Ideas & Tips — Winter

It's the middle of winter, your garden is frozen, and the herbs you can get in the grocery store just aren't cutting it anymore. What's an herb lover to do? You might think you would need an elaborate indoor lighting setup to grow herbs indoors during the winter, but fortunately, all you really need is a spot that gets a good amount of light and the right knowledge and techniques. Here are some tips to get you started: Start out with a strong plant. If the plant you choose already has brown or wilted leaves before you even bring it home,...

If you've built up a miniature greenhouse in your home during the summer, you may be wondering how best to prepare your green babies for the harsh weather they're about to face in the wintertime. Called "over-wintering", the process of preparing house plants for winter is relatively simple, but important to perform carefully if you want your garden to live to see another year: Make sure the air is humid enough. Heating a home through the winter takes a toll on the humidity of the air, often reducing it by 10 to 20 percent. To keep your plants from being harmed...

'Tis the season for hot chocolate, and if you're a real fiend for sweet, hot beverages, you can find a way to fit it into almost any situation. Need something to wake you up in the morning? Dark hot chocolate will do the trick. Looking for an easy dessert? You guessed it, hot chocolate. Here are just a few of the many variations on the hot chocolate theme. See how many you can make before the new year: Milk chocolate peanut butter hot chocolate: For those times when you want to eat a peanut butter cup, but don't want to go...