Botany of Mount Airy Dwarf Fothergilla Shrubs Plant taxonomy classifies these dwarf fothergilla shrubs as Fothergilla gardenii ‘Mount Airy’ (‘Mount Airy’ is the cultivar name). Fothergilla gardenii is classified as a deciduous flowering shrub. The genus name (when it doesn’t begin with a capital letter) essentially functions as one of the bush’s common names. Features of This Bush The ‘Mount Airy’ dwarf fothergilla shrub has an upright growth habit and reaches 3 to 5 feet in height, with a similar width....

Many of us spend time every day in the bathroom, whether it is showering, bathing, or just getting ready for the day. But this room is so often overlooked when making upgrades to our home living situation. While there are a number of bathroom improvements you can make, adding a heated towel bar is one that can turn your everyday shower into a luxurious experience. I tested Amba’s The Radiant Hardwired Curved towel warmer to see how much value it added to my daily shower....

The name of the month was originally a Latin word, Sextilis. In 8th century BC, during the early Medieval period, the month was renamed to August in honor of Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor. Here are all the official and unofficial days of celebration that take place during the dog days of August. August Daily Holidays and Observances August 1: U.S. Air Force Day, National Girlfriends Day, National Mustard Day* (first Saturday), Respect for Parents Day, National Campfire Day* (first Saturday), National Mountain Climbing DayAugust 2: Dinosaurs Day, National Coloring Book Day, National Ice Cream Sandwich Day, National Sisters Day* (first Sunday), American Family Day* (first Sunday)August 3: National Watermelon DayAugust 4: U....

The lesson, in short: don’t cut a living branch completely off an evergreen tree for aesthetic reasons. Why is this the rule for evergreens? It has to do with these trees’ natural shape, and how they store energy and grow. Evergreen trees don’t have the well-placed extra buds and food reserves that deciduous trees do. They therefore rarely regrow where they were pruned back hard, such as back to the trunk or the ground....

Pros and Cons of Gas Mowers Cons When compared to battery-powered mowers, there are several drawbacks to gas-powered models. Among other objections, they: Are dirty: Emissions aside, they require you to use gasoline and engine oil to power and lubricate them, liquids that you can easily spill both on your body and on your land Are noisy Need to be tuned up often Can be difficult to start up, requiring you to yank on a pull-cord (electric mowers are started with the simple flick of a switch)...

About Bear Visits Both black bears and grizzly bears will visit bird feeders occasionally. Visits most frequently occur from late winter through early summer when other food sources may be scarce and bears are emerging from hibernation, often with hungry cubs in tow. Bears are omnivorous and eat a wide variety of foods, but the majority of their diet is plant material such as seeds, fruits, and grains, making bird feeders ideal for a quick snack....

Selecting a Planting Site Hybrid and heirloom tomatoes share the same needs when it comes to selecting a planting site. Choose a sunny site with good, well-draining soil. Avoid planting tomatoes in a spot where you already grew plants in the same family, such as peppers or eggplant, because the tomato plants can easily catch any diseases already in the soil. Spacing, Depth, and Support Depending on whether they are early or main-season varieties, you should space your heirloom tomatoes between 2 and 3 feet apart....

Sometimes landscapers simply dig a small trench to remove sod and form a neat line of demarcation as the border. This might seem like an easy way to install an edge, but it will require continual maintenance as soil settles and plants grow and spread. You’ll have to keep reforming the trench. That’s one reason why most people prefer barrier-style landscape edging. A raised garden bed is a form of barrier edging....

Halloween is one of our favorite times of the year, and making our costumes is one of the highlights of the occasion. It’s eco-friendly, budget-conscious, and we always end up with unique, one-of-a-kind creations. We’ve gone from simple costumes using things from our closet to elaborate handmade products. If you’re ready to bring your sketches to life, investing in a good quality sewing machine can help. We tested the Brother XM2701 for its performance, design, and ease of use....

How Often Should You Clean Your Carpet? To keep your carpet looking and performing well for as long as possible, manufacturers recommend having your carpet cleaned at minimum every 12–18 months, depending on the amount of traffic in your home. In fact, such frequent cleaning is a condition of many warranties—be sure to carefully read your warranty information. Nylon Carpet While regular cleaning is important for all types of carpet, it is especially true in the case of nylon carpeting....

A chair mat used on a carpeted floor will move more smoothly and make you feel more comfortable. You won’t feel that you are having to fight with your chair just to get in another area of your home office or even the other end of your desk. Look carefully at the labels of chair mats for carpeting, as there are different types and they are based on the type of carpet that you have....

Getting the fabric right in a faux fur throw is tricky because you want it to be soft, luxurious, and also durable. From a cozy accent piece that you drape over a sofa or bed to something warm you curl up in, faux fur blankets can be both decorative and functional. We tested out the Chanasya Wolf Faux Fur Throw by using it everywhere from our home to the outdoors so we could observe its comfort and how well it holds up over time....

Whether you’ve just finished running a marathon or finally punched out after a long day of work, a foot spa can be one way to destress. With vibrating nodes and heated water, the Conair Foot Spa promises a relaxing, full-foot massage, but does it deliver? We ordered one and tested it out for a few weeks to see. Keep reading for our assessment of the foot spa’s performance and decide for yourself if this is the at-home spa experience you need....

Gather the Boxes Your first step in creating your Halloween mystery box is to find a container to put each gross item in. Some ideas of items you probably have laying around include: Tissue boxes Cereal boxes Shoe boxes Moving boxes Plastic containers Cut a hole in each box big enough for a hand to reach into but small enough that you can’t see the contents of the box. Make your Halloween feel box extra spooky by painting them black, putting duct tape over them, covering them with free printable Halloween papers, or draping fake spider webs over them....

Container-grown crown of thorns can spend the summer outdoors wherever you need color or interest. Be sure to bring it inside before nighttime temperatures dip below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, you can keep your crown of thorns indoors all year. In a bright window, it will perk up any season. Crown of thorns will repeat bloom throughout the year. The actual flowers are the insignificant green centers, but they are surrounded by showy bracts that look like colorful petals....

Keep an eye out for cutworms on young tomato plants, asparagus, beans, cabbage, carrots, celery, corn, lettuce, peas, peppers, and potatoes. A few species do feed on turfgrass. Cutworms can damage lawns, too, but they prefer eating through huge swaths of manicured grass such as what you’d find at a golf range. Are Cutworms Harmful to Gardens? Black, bronzed, and army cutworms feed at night and hide in plant debris during the day....

No matter your decorating budget, the goal is the same: to add to your home’s beauty and create an aesthetically pleasing and inviting space. Before you start, take care to avoid these 10 mistakes that can leave your living quarters looking cheap and less-than-stunning. But even if you can’t afford to attend a luxe art show, sites such as Etsy make it possible to afford original and unique art on almost any budget....