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Hybrid hellebores Helleborus x hybridus includes a large number of hybrid strains. The leathery evergreen leaves are composed of 7-11 leaflets, often toothed along their margins. Several nodding bowl-shaped flowers in an ever-expanding range of colors (except blue) appear very early in the season. Zones 6-9 Hellebore Companion Plants Hosta This plant, hardly grown 40 years ago, is now one of the most commonly grown garden plants. But hosta has earned its spot in the hearts of gardeners—it’s among the easiest plants to grow, as long as you have some shade and ample rainfall....

¼ cup butter, softened 2 ⅔ cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoon milk ½ teaspoon vanilla Chocolate-Covered Cherry: Use chocolate cake mix, Almond Frosting, semisweet or dark chocolate, and chocolate-flavored candy coating for dipping. Before freezing the mounds of dough in Step 2, form each mound around a well-drained maraschino cherry. Cookies and Cream: Use white cake mix, Basic Butter Frosting, and vanilla-flavored candy coating and white baking chocolate for dipping. Stir 1 cup crushed chocolate sandwich cookies with cream filling into crumbled cake....

¼ cup honey ½ cup olive oil 2 lemons, juiced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs Pickled Chiles and Peaches: 1 serrano or jalapeno chile, seeded and thinly sliced ¼ medium red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons 1 cup water ½ cup apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoon kosher salt 3 ripe peaches, halved, pitted, and sliced, or 1 pound frozen sliced peaches, thawed...

To Make Dough in a Food Processor To make dough in a food processor, pulse two or three times to combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt. Add butter and cream cheese; pulse 10 to 15 times or until mixture looks like coarse meal. Add vinegar and 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp. water; pulse five more times. Turn dough out into a bowl and form into four balls. Wrap individually and chill 1 hour....

Hot Pomegranate Cider: Prepare as directed, except reduce apple cider to 6 cups and add 2 cups pomegranate juice and 2 Tbsp. grenadine. Substitute pomegranate liqueur for the Calvados (if using). Serve with pomegranate seeds. Per serving: 111 cal., 0 g fat, 0 mg chol., 21 mg sodium, 27 g carb., 0 g fiber, 24 g sugars, 0 g pro. Earl Grey Cider Toddy: Prepare as directed, except reduce cider to 6 cups and add 2 cups water....

This step-by-step guide features a budget friendly DIY with dollar-store plates. Each plate will have a unique look by creating an organic geometric pattern. However, you can repeat the technique on most items. However, note that gold leaf is not food safe. Any plates you DIY shouldn’t be eaten off of, but used solely as a decorative item. How to Apply Gold Leaf Use our step-by-step guide to decorate your DIY projects with gold leaf....

This guide offers instructions for how, and how often, to perform routine cleaning, and what cleaning methods to avoid damage to the hide. It also covers how to remove stains when they occur, and how to deep-clean cowhide rugs to make them last for years. Care Basics for a Cowhide Rug It might surprise you to learn that cowhide rugs are relatively easy to maintain—so easy, in fact, that they are among the easiest types of rugs to care for....

How to Clean a Dryer Vent and Remove Lint If you’ve ever taken clothes out of the dryer and found they were still damp, you might be dealing with lint buildup. Your dryer will run much more efficiently if air can flow easily. Removing lint, which is highly combustible, also reduces the risk of fire. Take these steps to help keep your dryer lint-free. What You Need BrushFabric softener sheetVacuum cleaner Vacuum crevice attachment (optional)Dryer vent cleaning kit...

Refer to the carpet manufacturer’s guidelines before cleaning the carpet. Then use our instructions below for the best carpet cleaning tips. We’ll show you how to clean carpets using water extraction, dry extraction, rental carpet cleaners, and more. Before Getting Started: Test Carpet for Colorfastness Before you begin cleaning carpets, the first step is to test colorfastness. Colorfast carpet won’t bleed, fade, or change when cleaning it or removing stains....

