It is a different matter altogether in the South, where December brings welcome relief from the heat to plants and gardeners alike. Take advantage by growing plants that you can’t grow for most of the year and by undertaking tasks requiring vigorous physical activity. Here are regional gardening tasks to perform to get the winter off on the right foot. All Regions You are at the end of another gardening year....

While there might not be much you can do to prevent some tomato fungal diseases, early identification enables you to provide a treatment to minimize the damage and prevent further spread through your entire crop. Many hybrid tomatoes have been bred to resist some types of fungal diseases. But, being disease resistant does not mean complete immunity. Your tomato plants might still become infected, but the built-in resistance means they might not succumb to the disease as easily as a variety that does not have any resistance at all....

As such, creating the design for such an important room is crucial, but sometimes overlooked. Whether people are aiming to create something trendy and lose the practicality, attempting to make the bathroom ‘homey’ and unfortunately falling short, or landing somewhere in between, here are the bathroom design pet peeves that home stagers, designers, and real estate agents are just sick of seeing. Neglecting the Space One of the biggest bathroom design pet peeves that experts share is a general lack of intention for the space....

Although it is adorned with its famous purple blooms, French lavender is not as fragrant as English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). In warm, frost-free climates, French lavender blooms year-round. In areas that receive frost, French lavender blooms from spring to fall. Though beautiful, French lavender is not often used for culinary purposes because of its poor flavor. What it lacks in taste it makes up for with its uniquely serrated, ruffled appearance....

You would be forgiven for thinking you’re in a five-star hotel when you wrap yourself in the Frontgate Resort Cotton Bath Towel. Frontgate—a home goods and design company with an e-commerce site and brick-and-mortar-stores—is renowned for their luxurious home linens. The Resort towel collection, in particular, is heralded for its sumptuous texture, rich colors, and attention to detail. We recently tested the brand’s top-rated bath towel for ourselves, using it to dry after showers and washing it over the course of several days....

Distinct and lovely, the great spotted woodpecker is a common bird to see in mature forests and parks within its range. Discover more about these woodpeckers with this informative fact sheet! Fast Facts Scientific Name: Dedrocopos majorCommon Name: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greater Spotted WoodpeckerLifespan: 5-7 yearsSize: 8-10 inchesWeight: 2.5-2.7 ouncesWingspan: 16 inchesConservation Status: Least concern Great Spotted Woodpecker Identification Like all woodpeckers, the great spotted woodpecker has upright posture and a stiff tail that helps it balance against tree trunks....

Weeds are the absolute bane of my garden, but so many common weed killers have chemicals that I don’t want around my family or my plants. As a vegetable grower, it’s important to me that the products I use in my garden don’t unintentionally contaminate my produce or hurt my children, which is why I always opt for an all-natural alternative first. I tried the Green Gobbler 20 Percent Omri Listed Horticulture Vinegar Weed Killer to see if this all-natural weed killer would be an effective alternative to chemicals....

Paper bush is also used in folk medicine remedies from indoor medicinal herb gardens. The bark and roots are said to act as an anti-inflammatory and have analgesic properties as well. Sliced root and flower buds are used to treat eye diseases. However, the flowers of the paper bush have given it a wider appeal. Producing clusters of highly fragrant yellow flowers in late winter through early spring, it has become sought after for shade gardens in temperate climates....

While the double-flowering varieties look impressive, stick with single-flowering varieties if you want to attract pollinators like bees. Light Most hollyhocks can survive in partial shade, but they generally prefer a full sun position. These tall plants can flop in overly shady locations. If you live in a particularly hot and dry region, a partial shade location will prevent the lower leaves on your hollyhock from withering. Soil Hollyhocks are versatile plants, and most can grow in any soil type....

Hot Composting Basics The size of your compost bin or pile is very important when it comes to hot composting. Too small and the pile won’t heat up sufficiently. A good size for a pile or bin for hot composting is at least four feet wide by four feet high. In general, bigger is better, but four feet by four feet is a manageable size for most gardeners. The pile should be placed in full sun, if possible––shade will cool the pile down a bit and slow the process....

One of the most important areas of your home to look at from a feng shui perspective is your front door, also called the mouth of qi. This is the main entry point for energy to come in from outside the home, so you want to make sure that it’s set up optimally to receive positive qi for everyone living in the home. A couple of simple ways to do this are to make sure your front door is in good working order and to remove anything that might be blocking your door from opening fully....

Electrical Usage Is Measured in Kilowatt Hours Whatever form of meter you have, it measures the amount of electricity you use in watts, or more specifically, kilowatt hours. A watt is the product of the voltage and amperage (or current) in an electrical circuit: 1 volt x 1 amp = 1 watt. But this formula represents merely the measure of the electrical potential. To measure actual energy usage, you have to add an element of time....

While some prefer to go all out with their festivities, others desire to express their feelings with unusual or subtle gestures. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of the day, there are still plenty of opportunities for you to show your devotion to each other while creating unforgettable memories. Everyone has their preferences, but our zodiac signs can give us some insight into our personalities and those of our partners....

The Viability of Plant Seeds Germination rates vary considerably by plant, and it also depends on how the seeds are stored. For example, 50 percent of Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue seeds will germinate after three to five years of storage in ideal conditions, whereas 50 percent of creeping bentgrass seeds will germinate after five years or more. Factors Affecting Seed Viability The viability of stored seeds of any kind are greatly influenced by storage conditions, and unfortunately, the ideal conditions for seed storage are very often exactly the opposite of how homeowners store grass seed....

You can decide to build the pergola from a kit that cuts all of the wood for you or build it from scratch with materials sourced at your local home center or lumberyard. DIY Pergola Cost One of the best things about a DIY pergola is its moderate cost. A DIY pergola usually will cost less than more complex outdoor structures such as patio covers and gazebos, yet more than arbors and trellises....

Yet this is a resourceful bunch, and people living tiny have found ways to cut the cord, get online and stay connected to work, family, friends and friends. No matter the size of where you call home, you can use these tips as well. Mobile Hotspots Everywhere One of the easiest ways to get online with no cords attached is to use a hotspot through your mobile phone carrier. That’s how Floshea Harrigan and her family, who live on the road in an RV, handle things....

That said, doing so will involve making some compromises when it comes to the rest of your decorating process. To best accommodate a queen in a small space, you will likely need to forgo other sizable furnishings (like that expansive armoire or oversized vanity). Additionally, you will want to be mindful about the colors and accents that you plan to introduce into the space. There are certain choices that will provide the illusion of your room appearing much larger than it actually is, designers say....

New Foods Adding new food sources is one of the easiest and most effective ways to attract new birds to your backyard. A basic seed mix is a good start for backyard birding, but more specialized foods will attract a wider range of species. New seeds: Black oil sunflower seeds are the best for attracting songbirds to your yard, but other types of seed such as safflower, millet, and nyjer will attract different species that aren’t as fond of sunflower seeds....