House & Garden 2024, November

Orchids have become very popular plants, and an ornament that can be seen in many homes. In flower shops and greenhouses, a wonderful variety of these special flowers can be found today. In nature, wild orchids usually grow on tree trunks, their roots are exposed to the sun, air and water.

There is something magical about orchids, don't you think? Their sleek necks and glowing petals are the stuff of old forest scenes, yet they thrive in a low-maintenance home setting. Changing the pot to orchids prevents the roots from becoming too dense, favoring the production of beautiful buds for years and years to come.

Do you have an orchid that looked good when you bought it, but has now stopped blooming? Or maybe you bought it already suffering in the gardening department of the supermarket because it was on offer and now you would like to recover it? Reviving the Phalaenopsis orchid is pretty simple and you can be rewarded with gorgeous blooms in just a few months.

The jade tree (Crassula ovata) is a succulent plant and, like all succulents, it is easy to care for and to grow; for this reason, it is a very common choice among gardeners. It does not need a lot of water and can live for several years; moreover, it is possible to grow it from small cuttings.

Although ants are somewhat annoying, they don't actually cause any harm to potted plants. These creatures are attracted by the sweet-honey-flavored secretions left by other insects present in the soil, such as aphids and scale insects; fire ants like to nest in plant pots and hide in foliage.

From rose cuttings it is possible to successfully obtain new and beautiful specimens. As with many other plants, it is also important for rose cuttings to choose a sunny place with moist soil to plant them. By cutting strong, healthy branches right above a leaf stage you will achieve optimal growing conditions.

Sunflower seeds are easy to harvest, but you will need to wait until the flower has completely dried if you want the harvest to go smoothly. The sunflower flower can be left to dry on the stem or inside the house. Either way, you will need to protect the seeds during the process.

Orchids are exotic plants that produce beautiful flowers. Phalaenopsis, also known as moth orchid, is the most common variety, but there are many different species. With proper care, most orchids bloom at least once a year; each species has slightly different needs to grow and bloom, but the variables are always the same:

Proper pruning of hydrangeas allows you to have beautiful, healthy, regular shaped plants with regular blooms, year after year. Not all hydrangeas need to be pruned at the same time of the year, so it's important to evaluate their variety and flowering period.

Growing an aloe vera plant is very simple, while planting it can be a little more complicated. Unlike other succulents, it is difficult to reproduce aloe vera from a single leaf: the chances of it generating roots and growing healthy are slim.

Is your oscillating fan dirty or noisy? Follow these steps to clean it, and it will be clean and quiet again in no time! Steps Step 1. Unplug the fan from the power outlet Step 2. You have to remove the front protection grille;

Internal air ducts require regular cleaning to ensure best performance and maximum effectiveness. If they are dirty they can hold viruses, bacteria and other potential germs, which are harmful to health. In addition, the dust and the accumulation of dirt that flows through the air ducts circulates the dust that can potentially damage or soil furniture, electronic devices and even clothing.

Humidifiers are very useful in treating respiratory diseases and dry skin, and help babies sleep better. Humidifiers that are not cleaned properly can spread bacteria in the environment, so it is important to use an appropriate technique to clean them often.

The truth is that everyone happens to find themselves with unsightly spots under the armpits. However, it is possible to save your favorite shirt from the dustbin - try this article's tips to get rid of stubborn yellowish stains and learn how to avoid ruining your wardrobe in the future.

Knowing how to pour concrete can help you save a few dollars when you decide to do some work on your home. You can use the tools you have in the shed or garage; it is not necessary to have special tools to do small jobs. Casting the concrete requires a bit of muscle as it is quite heavy.

These hardy, easy-to-grow annual flowers brighten up any garden with their large, theatrical corolla. Sunflowers can grow from 60cm up to 4.5m tall, depending on the variety, and their seeds can make for a tasty snack. Follow these instructions to learn how to plant, grow and harvest their seeds.

Polyester is a tough material that hardly shrinks. This is a great feature if you plan to use the dryer, but a little less if the garment is too big. However, by putting in time and a little effort, you can effectively shrink your synthetic dress.

Learn to take care of your leotard by washing it properly at home, saving money on laundry and making it last longer. Steps Step 1. Keep the labels on the garment Follow the washing instructions, which may differ from the steps in this article.

Are you moving to a smaller place? Over time, we tend to accumulate things, many things. We have drawers full of objects, gifts that we have never used (and never will use), accessories that we don't need but that we keep "in case of …"

Molds are a real problem when they appear in your home. Sometimes you can see them, in other cases you can't; sometimes they are black, other times they are white. While you can buy specific products to fight mold, there are substances that we all have at home that can be effective in doing a good job, if not even better.

