Here are 6 essentials that will make your outdoor living space cozy and comfortable this winter The toasty-warm summer (perhaps even blistering) is behind us. Now is the time to think about getting your outdoor living space ready for winter. Are you looking forward to those crisper mornings and chillier evenings? Cooler weather is right around the corner! To get ready for the change in the season, start planning and creating that cozy outdoor living space that you can enjoy in the fall and winter. We have gathered our 6 essential elements for transforming your patio, deck, or courtyard into a winter outdoor living space. Use these tips and you can enjoy the autumn and winter outdoors while staying warm and comfortable. Plan Your Outdoor Living Space for Colder Weather The trick is to think of all the things that make your indoor living spaces intimate and cozy. Then, recreate that same feeling outside with seating, heating and accessories that are … [Read more...] about Tips for Winter Outdoor Living Space
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Tiny Space? Grow a Mini Indoor Garden!
A mini indoor garden is perfect for a small apartment or office space. You might have thought surrounding yourself with lush greenery was not be possible. Fortunately, there are creative ways to incorporate plants into your decor. One of the best ways is to create a mini indoor garden in tin cans or other containers. These miniature gardens make great gifts for yourself and others. Here's everything you need to make a mini garden for your tiny apartment. Choose your mini indoor garden plants You will need to be selective when choosing plants for your garden. Plants with shallow roots and minimal watering needs work best in this setting. You can buy succulent transplants or start from scratch with carefully chosen seed collections. Some of the best plants for miniature gardens include: Herbs - mint, thyme, lemon balm Grasses - dwarf mondo grass, sedge, alfalfa Others - Dwarf umbrella plant, tiny flowering plants Succulents, cacti, moss and creeping plants are … [Read more...] about Tiny Space? Grow a Mini Indoor Garden!
Eco-Friendly Dog Tips
Do you have an eco-friendly dog? The human members of your household are probably doing their part to reduce, re-use, and recycle. But what about your dog? Is your faithful canine friend doing his or her best to create a green planet and combat climate change? If you have never given any thought to how your pet pooch is impacting the Earth, now is a great time to start. Dog products are a big part of the cost of being a pet owner. Fortunately, it takes just a few minutes to choose an eco-friendly dog option for each aspect of your canine’s life. Eco-friendly dog products include environmentally friendly dog toys, eco-friendly dog poop bags, dog beds and more. Here are some great products and ideas that will help reduce your dogs’ carbon pawprints on Planet Earth. We've included links to the products mentioned below. As an Amazon Associate, Home Garden and Homestead earns a commission from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. Thanks for your support! Eco-friendly dog … [Read more...] about Eco-Friendly Dog Tips
7 Expert Tips on How to Care for Poinsettias
Poinsettias are the most popular potted plant during the holiday season. For millions of us, it's not the holidays without a few brightly colored poinsettia plants in our homes. That's why we all need some tips on how to care for poinsettias. Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are excellent plants for natural decoration, and they will easily look great throughout the holiday season with minimal care. Fortunately, they thrive in warm indoor growing conditions. To keep your poinsettia plants alive and well during the holiday season and beyond, just follow the expert tips on how to care for poinsettias listed below. If you follow these easy steps, your poinsettias will look healthy and happy throughout the holidays. Tips on How to Care for Poinsettias During the Holidays 1. Start out with healthy plants. When selecting poinsettias for your home or office, choose the plants that have lots of leaves. Avoid the plants that have dried out so much that the leaves are drooping—or … [Read more...] about 7 Expert Tips on How to Care for Poinsettias
Decorate with Simple, Sustainable Holiday Containers
What do you do with containers on your front porch or deck once you have yanked out those sorry-looking, frost-killed petunias? Now is the time to welcome the holiday season by decorating with holiday containers filled with seasonal arrangements of greenery and other natural material from your yard and landscape. It’s easy to forage for material from your property on or around your home for your holiday containers. With pruners in hand, I venture into roadside edges and woods and gather lichen-covered branches, fall-colored foliage, pine cones, and seed heads. All of these make amazing accents for my arrangements. Be sure to get permission from the landowner if you are roaming around to avoid anyone chasing you off their property! I always ask neighbors permission to browse on their property—and I promise them a beautiful holiday arrangement in return. Holiday Decor from Your Own Yard As a landscape designer, my first consideration in planting any tree or shrub … [Read more...] about Decorate with Simple, Sustainable Holiday Containers
