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If you do find yourself with some fake plants that look too much like plastic, here are a few things that you can do to make them look real. Steam the Leaves When you purchase a fake plant and stick it in a shopping bag, odds are when you take it out when you get home, it’s going to be a bit wonky. If the leaves have folded over on themselves in transit, the best thing to do is use a steamer to smooth them out....

What makes Roma tomato varieties stand out is their elongated, egg-like shape, which in some varieties is pear- or plum-shaped. Roma type tomatoes don’t get very big, only about 3 inches long. The skin is usually bright red, although new hybrids are being introduced in a variety of other colors. As with all tomato varieties, the plants are highly sensitive to cold damage so wait to plant out until after danger of frost has passed They are a fast-growing annual vegetable whose life cycle ends with the onset of fall frosts....

The Goal: A Home That Is Clean and Dry As a starting point, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America recommends aggressive cleaning as a step to keeping your home allergy-free. Keeping your home clean and dry is perhaps the most important step to take when you need to minimize allergens inside a home. Dehumidifiers and air purifiers play a role, as does temperature control. Another step you can take is to discourage pets from sleeping on your bed....

Why Won’t My Orchid Bloom? Unless you are a fan of waxy, spathe type leaves, bulging stems and sproingy air roots, most orchid foliage will not be a particularly attractive feature. From colorful dancing butterflies to baby booties, the blooms of nearly 30,000 species of orchid represent the fine art of the plant world. The good news is that most orchids have a long bloom time of up to three months and some species will even bloom twice a year....

Grapevines are a long-term investment. It takes about three years for grapes to get established but once they go into full production, they are there to stay – grapevines can produce for up to 40 years. Where to Grow Grapes Grapes need a warm, sunny location with well-drained fertile soil that’s high in organic matter. Equally important for disease control is that the location has good air circulation. Choosing Grape Varieties Between American grapes, European grapes, and French-American hybrids, the huge variety of available grapes can be a bit overwhelming....

Broadloom Tips Installing wall-to-wall broadloom in a room can help to make space feel bigger by providing continuity. Changing floor surfaces provide visual stops and starts for the eye. By contrast, having a carpet extend from wall to wall means there is nothing to stop the eye, thereby giving the impression that space is larger than it is. Area Rug Tips The key to using an area rug to help your room look bigger is to use the correct rug size....

Not all grout is exactly the same, even if we limit the discussion to traditional grouts. One difference is how ready it is to use when you buy it at the home improvement store. Usually you buy it in powder form and then mix it when you get home. But you can also buy containers of premixed grout. If you have the kind that does not come premixed, you will mix it with water (the ratio of water to grout powder will appear on the back of the container) when you are ready to begin your project....

Learn about what fu dogs mean in feng shui and how to use them to protect your space. Fu dogs are thought to have originated from the protective symbol of the lion that traveled with Buddhism to China. Many Buddhist temples had guardian lions at their gates. The lion is an animal that is not indigenous to China, so the fu dogs also came to resemble mythical animals that appear with similarities to dogs and lions....