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Reduce Junk Mail If you have catalogs and flyers arriving in your mailbox in droves, there are some ways to reduce their quantity. Most retailers that send out catalogs have a phone number to call if you no longer want to receive them. You can also request to be removed from the mailing lists of charities and nonprofits. The Better Business Bureau has tips on the latter. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission provides resources for removing yourself from some direct marketers’ lists and other companies who send unsolicited offers through the mail....

Help Them Out For younger children, help them out. Pitch in so cleaning doesn’t feel like an insurmountable task to them. We all know it’s much easier (and more fun) to make a mess than it is to clean it up. Sometimes kids just need a little extra help to get them going so they can finish the task. Give Them Direction We often bark, “Clean your room!” And, sure, the kids know what the room is supposed to look like when it’s clean but do they know how to get it to that point?...

There are several cultivars of Liatris spicata commonly used as garden plants. ‘Kobold’ is a compact variety, which has made it one of the most popular choices. From a clump of grasslike foliage, flower stalks emerge, growing up to 30 inches tall. Due to its small size, ‘Kobold’ requires less staking, as its compact stems can properly handle the weight of their large flowers. Liatris spicata is generally planted from corm-like roots or potted nursery plants in the spring....

Light Although Amur adonis will tolerate partial shade, it grows best in full sun. Soil Grow Adonis in fertile, well-drained soil. Water Keep the soil for this perennial evenly moist. Fertilizer Feed the plant annually by working compost into its soil. Landscape Uses Ensure that, once the snowdrifts of the winter retreat, you have plants in your garden that will supply plenty of color to the spring landscape. Spring bulb plants such as snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) naturally come to mind, but a few perennials, such as Amur adonis, are also useful in this regard....

Light Aubrieta plants shine in full sun, but will also grow in part shade. For best results, grow plants where they will receive at least a half-day of sun. Plants that grow in too much shade will lose their compact, mounded appearance, take on a leggy look, and have sparse flowers. Soil Aubrietas like a lean, rocky, alkaline soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5, which mimics the soil found in their native alpine habitats in southwestern Europe....

Light If kept as a houseplant, the Climbing Sea Onion can be moved outside in full, sheltered summer sun where temperatures remain above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Soil Establish in gritty, well-drained soil such as cactus mix, or a mix of half potting soil and half sand. Water During the growing season, water well but do not overwater. Allow for moderate, consistent moisture but don’t let the soil dry out. Given proper care and conditions, the bulb should re-sprout in the fall....

Cultivated in a variety of cool and warm colors, these flowers will mix well with any palette. The daylily is a wise choice for novice gardeners who often receive them as gifts from more experienced gardeners. Blooms come reliably in spring to late summer. While perhaps the most commonly known variety is the yellow Stella D’oro, daylilies come in shades of red, orange, purple, and pink ranging from simple “self” patterns (one color with potentially different colored stamens or throat) to more eclectic polychrome patterns (blooms of three or more colors)....

Prickly pears are a cactus, so they need well-draining soil first and foremost. Plant in full sun in a sandy or gravely mix and go easy on the water. Also, don’t be alarmed if your plants appear to deflate during the winter—this is their normal response to dormancy, and they’ll plump back up in spring. Light As with most cacti, the eastern prickly pear does best in full sun for at least eight hours a day....

False sunflowers are a native wildflower in a large portion of North America—everywhere except for the western third of the continent. In the garden, they’re best started in the spring or fall, and they grow fairly quickly but likely won’t bloom in their first year. False sunflowers feature triangular-shaped leaves and branching stems that allow the plants to grow in a bushy habit. The double or single daisy-like, yellow-orange flowers surround a cone-shaped, golden-brown center disk....

Light Full sun will produce the best foliage color, but the shrub will tolerate some shade and may prefer shade in very hot climates. Soil This plant likes moist but well-drained soil that has ample organic material. Water The question of how often to water a flamingo willow doesn’t really apply. The tree can only grow in a wetland or marsh area, where it will get all the water it needs....

The gingko biloba’s uniquely fan-shaped leaves start out green but change to golden-yellow in the fall. Before the whole leaf turns golden, there is sometimes a stage during which the leaf is two-toned, with separate bands of gold and green. The common name “maidenhair” was inspired by the fan shape of the leaves, which reminds people of the maidenhair fern (Adiantum spp.). The bark on older specimens of the tree becomes deeply furrowed....

In addition to attractive yellow flowers, the bark and branches are also interesting. The main branches on the double flowering type arch gracefully to a height of 8 to 10 feet (the width can be restricted to similar dimensions through general pruning and, specifically, removing suckers). Smaller branches radiate off the main branches in all directions. The branching pattern thus affords interest both vertically and horizontally; it is also relatively airy....

Black Mondo Grass Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) isn’t a true grass; true grasses belong to the Poaceae family. Black mondo grass is, instead, a tuberous-rooted perennial in the lily family. It’s a stemless plant on which the leaves sprout from the ground in clumps. In summer, a single flower stalk sprouts, carrying small, bell-shaped, pinkish flowers. This grass-like plant is often used as a ground cover for semi-shady areas, or in the front of a border or as an edging plant....

Looking to add a monstera Peru to your houseplant collection? Its care differs from other monstera species, so make sure you know how to keep it happy. As an epiphyte, the monstera Peru naturally has an upward, vining growth habit and does well when provided with a support to climb such as a moss pole or trellis. That being said, you can also choose to grow your monstera Peru in a hanging basket or planter and allow its vining foliage to trail downwards....

There is no single type of viburnum foliage. It can be rounded, lance-shaped or toothed, smooth, velvety, or rough. There are some evergreen viburnum varieties, in addition to many deciduous varieties with outstanding fall color. The flowers come in three major types: flat clusters of florets, flat umbels outlined with larger flowers resembling lace-cap hydrangeas, and dome-shaped, snowball-like clusters. To plant viburnum, dig a hole as deep as the container and twice as wide....