Most of your home’s receptacles should be grounded. If they’re not, learn four different ways to add this safety feature. If you have an older home, you’ll need to verify that your electrical outlets are grounded. Credit: Stacy Zarin Goldberg No matter the method, it’s important that the ground circuit provides an unbroken path to the earth. Ground wires must be firmly connected at all points. And if conduit or sheathing is used as a ground path, connections must be tight....

Find out how to grow your own bay leaf plant to add just-picked leaves to your favorite recipes. Its also a traditional ingredient in bouquet garni. Not all chefs agree that bay leaves add a depth of flavor to dishes. Credit:Dean Schoeppner Typically, the leaves are discarded before serving. Where to Plant a Bay Leaf Plant Bay leaf needs plenty of sun to flourish. When planting it outdoors, choose a location with sunlight and space to grow....

Vitex or chaste trees produce clouds of stunning purple flowers in summer. They are typically violet-blue but may be purple, pink, or white. Both flowers and leaves have a distinct spicy fragrance. Credit:Jean Allsop Several varieties have a more compact size better suited to smaller gardens. Where to Plant a Chaste Tree This heat-loving plant needs full sun to grow its best. It prefers slightly acidic to neutral, well-drained soil....

Where to Plant a Chia Plant Chia plants are cold-sensitive annuals native to Central America. They grow best in warm climates, such as the southeastern U.S. orUSDA Hardiness Zones 8-11. The seeds are ready to be harvested in about 120 days. Credit: sherjaca/Getty Images Scatter the seeds over the planting area and barely cover them with soil, no thicker than 1/4 inch. There is no need to soak the seeds before planting....

Yes, you’ve got the option to grow figs in a container in even the coldest climates. Figs are some of the easiest and most scrumptious fruit that you could grow at home. The answer is to grow a fig tree in a pot. Credit:bin zhu / Getty Images Planting in too large of a pot right away can cause drainage issues and often results in overwatered plants. Because it stays so small, this plant can easily be kept in pots and it rarely needs pruning....

Growing a lemon tree (or any citrus tree, for that matter) from seed is easy. If you would like to harvest homegrown lemons, start with a lemon tree from a nursery. This way you won’t damage the seeds. Credit:Dean Schoeppner Use your hands to separate the lemon into segments split launch the individual slices. Citrus seeds have a hard outer seed coat, but they are easily sliced with a sharp knife....

Ted Betz Growing lemonsin a container is easier than you may believe. Fleming cares for the potted citrus and other tropical plants in the nations garden. Matthew Flemingis the lead horticulturist for tropical plants at the Smithsonian Gardens in Suitland, Maryland. Credit:Ted Betz But thats if you put them in a 3-foot wide pot. you’re free to get two crops out of them, Fleming says. Use a terra-cotta planter. Lemons are very particular about their roots, and they dont like wet feet, Fleming says....

A mountain mint plant will draw butterflies and bees but repel deer and rabbits from your garden. It’s also a fantastic pollinator plant, thanks to its silvery white flowers. Heres everything it’s crucial that you know about growing mountain mint plants in your garden. Credit:Rob Cardillo Where to Plant Mountain Mint Mountain mint grows best in full to partial sun inUSDA Zones4-8. Grow it inwell-draining soilinraised beds, containers, or the ground....

Here’s how to grow your own peach tree from seed. Here’s what to do if you’d like to try growing it into a tree. Step 1. Credit: Bob Stefko Dry out the peach pit. Remove any remaining fruit from the pit. Allow the pit to dry for three to four days. It must be completely dry to crack it open with ease. Step 2. Remove the seed from the pit....

Most pineapples you find in a grocery store come fromtropical regions. Gardeners in other zones can only grow indoor potted pineapple plants and move them outside for the summer. With a bit of luck and the right growing conditions, your plant might flower and produce pineapple fruit. Credit: RASimon / Getty Images Next, put the stem end into well-draining garden soil or a container offresh potting soil. Keep the garden soil or potting mix moist until roots form, which will take two or three months....

Air plants seem almost otherworldly in the way they grow, well, just in air. Yep, no soil at all is required for grow air plants. Plus, their leaves look a bit like alien tentacles or the appendages of an exotic sea creature. Credit:Krystal Slagle / BHG These fascinating little plants are different to care for thanmost other houseplants. Use this guide to grow air plants in your home and help them thrive....

Learn how to grow your own avocado tree from the pit in the center of the fruit. You’ll also find essential care tips for your new avocado tree in this step-by-step guide. Carefully slice open an avocado fruit, taking care not to damage the seed in the process. Credit:Jason Donnelly Stick toothpicks into the seed. Then poke two to three more toothpicks into the seed so the toothpicks are equally distributed....

Learn how to grow an avocado tree indoors as a beautiful houseplant. Taniche / Getty Images An avocado pit is relatively easy to sprout into a new plant. They can be grown as attractive houseplants with a little TLC. Credit:Taniche / Getty Images Heres what you oughta know to grow an avocado tree indoors successfully. Choose a dwarf variety. Visit your local nursery or garden center for dwarf avocado trees....