If you are anything like most of us, wiping the slate (ahem, fridge) clean generally comes to mind when opening the fridge door releases an unpleasant odor, or you spot something dripping from shelf to shelf. Professional organizer Shira Gill gets it. And she says you could get the job done in 15 minutes. Gill’s organizational genius focuses on starting small, doing what you start and finish in 15 minutes so you can see the fruit of your efforts without having to leave a big cleanup half-done when life interferes....

Creating a Mood With Color Unlike a design board, a color mood board is truly about the mood you’re hoping to create. A color mood board is used to inspire you as you put together a color palette from the vision you’ve revealed on the board. This simply means that you’re saying to yourself “I want this feeling when I walk into my living room,” not “I want that chair in my living room....

What Is a Garden Room? Let’s start with what a garden room is not. It is not decorating your patio with floral-printed furniture and adding a couple of potted plants. An inviting patio makes a nice transition from the house to the garden, but it is not necessarily a garden room. Rooms, whether in homes or in gardens, are spaces separated by some type of wall. In the garden, this can be accomplished with hedges, trees and shrubs, vines, or fences and other structures....

Below, Leskowitz and other maximalist-loving designers share their tips for what to keep in mind when designing a maximalist space that is chic, not full of chaos. Designer Annie Elliott agreed. “Keeping surfaces organized and rather spare can take the edge off a maximalist room,” she noted. “Straighten piles of books, display one large object rather than a collection of small ones, and make sure you can see some of the table or shelf surface....

Mice can squeeze through the tiniest of openings, and once they’re inside they’re hard to get rid of. Not only are they a nuisance, but they can cause damage to your home by chewing on wires and insulation, and by spreading disease and contaminating food through their droppings. If you think you have mice in your attic, there are a few things you can do to get rid of them....

Crimson Queen Japanese maple trees are commonly used for landscaping purposes, not only because of the beautiful leaves but also because it’s smaller than most maples. The typical tree is about 10 feet tall, compared to other types of maples that can be up to 100 feet. Therefore, the Crimson Queen will fit into tighter spaces than other types of maple trees can. Additionally, Crimson Queen is one of those sought-after plants that will grow under black walnuts....

Hardy in USDA hardiness zone 10 to 12, Schefflera pants are usually grown indoors for most of the year in cooler climates but can be taken outdoors for the warmer months, where they will thrive alongside other tropical plants. However, Schefflera plants typically have to be grown outdoors to display their show of long red, white, or pink tentacle-like flowers. Plants grown indoors rarely produce flowers. Schefflera plants are fast-growing plants, especially if planted outdoors, where they can add three feet per year....

This succulent’s hardiness comes from the fact that it is native to the gritty arid soil and rocky slopes of South Africa, where it grows among the craggy florae. This has made the plant adaptable to many conditions. Growing a hardy string of buttons plant is not complicated. It makes a great indoor plant and works in a container garden in some warmer North American zones. It will even do well as a terrarium plant....

Be aware that garlic and other onion family members are toxic to dogs and cats. Toxicity is more pronounced in the bulbs, but the leaves are also toxic to pets. It’s not advisable to grow it indoors if you have pets that nibble on your houseplants. If you want to grow actual bulbs, you’ll need to first chill the bulbs in the refrigerator or another cold location for several weeks before planting....

Though easy to care for, knowing a few things before taking on the responsibility of growing your own will help ensure that you keep your tree healthy, providing you with delicious harvests for years to come. Light It is not hard to assume that grapefruit trees thrive in full sun. Getting your tree to thrive and produce the most abundant harvest will take placing it in a location where it gets six hours of sun a day....

Dig a hole for your hybrid tea rose and spread the roots over a mound created inside the hole. Fill the hole with amended soil, packing down the soil as you go to remove any air pockets. In northern climates the graft union (the slight bulge at the bottom of the stem) should be planted 1-2 inches deep in the soil. In southern parts of the plant’s range, the graft union should remain just above the soil level....