Choosing the Right Plants Plant failure in landscaping is often due to a plant being situated somewhere in the yard where it doesn’t belong. Don’t try to force a square peg into a round hole: select shade-tolerant plants for shady areas. Many shade-loving plants typically have large leaves, a slower growth rate, and nonshowy flowers. Also, many shade plants are acid-lovers, thriving in low pH, organically rich soil, often shaded by the cover of taller trees....

I love new cleaning gadgets—vacuum cleaners, power scrubbers, robotic mops—you name it, I either have it or have it on my wishlist. Designed to tackle the toughest jobs around your home, steam cleaners are relatively new in the world of household cleaning appliances. They are an excellent alternative to scrubbing and a shortcut to a clean and sanitized home without using harsh chemicals. One step up from their handheld steamer, Poulan’s Portable Steam Cleaner is a mini canister steamer built for all kinds of cleaning jobs around the home....

Like natural stone, quartz possesses a deep, rich appearance and a solid, rock-like feeling. Like solid surface, quartz has synthetic additives that stabilize the material and eliminate natural stone’s unpredictability. Beyond that, quartz, also called engineered stone, is its own, unique material. Common Quartz Characteristics While licensees add their own flair and nuances, they are still working off of Breton’s original patent. Despite the brand, several qualities of quartz are the same....

Quilts The term quilt comes with lots of nostalgic connotations in addition to defining a type of bedding. Quilting is an artistic endeavor as well as a style of manufacturing. A traditional handmade quilt has three layers: top, inner batting, and bottom. The top layer of a quilt is crafted from many different pieces of fabric stitched together into complex patterns. The batting is a thin inner layer of wool or down, and the bottom is usually a solid piece of fabric....

Old houses seem to be all the rage. @cheapoldhouses lists affordable, historic houses for sale and is an Instagram sensation with more than 1.5 million followers. We spoke to homeowners who purchased old fixer-uppers—to fix and live in, not to flip—about what drew them to forego a typical, ready-to-move-into home. The house was filled with stained and peeling wallpaper, holes in the roof, and extensive water damage. But underneath the weathered exterior (and interior), it was undeniably beautiful....

The elliptical leaves on this slow-to-moderate-growing shrub are 1-3 inches long and will change to showy shades of red, orange, and yellow in the fall. The bell-shaped flowers are typical for the Enkianthus genus and other plants in the Ericaceae family. They can be white with pink stripes or dark red. They’re a cheery and colorful addition to your garden. After pollination occurs and the blossoms fade away, small brown capsules will be formed....

Brown Kraft Paper and Twine Brown Kraft paper is an inexpensive yet timeless way to wrap a book or any gift for that matter. Its neutral color means it works just as well for a Christmas gift as it does for someone’s birthday—you can embellish it with whatever color, style of ribbon, and gift toppers you choose. For a simple look, wrap the book with Kraft paper, tie it with a piece of brown twine, then add a brown paper gift tag to complete the look....

In fact, with many kitchen cabinet manufacturers, the boxes are interchangeable. Homeowners choose the doors and drawer fronts, not the boxes. Slab cabinet doors immediately identify a set of cabinets as being modern, contemporary, or mid-century in style. What Slab Cabinet Doors Are Slab cabinet doors are flat panel doors that have no ornamentation or beveling. Most cabinet doors still use a form of contoured design, in which frames and panels are constructed so that the cabinet faces are dimensional rather than flat....

But small or not, there is so much that you can do to bring more style and functionality to your home office space. And to prove it, we’ve gathered 14 of our favorite small office looks, with plenty of inspiration for turning your WFH setup into a place where you actually want to, well, work. So whether you’ve got a designated office or just a corner of your studio apartment, here are some of the best ideas we’ve found for making your small home office all your own....

A patio garden requires more thought than simply placing a couple of plant containers by a chair. For a well-designed small space garden, you will need to consider things like framing, softening the edges, creating paths, and maximizing your patio’s potential. Framing Your Outdoor Garden Room Creating a distinction between your patio or terrace and your lawn is how you turn your outdoor space into an outdoor room. You can accomplish this by outlining the patio with a border, building raised planters around the edge, or by creating an edge with containers....

When you go camping, you expect to build a campfire. This can take hours from gathering wood and clearing away debris from the people who used the campfire pit before you, including the time to building up a bonfire and stoking the flames. Now you can eliminate extra time and hassle by bringing a portable pit with you to your next camping adventure. It is handy to set up in an instant in your backyard, too....

Given their natural habitats, these orchids prefer conditions with extreme humidity and lots of warmth to help them flourish. They can be identified not only be their spreading habit but by their bright colors, as Brassia plants can grow in spotted, bright orange, red, and many other vivid shades. They’re epiphytes, and though they mostly are limited to the rainforest the most far-spreading is B. caudata, which is the only species found as far north as Florida....

As Dr. Gibson explains, the detergent you pick doesn’t have to be specifically formulated for babies. A hypoallergenic detergent with the “Free & Clear” label, which means the product doesn’t contain dye or fragrance, is also a good place to start. We tested and researched the best baby laundry detergents, evaluating them on their ingredient list, fragrance, effectiveness, and environmental standards. Our favorite is the Babyganics 3X Baby Laundry Detergent, which is dermatologist-tested, plant-based, and free of dyes....

We evaluated log splitters based on power, size of log handled, ease of use, and reliability. Our top choice is the Champion Power Equipment 27-Ton Splitter. Here, the best log splitters. The Champion Power Equipment 27-Ton Splitter has an impressive 11-second cycle time and is capable of carrying out 300 cycles per hour; that’s a whole lot of firewood. The splitter is small enough to fit into the bed of a truck and can be towed via a hitch at speeds under 45 miles per hour....

Carl Lewis, qualified joiner and owner of DIY website thediyfix.com, recommends, “When picking a wood filler, your choice will depend on whether you intend to paint the wood or stain it. For wood that will be painted, a standard white wood filler is fine. If you intend to stain it, you will need to use a stainable filler. Finally, for repairs on wood that is already stained, you can use a wax or putty filler....

While there are quite a few accounts dedicated to minimalist concepts, we’ve rounded up some of our favorites below.

We spent several days researching the top storage benches, considering functionality, price point, and general aesthetic. Our editors determined that the Article Thari Storage Bench was the premiere contender on the market. With ample storage space, expert craftsmanship, and modern design, this option blows away the competition. Read on for the best storage benches to shop now. Key features like a controlled hinge mechanism mean that opening and closing the flip-top bench is smooth and easy, with a silent closing that won’t compromise the bench’s overall integrity....