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Some of our most beloved spices, such as vanilla and cinnamon, come from interesting tropical plants. You’d never guess what they look like before they land in those little bottles in your spice cabinet. You can even try growing these spices yourself. 1. Nutmeg Nutmeg and ginger are often baking partners in fall desserts, but they’re from very different plants. If you’ve seen fresh ginger at a grocery store, it’s easy to see it’s a root....

1. Consider the House Lots of people look at the size of the lawn or the shape and slope of the front yard, but sometimes you can overlook a critical piece of the puzzle: Your actual house. The design and architecture of your home can be a real asset when you’re creating gardens around it. For example, a cottage-style landscape compliments a country or farmhouse look while a spare, minimalist garden would set off a more modern building....

1. Focus on the Highest-Trafficked Areas When you’re worried about germs, it can be second nature to want to scrub every last square inch of your space. But Mary Gagliardi, also known as “Dr. Laundry,” the in-house specialist and cleaning expert for Clorox, says it’s better to limit your cleaning regimen to high-trafficked areas if you’re trying to conserve your products. This includes anything you touch frequently, such as doorknobs, countertops, and the refrigerator door, and anywhere your family gathers....

Buy It: Nordic Ware Mini Bundt Cake Pan, ($45, Williams Sonoma)

Since garlic scapes are not exactly a household name across the U.S. (especially compared to their relative, garlic bulbs), you might not know what to do with garlic scapes. If this hits home, we have three pieces of great news: Read on for all the dirt. You might just dig up your new favorite spring vegetable! What Are Garlic Scapes? Unlike most fruits and vegetables that have one season, garlic actually has two....

The turn-of-the-20th-century Brooklyn brownstone is rich with history. Through the decades, the historical structure was home base as Gordon grew his talents through writing and producing songs for artists including Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, Whitney Houston, and Beyoncé into a burgeoning solo career. Then disaster struck. A fire destroyed the tenant apartments above Gordon’s living spaces and severely damaged the garden and parlor levels of his home. “There was so much drama and confusion, so much that I had to deal with,” he says....

Plants for Creating the Bird and Butterfly Garden Plan 2 Sedum (Sedum ‘Vera Jameson’): Zones 4-9 4 Catmint (Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’): Zones 4-9 2 Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa ‘Gay Butterflies’): Zones 4-9 2 Bee balm (Monarda ‘Grand Marshall’): Zones 3-9 1 Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’): Zones 3-11 2 Meadow blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis): Zones 3-8 2 Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum ‘Blue Fortune’): Zones 4-10 2 New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Purple Dome’): Zones 4-8 2 Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Ruby Giant’): Zones 3-9 2 Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum ‘Gateway’): Zones 3-7...

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4 cup apple cider 2 tablespoon cold water 2 teaspoon cornstarch ¼ cup butter 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel If you have a stockpot large enough to fit the bird that will also fit into the refrigerator, go ahead and use the pot instead of the brining bag. * To chop the ginger with ease, peel about a 4-inch piece of fresh ginger and cut into pieces....

1 cup sifted powdered sugar 1 teaspoon milk ¼ teaspoon vanilla

Planting Arugula Like many lettuces, arugula is will grow in almost any sunny corner of your yard, but keep it handy so you can keep harvesting it so the leaves don’t become too bitter to enjoy. Because it thrives in cool weather and declines once summer heat sets in, arugula is ideal for getting a jump-start on the growing season. Make more of your garden space by succession planting. Get arugula in the ground in early spring while it’s still too cold to plant tomatoes, eggplants, and other heat–loving vegetables....

¼ cup plum jam or preserves ¼ cup chicken broth 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Varieties of Asian Greens Komatsuna Komatsuna is an upright plant that bears medium green leaves with white stalks. Plants are ready to harvest 35 days after seeding. ‘Green Spray’ Mibuna ‘Green spray’ features straplike leaves that add a mildy spicy flavor to salads. The plants grow 12 inches tall. Plants mature in 40 days. ‘Kyoto’ Mizuna ‘Kyoto’ bears deeply fringed leaves that are borne on thin white leaf stalks. They add a decorative touch to the garden and mildly spicy flavor to salads....

Asparagus Care Must-Knows Asparagus grows best in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Select the location carefully as your asparagus patch will last for many years. Look beyond the traditional vegetable garden when selecting a location for asparagus. A perennial garden might be a great spot for asparagus, as would a shrub border. Plant asparagus as soon as the soil can be worked in spring. Most commonly started from established crowns purchased at your local garden center or through a mail order source, asparagus can also be started from seed....