Straw Bale Gardening Pros Straw bale gardening is just that, planting your seedlings into bales of straw. They function essentially as a raised bed (each bale is 14–16 inches high) and a container garden in one. As the straw breaks down over the course of the summer, it turns into compost that feeds your plants. Advantages to the method include: Easy on Your Back: Straw bale gardening is one of the easiest and least physically taxing kinds of gardening....

If you have more shrubs and perennials than lawn, you’ll be using your pruners more than any other tool, so it’s nice to take a few moments to think about the steps you go through and consider a few tips to make the job easy on your body and wholesome for your plant. The Two Types of Pruners There are two ways that pruner blades cut: bypass-type and anvil-type. We’ll describe both here, but you should probably buy and use bypass pruners....

Whether they like spending time outdoors, playing video games, or whipping up meals in the kitchen, there’s a tech gadget out there that can upgrade or complement their most-loved activities. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best online tech gadget deals that fit a variety of interests and hobbies just in time for Father’s Day. Headlamps are practical gifts for the outdoorsy father figure in your life who likes to camp, bike, or hike....

Even on Zoom, Kelly DeWitt, the founder of KKDW Construction, is the epitome of laidback and relatable. From the bright and sunny kitchen of her home an hour outside of Austin, Texas, Kelly’s warmth never wavered throughout our conversation. The longer we talked, the clearer it was that DeWitt connects deeply with her company’s mission statement: kindness is the first principle of doing business. How did you first get interested in woodworking?...

It can quickly feel unmanageable—and it often falls on me to keep us all in line. I’ve long been on the hunt for the perfect solution, and this notepad is the closest it gets. Instead, with a physical notepad, I’ve turned it into a part of our weekly routine. There’s something about sitting down together on a Sunday morning, looking at the week ahead, and writing it all out. Then, we tack it up onto the bulletin board in our kitchen, and it serves as our daily reference....

Broodiness is driven by several factors: genetics, hormones, instinct, and lighting conditions. In addition, your actions can affect a broody hen’s behavior, and handling one may take some work, so you’ll want to decide if you’re up for the challenge. Signs of a Broody Hen If a hen has a dark, comfortable, undisturbed spot where she can nest, she may roll a clutch of eggs (usually 12 to 14) to that spot and begin to brood....

But one apparent truism says that carpeting does not belong in basements. Some say they doubt carpet’s ability to recover from moisture. They note that even the least amount of moisture causes mold growth, leading to health problems. Carpeting in basements leads down a path that ends with no carpeting in basements. This is not true. Carpeting is one of the best flooring materials to use in basements. Besides making cold basements feel warmer and more welcoming, carpeting actually can dry out quickly, even when flooded....

What Is a Gift Topper? A gift topper is a decorative item, beyond a standard ribbon or bow, that goes on top of a present. They add charm and an extra bit of oomph to any gift. As you’ll find below, crafting your own gift topper allows you to get more creative and really personalize a gift to the receiver’s liking. Pinecones One of the best parts about using pinecones as a gift topper is that they’re free if you can find them in your backyard....

So, homeowners face two excellent choices: vinyl tile and ceramic tile. Both flooring types are good at shedding moisture and resisting stains. This choice most often comes into play for high-traffic or highly wet rooms like kitchens and full bathrooms. Vinyl tile is often designed to replicate the look of wood, stone, or even ceramic tile. Vinyl and ceramic tile are entirely different substances, which means that they have different characteristics when it comes to installation, maintenance, and real estate resale value....

Before refurbishing your old dresser, be sure to clean it thoroughly and remove any old varnish, shellac, and paint. You can remove old finishes with sandpaper or a paint stripper. Paint Apply your choice of paint in any particular design. You can create an ombre effect by painting each drawer a different gradient color or use painter’s tape to paint different colors in a particular design or shape, such as chevron or stripes....

The answer is usually found in a combination of need and cost. For expensive, fragile, or sentimental items that you don’t want to be damaged, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and purchase new moving boxes. When choosing to purchase moving boxes, keep these tips in mind. Don’t Overpack The rule of thumb is that each box should not weigh more than 50 pounds. Even if you’ve hired movers, remember that you may have to move the boxes yourself, from one room to another, so make sure you’re able to lift them....

Pronunciation OW-leht(It rhymes with towelette, “howl let,” and “cowl bit.”) About Owlets Like all baby birds, owlets are distinctly different from mature, adult birds. These young birds have a great deal of soft, fluffy down and generally lack clear markings, but their facial discs are one of the first plumage features to develop. The shape, size, and color of the disc can be highly useful in proper owlet identification. Eye and bill color can also be helpful in identifying baby owls, though some young birds have a slightly different coloration than mature birds....

In the United States, we’ve taken to applying the terms to plants as well as seeds. This can be confusing because seed germination and plant cold hardiness do not always overlap––a seed that can tolerate freezing ground temperatures may not grow into a plant that tolerates cold temperatures and vice versa. The terminology has certainly become a gray area, but this is what the terms generally mean. Hardy Annuals Hardy annual seeds can handle being frozen in the soil and are often planted in fall or early spring....

Ridge Boards and Beams In traditional house framing, also called “stick framing,” a basic roof frame consists of opposing pairs of sloping rafters that meet at their top ends at a ridge board or ridge beam. The top end of each rafter is cut at an angle so that it meets flush with one broadside of the ridge board, and the ridge is sandwiched between the rafters. The rafters are nailed to the ridge or are fastened with metal framing connectors....

While it’s easy to get caught up in the era’s sense of globetrotting adventure, it’s also important to remember that the history of colonialism often wasn’t pretty. To the British crown, the lands it colonized were merely sources of raw material for trade and shipping, and it was willing to violently subjugate (or enslave) native people in the pursuit of wealth and power. It’s important to remember those things when discussing one aspect of the period that is still celebrated: the emergence of classic British colonial decor....

From reading a great book to lighting a candle and sipping hot cocoa, “hygge” can be expressed in many different ways, but the premise remains the same: contentment. What Is the History of Hygge? The earliest known use of the word hygge dates back to the early 1800s, when it first appeared in Danish writing. It was derived from a Norwegian word meaning “well-being,” and while it appeared as a noun 200 years ago, it wasn’t until a few years back that it really became a lifestyle....

When the walls are closed up and you’re not interested in opening up the walls, blown-in insulation is another option that entails drilling large holes in the house exterior and pumping in loose-fill insulation. To avoid all that mess or the uncertainty of blown-in insulation—firestops, crisscrossing wires, plaster keys, and electrical boxes inhibit the flow of the insulation—is there another option? How about insulation paint? What is insulation paint and is it possible to paint your insulation onto the side of the house?...

Just like regular compost, mushroom compost is often touted as black gold. It acts as both a plant fertilizer and soil amendment that can benefit your plants when used properly. How Mushroom Compost Is Made The substrate in which mushrooms are grown is based on a mixture of different agricultural materials: hay, straw, poultry or horse manure, ground corn cobs and hulls, cottonseed or canola meal, cocoa shells, crushed grapes from wineries, soybean mill, peat moss, and other natural organic substances such as gypsum, lime, potash, urea, and ammonium nitrate....

When you use sanding sealer, projects that formerly required multiple coats of paint—and which still came out spotty—go faster and produce better color consistency. Plus, projects can be finished in a day rather than spanning many days. What Sanding Sealer Is Sanding sealer is a clear liquid base finish that is applied to bare natural wood or to any uncoated wood product. Sanding sealer always must be sanded down smooth after it has dried....