Keeping plants healthy and vibrant in the extreme summertime heat can be a daunting task, especially when breezy spring turns to stifling summer in the sunny South. But most who garden or enjoy plants want to ensure that their plants, whether indoor or outdoor, stay hydrated and healthy. No one wants to lose a beloved plant or vegetable, especially if there are simple steps you can take to set the plant up for having a successful growing life. Granted, there are some drought-tolerant plants that fare better than others in the heat of summer, but there are also some easy steps to take that can help most potted plants stay healthy. In fact, there is one specific step that inspires health in a plant, and it’s one step you don’t want to skip when potting your plants.

The One Important Step You Should Never Skip When Potting Plants

For many home gardeners, raised garden beds are a wonderful solution to their yard woes. Raised beds can help you incorporate the exact right soil for your picky plants or extend the amount of garden space you have. But not every plant will do great in a raised bed. Some...

10 Plants You Should Never Grow in a Raised Bed

There’s no strict timeline when it comes to watering an aloe plant. While once a week is a good parameter, it’s less about sticking to a strict schedule and more about keeping a close eye on your plant and checking the soil regularly. Aloe plants need to completely...

How Often Should You Water Your Aloe Plant? Experts Say Not As Often As You Think

Woman and Home

Why is my aloe vera plant drooping? And how do I make it perk up? We asked experts for their advice on easy and efficient ways to fix aloe issues

Why is my aloe vera plant drooping? Advice from houseplant experts

Ready to tackle that big pile of laundry? Depending on what you're washing, you may want to think about running a hot water load. Many garments can be washed in hot water, laundry pros say, and below, Hyacinth Tucker, owner of The Laundry Basket LLC, highlights five types of items in particular that will benefit from this type of care.

5 Items You Should Always Wash in Hot Water, According to a Laundry Pro

Sweet, juicy tomatoes are summer’s prize—in a fresh green salad, layered with basil and mozzarella and drizzled with balsamic, and on a simple slice of sourdough. So, if your tomato plants aren’t producing the bumper crop you expected, you might be tempted to nourish them with Epsom salt, a gardener’s secret weapon.

When to Use Epsom Salts for Tomato Plants—and When Not To

Real Homes

Knowing what flowers to plant in August isn't always so clear-cut. But that's why we called in help from pro planters —here's what they said to pot.

The 7 flowers to plant in August, according to gardening gurus

Bright red toadstools, funky jelly fungus, and rounded puffball mushrooms in lawn grass may look alarming. However, lawn mushrooms can be a sign that you have healthy soil. Mushrooms can help lawns grow better by breaking down organic matter and making soil nutrients more available to plant roots. Before we...

Are There Mushrooms in Your Lawn? They're Actually a Good Sign, a Gardening Pro Says

Kansas City, MO

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Kentucky Vibes.net

Disclaimer: This article was written with the help of A.I. software. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, known for his prowess on the football field, made a personal announcement during a press conference on Tuesday. The three-time Super Bowl champion revealed that he and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, are expecting their third child and that this will be their last.

Patrick Mahomes Reveals He's 'Done' Having Kids with Wife Brittany Mahomes After Baby No. 3

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing. I usually travel in spring and early summer, so I don’t always get around to starting my garden until summer is in full swing — maybe you can relate! To complicate matters, I sometimes plant my late-summer garden in a cold-weather region of France, where I live part-time, and sometimes in mild San Francisco. But this doesn’t bother me at all, since I have learned over the years that it is entirely possible to plant (and grow!) veggies and flowers in August, no matter what part of the country you call home.

I’m an Experienced Gardener, and Here Are 10 of My Favorite Things You Can Plant in August

It might seem like a no-brainer what you can pour down a drain, but not every liquid or viscous substance is suitable for household plumbing for a variety of reasons. Some can congeal in and clog up drains while others can damage the pipes, resulting in costly plumbing repairs and replacements.

Don’t Throw These Things Away—You Should Pour Them Down Your Drain, a Pro Says

SELF

If you’re traveling this summer, you might be worried about bed bugs crawling into your luggage and hitching a ride home with you. With all those creepy Paris infestation headlines circulating online last year and, more recently, reports of sightings in several Las Vegas strip hotels, it’s hard not to freak out.

I’m an Entomologist. Here’s How I Avoid Bed Bugs When I Travel

By the time August rolls around, most of the summer bloomers are winding down and feeling the heat. Very soon, autumn will be upon us, and once again, we will look toward preparing the garden for spring. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There are still some lovely fall-blooming flowers you can plant in August. These flowers will keep your garden blooming until frosts.

15 Fall-Blooming Flowers to Plant in August

NewsNinja

"They accidentally gave us 2 washers and a dryer when we only ordered 1 of each". Last month, Lowe’s experienced a glitch that lowered the price of its $2,300 Midea jumbo capacity refrigerator to just $169.

‘Lowe’s messed up’: Shopper says they got $2,300 fridge at Lowe’s for just $169

When opportunity knocks, dandelions answer. That’s one reason they’re such a common sight in landscapes far and wide. When you discover dandelions infiltrating your lawn, listen closely to what they are telling you to discourage the opportunistic weed and take action. “Dandelions are opportunistic invaders. If they are...

Got Lots of Dandelions? Here's What Your Lawn Is Trying to Tell You

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing. Although half of my closet space is occupied by bedding, once the hot summer temps hit a couple of months ago I somehow found myself without a suitable covering for the season. I owned either very thick winter blankets and comforters or throws so thin and lightweight they’re practically see-through. I desperately needed something in between — heavy enough to prevent me from shivering in my bed at night, yet airy for breathability. Without thinking twice, I hit up Silk & Snow’s website to check out its offerings. This brand was top of mind because it makes my favorite linen sheets, which have barely left my bed all summer, so I figured I could find an equally cooling and stylish bed covering there. Lo and behold, I clicked on the muslin coverlet and determined that it was exactly what I’d been looking for. And, just like my linen sheets, it hasn’t left my bed since I got it in July.

The Cooling Bed Blanket That’s Helped Me Sleep Comfortably Throughout This Brutal Heatwave (It’s on Sale!)

Homes & Gardens

Learn how to harvest hibiscus seeds with our comprehensive guide, including tips on timing and storage

How to harvest hibiscus seeds – expert tips to save and store seeds to grow more of your favorite plants next year

Real Simple

With a little TLC, you can help them flourish.

5 Reasons Your Roses Aren't Blooming—and How to Bring Them Back

An expert guide to avoid the troublesome situation of tomato plants not setting fruit

Why are my tomato plants not fruiting? 5 causes of blossom drop and how you can help pollination

Livingetc

All you need to do is seed once and enjoy the blooms for ages to come

6 Self-Seeding Plants You Should be Growing in Your Backyard for a (Mostly) Self-Sufficient Garden

NewsBreak

Should You Mist Succulents? Why a Plant Pro Would Never Do It

If you grow succulents, you might have marveled at how little water they need not only to survive but to thrive. However, you might wonder about...

Should You Mist Succulents? Why a Plant Pro Would Never Do It

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