticulture will also be held at the Armstrong Garden Centers at the flower fields in Carlsbad. This class is sponsored by the California Coastal Rose Society and Armstrong Garden Centers and will be held Jan. 5 and 6.

- Elizabeth Smilor

GOT MILK?: All those empty milk jugs haven't gone to waste. Debby Anderson, president of By the Yard Inc., knows milk builds strong bones, but she recently discovered that 350 empty milk jugs could build a really strong patio chair. Her new EcoSmart patio furniture is as heavy-duty and attractive as the wood variety but requires no maintenance and won't crack under extreme heat or cold, she says. And it comes in a variety of styles - from Adirondack chairs to chaises and rockers to bistro sets. Prices are $199 to $399 and color choices include brown, white, gray and hunter green. For more information, call [phone] or visit the company's Web site at www.bytheyard.net.

- Barbara De Witt 

CLEANUP HELP: Houseguests come and houseguests go, leaving your home in disarray. If you need a little help cleaning up your holiday mess, check out ``Haley's Cleaning Hints'' (3H Productions; $24.95). This new book by Graham and Rosemary Haley, authors of the best-selling ``Haley's Hints,'' is loaded with tricks for spiffing up just about anything. Need to get that candle wax out of your carpet? The Haleys suggest using an ice cube to harden wax so it can be scraped off and then using a paper towel and warm iron. The excess wax will stick to the paper towel under the iron. The book includes solutions for removing more than 250 common stains, many of which use everyday household products. It also offers ideas for organizing your belongings better - a New Year's resolution that tops many lists.

- Elizabeth Smilor

DECORATING CLASS: Start the new year off in style with all the latest decorating techniques and trends you'll learn at UCLA Extension's design program. The series of interior design courses starts in January and includes six-week courses by designer Dollie Chapman on ``Decorating and Designing for the Home'' and Virginia Knight on ``Accessories for Residential Interiors.'' Other courses will focus on wall-glazing techniques, home-theater design and a study of 20th-century furniture. To enroll in a course, call [phone] or [phone].

- B.D.

FIRST HOUSEKEEPER: The January edition of Good Housekeeping features first lady Laura Bush on the cover. She talked with editor in chief Ellen Levine about life since Sept. 11. ``We took for granted living in this country and the freedoms we have. And now we realize how lucky we are and how blessed we are,'' Bush says of Americans. Closer to home, she talks about her daughters, her relationship with her husband, her wardrobe and her New Year's resolution. (Hint: It's probably yours, too.) If you pick up the issue, be sure to also check out the Good Buy Awards and one designer's no-fuss home makeover.

- E.S.

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(1) no caption (roses)

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(3) no caption (``Haley's Cleaning Hints'')