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Christmas Cactus Care Tips With a little TLC, you can easily get a Christmas cactus to thrive and bloom year after year indoors. Light and Temperature Bright but indirect light is best for a Christmas cactus. It can tolerate a little direct light, but avoid direct light during the summer, when the sun’s rays are stronger and can burn the fleshy leaves. “If the stems begin to turn a reddish-purple color, this is an indication that it is receiving too much sun,” says Alfred Palomares, Resident Plant Dad for 1-800-Flowers....

How to Grow Water Lilies You don’t necessarily need a pond for growing water lilies; they’ll also thrive in a big tub like a stock tank on your patio. They grow from tubers planted in pots beneath the water and send up stems with rounded leaves and star-shaped blossoms that float on the surface. Water lilies bloom in a variety of colors including pink, white, yellow, and red. A good choice for beginners, hardy lilies are dependable and easy to plant....

After all, it’s not just about the food. Pulling it together requires at least one trip to the store (if not more) to ensure you’ve got everything covered. Fortunately, there’s no need to lose sleep over mounting receipts. We asked the experts for the lowdown on how to make Thanksgiving memorable without draining your bank account, and the good news is, it’s easier than you think. Get Inspired When it comes to occasion planning, knowing where to begin is often the hardest part....

Here’s how it works: Organize a group video call and choose an online game to play. There are dozens of interactive games available (like virtual bingo!), and being able to see your friends’ faces as you play will make you feel like you’re right there in the room with them. Here are some of the easiest (and most fun) games our editors have been playing online, along with our recommendations for video calls....

When ordering a window be sure to specify a jamb of the correct width. If your walls have 2x4 studs and 1/2-inch exterior sheathing, the jambs should be 3 5/8 inches wide (the extra 1/8 inch allows for imperfections). For a wall with 2x6 studs, a jamb width of 5 5/8 inches is correct. Unpack the window and inspect it before installing. Make sure all the weatherstripping is in good shape and the mechanisms and sashes operate smoothly....

Fortunately, tackling true topiary on your own is easy, as long as you know the basics. And it costs relatively little. Purchase a 6-foot topiary spiral tree like the one shown and you can expect to pay about $250. But shape one yourself – it takes only an hour or two – and it’ll cost about $50. Read on to learn how. How to Make Spiral Topiaries Spiral topiaries can be large (6 feet or more) or small (just 8x10 inches)....

Stovetop Popcorn Math: ½ cup popcorn kernels will make about 10 cups of popped popcorn. Cover the pan and cook over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally and partially lifting the lid to let steam escape.When the popping slows, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the popcorn to a serving bowl. Add salt and butter, seasoning blends, and/or candy toppers to your popcorn as desired....

Our Test Kitchen’s top tips on how to make scrambled eggs are simple: Use medium heat, have a little patience, and utilize the lift and fold technique. Stick to those pointers and cook light, fluffy scrambled eggs every time. So grab a skillet and the five basic ingredients, and get cracking! How to Cook Scrambled Eggs on the Stove The five basic ingredients are ones you likely already have on hand: eggs, milk, butter, salt, and black pepper....

The classic technique uses indigo dye to create a blue and white pattern that’s similar to modern tie-dye. While Shibori is typically used as a method of dyeing fabric, the look is easy to recreate on hard-boiled eggs. This spring, take a cue from the colors and patterns of this traditional art form to decorate eggs that will make a bold statement at your Easter brunch. If you use a food-safe dye, the finished eggs are totally safe to eat....

How to Cook Spaghetti It simply comes down to boil, cook, drain, and top, but our Test Kitchen has come up with a few tips and tricks to achieve the best results for making spaghetti. Step 1: Bring Water to a Boil Fill a large pot ($30, Bed Bath & Beyond) with plenty of cold water (use 3 quarts of water for every 4 to 8 ounces of dried spaghetti). If desired, add salt to the water for seasoning....

It’s easy to understand why people are so passionate about bearded irises. This very diverse group of plants offers gorgeous flowers. In addition to their long bloom time, bearded irises come in an incredible variety of colors and patterns. These plants get their name from a patch of soft bristles on the lower petals of the flowers. Where to Plant Bearded Iris These hardy perennials flourish in USDA Zones 3-9, where winter temperatures dip below freezing and let the plant go dormant before next year’s growth....

Planting Large-Cup Daffodils Large-cup and trumpet daffodils can deliver a color-rich spring flower show all on their own. Or pair them with other spring-flowering bulbs and you’ll create a landscape destination for passersby as well as for family members viewing the scene from inside the house. One option is to plant a skirt of low-growing bulbs at the base of lofty large-cup daffodils. Choose from these easy-to-grow petite planting companions: grape hyacinth, iris reticulata, scilla, and species tulips....

In general, the reliability of reblooming iris declines as you go farther north. Gardeners in Zones 3 and 4 may see little or no reblooming. In most types, the reblooming cycle is set off by cooler weather, so if your temperatures are tropical year-round, you may not see a second bloom. Also, some varieties won’t start reblooming for a couple of years. Where to Plant Reblooming Iris Plant reblooming iris in a sunny spot that gets shade later in the day....

Choosing Containers and Bulbs to Plant You can grow virtually any bulb in containers, and you can mix different types of bulbs together, too. In fact, it’s a lot like growing bulbs in the ground. Start with a container with drainage holes so that excess water can escape, and plant your bulbs in the fall. Most spring-blooming bulbs prefer well-drained soil and will rot and die if they stay too wet for too long....

How to Sauté Mushrooms For four side-dish servings, start with about 8 ounces (3 cups) of sliced mushrooms and 2 Tbsp. oil or butter. To sauté mushrooms: Test Kitchen Tip: Make sure not to crowd the mushrooms in the pan, or they’ll steam instead of sautéing. A single layer with space between the mushrooms is ideal. Also, be sure the pan you’re cooking in is large enough. Start with Clean and Dry Mushrooms The steps for cleaning mushrooms are the same for almost every type, except morels (learn more on our page about how to clean mushrooms)....

What causes tree girdling? Getting too close to the base of trees with your lawnmower or weedwhacker can damage enough bark to end up girdling a tree. It’s best to use a barrier around trunks or weed by hand around the base of your trees to protect the bark as much as possible. More commonly, trees are girdled by their own roots. Girdling roots often begin circling at the nursery when trees are growing in a too small pot....