Question: I would like to start some bulbs in containers for winter bloom inside. Could you explain how to do this? What kinds of bulbs should I plant?

A decade-long global effort to save Earth’s disappearing species and declining ecosystems has mostly stumbled, with fragile habitats like coral reefs and tropical forests in more trouble than ever, researchers said in a report Tuesday.

HOUSTON (AP) — While researching U.S. Civil War history in South Texas, Roseann Bacha-Garza came across the two unique families of the Jacksons and the Webbers living along the Rio Grande. White men headed both families. Both of their wives were Black, emancipated slaves.

NEW YORK (AP) — Roving grown-ups tossing candy at kids waiting on lawns. Drive-thru Halloween haunts. Yard parties instead of block parties and parades. Wider paths through corn mazes.

If you are a teacher or a parent, back-to-school season can mean a ramped-up schedule with less time to cook. If you’re a college student in your first apartment or dorm room, you might be cooking for yourself for the first time. And no matter who you are, the pandemic means you’re probably …

Question: I have shrubs which are blocking my windows and have grown over walkways. Is this a good time to prune them or should I wait until spring?

RV and trailer sales greatly increased this summer as consumers sought out vacations while remaining socially distant during the pandemic. But what’s the best vehicle to tow them?

PHOENIX (AP) — Betsy Landin was listed by her parents on the 2020 census as living at her family’s home in Phoenix when she really should have been counted in the college town of Tempe, where she studies finance at Arizona State University.

“Robert B. Parker’s Fool’s Paradise,” by Mike Lupica (Putnam)

“Perilous Bounty: The Looming Collapse of American Farming and How We Can Prevent It,” by Tom Philpott (Bloomsbury Publishing)

Question: I have a new home with no landscaping. Should I start landscaping now or wait until spring?

NEW YORK (AP) — A public school in Brooklyn is looking to show how classes can be moved outside to more safely facilitate in-person learning.

Mental health therapists’ caseloads are bulging. Waiting lists for appointments are growing. And anxiety and depression are rising among Americans amid the coronavirus crisis, research suggests.

LTJG William Gardner was in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Idaho — a battleship nicknamed the “Queen of the Navy” — to witness Victory Over Japan Day on Aug. 15, 1945.

Question: My lawn is looking off-color and tired. Is now a good time to fertilize and get it green again? Would this be a good time to plant some seed in thin spots?

DALLAS — In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, communities across the country have discovered a powerful resource that has stepped forward to make a difference: America’s teenagers.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Few of Mexico’s cultural traditions have been hit as hard by the coronavirus pandemic as “lucha libre” wrestling. The death toll among wrestlers has risen dramatically and wrestling arenas are closed, throwing almost everyone out of work.

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Scientists at Warsaw’s zoo have been taking blood, saliva and other samples from the zoo’s three elephants in recent days to prepare to test whether giving them hemp oil can reduce their stress.

Throughout the health emergency, daters have taken to apps, websites and matchmaking services in search of connection, with more meeting in person as the crisis drags on at a time when every touch is calculated and fraught.

Question: I was trapped at home because of the coronavirus. I decided to expand my gardening activity this spring. I planted vegetables and fruits for the first time in years. I now realize there are many other benefits to gardening besides a cheaper and better source of food. Are you findin…

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

Question: I have two large trees that I am afraid might damage my house when the wind blows. A local tree company has offered to top them so they are about half as tall. Is that a good idea?

With a coronavirus vaccine still months off, companies are rushing to test what may be the next best thing: drugs that deliver antibodies to fight the virus right away, without having to train the immune system to make them.

“The Story of Gardening,” by Penelope Hobhouse and Ambra Edwards (Princeton Architectural Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — Parents have weighed in on reopening schools. Teachers have weighed in. Public health experts, too, along with cities, states and President Donald Trump.

Although scientists often worry most about the loss of the world’s predators, a comprehensive new study finds that plant-eating herbivores are the animals most at risk of extinction.

Question: My hedge is starting to lose its leaves on the lower branches. Is there something I can do to restore full lower leaf growth?

“Strong from the Heart,” by Jon Land (Forge)

PARIS (AP) — With no American visitors to show around the D-Day beaches or the Loire Valley’s chateaux, and no work on the immediate horizon, Paris tour guide Linda Zenou frets about how she’ll pay off a loan and continue to care for her ailing mother in the achingly lean months ahead.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The first wave of college students returning to their dorms aren’t finding the typical mobs of students and parents. What they found Friday were strict safety protocols and some heightened anxiety amid a global pandemic where virus infections are growing in dozens of states.

NEW YORK (AP) — When historians look back on the top films at the box office in the summer of 2020, they may feel like they’ve slipped into a time warp, or maybe “Back to the Future.”

Question: I have shady and sloping areas where it is difficult to maintain a lawn. I have been told that ground covers could be a better choice. What kinds would you recommend?

Question: I neglected to plant annual flowers this spring, and now I miss the color. Is it too late to plant flowers?

Associated Press

“The Last Flight: A Novel” by Julie Clark, Sourcebooks

NEW YORK — It’s been the story for many a starry-eyed creative type looking for a big break in the Big Apple — wait tables to pay the bills while auditioning, performing, singing, painting, dancing, writing, whatever it takes to make the dreams of success come true.

“The Hunt for History” by Nathan Raab, (Scribner)

Question: I have some insects on my plants that I would rather not spray with chemicals. Are there safe pesticides which I can use without danger to myself or my family?

Question: My shrubs have been sheared so they are thick and unnatural. Can I do some pruning that will bring them back to their natural shape and thickness? Is now a good time to prune?

“One Last Lie,” by Paul Doiron (Minotaur)

“Roadside Americans: The Rise and fall of Hitchhiking in a Changing Nation” by Jack Reid