Cabbage is available in several varieties—such as Napa, savoy, and red—with the round green type being the most common in American markets. Cabbage isn’t just economical; it’s also a good source of fiber, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. When shopping for cabbage, select a head that is heavy for its size, brightly-colored, and free of brown spots and withered leaves. Store cabbage in the refrigerator for one to two weeks....

How to Prepare Lobster Tails Thinking about preparing lobster tails for cooking might seem a bit intimidating. And if we’re being totally honest, it will require a little prep work before cooking. But not to worry, that’s why we’re here to help make the process as easy as possible. Generally, you’ll need to cut open the hard top shell. From there, some recipes (such as our recipe for boiling lobster tails, below) call for opening the shells to expose the meat....

With enough servings for a family, plus a round of leftovers (most of our turkey breast recipes serve 8 to 12), cooking turkey breast is a smart choice for Sunday dinners or an intimate Thanksgiving menu. How to Cook a Turkey Breast 3 Ways Here’s our complete guide to the three best options for cooking a turkey breast, including in the oven, in a slow cooker, and in a pressure cooker, such as an Instant Pot....

The good news is that the price tag of an outdoor renovation project is, in many ways, in your hands. It will be based mainly on what you set out to create and how you decide to accomplish the work. Options range from embarking on a DIY effort that costs a few thousand dollars to hiring professionals to create something with luxury-style glam on a much larger budget. “You can spend $500 to $2,000 for simple DIY improvements like fixing the lawn, planting shrubs, or building a pea gravel or concrete paver patio....

So why, exactly, are victory gardens making a comeback now? First, the pandemic started right at the time of year when many of us are itching to get outside planting after a long, cold winter. Second, gardening is an excellent activity to do with kids, and with schools closed, it’s a perfect time to teach them a new skill while getting fresh air. Lastly, gardening tends to surge in every recession or economic downturn; it happened in 2008-2009 and is happening again now, says Diane Blazek, executive director of the National Garden Bureau (NGB)....

Types of Garlic Garlic, a member of the genus Allium, is a relative of onions, leeks, and chives. Exceptionally tolerant of cold temperatures, garlic can be grown outdoors year-round in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-7. Outside of these areas, some extra precautions for cold and warm temperatures can be beneficial. There are two kinds of garlic to choose from, softneck and hardneck. Their flavors are similar, but your growing conditions may dictate which one works best for your area....

My Perfect Cup To make iced herbal tea, pour nearly boiling water over two bags of black (or green) tea and add a tablespoon or more of fresh or dried leaves like mint or lemon verbena, a lesser amount of tulsi, and a pinch of lavender (too much can taste like soap). After a few minutes, pour into a pitcher and fill with water. For a noncaffeinated version, hold the tea, add more herbs, and let it steep a little longer....

Wheatgrass can be grown in water but it’s usually grown in a container filled with potting soil. You can sow seeds directly into the soil, but they get a head start when first sprouted in a jar. How to Sprout Wheatgrass Pour the wheatgrass seeds into a 1-quart glass jar. Add filtered room-temperature water, cover the opening with the lid, and shake to thoroughly rinse the seeds. Carefully drain the water using a strainer or a cap with tiny holes....

There are many different types and thicknesses of conduit. EMT (electric metallic tube, also called thin-wall) is strong enough for most interior home installations. Outdoors, use IMC (intermediate metal conduit) or PVC conduit. Codes have detailed rules regarding conduit size, but generally, 1/2-inch conduit is large enough for five or fewer wires; 3/4-inch conduit is used for more than five wires. When in doubt or if you might run more wire in the future, buy the larger size—it doesn’t cost much more....

How to Make Marbled Painted Plates Supplies Needed Drop clothRubber gloves8-inch-deep basinGlossy spray paintSkewerAssorted white plates, washed and driedClear acrylic spraySuperglueD-ringsDuct tapePicture hanging hooks Step-by-Step Directions Cathryn stuck to blue for this project but has experimented with multicolor versions since. One of her favorite combos involves spraying purple, gold, and green paint onto water, quickly swirling, then dipping plates as she did for these. Step 1: Dip Plates Protect your work surface with a drop cloth or towels....