An area rug lets you showcase the beauty of your hardwood floors while keeping some softness underfoot. An area rug or two can help you define different spaces in your living room. An area rug is easier to remove for cleaning and maintenance. You can bring an area rug with you to your next home. You can relocate an area rug to another room within your home. Depending on the type of area rug, it can be more affordable than broadloom....
The Bradford pear was developed as the “perfect” street tree for its long lasting autumn color and spectacular spring display of white blooms. An early bloomer in temperate regions, the flowers do not include the pleasant fragrance of many early blooming ornamental trees. They also bear tiny pears, which, while not especially ornamental, do serve as food for wild birds. Nonetheless, it’s a fact that these flowering trees are highly problematic....
Identifying Carpenter Ants The carpenter ant is one of the largest ant species in the U.S., but seeing a large ant does not necessarily mean you have carpenter ants—and seeing only small ants doesn’t mean you don’t! This is because the different “castes” (workers, soldiers, queen, etc.) and sexes of carpenter ants can be very different in size. For example: Workers are only about 1/4 to 5/8 inch in length and are the most commonly seen....
Some species in this group have fragrant flowers followed by berries. The moderate-growing plant will produce white, pink, or pale lavender flowers that are cup-shaped and sweet-smelling. They bloom in early summer and then small berries will appear after the flowers. It’s more typical for flowering to occur in outdoor varieties, but flowers can appear on houseplants. If you plant cordyline outside, do so in the spring. Note that this plant is toxic to dogs and cats....
Pet Birds and Emotions Pet bird owners have an opportunity that birders rarely see: they can bond extensively with their pets. Through those bonds, they grow familiar with their birds’ unique moods and emotions, from stress and loneliness to joy and excitement. That familiarity leaves no doubt that pet birds can and do feel emotions. Without as much intimate interaction with wild birds, however, it can be difficult to see the same emotional depth in backyard birds....
Dehumidifiers are particularly helpful if a room in your home has a musty smell, you notice condensation build-up on windows, or if the food in your pantry goes stale quickly. These devices remove excess moisture from the air, which can be helpful to those living in a warmer climate, an older building, or rooms that have issues with mold and mildew growth. Over time, our damp bathroom had started to get visible water damage on the walls from condensation, so we decided to try Eva-dry’s Edv-1100 Electric Petite Dehumidifier to see if it could stand up to the moisture....
A variety of methods have been introduced to make window air conditioners more energy-efficient, including high-efficiency compressors and fans, and installation and mounting methods that give a tighter fit and are better insulated. As another measure to increase energy savings, many newer window air conditioners have an energy-saver setting that turns the blower fan on and off automatically during operation. Old Air Conditioners vs. New A principle difference between new energy-efficient air conditioners and older models is in how the units control the blower fans....
If you have room for a bucket or shoebox, then you have room for a worm bin in your home. This is perfect for urban dwellers who may not have space for a compost tumbler or other large device. Making a worm bin is just as easy as it sounds: combine a few simple ingredients and add some easy to buy worms. You will then have a place to add your kitchen scraps and turn them into luscious fertilizer for anything you grow....
Indoor/outdoor rugs face the formidable challenge of needing to looking impeccable while standing up to outside traffic and the elements. They need to withstand the demands of a living room as well as the rain, sun, and everything else mother nature can bring. On top of that, they should be simple to clean, easy to move around, and feel good underfoot. Read our review of the Fab Habitat Reversible Rug to see if it rises to the challenge and if it is truly fabulous....
FCMP Outdoor’s best-selling IM4000 Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter features two separate sides strategically designed for “quick compost turnaround.” For those looking for a way to reduce their waste and live more sustainably by turning leftover food into nutrient-rich, natural fertilizer, an outdoor composter is both an easy option and a long-term investment in recycling. Sturdy construction and a compact size allow the FCMP Outdoor Tumbler Composter to fit neatly in your backyard, while its tumbling design breaks down food quickly and requires minimal work on your part....
Why Tell These Families Apart? Sparrows (family Emberizidae) and finches (family Fringillidae) are very similar. And both families have many different birds that even more advanced birders may simply classify as little brown jobs when the field marks aren’t clear enough for a positive, distinct identification. There are subtle differences between these families, however, and birders who learn the proper jizz to tell finches and sparrows apart can better appreciate the gentle differences that make each bird unique....
For those living on their own, it is easier to maintain smaller spaces. In keeping with that, a simpler, more efficient way to furnish is required. Smaller spaces need to be free of clutter, as it can go beyond being simply unsightly to creating safety issues. If not contained, clutter can be downright dangerous and cause falls. To create a space that is functional as well as visually pleasing, look for furniture that is better suited to their changing needs....
Garlic should be planted in the fall, about a month or so before the first frost. Harvesting garlic is not an exact science. It will grow slowly over the next nine months or so and will deliver a bountiful harvest by mid-spring or summer. Garlic is known to be toxic to animals. When planting in fall, start as soon as the soil temperature has dropped to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If you wait too long, the roots will not be able to prevent the plants from heaving upward when the soil freezes....
The Gravity Blanket calls itself the “world’s most popular weighted blanket,” which may be true if they have sold the most weighted blankets in the world, but is it the best? The Gravity Blanket, like other weighted blankets, are growing in popularity for their ability to reduce anxiety. With so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide on one, so we put a couple to the test, including this one, to see if we’d recommend it to you....
Typically, a ground cover plant is some form of a low-growing ornamental perennial plant, but there are also some creeping shrubs that can serve this function, as well as ornamental grasses or self-seeding annuals. Ground Cover for Landscape Ground cover plants are often chosen for aesthetic considerations, such as to introduce new colors or textures into a landscape. Or they can be chosen for practical purposes to cover ground where turf grass does not thrive or is not practical....
Choosing a Garden Pot Tomatillos are big, sprawling plants. They also need lots of water. To have the best chance for success growing tomatillos, get the biggest container you can and fill it up with a good quality potting soil. You’ll want to use a large pot, because the more potting soil you use the better the moisture retention will be, and the happier the plant. You can use almost any container that that is big enough to hold at least a cubic foot of soil and that has drainage holes....
How Does Water Become Hard? Although rainwater is pure when it falls from the sky, as it flows from the surface into aquifers, it absorbs minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium. This absorption changes it from soft to hard water. The amount of mineral content that water contains determines the hardness level of the water. Water hardness is commonly measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L) or grains of mineral per gallon (GPG)....
