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All gas-powered engines need oil to run smoothly and to lubricate parts that will get damaged without it. Running your gas mower without sufficient oil is the quickest path to the junkyard. There are many different brands of oil to choose but your first consideration is the type of oil that works best for your mower. 2-Cycle Engines vs. 4-Cycle Engines Adding oil to a 2-cycle engine is an entirely different process than for a 4-cycle engine and there are a few 2-cycle lawn mowers still available to homeowners....

Why You Should Aerate Aeration is the antidote to the heavily compacted soil, which may be present on a lawn that gets very heavy foot traffic, or which is planted on a soil base that is heavy in clay content. It rarely is necessary where soils are on the sandy side. Core aeration is sometimes advertised as a solution to problems with thatch; however, it does not do much to relieve that problem if thatch is already present....

The Purpose Many people imagine that a bathroom vent fan serves the primary function of removing odors from a bathroom, but the more important function is actually to exhaust warm, moist air, such as that created from the use of a bathtub or shower. Warm, moist air not only encourages mold growth but also can cause damage to the fixtures and surfaces in a bathroom. If your bathroom doesn’t have a fan and it smells musty, you would be well advised to install one—and to check to make sure that serious mold growth hasn’t already begun....

Xeriscaping is not a style or category of garden design. It is a common sense guide to gardening in harmony with your site. It can be applied to any type of garden design. Why Is Xeriscaping Important? The obvious answer is that we only have a finite amount of water on Earth and some years even less than others. By grouping plants by their water needs, using mulch, and choosing drought-tolerant plants, you will be conserving water usage....

YETI specializes in durable outdoor products from drinkware and coolers to cargo boxes and camp chairs. To see if their line of ice packs lived up to the brand’s high standard of quality and performance, we put a 2-pound ice block to the test. Keep reading for our assessment of the YETI ICE’s durability, freezing time, and ability to stay cold in both indoor and outdoor environments. Size: A few to choose from The YETI ICE comes in three different sizes: 1, 2, and 4 pounds....

It is true, there are not many things that are as majestic as the color of a clonal stand of Quaking Aspen, blazing gold in their autumn glory. Likewise, the sight of a lone Japanese poplar, giving admirers of a field of wildflowers a shady respite in the afternoon sun. Of course, there are the streets, paths, and allées lined with poplars that create stately shade tree festooned walks and thoroughfares that pepper the globe....

Don’t give up and create a volcano of mulch around your trees. It is possible to plant under a tree if you choose wisely and start small. Follow these 10 tips to get plants established and happy growing under your trees.. Also, avoid damaging the bark at the base of the tree. Any injury is an invitation for disease and pests to find their way inside the tree. The main concern is that you want seedlings with small root balls, so you can squeeze them in without digging too wide or deep....

Bitter Apple Bitter Apple products act as a taste deterrent rather than a complete repelling agent around plants. The product is not rain proof, but it is excellent on house plants that cats like to nibble on, like your expensive orchids. Rose Branches Old rose branches don’t compost well, but they will make your cat think twice about making a shortcut through your prized dahlia stand. If you only need to exclude your cats from an area temporarily, such as a fresh patch of dirt, cover the canes with mulch afterwards to help them break down into the soil....

In an effort to ignite our own creative sparks, we turned to some of our favorite designers to ask: Where do you look for decor inspo? While each and every designer we asked said Pinterest is their top pick when it comes to searching online, their other go-to tools, tips, and tricks just might surprise and inspire you, too. Magazines, Old and New If you’re concerned about your magazine-hoarding tendencies, ​​Nicole Fisher of BNR Interiors says you can rest assured....

We rounded up a few items to stash your stuff while still maintaining a sense of style. One thing we know is true? No matter how much time you have left in summer, it’s never too early to get organized for the months ahead.

These DIY room sprays make wonderful gifts for the holidays, housewarming, hostess gifts, and more. Just about anyone would love to get one of these as a gift, and they’ll be touched that you made something homemade for them. What’s in a DIY Room Spray? A DIY room spray needs a few common ingredients to work. The base of the room spray is water, and many recipes use distillation to purify the water....

Wood Was Wet When It Was Painted If only the surface of the wood is wet, then only one sunny day is usually needed for drying before painting. If the wood is saturated, several sunny or windy days are necessary. Unfinished Siding Was Exposed to Weeks of Sunlight Sunlight degrades the unfinished wood surface. Thus it will never hold paint as well as fresh wood. If the unfinished wood is exposed more than three weeks of sunlight before painting, lightly sand or power wash the surface to remove the thin layer of degraded wood before applying paint....

These DIY chore charts are as simple or involved as you want them to be. There are projects here that make elaborate wall-mounted chore charts and other tutorials that are as simple as printing a piece of paper. Take a look at all of them so you can find which one your family will like best. Magnetic Chore Charts from Lemon Squeezy Home Free, Printable Chore Chart from Joyful Homemaking Pick a Chore Jar from Clean Mama Chore Dice from Delia Creates Dry Erase Clip Board Chore Chart from The 36th Avenue Chore Kits from Joyful Homemaking Family Photo Chore Chart from Delia Creates Chore Ring from Meaningful Mama Rotating Chore Chart and Chore Checklists from Tips from a Typical Mom Magnetic Chore Chart from Clarks Condensed Paint Chip Chore Charts from Mommy Moment Printable Chore Charts for Kids from I Should be Mopping the Floor Spinning Chore Chart from All Things Thrifty

Aeonium Arboreum ‘Zwartkop’Black ‘Bat’ orchidBlack Elephant’s EarBlack Mondo Grass Sweet potato vine (Ipomea) Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia numularia ‘Aurea’) Heuchera ‘Lime Rickey’ or “Dolce, Key Lime Pie” Euphorbia Cut-leaf elder (Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Gold’) Sedum makinoi ‘Ogon’

So how can you easily introduce plenty of functional lighting into your pint sized cooking space? We spoke with designers who weighed in on everything from the benefits of statement lighting to minimalistic solutions.

It may feel like storing items on walls will add to the clutter, rather than minimize it, but this really won’t be the case. Make use of that blank space, and you may be able to avoid the more disappointing alternative: having to toss some of your favorite (but not heavily used) kitchen gear. Making use of that blank space as storage will create less chaos in the rest of your kitchen and add another structure for organizing your stuff....

Instructions Tips Supplies You Need A basket, bag, or box to put clutter itemsA vacuum cleaner or broomA hamperA trash containerA toy box

Here are some easy-to-follow tips for choosing nursery colors. When choosing colors, it’s important to take your cues from the existing space. You may love deep, rich colors, but dark hues absorb light and can easily overwhelm a small room. Light colors, on the other hand, make a room appear bigger and brighter. Taking the room’s needs into consideration beforehand is the best way to make the most of your space....

USDA Zones: 3 to 8Color Varieties: WhiteSun Exposure: Full sun to partial sunHeight: 2 to 4 feet USDA Zones: 4 to 8Color Varieties: Bicolored (white with pink centers)Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sunHeight: 2 to 3 feet USDA Zones: 4 to 10Color Varieties: Ruby, pink, purple, red, and whiteSun Exposure: Full sun to partial sunHeight: 2 to 3 feet USDA Zones: 4 to 8Color Varieties: Bicolored (light pink with darker pink centers)Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sunHeight: 1....