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When growing carrots we eat the roots and with potatoes we eat the tubers, but like rhubarb, asparagus – Asparagus officinalis – is a perennial plant from which we harvest the stems or ‘spears’. This is done annually during a short spring to early summer window, and only builds to substantial harvest quantities by the third and fourth years. Patience is the name of the game when learning how to grow asparagus – and if you’ll be dedicating an area of your vegetable garden to this perennial crop then it’s important to get it right by planting asparagus at the correct time....

A big part of knowing how to grow bluebonnets is perfecting the planting season. Planting too soon will cause the seeds to rot or be stolen by birds and garden pests, too late and the seeds may not germinate well enough for springtime blooms. For a wonderful addition to your flower garden ideas, experts have shared their advice for perfect planting. When to plant bluebonnets ‘Bluebonnets, or Texas Bluebonnets as they are also called, are best adapted to the alkaline, rocky soils of hills and frequent dry weather as opposed to your usual cottage garden ideas conditions,’ Rachel Crow, garden editor for Homes & Gardens explains....

But there is one thing that may not come to the forefront of our minds: Where should a dishwasher be placed? Of course, there are some underlying factors to follow, such as placing the dishwasher near an electrical outlet and buying a dishwasher that’s the right size for your kitchen to allow it to be perfectly positioned. However, these expert tips will introduce more considerations you might need to make if you want to fit a dishwasher within your kitchen layout....

Living room wall lighting ideas play a significant role in creating your living room’s ambiance. Not only does it provide valuable illumination, but a layered scheme – combining pendant lights, with wall lights and table lamps – will enable you to adapt the levels of your living room lighting to reflect the mood or time of day. However, in order to achieve this perfect balance, you need to know where to place your wall lights....

Undertake plenty of research before commissioning a staircase. Resist the temptation to choose materials first, starting instead by looking at the available space. A floor plan may indicate direction of travel and most frequently used access points, but you also need to take into account head heights, fire distances and escape routes. Scale is also important – leave generous room for an entrance space to avoid coming into the front door and tripping over the bottom tread of your staircase....

The good news is that like unclogging a toilet, a toilet that doesn’t stop running after you flush is something a relatively experienced or competent beginner DIYer can tackle themselves. ‘When a toilet keeps running, it is usually one of four problems’ says Jennifer Ebert, Deputy Editor Digital of Homes & Gardens. ‘Each is fairly simple to fix by competent DIYers, but our advice would always be to call in a professional if the simplest of the fixes don’t work....

Using a wormery for composting does just that, providing a home for them where they can feed on kitchen food scraps and peelings and, in turn, produce a nutrient-rich compost from their own waste. It’s a sustainable ecosystem that I, an Irish chef and food writer, have introduced into my sustainable smallstead. Here, I share the results… Why I wanted a wormery When we first moved into Broadspear and began our backyard smallstead, I wanted to know how to make compost, so I started looking at all the different ways to start a composting system....

We have spoken to a range of plant and gardening experts, all of whom agree that there is a range of reasons your tree may be suffering indoors: from too little water to too high a room temperature. The key to working out what is wrong with your Christmas tree care routine? Pay attention to your tree’s surroundings. Below, we list four of the main reasons a Christmas tree may be dying inside your home and have experts explain what you can do to revive it....

Yellow decorating can range from deep and earthy to just-off-white. Whichever yellow you choose, your room will feel welcoming by day, and cocooning by night. Yellow is the perfect color to pair with contrasting and complementary shades, and it can work in both contemporary and period bathroom ideas. Yellow bathroom ideas Choosing yellow paint or wallpaper ideas for your bathroom is one of the hardest parts of decorating because we only actually know the true color of something because it’s sitting next to another color....

Yellow bedroom ideas – how to use this sunshine shade While the popularity of the color has been revived in recent times, the hue itself isn’t new – the color yellow is one of the oldest shades in history. Take a look at our selection of yellow bedroom ideas for more inspiration. 1. Choose yellow for a north-facing room Yellow room ideas cover a large range of shades – from barely-there buttermilk to mustard and lemon, and not forgetting ochre, gold, canary, saffron and chartreuse....

