You can turn to a few different sources to determine the average frost dates in your area, as noted. In addition to our map and suggested websites, your local gardening center and your personal experience can be your most reliable source. It’s a good idea to jot down the actual last and frost dates in your area to keep an accurate record year by year. Frost Date Factors Regional last and first frost dates are an average estimate based on historical climate data and are not foolproof or exact....

Go Camping Pack up the family and go camping. Pitch a tent and rough it, even in your own backyard. Another option is to rent an RV for the weekend and head to the local campground. The time your family spends without the tablets and phones is the quality time you can’t put a price on. You’ll spend your weekend playing board games, roasting marshmallows by the campfire, and enjoying the great outdoors together....

Garden phlox grows in upright clumps, and it is a moderately tall perennial. In fact, “tall phlox” is another of its common names. The species name of paniculata refers to the “panicles” of blooms (flower heads) held atop its stalks. Occasionally, the foliage is also attractive, especially on the variegated cultivars, such as ‘Nora Leigh.’ Unfortunately, the appearance of the leaves can be marred by powdery mildew. Learn how to grow and care for this classic plant for the cottage garden....

In presenting the design tips below, I treat all those issues and more. As food for thought before you begin, consider some DIY landscape design basics, such as the difference between designing for real estate value and designing for your own needs. Also, browse our landscape design photos to get your creative juices flowing. Host cookouts?Unwind and get away from it all?Enjoy time outdoors with your kids and/or pets?...

Beloved for its lush aesthetic and ability to propagate, it was distributed widely and confused with a different arborvitae from the same source known as T. occidentalis “Giganteoides.” The clone identity was resolved by Susan Martin, USNA, Kim Trip, New York Botanic Garden, and Robert Marquard, Holden Arboretum by means of thorough nursery inspections, record searches, and “isozyme analysis.” Then the name Thuja “Green Giant” was selected. Now, it is available at many wholesome nurseries, at retail sources, and by mail-order....

This species is not a true ash tree like the European Ash. European Mountain Ash trees have ash-like leaves, but they are members of the rose family; true ash trees (Fraxinus spp.), are members of the olive family. The European Mountain Ash is native to Western Asia and Europe. Botanical Name The botanical name for this member of the Rosaceae family is Sorbus aucuparia. Other well-known members of this family include roses, strawberries, the Prunus genus (which contains apricots, almonds, cherries, nectarines, peaches, and plums, among others), Cotoneaster spp....

However, there are ways to overcome the roadblocks that keep us from turning our homes into the clean sanctuary we’ve dreamed of maintaining. It certainly helps to know ourselves and what holds us back before we can know how to solve the issue, but taking a look at your zodiac sign can give us some extra insight into what makes us tick. Below we’ve gathered the reasons the zodiac signs find themselves frustrated with cleaning and tidying up, and how each one can overcome those issues to get things in order....

There are several different types of heaters to consider when choosing the right model for your need: convection, radiant, and combination heaters all offer different benefits to warm up your space. When used as supplemental heat sources, each option can reduce your home’s overall heating bill. This doesn’t mean that the electrical bill won’t increase slightly (because it will), but the trade-off generally results in savings overall—and plenty more flexibility when choosing which areas you’d like to keep warm....

Before You Buy a Bathroom Exhaust Fan Noise and efficiency do not always equate. The perfect bathroom fan is both quiet and has sufficient room-clearing capability. Cost also must be figured into the decision, as few consumers wish to buy a quiet, efficient fan if it costs a fortune. A few bathroom fans strike a good balance between capacity, noise rating, and cost. Best Quiet Bathroom Exhaust Fans Panasonic WhisperCeiling The Panasonic FV-30VQ3 WhisperCeiling is a high capacity exhaust fan so quiet that homeowners report that they need to install timers because they forget that the fan is on....

Why Clean Your Mat? Your doormat plays host to every shoe and paw that’s ever stepped through your door. As a result, it harbors everything from allergens to road dirt to bits of rotting leaves and mulch. If you have pets, the doormat may even house ticks or fleas. Regular cleaning can ensure that you keep the dirt and debris to a minimum. When you choose a doormat, select one that is reasonably easy to clean and effectively removes debris from shoes and paws....

Here’s a brief primer on picking and planting a formal hedge, with tips for how to maintain the shape in the years after, and what to do to deal with problems like holes and uneven areas. Choosing Plants for a Formal Hedge A formal hedge is like an expensive television: it has to have high resolution, so the picture (the shape) looks shard, not fuzzy. In plants, the “resolution” is the leaf density and leaf size....

Before flat-screen TVs, we hid our electronics in huge armoires. Now it seems everyone is finding new uses for those large pieces of furniture—such as up-cycling them as craft cabinets or mini offices—because the thin profile of today’s TVs has brought them out in the open. Which begs the question: how do we decorate around a TV that’s meant to be on display? From a gadget-lover’s perspective, this challenge is actually a great thing; however, those more concerned with aesthetics might not be as pleased....

Mattress Recycling Because mattresses are relatively bulky, depending on the mattress size, they can be difficult to recycle. But mattresses contain several valuable materials that can increase its recycling market. About 80 percent of materials in a mattress can be recycled. When you throw a mattress in the trash, those materials are wasted. Mattresses can be awkward and difficult to transport because of their size and weight, so the best way to recycle them is through a company who will haul it away for you....

Deciding When to Divide The right time to divide perennials depends on the type of plant and how quickly it’s growing. You don’t have to wait until your perennial plants begin looking like doughnuts—in fact, it’s better if you don’t. Keep an eye out for clumps of plants that have grown two to three times their original size within two to five years. Any overgrown clump—or any clump that has simply exceeded the space allotted—is a candidate for division....

Start With a Plan or Sketch It’s easiest to do a takeoff when you’re working from a set of construction plans or at least from a rough sketch of the wall frame. If you don’t have construction drawings, start by creating a sketch of the wall to identify the overall length and height of the wall and the size of all door and window openings. Determine the “on-center” spacing of the wall studs: the distance between the centers of neighboring studs....