November is an important month for poinsettias, particularly if you want to enjoy a beautiful display of red, pink or cream bracts throughout the festive season. Whether you've recently brought home a new plant or are hoping to encourage one you've kept from last Christmas to develop its colorful foliage again, a few seasonal adjustments can make all the difference.

Native to Mexico, poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are tropical plants that respond to changes in daylight to produce their distinctive colorful bracts. These are actually modified leaves, rather than flowers, which surround the plant's tiny yellow blooms. As temperatures drop and central heating comes on, it's important to recreate the warm, consistent growing conditions they naturally prefer.

Getting your poinsettia care right in November means paying particular attention to light, warmth and watering. With the right conditions, you can help maintain healthy foliage and vibrant bracts throughout the festive season. Here are five essential things to do this month.

1. Make Sure Your Poinsettia Gets Enough Daylight

As the days become shorter, providing enough natural light is particularly important for keeping poinsettia foliage healthy and colorful. When considering where to place a poinsettia, choose somewhere bright, ideally near an east- or west-facing window, where it can enjoy plenty of indirect daylight without being exposed to harsh direct sunshine. A sheer voile curtain from Target can help filter stronger sunlight, while the OLIVBLAD plant stand from IKEA is useful for positioning your poinsettia closer to a window if needed.

If you're trying to encourage a poinsettia you've kept from last Christmas to develop its colorful bracts again, November is also an important stage in its flowering cycle. These tropical plants need long, uninterrupted periods of darkness to trigger their seasonal display, typically around 14 hours each night for eight to 10 weeks. If you began this process in October, continue the routine until you see the bracts developing color. Once they start to turn red, pink or cream, you can stop covering the plant at night and return it to its usual bright position. Even small amounts of artificial light during the dark period can interfere with this process, so consistency is essential.

2. Keep Your Poinsettia Warm and Away From Drafts

Poinsettias are sensitive to temperature changes, so finding a suitable position is one of the most important things you can do for them in November. They prefer consistent warmth, ideally around 65–70°F (18–21°C), and should be kept away from cold drafts, open doors and chilly windowsills. If your home tends to feel chilly, the Govee Indoor Hygrometer Thermometer from Amazon can help you monitor the temperature and find a comfortable spot for your plant.

It's equally important to avoid placing your poinsettia too close to radiators, fireplaces or heating vents. Although poinsettias appreciate warmth, hot, dry air can cause their leaves and colorful bracts to deteriorate and drop prematurely. If your home is particularly dry during the heating season, the Homedics Portable Humidifier from Amazon can help improve indoor conditions.

If you've recently bought a poinsettia, be particularly careful when bringing it home. Exposure to cold temperatures on the journey can cause considerable stress, so ask for it to be wrapped before leaving the store and take it indoors promptly.

3. Adjust How You Water Your Poinsettia

As your poinsettia settles into its winter display, pay attention to its watering requirements. Knowing when and how to water a poinsettia is important for keeping its foliage healthy and preventing premature leaf drop. The aim is to keep the compost lightly moist without allowing the roots to become waterlogged.

Rather than watering on a fixed schedule, check the surface of the compost regularly. When the top inch feels dry to the touch, water thoroughly using room-temperature water, allowing any excess to drain away. A long-spout indoor watering can from Amazon makes it easier to direct water onto the compost without splashing the foliage.

Never leave the plant sitting in a saucer or decorative outer pot filled with water, as this can encourage root rot. If your poinsettia is displayed in a decorative Christmas container, remove the nursery pot before watering and let it drain completely before putting it back. A plant pot drip tray can also help catch excess water and protect your furniture.

4. Check the Leaves and Remove Any Damaged Growth

November is a good time to give your poinsettia a quick health check, particularly if you've had it for several weeks or are bringing an older plant back into flower. Look for yellowing leaves, wilting, damaged foliage or signs of pests, which can indicate that its growing conditions need adjusting.

Remove any fallen leaves from the surface of the compost and carefully take away foliage that has become yellow or damaged. Use clean, sharp houseplant pruning scissors to avoid unnecessarily disturbing the plant. It's also worth checking underneath the leaves and around the stems for common houseplant pests, including whitefly and mealybugs. If you spot any, deal with them promptly using an appropriate houseplant insecticidal soap spray, such as the Garden Safe option from Amazon, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Avoid extensive pruning at this stage, as your priority should be maintaining the plant's foliage and colorful bracts rather than encouraging lots of new growth.

5. Give Your Poinsettia the Right Conditions to Last Until Christmas

If you want your poinsettia to remain a beautiful part of your Christmas decorating, consistency is more important than giving it lots of additional attention. Keep it in a bright, warm position, maintain an even watering routine and avoid moving it between rooms with significantly different temperatures. A decorative ceramic plant pot, such as this ceramic design from Target, can also help create an attractive festive display, as long as you can easily remove the nursery pot for watering.

