Here are some tips for caring for Christmas trees and how to keep your Christmas tree alive throughout the holidays. Caring for Christmas trees is important because the holiday season is synonymous with Christmas trees. Whether you’re a fan of classic pine, fir, or spruce, cut Christmas trees bring the magic of the holidays into your home. However, once a Christmas tree is cut, it begins to lose moisture and can quickly dry out. Proper care is essential for keeping your tree looking fresh and vibrant for weeks. Follow these simple yet effective tips to ensure your tree stays green, fragrant, and safe throughout the festive season. Editor's Note: Finding the right gift for a gardener or homeowner can be a challenge. Read our Best Gifts for Gardeners story for some great ideas. 1. Choose the Right Tree The first step in ensuring your Christmas tree stays fresh is to choose a healthy one. When shopping for a cut tree, look for: 2. Caring for Christmas Trees: Make a … [Read more...] about Caring for Christmas Trees: How to Keep Your Christmas Tree Alive Longer
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Windowsill Herb Garden: Best Plants and Growing Tips
Creating a windowsill herb garden offers the joy of fresh savory flavors and greenery indoors right in your kitchen. Growing a windowsill herb garden is an easy way to have fresh kitchen herbs right at your fingertips. Many herbs grow well in small pots and containers. They will thrive on a sunny windowsill in a kitchen or on a deck or patio. Most herbs prefer moist soil. But don’t let the soil get waterlogged. It’s best to grow them in a pot or container with a hole in the bottom that lets excess water drain away. A plant saucer underneath the pot will keep your herb pots from making a wet mess on your windowsill! Different Plant Types for Your Windowsill Herb Garden It’s important to decide which specific plant varieties to grow in a windowsill herb garden. But first, let’s take a moment to review the differences between annual, biennial, and perennial plants. These three plant types refer to the life cycle of the plants, which affects how they grow, bloom, and need to be … [Read more...] about Windowsill Herb Garden: Best Plants and Growing Tips
Grow Edible Houseplants and Potted Fruit Trees
When Martha Stewart needs advice about how to grow edible houseplants and potted fruit trees, she visits Logee’s Greenhouses in Danielson, Connecticut. The owners of Logee’s, Byron Martin and Laurelynn Martin, are experts on how to grow all kinds of fruiting, tropical, and rare plants. Their latest book, Edible Houseplants, is a guide to growing 46 edible and fruit-bearing plants inside a home, a greenhouse, or on a sunny patio. The plants featured in the book include citrus trees such as lemon, lime, and grapefruit. They also include advice on growing mangos, bananas, figs, guavas, vanilla vine, black pepper plant, and much more. The book contains colorful photos of each type of plant, along with complete guidelines for growing the plants. “Because of the Martins, I now grow my own oranges, lemons, grapefruits, limes, carambolas, coffee beans, calamondins, papayas, vanilla, passion fruit, figs, and guavas,” said home maven Martha Stewart. “I rely on them for advice about the … [Read more...] about Grow Edible Houseplants and Potted Fruit Trees
How to Install a New Bathroom Faucet
Install a new bathroom faucet with these easy tips and instructions. Are you building a new home? Maybe you’re renovating an outdated bathroom. Or perhaps you simply need to replace an existing bathroom faucet. This story will help you replace and install a new bathroom faucet. The good news: it’s not a difficult job. Most homeowners with some do-it-yourself (DIY) skills can install a bathroom faucet. We’ll walk you through the specific steps later in the story. You can also find some good YouTube videos that will show you the process. But before we discuss the replacing a bathroom faucet, let’s take a moment to quickly review the different types of bathroom faucets that are available. Most faucet replacements involve selecting a size and style that will easily fit the space and design of your existing equipment. Before You Install a New Bathroom Faucet: Identify Your Existing Faucet What kind of faucet are you replacing? There are several types of common bathroom … [Read more...] about How to Install a New Bathroom Faucet
Winter Houseplant Care Tips
Winter houseplant care tips include proper care and no feeding to keep your indoor plants healthy. Nearly everyone likes to slow down in winter, and this includes our houseplants. They may not lose all their leaves, but some houseplants go dormant during the winter. Even if they aren't dormant, the winter growth rate of indoor plants slows down--or even stops completely. As a result, houseplants need far less fertilizer and water to survive during winter. Winter houseplant care is easy for jade plants, African violets, ZZ plants, and other popular indoor plants. But the needs of most indoor plants are a little different from spring and summer. Follow these tips to keep your houseplants in top shape through the winter. Winter Houseplant Care Tips: Things to Do These three winter houseplant care tips should be on your To Do list during the coldest months of the year. They are simple, but they will make your indoor plants happier during the winter. Give Hibernating … [Read more...] about Winter Houseplant Care Tips