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¼ cup sugar ¼ cup water

An Abundance of Plants The mission of the Better Homes & Gardens Test Garden® is to serve gardeners nationwide by providing garden-tested, firsthand information about plants, gardening methods, garden styles, projects, and ideas. The bounty of different plants and varieties in the Test Garden does just that. Within the 22 different garden spaces are hundreds of perennials, trees, and shrubs, plus a changing palette of annuals and bulbs. The Better Homes & Gardens editors and Test Garden visitors find new plants tucked into shady corners, sunny borders, and colorful containers all the time....

This sticky goodness isn’t only for eating and spreading; it can come in handy when baking mouthwatering desserts too. So now you have an excuse to pick up a jar and put it to good use with these recipes using marshmallow creme. (And, hey, if you don’t use the whole container, all the better for snacking!) Dulce de Leche Fluff Brownies Can you say: ultimate decadence? These brownies are a brilliant idea for what to do with marshmallow fluff....

When to Plant Cool-Season Vegetables Cool-season vegetables usually develop edible roots, stems, leaves, or buds, such as cabbage, onions, and potatoes. These crops grow best when soil temperatures range between 40°F and 75°F. Cool-season vegetables are unique in that their seeds germinate best in cool soil. They are usually planted as soon as the soil can be worked in spring. In most areas, that’s between 2-4 weeks before the last spring frost....

Blood Orange Small, round, with blushing orange-red skin, the blood orange is famous for its reddish-orange flesh that gets its color from the pigment anthocyanin. It has an intense orange flavor with hints of raspberry or strawberry. They can have some seeds. Try stuffing them for a fun treat. Best for: salads, compotes, and eating fresh In season: December to July Cara Cara Orange On the outside, Cara Caras look like bright-skinned navel oranges....

2 pita bread rounds 2 tablespoon olive oil 2 teaspoon snipped fresh oregano ¼ teaspoon kosher salt title: “White Bean Spread” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-04” author: “Kim Chandler” 2 pita bread rounds 2 tablespoon olive oil 2 teaspoon snipped fresh oregano ¼ teaspoon kosher salt title: “White Bean Spread” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-04” author: “Brittany Garcia”

1 16 ounce package powdered sugar (4-1/4 cups) 3 tablespoon meringue powder ½ teaspoon cream of tartar ½ cup warm water 1 teaspoon vanilla **Tip: Meringue powder is a mixture of pasteurized dried egg whites, sugar, and edible gums. Look for it in the baking aisle of your supermarket or at a specialty food store.

Woolly Stemodia Care Plant woolly stemodia in full sun or part shade and well-drained soil. Native to south Texas and northern Mexico, it thrives in heat and dry conditions. In the landscape, woolly stemodia tolerates reflected heat and light from rock and asphalt and is a good choice for planting places where few other plants will grow. Water plants well after planting and then only water during extreme drought. Overwatering causes woolly stemodia to take on a leggy, thin appearance....

The plant is considered lucky because of its association with the Chinese practice of feng shui—balancing yin and yang. Having a few stems of this dracaena in your home is said to increase chi, representing vital energy or life source. Here’s how to grow your own lucky bamboo and repot the cuttings to keep the good fortune coming. What Is Lucky Bamboo? Unlike true bamboos (which have roots in Asia), Dracaena sanderiana is native to Africa....

Best Storage Onion Varieties Properly stored, onions can last for months. The best storage onion varieties have a high sulfur content—they’ll really make you cry—and they have a strong flavor. Mild-flavored or sweet onion varieties will likely only keep for a few weeks. ‘Stuttgarter’, ‘Yellow Globe’, ‘Copra’, ‘Patterson’, ‘Redwing’, and ‘Ebenezer’ are a few storage varieties. Check with your local cooperative extension office to find out which varieties will grow best in your area....

Headroom, especially in a basement, may be at a premium. To make low flooring framing that will conserve headroom, lay pressure-treated 2x4s (sleepers) flat and cover them with 3/4-inch tongue-and-groove OSB underlayment or exterior plywood.

This type of preparation is for a door with two sets of boreholes and cross bores, one on top of the other, 5-1/2 inches from center to center. Both boreholes are 2-1/8 inches in diameter, with the cross bores measuring 1 inch in diameter. The back set measures between 2-3/8 and 2-3/4 inches from the edge of the door to the center of the cross bore. The thickness of the door should be between 1-3/8 and 1-3/4 inches....

1. Check the Forecast Larger pots should be fine if you’ll be gone for just two or three days, especially if rain is in the forecast. Give them a good soaking before you go. Set up a contingency plan for small pots that usually need daily watering, such as asking a neighbor or friend to stop by and give them a drink. You also could use a self-watering device that slowly delivers water from a reservoir....

How does kokedama work? You begin by mixing peat moss and bonsai soil, then slowly adding water until the compound adheres as a ball. This will be your base. Wrap the roots of a plant (we used a fern) in damp sphagnum moss, bind it in twine, and insert it into the soil ball. Finish it in sheet moss, with more twine to secure, and then spritz with water. Once your kokedama is finished, don’t feel limited to simply hanging it....

Editor’s Tip: Cutting blinds might void the warranty, so consider this before you begin. How to Cut Bamboo Blinds Learn how to cut bamboo blinds to fit the windows in your home. Below are the supplies you’ll need. Supplies Needed Bamboo blinds Painters tape Measuring tape Permanent marker or fabric marker Miter saw Straight edge E6000 permanent adhesive glue Cutting mat Utility knife How to Cut Bamboo Blinds That Are Too Wide This quick DIY project will fix bamboo blinds that are too wide for your window....

How to Make Decorative Clay Knots Supplies Needed Polymer clayKnifeBaking sheetOven Step-by-Step Directions Follow these simple how-to instructions to make your own set of polymer clay knot figurines. You should be able to complete this easy craft project in under an hour, but the shapes will need to bake and cool. Step 1: Prepare Clay To create these lasting knot decorations, we used inexpensive polymer clay. Polymer clay is easy to shape, durable, and once baked it won’t weaken or break....

Luckily, there’s an alternative, and you can easily make them at home. To make your own reusable paper towels, you’ll need a few kinds of fabric and basic sewing skills—we’ll walk you through the rest! No matter what you use them for, these reusable paper towels will quickly become your go-to tool in the kitchen. How to Make Reusable Paper Towels Supplies Needed 1 yard of flannel1 yard of waffle-woven cottonFusible interfacingPlastic snapsSnaps fastener toolThreadScissorsRulerFabric markerCutting matRotary cutterPinsIronSewing machine...