Carving a pumpkin is one of the most fun ways to celebrate the fall season, but keeping it fresh can be a challenge. Knowing how to preserve a pumpkin carving ensures your jack-o’-lantern stays free from mold or decay for as long as possible. With the right techniques, you can enjoy a carved pumpkin on…
These DIY wooden pumpkins are made from pieces of reclaimed wood recyled from an old mailbox post project. The project is easy to do in just a few hours. If you love rustic fall decor, you will enjoy making these adorable scrap wood pumpkins. All you need is some scrap wood, craft paint, and a…
Fall leaves don’t have to go to waste! Learning how to make leaf mulch is an easy, budget-friendly way to recycle fallen leaves instead of bagging them up and sending them away. Leaf mulch helps protect your soil, retain moisture, and add organic matter to your garden as it breaks down. Mulching leaves is a…
This DIY clay pot candy dish turns an ordinary terracotta pot and saucer into an adorable container to hold your candy corn or other fall sweet treats. Using recycled household items to make crafts doesn’t get any easier than this project. Reusing these items saves money and also helps to save our environment. The inspiration…
This candy corn martini recipe takes the flavors of a favorite Halloween candy and infuses them into a Halloween cocktail. By infusing vodka with candy corn, you create a sweet base that is used to make a layered drink. Pineapple juice and cream add the contrasting layers to give you a cocktail that balances sweetness…
Looking for fall-blooming flowers to keep your garden colorful after the summer flowers begin to fade? These fall-blooming perennials, annuals, and ornamental plants provide beautiful late-season color, with many continuing to flower through September, October, and beyond. Whether you are filling up containers for your front entry or simply looking for easy ways to add…
Fall is the perfect time to plant bulbs for a colorful spring garden. These bulbs to plant in fall include some of the most popular spring-flowering favorites, from cheerful tulips and daffodils to fragrant hyacinths and showy alliums. Plant them before the ground freezes, then let the bulbs spend the winter developing roots before they…
When the weather outside is too cold for gardening, flowering houseplants bring a touch of the garden indoors. From cheerful African violets and orchids to unusual plants with colorful or fragrant flowers, there are plenty of indoor plants that bloom to brighten your home. Some flowering houseplants bloom repeatedly, while others put on a spectacular…
Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa) is one of those flowering houseplants that can stop you in your tracks. With velvety green leaves and large, colorful, trumpet-shaped flowers, it makes a beautiful addition to any sunny windowsill. Good gloxinia care will help keep those flowers looking their best, whether you’ve purchased the plant for yourself or received one…
Choosing your first houseplant can feel a little overwhelming, especially when every plant at the garden center looks like it would be easy to grow. These easy houseplants are forgiving, adaptable, and great choices for beginners just starting to grow indoor plants. I’ve chosen these 24 plants because they are genuinely good choices for new…
The ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) is one of the easiest houseplants to grow indoors. ZZ plant care is mostly about getting the watering right. Let the soil dry out well between waterings, give your plant bright, indirect light when possible, and use well-draining soil. With the right growing conditions, a ZZ plant can thrive for…
Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum) is an easy-care houseplant with heart-shaped leaves and long, trailing vines. It tolerates a range of indoor conditions, making it a great choice for beginners and anyone looking for a low-maintenance houseplant. In this guide, you’ll learn how to care for a heartleaf philodendron, including the best light, watering, soil, fertilizing,…
Pothos plant care is about as easy as houseplant care gets. This forgiving plant is adaptable and easy to grow, making it an excellent choice for beginners new to growing houseplants. Whether you are growing your first houseplant or adding another pothos to your collection, Epipremnum aureum is a great choice. In this guide, I’ll…
If you’re wondering how to propagate pothos, you’re in luck. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is one of the easiest houseplants to grow from cuttings, and you can watch the roots develop when you propagate it in water. My own pothos has become long and leggy, with vines stretching much longer than I wanted. Rather than simply…
These 21 low-light houseplants include easy-care foliage plants, flowering varieties, and colorful favorites that thrive in rooms with little natural light. This guide compares their care requirements to help you choose the best low-light plants for your home. Whether you’re decorating a dim living room, brightening a bedroom, or adding greenery to an office, you’ll…
This grilled top round steak recipe uses a fresh lime marinade that adds bright flavor while helping the meat stay moist on the grill. The result is a simple dinner recipe that feels special without requiring expensive cuts of beef. Top round steak doesn’t always get much attention at the meat counter, but it can…
Plants that close at night include a wide range of garden plants, houseplants, trees, shrubs, and legumes that fold their leaves or close their flowers in response to changes in light. This natural behavior, known as nyctinasty, is part of the plant’s daily rhythm. If you’ve noticed a plant folding its leaves after sunset or…
Purple passion plant propagation is one of the easiest ways to grow new houseplants for free. If your plant (Gynura aurantiaca) is getting leggy or you simply want more indoor plants, stem cuttings root quickly with very little effort. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to propagate a purple passion plant using stem…
This crustless chicken quiche combines rotisserie chicken, crispy bacon, eggs, and cheddar cheese into an easy brunch or breakfast recipe. Since there’s no pastry crust to prepare, this recipe comes together quickly while still delivering the rich, savory flavor you expect from a classic quiche. Whether you are making breakfast for the family, serving brunch…
Trying to control squash bugs can feel overwhelming once these pests become established in your vegetable garden. Killing adult squash bugs is difficult because they hide under leaves and vines and have a tough outer shell that is resistant to normal pesticides. A squash bug (Anasa tristis) feeds on squash, zucchini, pumpkins, and other cucurbit…
Looking for a recipe to use extra summer squash from your garden? This stuffed yellow squash boats recipe features a tasty beef and marinara sauce grilled to cheesy perfection. Panko bread crumbs give the stuffed squash boats a nice texture, and the blistered tomatoes had a fresh topping that also looks great. The recipe is…
Tomato leaf curl can show up in several ways. The leaves may curl upward, downward, inward, or become twisted, and each pattern can point to a different problem. In many cases, curled tomato leaves are caused by environmental stress such as heat, watering issues, transplant shock, or excess fertilizer. Sometimes pests or diseases are involved….
Rosemary is one of the easiest herbs to grow, but without occasional pruning, it can become woody, leggy, and overgrown. Knowing how to prune rosemary, when to do this, and how much to cut back, helps keep plants compact, vibrant, and producing fresh growth. Whether you are shaping a mature rosemary bush, trimming a container…
When comparing pole beans vs bush beans, the biggest differences are primarily due to growing style, space requirements, harvest timing, and maintenance. Both produce green beans, but they grow in very different ways, and each works better for different types of vegetable gardens. Pole beans and bush beans describe how the plant grows, not the…
Looking for a soft ground cover that provides a striking contrast to traditional garden plants? This lamb’s ear care guide will show you how easy it is to grow, how fast it spreads, and how to prune, deadhead, and manage it through the seasons. Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) is a hardy perennial loved for its…
If you bite into a cucumber and it tastes bitter, the first question most gardeners ask is, “Are bitter cucumbers safe to eat?” In most cases, a bitter cucumber is not dangerous; however, the bitterness can be a sign that the fruit contains higher levels of natural compounds called cucurbitacins, which are influenced by plant…