10 NASA-Approved Air-Purifying Plants for a Healthier Home
Ever feel like the air in your home is stale, stuffy, or triggering allergies? You’re not imagining it. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air due to trapped toxins from furniture, carpets, household cleaners, and even paint (source).
17 Best Bedroom Plants for Clean Air & Low Light – NASA Study
Adding plants to your bedroom does more than just enhance its aesthetic appeal. Certain houseplants can help improve indoor air quality, increase humidity, and create a more inviting and tranquil atmosphere. But not all plants thrive in bedroom conditions. Some require more sunlight, while others need frequent care, making them impractical for a low-maintenance setting.
29 Seeds You MUST Refrigerate Before You Sow
Ever planted seeds that refused to grow—no sprouts, no tiny green shoots, just bare soil staring back at you? The problem isn’t your gardening skills. Some seeds won’t germinate at all unless they go through a cold period first—a process called cold stratification.
Why Your Christmas Cactus Isn’t Blooming and How to Fix It Fast
The Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera × buckleyi) is an attractive houseplant known for its vibrant, festive blooms that light up the winter season. Unlike many plants, this unique cactus thrives in the colder months, making it a popular addition to holiday decorations and a symbol of seasonal cheer.
Why Are Tree Trunks Painted White? The Surprising Reasons Behind It
Have you ever driven through a countryside road or strolled through a neatly maintained orchard and noticed tree trunks painted white? At first glance, it might seem like an odd decorative choice or some mysterious tradition. But there’s so much more to this simple practice than meets the eye.
Wild Black Raspberries: Growing, Foraging and Cooking
Wild black raspberries are delicious and nutritious fruits you often find in woodlands or along roadsides. The small, black-colored aggregate fruits have a sweet, slightly tart taste and a more robust flavor than red raspberries. Wild black raspberries can be consumed fresh, or used in making pies, jams, juices, or syrups. From their unique flavor to their health benefits, there are many reasons to incorporate wild black raspberries into your diet.
Beech Nuts A to Z: Gathering Tips & Gourmet Uses
Beech nuts are delicious and versatile nuts found on the forest floors of deciduous forests. They are easy to recognize by their distinctive spiky husks covering two small nuts. Beech nuts are usually ready for gathering in late fall. Although you can eat them raw, they are much tastier when cooked or roasted.
20 Low Light Succulents For Indoor Spaces
Low-light succulents are ideal indoor plants where rooms have poor lighting conditions. Succulents that grow in partially shaded conditions allow you to add greenery to indoor spaces despite a lack of sunshine or bright light. Shade-tolerant succulents include echeveria, mistletoe cactus, snake plants, and Christmas cactus. Some trailing low-light succulents like Burro’s tail and wax plants are ideal for hanging baskets.
Aloe Vera Flowers: Getting Your Aloe Vera to Flower Indoors and Outdoors
Getting your aloe vera plant to flower can be a tricky process. Aloe vera plants, with their thick, fleshy, evergreen leaves, are popular for their low-maintenance needs. But only a few people have enjoyed flowers on their aloe vera plants. The blooms look like clusters of tubular red, orange, or yellow flowers in a conical spike.
31 Cover Crops For Raised Beds
Planting cover crops for raised beds is a game changer if you grow vegetables or legumes. Cover crops help to enhance soil health, increase biodiversity, loosen soil structure, and sustainably boost crop yields. Also called green manure, planting cover crops on raised beds is helpful for small gardens and urban spaces. Crops like rye, barley, peas, and clover help fix nitrogen, add nutrients, and boost overall soil health.