Posts

An entryway planting Corner plantings Plantings that bridge the gaps between these While this is the “classic” style, not all foundation plantings conform to it. Nonetheless, the classic style is a standard, from which people can either choose to deviate in creative ways or draw inspiration. Reason to Install Foundation Plantings Traditionally, shrubs were installed along a house wall to hide the raised concrete foundations that were prevalent at the time in some regions....

Botanically, the plants are classified as woody vines, although they often behave more like shrubs. In fact, they can easily be trained to grow as shrubs (see below). The foliage of these tropical flowers is usually evergreen in warm climates, but their leaves will sometimes drop if watering has been insufficient. Plant Characteristics These vines can attain a height and spread of 15-40 feet and contain thorns. What appears to be the flower on bougainvillea plants is actually a foliar structure referred to as a “bract....

Did your childhood dollhouse have solar panels? Didn’t think so. Well, the Hape All Season Dollhouse does, and we love it. But is it worth the price tag? We tested it for durability, design, and entertainment value to find out. Keep reading to see if it passed our test. Setup: Easier with two people Teamwork makes the dream work, right? In the case of the Hape All Season Dollhouse, it’s probably true....

This perennial has small, rounded leaves and clusters of slender stems, each holding multiple blue flowers with a distinct downward bell-shape. These one-inch long flowers end in five points. Their rounded, basal leaves wither early in the season, leaving the slender stems with their slimmer foliage and famous bell-shaped flowers. Though dainty in appearance, these plants grow in a wide range of less than favorable conditions including rocky mountain slopes, the edges of beaches, and open meadows....

Fragrance is one of the first features to come to mind when we think of flowers, yet it is often missing from gardens entirely. What would spring be without the enveloping perfume of lilacs? A rose just isn’t a rose without scent and Sweet Autumn Clematis lets us know the season might be winding down, but the memory will linger. One easy way to bring more fragrance back into your garden is with heirloom flowers, those old-fashioned open-pollinated plants that were garden staples for years....

If you are a bit more organized and are able to pick out a planter while picking out your plant and have a bunch of planters on hand at all time, well, kudos to you. For those of us who tend to think about them as an afterthought, The Spruce has got you covered. We spoke to some plant influencers to find out where they get their gorgeous planters. And the great news is that most of these places have amazing online shops so you can pick one up without ever having to let your plants out of your sight....

These problems can snowball and affect the rest of the house. One of the most effective ways to combat excess water is by creating a drainage system around your house called drain tile. What Is a Drain Tile System? Home drain tile refers to a drainage system around the perimeter of a home, either outside or inside. Drainage is accomplished with a series of long perforated tubes laid deep in the earth right next to the home’s foundation....

As it turns out, no matter what preferred plants were, the responses weren’t too different from each other. Of course, everyone has a personal preference, but the main things stayed the same. So if you’re looking for some tips on how to organize your own plant care supplies, take a look at how these pros keep theirs. Pick a Designated Spot When it comes to organization, everyone is different. “I would love to say I have a very organized garden, but that would be a massive lie,” says Joe Clark of @Joesgarden, a TikTokker with over one million followers....

Why Ducks Are Hard to Attract While there are many duck species all around the world, these birds have very specific habitat needs that are not typically met in a suburban yard or garden. Ducks require a relatively large individual range, and most duck species need large amounts of water in the form of marshes, lakes, or rivers that backyards cannot generally provide. When a birder’s backyard is adjacent to a nearby duck-friendly wild habitat, however, it is easier to attract visiting ducks to the yard....

Characteristics All thrushes are passerines, and these songbirds belong to the family Turdidae. Many familiar birds are thrushes, including the American robin, redstarts, bluebirds, the European robin, fieldfare, bluethroat, hermit thrush, and wheatears. Despite the popularity of these birds, however, many of them are often shy and scarce in developed areas. They would be welcomed by many backyard birders, however, for their clear, flute-like songs and insectivorous diets that can help minimize lawn and garden insects, including beetles and grubs....

If you hire a self-service mover instead of hiring a full-service moving company, you are responsible for making sure everything you want to be moved is properly packed. Even if you usually have your things wrapped, sometimes things get missed because you forget, you run out of time, or you just don’t know that it should be wrapped. Sometimes your moves will accommodate you, but many times they’ll charge you extra to wrap the items themselves before placing it on the truck....

Amaryllis plants have strappy leaves and huge flowers shaped like trumpet lilies. The blooms are typically a deep red, pink, white, or blend of these colors. You can expect your amaryllis to bloom for seven weeks or longer. Be aware that the amaryllis has toxic qualities in the bulbs, leaves, and stems for both people and pets. Spring and Summer Indoor Amaryllis Care To bring your amaryllis care indoors, partially fill a 5- to 7-inch pot with a quality, well-draining sandy loam potting mix....

Start at one end or corner of the carpet and work toward the other end to avoid missing areas. Use short, quick strokes. If debris begins to pile up, sweep it into the dustpan before you reach the end of the job. When using a broom and dustpan to clean a carpet, plan on dusting after the carpet is cleaned. Using a broom will cause dust to become airborne and float freely in the air, resulting in the need to dust furniture and shelves as a final task, but do so after the dust has settled back down....