Five things you need to do to build a home on Mars

The term pollinizer is easy to confuse with pollinator, and many people misuse the terms. A pollinizer is a plant, while a pollinator is an animal, usually an insect. Both are important in producing fruit on trees, vegetable plants, and more.

What would us gardeners do without dahlias? If your garden needs more colour in summer: plant some dahlias. If it needs more colour in autumn: plant some dahlias. If it needs some tall plants to make the back of the garden more colourful: plant some dahlias. If you’re looking for some easy cut flowers to grow that come back year after year: plant some dahlias. If there’s a colour missing in your garden (except blue!): there’s a dahlia for it.

If you spend a lot of time behind the wheel, chances are your car needs a good tidying up. Maybe you’ve amassed a collection of wadded-up napkins in your glove compartment from frequent drive-thru outings (hey, no judgment here). Or perhaps there’s a bunch of coffee cups and water bottles left over from your work commute. Suffice it to say, you’ve got a lot of stuff that’s hitching a ride—and it’s time to part ways. “As a professional organizer, I've learned that many individuals treat their vehicles as an extension of their homes, leading to unintentional clutter,” says Aaron Traub, owner and lead organizer at My Professional Organizer Dallas. “While keeping certain items in your car for convenience is tempting, some can create messes, odors, or even deteriorate due to temperature fluctuations.” Below, experts weigh in on what needs to be kicked out and stored elsewhere.

Green is officially the new black, and pistachio green is the latest fresh shade to win over the internet (and our hearts). This playful hue fits right in with the increasing popularity of other pastel shades in home decor including lavender, light pink, light yellow, and more. 

If there’s anything better than fall decorating, we’ve yet to find it. While there are technically 27 days (maybe less by the time you read this) left until the official start of the season, we say it’s never too early to be prepared.

Switching up your decor for the seasons is always fun. But this isn’t always practical because not only can it be expensive, but it can also soon become a storage problem. One of the quickest and budget-friendliest way to introduce seasonal decor is with garlands. You can have one, two or even ten for each season and each holiday without much spend or space needed.

Many of the worst garden weeds can quickly take over your garden during the growing season. Weeds start growing earlier in the year than many garden plants, in early spring – so be sure to get on top of them early before they get out of hand.

Header image: <a href=«https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pink-water-lily-lake-goldfish-142067443?src=» http:>NagyDodo/Shutterstock

Header image: Suited up to simulate the conditions of working outside on Mars. Jonathan Clarke (the author, left) with visiting engineer Michael Curtis-Rouse, from UK Space Agency (right). Jonathan Clarke personal collection, Author provided.

A few weeks ago I received a press release from Waitrose about their new Alan Titchmarsh gardening range. It’s a fairly routine set of offerings, all nicely packaged up. The one that caught my eye was their ‘Broadfen’ horseradish thong, which they said is a “heritage variety first grown by the Egyptians (1500 BC).”

Header image: *Psyche Delia*/Flickr, CC BY-NC

Header image: Nematodes play an important role in all biological systems. Shutterstock