If you’ve nevergardened with vegetablesbefore, you are in for a treat on many levels. You literally get to eat the fruits of your labor! Here are 9 easy steps to growing your own vegetables. ZoiaKostina / Getty Images In addition, the spot should be fairly level and have soil that isn’t compacted or too rocky. Choose What to Grow This is the fun part of planning a vegetable garden. Its also deceptively difficult, because our eyes are much bigger than our gardens....

Decisions to make: flowers or veggies? In beds or in the ground? However, there are several aspects of gardening that are important to understand before you create your firstplanting bed. The Spruce / Autumn Wood Learn About Hardiness Zones The Spruce / Hilary Allison Before buying plants, know your zone. Learning aboutUSDA hardiness zoneshelps you choose plants that will thrive in your zone. Companion plants that share specific sunlight andmoistureneeds thrive together....

Meet the Expert Megan Ludvinskyis the owner and founder ofAbout Space Organizing, located in Central Arkansas. Start with one room at a time or work in “chunks”, as Ludvinsky calls it. Pick a single drawer, corner, or small space and set a timer for 20 minutes. The Spruce / Jason Donnelly “Keeping it small means keeping the mess you temporarily make small and more manageable.” Be sure to compile anything that should go elsewhere in the home, too....

Luckily, only a few things are required: seed starting mix, seeds, and a container. You dont need fancy equipment. Seed starting mix, on the other hand, cant be skipped. Vaivirga / Getty Images Want more gardening tips? Plant the Seeds Next, its time to plant the seeds. Ideally, seedsshould be startedabout six weeks before thelast frost date in your area. Fill the containers with your seed starting mix and plant the seeds according to the packet instructions....

Each jot down of plant has its own particular needs forstarting seeds indoors. You’ll be eating fruits and vegetables and enjoying flowers in no time! A simple internet search will tell you the date of the expected last frost in your area. The Spruce / K. Dave Before Getting Started There are many good commercial potting mixes available that are suitable for starting seeds. Although they may be called “pottingsoil,” they actually contain no garden soil at all....

What Is a Straw Bale Garden? Straw bale gardening is not only suitable for growing herbs and vegetables but also for ornamental plants. It’s economical, easier on your back, and great for people with mobility issues. The Spruce / Steven Merkel Consider the pros and cons to determine if straw bale gardening is right for you. Look for organically grown straw bales. Like straw, though, it is popular as mulch because it is lightweight yet remains stable and cohesive....

The Spruce / Kara Riley There are typicallytomato plantsfor sale at local garden centers. But you’re free to alsogrow tomatoesfrom seed. To get around that, tomato seeds are often started indoors. The Spruce / Kara Riley Add some water, and work it through the soil. Keep adding water until the mix stays compressed in your hand but is not dripping wet. It should break apart when you poke it with your finger....

Learn how to steam clean a couch in four simple steps. If you have a hand-held steamer, it can be used to treat some types of stains. The moisture can cause the feathers to clump and dry unevenly. The Spruce / Ana Cadena Use the vacuum’s crevice tool to clean seams and between cushions that are not removable. Never rub the area because that only pushes the stain deeper into the fabric fibers....

Read on to learn how to steam clean a mattress properly to improve your sleep hygiene. Why Steam Clean Your Mattress? If you see stains and notice a funky odor, it’s time to clean your mattress. The Spruce / Meg MacDonald A steam cleanerwillclean your mattressand eliminate stains without you having to put in too much work. Check your owner’s manual for exact instructions on how to clean the mattress....

Manually steam cleaning your oven works just as well as the built-in feature some ovens may have. Heating water in the oven to create steam loosens grime so that it can be easily wiped away. Steam cleaning works best if the oven is only slightly dirty. The Spruce / Meg MacDonald Use steam cleaning on light spills and small amounts of grime. Fill the container with cool water. Avoid using Pyrex or other types of glass bowls or baking dishes, given the high temperatures involved....

Steam cleaning grout loosens gunk and mold that have worked into the pores of the grout over time. The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska Choosing a Steam Cleaner Steam cleanersheat water to more than 200F. Nozzles and brushes let the user direct blasts of steam onto the grout and scrub away grime. The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska Steam cleaners keep the water hot until it is used up. After each shot of steam, it can take a few seconds for the machine to recharge....

A beautiful backdrop that didn’t break the bank. If your stencil comes with a special top edge piece, ensure you are using it. Otherwise, it’s possible for you to fill in empty white space on the edges later. The Spruce / Jacob Fox see to it to distribute the paint evenly across the roller. Remove Excess Paint Roll the paint across a piece of flat cardboard to remove extra paint....

Here’s how to properly clean 10 common beauty tools for your health and your best self. To keep them sanitary, tweezers should be cleaned after every use. Another way to sterilize tweezers is by using boiling water. The Spruce / Jorge Gamboa Eyelash Curler Mascara, eyeliner, and bacteria can all coat the surface of your eyelash curler. A curler should be cleaned at least weekly. And these pencils might have contacted some pathogens before they are put in that sharpener....