Step into a beautiful outdoor space whether you have a small balcony or an expansive backyard. It doesn’t matter if you have asmall balconyor a large backyard with grass and a patio. We have suggestions for everyone’s tastes and needs, from practical to playful. That’s why adding a fireplace is a terrificoutdoor room idea: A source of fire draws people. Don’t include so many that traffic patterns become cluttered. That same principleapplies to outdoor room ideas....

Grow the best tomatoes your garden has ever seen with our tomato planting ideas. Learn how to grow and train this popular vegetable. Tomato Support Idea: Cages Healthytomato plantsmay sprawl or grow into vigorous vines. Contain them in a cage ortrain them to a trellisto keep fruits off the ground and make harvesting easier. Galvanized wire tomato cages are a quick and easytomato support solution. However, they may not be large or sturdy enough to support rampant growth....

Paint color experts sound off on the best coastal hues for your home. However, you dont have to live on the beach to feature this decor. To help you determine thebest shade for your space, weve broken down our experts picks for coastal-inspired shades. Credit:Courtesy of Behr The gray-green turquoise of Behrs Ocean Boulevard conjures images of clear blue skies and sparkling ocean waves. For a deep blue accent color, consider the brands Compass Blue....

Try these tough, low-maintenance plants for a beautiful, easy garden in the Mountain West region. Try these tough, low-maintenance plants for a beautiful, easy garden. It has an extended season of interest thanks to its graceful seed heads that remain showy through early summer. Allow it to reseed and it will establish a small (non-aggressive) colony in yourgarden. It bears loads of neon-purple flowers through the summer. After it’s done blooming, enjoy the gray-green pads....

Add these easy-growing native plants to your garden for lots of low-maintenance color through the seasons. Wild Anemone This easily grown, easy-to-love plant thrives in moist soils rich in organic matter. Its large white flowers are a highlight of the spring border. Credit: Janet Mesic Mackie A vigorous groundcover, it can happily fill in a large space within a growing season. The stunning, slipper-shaped, yellow flowers are sure to attract attention....

Make gardening a breeze with these easy-care native plants. Natives are beneficial for local wildlife and add natural diversity to your garden. Goatsbeard The native version ofastilbe,goatsbeardproduces tall plumes of white blooms in early summer. Credit: Jamie Hadley This excellent background plant tolerates a range of soil and light conditions. Plantstrawberrywhere it can send out its long runners and form a beautiful colony of rich-green foliage. Or, for extra variety, try ‘Variegata’, a selection with creamy swirls through the leaves....

Learn which colorful and hardy native plants thrive in the hot, dry conditions of SoCal. These tough, beautiful plants can handle the heat and minimal water with ease. They are among the best, easy-care plants for gardeners in this region. Credit: Denny Schrock Name:Romneya coulteri Growing Conditions:Grow in full sun with well-draining soil. Its fussy at transplant, so keep root disturbance at an absolute minimum. This plant is excellent for screening and habitats and alsostabilizes slopes....

Find out the difference between apple types. We’ll also give our Test Kitchen tips for the best cooking apple varieties and best apples for baking. But we’re here to help. Credit: Blaine Moats Certain types are better than others for baking and cooking, however. And it’s a good pick for baking. Envy Originally imported from New Zealand, theEnvy appletype is cross between Braeburn and Royal Gala apples. Credit: Jason Donnelly...

Fill in your garden paths with these low-growing plants that can take a little foot traffic. Asolid brick or concrete walkwaycan be a bit blah, not to mention pricey to build. All three grow as dense mats of pretty foliage. Credit: Peter Krumhardt Another bonus: Thyme isdeer- and rabbit-resistant. This pretty little ground hugger develops masses of pale blue, star-shaped flowers in spring and early summer. Use it as alawn alternativein locations too shady to support turf grass....

Maple trees add brilliant color and beauty to your landscapeespecially in the fall. The intensity of fall color is affected by factors such as temperatures and soil moisture. If its too warm in the fall, for instance, leaves can drop before colors develop. Credit: Bob Stefko A summer drought can also delay fall color. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from, with beautifully serrated green or red foliage. In general, Japanese maples remain compact and can fit into tight spaces....

Find the right trim material for your home interior. Crown Molding One of the most well-known types of trim iscrown molding. This decorative trim has an ornate design that is intended to add character to a home. Credit: Annie Schlechter Crown molding is typically installed at the top of the wall where it meets the ceiling. Quarter-Round Trim Quarter-round trim is made from a quarter of a circle round. It’s often installed at the base of the wall, where the wall meets the floors....

Embrace the rugged charm of a brick wall, no matter your interior design style. Tria Giovan Out with the old? One way to ensure the perfect piece for a brick nook is tocreate a built-in. Credit:Tria Giovan Embrace Old-World Style Theres a historical slant to brick that cant be denied. The more rugged and worn, the moreold-world charmit has. But those of us who have simple sheetrock walls can get in on the action too....

In addition, striking theoptimal humidity level in your homecan make it more comfortable. Musty odors:While not guaranteed, homes with higher humidity levels often have an unpleasant, musty odor. Dust mites:Dust miteslove high humidity and will multiply in this environment. Credit:Getty Images / Meaco Once dust mites establish themselves in your home, they will attract other pests like spiders and insects. Potential Sources of Excess Humidity There are many different potential sources of humidity in your home....