Watermelon or watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a climbing plant with large ridged leaves. It loves hot climates and when it takes root it can thrive without needing too much care. Sowing generally takes place in spring, but it is advisable to consult the local calendar for more details.

The mango tree is one of the easiest to grow from seeds and is very easy to care for. The size and flavor of the fruit depends on the variety you choose. Taste the fruits before starting the process, if you have the way. Depending on the climate, the tree can grow from 9 to 20m and survives for hundreds of years.

Fragrant and delicious, rosemary is a wonderful plant that you can grow yourself, indoors in a pot or outside in the garden. It is generally not difficult to care for, and once established, this woody, perennial shrub will thrive for years. Read on to learn how to plant, grow and harvest rosemary.

If you live in an area with a climate suitable for growing the mango tree, you can decide to plant it and grow it yourself to enjoy its delicious tropical fruits rich in vitamins. With a little time and patience, it won't be difficult to get a mango tree straight from the seed.

Growing your own apricot tree (Prunus armeniaca) is a real pleasure. After a few years of planting in a sunny spot, you can start picking delicious fruit that is as good as the ones you find in stores, if not more! You can plant a store-bought sapling or prepare the seeds from the fruit yourself, but either way it takes a lot of sun, careful pruning, and the clever use of pesticides to make healthy and delicious apricots.

It is quite common to find blood stains on the sheets and certainly not for a murder. It is not uncommon for people to suffer from nosebleeds, scratch an insect bite in their sleep, blood oozing from a bandage, or feminine sanitary pads do not do their job perfectly.

Indelible ink is difficult to remove from smooth surfaces, but despite the name it is by no means indelible. You can remove the stains from most markers of this type with normal household substances, such as vinegar or toothpaste. Before moving on to more aggressive solutions, such as bleach or nail polish remover, try them on a hidden area of the object you want to clean;

Have you stained the sofa or your favorite shirt with enamel? Do not worry, it is not an indelible stain! In fact, enamel is removed from fabrics quite easily compared to other types of substances. Read on to learn how to remove nail polish from clothes and upholstery.

Sooner or later it sure happens: someone places a glass on the wooden table and, before you can put a coaster on, a ring appears on the surface. If you don't want to spend a fortune finishing your furniture, you can learn some inexpensive ways to get rid of stains.

An indelible marker leaves a mark that is difficult to remove, precisely because it was designed to be indelible. If you want to get the ink of a permanent marker off your kitchen counter, leather or fabric, you will find several ways to do this in this article.

Maybe you want to erase a bad grade from your math test sheet, or you want to remove marginal notes on the pages of a used book; if, on the other hand, you are an artist who uses pen and ink, you must learn to correct a mistake in your work.

Did you have friends for dinner and someone spilled the plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce on the table, soiling the clothes and the tablecloth? What can you do now to get rid of the stains? Most sauces and similar preparations are based on tomato and oil;

The various methods of removing blood stains from the interior of the car are more or less effective depending on the material of the upholstery. When it comes to blood, action must be taken promptly, as a dry spot is more difficult to clean.

Do you have tar or bitumen stains on your clothes? If it is possible to wash your garment in the washing machine, you can choose at your discretion the cleaning techniques described in this article to remove marks, stains, fragments or particles of these materials.

Once you get ink on a shirt or other piece of clothing, you may feel like you won't be able to get rid of the stubborn stain. While it takes a lot of effort to get rid of these types of patches, there are ways to get them out of clothes of any material.

Did a few drops of paint fall on your favorite shirt? Have you accidentally leaned against a freshly painted wall? Regardless of how it happened, you will have to deal with a stubborn stain of paint on your clothing. If the color has not yet been absorbed by the fibers, you must act promptly, because once it dries it will become a very difficult task to remove it.

A dried blood stain on a fabric can be removed, although it can be quite a challenging job when the garment has already been washed in hot water or placed in the dryer. There are many methods of attempting to recover the stained fabric; some require the use of kitchen or laundry detergents, while others are more aggressive.

Does the house heater stay cold even with the heating on? Does your car's engine temperature exceed normal operating limits? In both cases there may be air pockets that prevent normal water / fluid recirculation. Fortunately, this is a common and easily solved problem.

If you happen to spill some paint on a leatherette surface, you can remove the stain in a number of ways. If it's still fresh, take a paper towel and soak up most of it. Then, clean the rest with a water-based and dish soap solution. If it is dry paint, you can remove it by scratching or using a brush before applying the water and dish soap.

If the tip of the screwdriver continues to slide on the head of the screw, you need to increase the friction or the force of rotation. There are many simple ways to get a better grip using common materials. For really tightly fitting screws, you have to rely on special tools, many of which are widely available and inexpensive.