What Attracts Birds to a Birdhouse Just as home buyers look for specific features when house shopping, such as a large kitchen, enough bedrooms, or sufficient garage space, birds also need certain features in their houses. Factors that affect which birds will use a birdhouse or nesting box include: Entrance hole size Overall cavity depth and house height Interior floor dimensions General house shape and design Materials used House location and mounting style...

Whether it’s jet-setting for a wedding or traveling for fun, even the most organized suitcases will inevitably lead to wrinkled clothes. Thankfully, travel steamers like the BIZOND Mini Clothes Steamer are designed to help. This portable clothes steamer is small enough to fit in most backpack water bottle pockets, and it has multi-angle functionality that’s promised to perfectly press all sorts of fabrics. But can a device this small actually match a higher-priced household iron?...

Growing Conditions Light: Like many ferns, they prefer partial shade or dappled sunlight at the very most. They dislike direct sunlight and will strenuously object. It is possible to acclimate your fern to a greater amount of light, but only by providing proportionally greater amounts of water and humidity. Water: Blechnum ferns prefer regular water throughout the growing season. These are fairly cold hardy as far as ferns go, so do not relish any prolonged dry period....

Keeping so many plants on the floor, I was starting to look like a hoarder. It reached a point where they had taken over an entire side of the room, and I was considering swearing off buying plants. And when I was about to lose my mind, Bloomscape suggested I try their new plant stand and plant stool. Both the stand and the stool are incredibly sturdy, almost like I could stand on them and they would support me (which, technically, they would since they can hold up to 200 lbs, though I don’t think I’ll test it)....

Brick pavers are a manufactured product made of clay that is cast in forms, then heat cured, usually in the shape of a rectangle. Cobblestones, on the other hand, are a natural stone cut into paver shapes; concrete pavers are cast bricks made of Portland cement and aggregate. In contrast to clay brick used for wall construction, paver bricks are solid, smooth-surfaced clay without holes or gaps. Most paver brick is clay-colored and rectangular....

You’ll spend a bit more money on the fountain in the present project, but the results will be stunning. Ornate water features are sufficiently eye-popping to serve as focal points. In landscape design, focal points can make or break a project, so you’re spending your money wisely! A tall, blue, glazed ceramic planter is at the heart of the project. Such ceramic planters can cost over $200 but can be turned into highly decorative water garden fountains....

Carpet face weight refers to the weight of the fiber found in 1 square yard of carpet. The standard is measured in ounces.Carpet density refers to how close together the fibers are tufted into the carpet backing. How to Calculate Carpet Density Carpet density is calculated using the following formula: The pile height is the length of the carpet fibers from their end tips to the point where they reach the carpet backing....

When the sash is fully open, a tensioning device holds the sash firmly in place. When the sash is closed, a latch on the interior of the house pulls the sash tight against the window frame’s weatherstripping. Casement Windows Provide a Fully Open Window A casement window is the only type of window available on the regular consumer market that fully opens. In essence, you are lifting the sash away, almost off the house, attached only by one thin side....

Your Budget Money, time, and your existing yard all factor in the planning of your new garden area. Something to consider in any garden design is how much money you’re willing to spend. A small garden should cost considerably less than its larger cousins, but there is still an expense. Growing some plants from seed or sowing seed directly in the garden might not give immediate gratification but will be cheaper than buying already established plants from the garden center....

Professional landscape construction firms install many more stone stairways than poured concrete because stone is often preferred by homeowners thanks to the natural, attractive appearance. But stone garden steps are difficult to install because of the sheer weight of the materials. While some homeowners have tackled it themselves, the work is more often done by landscape construction professionals. A simple form of poured concrete garden steps is a more practical DIY project; but while the work is not complicated, it does involve hard labor....

Ready to invite new opportunities and positive energy into your life? Start with your formal front door (the main entry). Check out our feng shui tips to make sure this area of your home is working best for you. Use The Formal Front Door It’s common for many people to use a door other than the formal front door, such as a garage or side door, to enter their homes....

Fireplace Facade from Pepper Fireplace Screen from In My Own Style Image Source: June and Bear via Pinterest Alternatively, buy a candelabra made especially for fireplaces. Use LED candles, unscented pillars, or if you want, try scented candles, but be choosy about what scents you use. Florals could be way too overpowering; however, it could be fun to choose smoky or woodsy scents like cedar wood, or even evergreen for the holidays....

Types of Ducks There are more than 100 species of ducks in the world, and many of them are uniquely specialized for different habitats, climates, and diets. From eiders, mergansers, and scaups to dabblers and divers, the different types of ducks are intriguing for birders to familiarize themselves with. By understanding what makes ducks unique, birders can more easily identify which waterfowl they see. Where Ducks Are Found Ducks are found throughout the world on every continent except Antarctica....

Styling your console table so that it looks cohesive and curated is also key. As Kimberley Harrison of Kimberley Harrison Interiors puts it, “First impressions count! Your entry sets the tone for the rest of your home which is why it’s so important to find balance when choosing a console and decor.” But if you’re having doubts about how to best style your console table so that it shines, don’t worry....

About Nuts Nuts are a healthy source of fat to keep both birds’ skin and feathers healthy. As a high-calorie food, nuts also provide birds plenty of energy for all their daily activities. Many nuts also include trace nutrients and minerals that birds need as part of a nourishing diet. Nuts are especially popular as a winter bird food because they are long-lasting and easy to hide for later use. Many birds that thrive on nuts will spend weeks in autumn storing nuts by filling up cavities, niches in bark, small ground hollows, or other hiding places with ripe nuts....

Do Licenses Matter? It’s good if your state has a licensing system. It’s a fast way to check if the contractor is indeed licensed. In some cases, you can check online regarding consumer complaints and penalties or fines. Remodeling licenses matter in that they separate the small number of bad actors from a large number of rule-abiding ones. The worst of the worst are identified, and in some cases are fined or barred from conducting further business....

We turned to the experts to help settle the debate, once and for all. As Hayley Simmons, director of commercial range at kitchen design company Magnet, points out, “It’s estimated that 10 percent of the water we use in the home is used in the kitchen, so it is a great place to start.” In fact, using a dishwasher can actually save you up to 24 gallons per load, presuming you run your dishwasher every night....

Plant Taxonomy and Botanical Type Plant taxonomy assigns this Japanese dwarf pine tree the genus and species names, Pinus parviflora. The cultivar name is Arnold Arboretum Dwarf. It is classified by botanists as an evergreen conifer. Characteristics of This Dwarf Pine Tree Bizon Nursery says of the plant that a “ten-year-old tree is 3 feet tall and under 2 feet wide.” Its plant form is pyramid-like. The needles are blue-green in color, the branching pattern dense....

Types of Houses There are two types of birdhouses that purple martins prefer: single structures with many compartments or individual homes arranged in a cluster. Because these are social birds, they often nest in colonies of dozens or hundreds of mated pairs. Single structure “apartment” style birdhouses feature multiple entrances leading to adjacent chambers. Tiers of compartments are popular and can provide housing for many pairs of purple martins in a small space....

While growing vegetables in containers indoors does have its challenges—they’ll take more care and may not yield as much—it is possible to find great success. Start off on the right foot by choosing one of these easy-to-grow indoor varieties, and you’ll be harvesting vegetables in no time. The Pros and Cons of Indoor Gardening When gardening indoors, you ultimately control all aspects of the plant’s growth and environment. You maintain its water, soil quality, and fertilization....