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When ingested, the leaves, nectar, seeds, and flowers of rhododendrons and azaleas are toxic to humans and pets. Rhododendron or Azalea? Rhododendrons and azaleas are often confused. Azaleas were once considered a separate genus of plants, but they were reclassified as genetically similar to rhododendrons relatively recently. Now, they are in the same genus. People tend to think of rhododendrons as large evergreen plants with big clusters of blooms and associate azaleas with smaller leaves and shorter plant habits....

Colorful Combinations Available in every color but the truest of blues, species tulips also offer a variety of petal types. You can tiptoe through the options and find many striking looks, including those that have contrasting colored centers when fully open. Most species tulips act like lily-type tulips, only fully opening on sunny days. At night, and on overcast days, the blooms stay closed. Tulip Care Tips Originating in rocky, mountainous terrain, species tulips are made to deal with droughts and won’t tolerate wet soils....

Cast iron pipes are very heavy and must be held in place with special clamps and framing members. When doing repair work on a cast iron pipe, it’s important not to disturb these clamps—if one weakens, a long section of pipe could come crashing down. In addition, some older cast iron joints were sealed with molten lead, but this does not pose a danger to your health because only wastewater passes through the pipes....

The handle is located at the top of the jigsaw, with a trigger switch to turn it off or on. The motor sits just under the handle, attached to the shoe, which is a flat metal base that extends a few inches past the front, sides, and back of the blade. The jigsaw blade extends down vertically from the body of the saw, through the shoe. When the jigsaw is plugged in and the trigger is squeezed, the blade moves rapidly in an up-and-down sawing motion....

At a minimum, winter coats should be washed once a year, at the end of the season, to remove environmental and body soils, stains, and odors prior to storing them. Washing coats twice a season is ideal. Some winter coats, like fleece or performance outerwear, can be washed more frequently, anywhere from biweekly to monthly depending on usage and factors such as visible staining or odor retention that indicate it’s time to wash the jacket....

While these options for how to wash lettuce can’t remove serious pathogens (cooking over 160° F should do the trick), washing greens is a food safety best practice if the vegetables are not already pre-washed. It will reduce the risk that you’re consuming dirt, of course, as well as any bugs, pesticides, or additional contaminants that got associated with your greens during harvest, transport, or handling. Read on for our Test Kitchen’s pro tips for how to wash lettuce in its most common varieties, be it iceberg, romaine, butter lettuce; tender greens like arugula or spinach; or sturdier leaves like radicchio, kale, or collards....

Tips Freeze cooled rolls in a labeled freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened ½ cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 5 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Each feathery frond’s rachis, or midrib, is typically a lovely burgundy color that transitions to smaller, gray-green leaflets of silver-white as they progress to the tips. They’re pieces of natural art and accent other garden plants beautifully—whether they act as a stand-alone star or as a soft complement to bold colors and textures in the garden. Japanese Painted Fern Care Must-Knows Most ferns can be more temperamental than your average garden perennial....

Follow our tips for preparing common succotash ingredients like corn, butter beans, country ham, butter, and cream. Use these tips on some of our favorite fresh corn recipes to make them even better! Try these other yummy veggie side dishes!

¼ cup butter 1 ½ cup sifted powdered sugar 3 tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon maple flavoring 1 ½ cup sifted powdered sugar

1 ¼ cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup 1 teaspoon milk