Paint your front door red or bring red decor items into your home. If red decor is not your design aesthetic, consider wearing red occasionally. Contemplate your own culture and personal connections to see what symbolizes luck and protection for you. You might prefer your gatekeepers to be a pair of elephants, dragons, or lions, for example. Once you decide what animal symbols are meaningful to you, place a pair at your front door, one on each side, or even on the doors in a form such as knockers....

So the idea of installing ceramic tile as you would laminate or vinyl flooring—that is, joining from tile to tile, not down to the substrate—is a highly tantalizing idea. While a great idea, how does it work in the real world? What is a Floating Tile Floor? In general, a floating floor composed of any material, whether wood, laminate, or ceramic, is one that is not attached to the subfloor; individual pieces are attached laterally to themselves....

“The flowering tree I purchased has not bloomed. What is the cause of this failure to flower? Its blossoms were the whole reason why I got the specimen in the first place. Why is it not living up to the beautiful picture on its plant label?” My answer follows. Why Trees Fail to Bloom There are many possible reasons for flowering trees failing to bloom. For instance: Pertaining to the possibility of a soil deficiency (that is, a nutrition problem), when plants fail to flower, a commonly suggested remedy is fertilizing with a fertilizer high in phosphorus....

Defining Formal-Style Decor Formal-style decor is not relegated solely to the living room. The formal living room gained its reputation from the perception that it’s stuffy and unusable. Formal decor, however, can be a classic style that is both beautiful and functional as defined by the details incorporated into the room. The formal style may look most comfortable in colonial-style, Cape Cod, Victorian, and can look at home in classic (but not necessarily modern) ranch-style houses, as well....

Botany, Origin of the Name Fringed bleeding heart plants are herbaceous perennials. These flowers belong to the poppy family, being classified in plant taxonomy as Dicentra eximia. Whoever named these plants thought very highly of them, as the species name of eximia means “distinguished” in Latin. When the Romans were preparing to sacrifice a cow and found a “choice” victim, that animal was called eximia. Traits of Dicentra Eximia Fringed bleeding heart plants reach a height of about 12 to 18 inches with a similar spread....

The term “fruitless” can be a bit of an overstatement and some homeowners are unpleasantly surprised when they see a handful of tiny olives forming on the branches. Best planted in the spring or fall, the slow-growing fruitless olive trees will bloom each spring with clusters of yellowish-white, tubular flowers. The flowers themselves are sterile, so few if any fruits are produced, but you may get some small (non-viable) olives that develop from time to time....

In colder months, the leaves take on a more lilac hue, and while under heat stress the leaves turn a slightly pinkish color. In the late winter to early spring, mature ghost echeveria produce pale pink or coral lantern-shaped blooms on long red stems that contrast beautifully against its frosty leaves. Light Echeverias require bright, sunny locations in order to thrive. If you are growing ghost echeveria as a houseplant, place it in a location that receives at least five to six hours of direct sunlight every day....

What Is an Asphalt Driveway? Asphalt driveway material is similar to what you see road crews laying on roads. Also called hot mix or hot mix asphalt, this type of driveway is an aggregate of stone and sand, along with a slurry of asphalt, a tar-like material made from petroleum. The asphalt is heated to over 300 F to liquefy it. Asphalt contractors have to work with it fast before the mix solidifies....

Xeriscape Not Zeroscape Note that “xeriscape” is pronounced as if it began with the letter, Z, which sometimes leads to the misspelling, “zeroscape” (as if it signified “zero landscaping”). This is unfortunate, because the word, “zero” leads the mind to think of “nothing”—in this case, a landscape with nothing in it (or nothing pretty, at least). But xeriscape landscaping techniques need not result in a “big zero” for landscape design aesthetics....

Closet organization can be an extremely satisfying task. That being said, it can also be frustrating—especially without the proper tools. While closet kits and organizers can help get things tidy, hangers are vital for every wardrobe. As an avid shopper and fashion enthusiast with an often overflowing wardrobe, sometimes I feel like I never have enough. New hangers go a long way to keeping our closets in order. Sorting through various brands to find the best hangers on the market can be tough....

Tropical hibiscus varieties (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) are perfect if you live in a warm climate or want an impressive houseplant. For those living in cooler parts of North America, opting for a hardy variety or the shrubby rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), which are both easier to grow and can withstand colder winter temperatures, will be the better choice. Regardless of variety, hibiscus flowers are very attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds....

Whether you are a self-proclaimed sensitive person or live with someone with this type of personality, here’s how sensitive people design their home differently. 1. They Prioritize Emotions in Their Spaces There’s no doubt about it—if you are a sensitive person, you thrive on emotions and feeling them deeply. You are the person who is comfortable getting vulnerable, opening up about difficult things, and engaging others in nitty-gritty conversations. As a result, you’ll likely think about your home design in terms of where emotions naturally flow....

Reasons to Love Wrens There are nearly 80 species of wrens in the world, all of which are part of the Troglodytidae family, though only a few are regular backyard guests. In North America, the house wren, Carolina wren, Bewick’s wren, and cactus wren all make regular appearances in bird-friendly yards in their respective ranges. Similarly, the winter wren is a common garden visitor in Europe and Asia. Wherever these birds end up, they are almost always welcome, thanks to their hearty insectivorous appetites, bold songs, and inquisitive natures....

What You Need Basket, bag, or box to contain clutterBroom and mopHamperTrash containerDisinfectant wipesGlass cleaner and ragToilet brushToilet cleaner

When you handwash dishes in lots of hot, soapy water, there’s still a film that clings to the kitchen sink. The same thing can happen in a dishwasher. Even though the dishwasher detergent is more powerful and the water spray is more forceful, residue can build-up on the interior walls, in the filters, and drain lines of the dishwasher and cause odors. Unfortunately, the build-up can become so thick that some of the residue can redeposit on the dishes....