Yellow living room paint ideas (opens in new tab) can range from deep and earthy to just-off-white. Whichever yellow you choose, your room will feel welcoming by day, and cocooning by night. Decorating with yellow is the perfect color to pair with contrasting and complementary shades, and it can work in both contemporary and period living room ideas (opens in new tab). Yellow living room ideas From bright lemon accents to very on-trend color pairings, we gathered some stunning examples of yellow living room ideas, and asked the experts for their tips on bringing a little sunshine into your living space....

From yellow living rooms to mudrooms in this exuberant color, these rooms all have something in common, however much yellow they have in them: they are warm and welcoming. While the popularity of decorating with yellow has been revived in recent times, the hue itself isn’t new – the color yellow is one of the oldest shades in history. Farrow & Ball (opens in new tab)’s color consultant Joa Studholme notes that we are embracing stronger shades when decorating our homes....

And unlike other kitchen trends, your kitchen lighting ideas can be swapped out to suit your latest taste, thought they always need to work in harmony to create a scheme that both looks good and provides practical and inviting illumination. From beautiful pendants crafted from natural materials to customizable options designed to stand the test of time, this year’s lighting trends are designs that focus on finding the perfect balance between beauty, functionality and versatility....

But knowing how to get rid of mosquitoes goes beyond eliminating standing water and using the correct repellent. Experts have warned that certain colors impact mosquito activity in your home – meaning your color ideas matter more than ever in the season of this pest. So if mosquitoes are a problem in your home, it may be worth taking note of the colors they love so you can hide them away (all the while planting out some mosquito repellent plants) to further discourage these unwanted visitors....

Good quality sleep has multiple benefits: it reduces stress, boosts our mood, ensures we concentrate better, reduces anxiety, and allows the body to better rest and repair. As the place where we lay our heads every night, the bedroom is an easy place to start when it comes to improving our sleep. From a soothing colour scheme, to the role of Feng Shui and symmetry, there are several design features to consider creating a bedroom environment for optimal sleep....

These bathroom organizers range from under-sink storage to keep everything streamlined, to shelves that can seamlessly become part of your space. With high-quality materials and sophisticated designs, these organizers are the missing piece to put your bathroom organization ideas to work. With all of the premium options below, all you need to do now is pick the organizer that suits you most. The best bathroom organizers to maximize tranquility 1....

Our expert team has tested latex, memory foam, spring and hybrid models to help you find the best mattress. We’ve tried the following mattresses for ourselves, so we can not only recommend them but highlight which ones will suit who in each mini-review. While comfort is subjective, we’re sure to get deep into the construction and quality materials that take a mattress from average to the best of the best....

Utterly timeless, classic jackets by British brand Barbour reign supreme. They are functional and weatherproof, while their long, rich heritage makes the brand all the more prestigious and even more fashionable when worn. In short: it is the best of both worlds. The Barbour allure is heightened by an enviable three Royals Warrants. If it is good enough for the Queen of England, then it’s certainly good enough for us....

Speaking from Highgrove House, the royal residence owned by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, which is famed for its garden, parts of which the public can tour, Camilla labeled gardening as ’therapeutic’ before sharing some of the green-thumbed jobs she enjoys in the grounds. In a documentary for H&G’s sister magazine, Country Life (opens in new tab), named Camilla’s Country Life, the Duchess offered a glimpse into the process of guest-editing the brand’s recent issue....

The pressures on parents at the moment are immense – both homeschooling their children and working from home. Having an extra hand to keep on top of the housework would be a relief for many. See: Best cordless vacuum cleaners – the top stick vacuum cleaners for all budgets Can cleaners still work in lockdown? Fortunately, the latest government guidelines say that cleaners can still work in lockdown, as they are among those who are unable to work remotely....