Our top pick, Jobe’s Organics All Purpose Fertilizer, contains a balanced blend that promotes growth, improves soil conditions, and protects against drought and disease. Here are the best fertilizers for plants in your home, garden, lawn, and more. With such variety in the plant world, it isn’t easy to choose one fertilizer that meets the needs of every type of plant for every kind of soil and every type of growing condition....
Everyone’s gardening hobby looks a little unique, so Shira Gill, organizing expert and author of Minimalista, advises, “When shopping for a garden tool organizer, make sure to take stock of the items you need to organize before you buy, noting considerations such as desired height, shape, and storage capacity.” With these things in mind, we researched the best garden tool organizers on the market and evaluated each one on ease of use, versatility, and practicality....
Clover as a Lawn Grass Clover is usually considered a weed and is fought with herbicides and other remedies by homeowners and landscape professionals in their quest for a perfect lawn containing nothing but turf grasses. A little reflection and botanical knowledge though can show you that white clover can be an ideal component within a blend of turf grasses. The fact that clover is a legume means that it actually makes its own nitrogen and fixes it in the soil....
If you are lucky enough to have a rock wall in your landscape, here are 10 herbs that grow well on (or in) a rock wall herb garden. Thyme loves the nooks that a wall provides, making them a great filler for even the most rugged rocky location.
Take a look at the best ways to dust areas and surfaces in your home and tips to make dusting easier and more efficient. Electrostatic disposable dusters do a great job and are available with extendable handles to reach high places. Offered in different thicknesses to handle light to heavy loads of dust, even on floors, they can become expensive to use for every task.Microfiber dusters come in a variety of designs, from hand-mitts to slatted window blind dusters to floor dust mops....
One of the first landscape plants to bloom in a northern garden is the witch hazel bush (Hamamelis x intermedia). Someone new to gardening, upon seeing a cloud of yellow flowers from a distance on a spring drive, may make the mistake of thinking the shrub to be forsythia (which is much more common). But a closeup of the bloom reveals that this is an entirely different plant. Also, while forsythia does make this list, it is not nearly as early a bloomer as is witch hazel....
She now resides there in a 2400-square-foot home with her husband, nine-month-old son, and two pups. The midcentury modern space turned out to be the perfect place to accommodate Yaqui’s growing family and penchant for design. As the founder of her eponymous interior design company, Studio Yaqui, she’s infused the home with her indigenous Mayan and African American heritage. Lush wallpaper and vibrant artwork are mediated by organic ceramics and soothing earth tones — all an ode to her roots and artistry....
Does your home need energetic protection? Would you like to know how feng shui can help you? Explore our feng shui cures for house protection. To make sure your front door is strong, first check the physical strength of the door. Do the locks work? Is it in good repair? Is it well lit? Your front door is like your gate. It provides a barrier between you and the outside world, helping you to invite in helpful people and energies while avoiding difficult ones, so it’s important to make sure it’s working well....
The American Concrete Institute’s (ACI) definition of cold-weather concreting under ACI 306 is a period when for more than three successive days the average daily air temperature drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and stays below 50 degrees Fahrenheit for more than one-half of any 24-hour period. Under these conditions, special techniques need to be applied. There is no reason to avoid pouring concrete in cold weather, provided you can take the proper precautions....
The idea of stacking wax rings has been around for a while but it is not recommended by leading manufacturers. Some of the new waxless style toilet seals have a longer seal or can be stacked which can make it easy for anyone to set a toilet without leaks. Take a look at some of the toilet seal choices you can pick from when replacing a toilet. If you have a normal height closet flange then you can use the regular wax ring with a sleeve....
Types of Motion Sensor Lights There are two basic types of motion sensor switches: active and passive. Active sensors or radar-based lights emit sound waves, waiting for the signal to return. For example, some garage door openers will activate if someone enters the room or moves inside the room because the sensor notices that the speed of the returning sound waves changes—triggering the switch. Passive sensors are also called passive infrared sensors (PIR) or pyroelectric detectors....
The Anatomy of a Fuse Two different types of fuses control 120-volt circuits and 240-volt circuits in older electrical systems. For 120-volt circuits, the fuses are small ceramic screw-in devices that fit into threaded sockets in the fuse panel, much the way lightbulbs screw into lamp sockets. Inside the fuse, there is a metal ribbon through which all the current on the circuit passes. The ribbon is sized to match the circuit wire gauge, and if too much current passes through the ribbon, it melts through, or “blows,” and the circuit goes dead....
Characteristics Let’s start with the basics—what makes a settee a settee, and what is it designed to be used for? According to Modsy’s VP of Style Alessandra Wood, “A settee is generally a smaller version of a sofa that sits on raised legs and often has a high back. It’s not meant to be a loungey piece, but rather a perch upon which to sit alone or with another person.”...
The History of Coastal Landscaping As regions of the United States were settled, coastal areas were often used as seaports and points of entry before they became residential towns. Some coastal towns retain the flavor of their past function as ports for trade or commerce. Some towns like Salem, Massachusetts or St. Augustine, Florida, settled in the 17th century, integrate authentic garden designs into the grounds of historic destinations. Some coastal communities have become vacation destinations, while others like the Jersey Shore or Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach are designed for locals....
We spoke with designers about the history, key characteristics, and popularity of the midcentury modern style (which is often referred to as “MCM”). These pros also shared their tips for styling one’s home with MCM pieces and what to keep in mind when shopping. History As you probably guessed, midcentury modern style originated during the middle of the 20th century and embodied the needs and wants of the population of that time....
What Is Tuscan Landscaping? Tuscan landscaping is considered some of the most beautiful and distinctive in the world. This style combines formal garden design elements with a rustic sensibility and warm Mediterranean aesthetic. While grand formal gardens are seen throughout Europe, Italian gardens are unique for their emphasis on fruits and herbs integrated into the plantings, whether in pots, beds or along stone walls, or, famously, in grape arbors, a staple in Italian garden design....
If you’re wondering how best to utilize this space, here are some basic tips on what you should keep in your laundry room and how to organize everything to make washing and drying clothes convenient, easy, and maybe even enjoyable. Laundry Room Essentials Stock your laundry room with essential supplies: Detergent Bleach Dryer sheets Stain and odor removers Anything else you need to do your laundry Ironing and Sewing SuppliesKeep any products you use for other laundry room tasks, like spray starch for ironing or a sewing kit, if this is the place where you mend torn items....
You might keep these basic tools in a hall closet, a kitchen drawer, or in a handy toolbox or plastic box on a shelf in the entry or mudroom. It doesn’t matter where you keep them, as long as they’re easy to get at for quick home repairs. You’ll save lots of inconvenient trips out to the garage or down to the basement. Your in-home basic tool kit should include these basic do-it-yourself items....