There is generally no need to feed a newly purchased poinsettia during its festive display period. If you're growing an older plant you've encouraged to flower again, you can continue an appropriate feeding routine, using a balanced liquid, such as the TPS Poinsettia Fertilizer from Amazon, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

A little attention to poinsettia care in November will help keep its foliage healthy and colorful bracts looking vibrant throughout the festive season. Focus on consistent warmth, good light and careful watering, and your plant should remain a beautiful part of your home well into the New Year.

Removing pine needles and other tiny debris from a gravel path or driveway is painstaking, as they get everywhere. It can also be infuriating, as you try in vain to clear the needles without dragging piles of gravel around

I spent many years working as a professional gardener in major public gardens. During that time, I raked and tidied gravel paths every Friday to prepare them for huge numbers of weekend visitors. After countless hours on this task, I found a spring-tine rake to be the best tool for raking gravel paths.

If I had to tell anyone how to remove pine needles from gravel, I would always say to use a spring-tine rake above any other gardening tool. This Husky wooden-handled steel rake at The Home Depot is a perfect example of the kit I used. With it, you can skim over the gravel and work through the stones to clear paths without disturbing the gravel too much.

Why You Should Remove Pine Needles From Gravel

A few pine needles might not seem like a big problem. True, it starts as a small issue, but as your pine tree continues to drop needles through fall, the potential problems add up. As a layer builds up, it becomes a job for your fall gardening checklist.

Pine needles become an eyesore in gravel landscaping. If you leave them to accumulate, they mat together, forming larger clumps that are difficult to get rid of. These matted needles also become a slip hazard, turning a garden path into a slimy threat.

As the pine needles break down, they release nutrients into the soil between and underneath the gravel. This creates a desirable and welcoming home for weed seeds to germinate, risking your gravel patio, driveway, or path becoming inundated with weeds.

Remove Pine Needles From Gravel Paths Like a Pro

What makes a spring-tine garden rake the most efficient way to remove pine needles from gravel paths? The clue is in the name; the flexible steel tines make them the best.

If you use other types of rakes, such as a bow rake or leaf rake with solid teeth, they are designed to grip and drag materials. Use them on a gravel path, and these rakes will dig into the surface and shift a mass of gravel as well as the needles.

The Husky wooden-handled steel rake has a 22-inch-wide head with 22 robust steel tines. These tines are perfect for lightly skimming across the gravel with short strokes to lift and flick pine needles from among the aggregate, rather than drag the gravel around.

I always found that short strokes that just swept the top layer of the gravel let the tines shift the needles and other debris. Some smaller pieces of gravel may be disturbed, but the base layer should remain undisturbed.

The technique takes some getting used to, but with a bit of practice you can sweep across the path or patio with a succession of short strokes to create a pile of needles and debris at the end to pick up.

The Husky wooden-handled steel rake has a 53-inch varnished eucalyptus hardwood handle – ideal for raking paths without bending excessively, which is great news if you have lots of gravel landscaping to deal with. The long handle makes it simple to flick the pine needles with short strokes along the path.

The tool is bolted together for heavy use and features a reinforced spring at the back for a long lifespan.

Beyond just raking paths, this spring-tine rake comes in handy for lots of seasonal gardening tasks, such as scarifying a lawn, collecting leaves, and gathering debris after pruning. Given how much action it’ll see, the fact that it comes with a lifetime guarantee is a major plus.

If you have a leaf blower, you can use it to remove pine needles from gravel, but it takes some finesse. It must be used on a low setting and angled so the air blows over the surface of the gravel. If you use a high setting or point the blower down into the gravel, you risk scattering the gravel far and wide.

Shop for Spring-Tine Rakes:

Don’t just throw away pine needles you collect from paths or driveways. Instead, add them to a compost heap or use them as fall mulch around shrubs and trees.

There was previously a concern about using pine needles as mulch because they were thought to make the soil more acidic. However, in recent years, this has been debunked, so you can use them without worrying about affecting your soil health.

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I'm thrilled to say I've finally moved house after a long and arduous process. While we paint our bedroom, though, we're currently sleeping in the living room, which features big, beautiful, but very drafty windows.

Fortunately, my Cozy Earth Silk Comforter is already proving wonderfully effective at keeping me cozy and comfortable. It may cost almost $500, but it's currently 15% off and, in my opinion, certainly worth the investment.

I've consistently recommended it as one of the best duvet inserts money can buy since I first tested it back in February, and it's seen me through a summer heatwave all the way to the current plummeting temperatures.

As I've found, since I began testing it back in February, my mid-weight silk comforter is irresistibly soft, offering unparalleled year-round comfort. I used mine as the seasons changed from spring to summer, and now into fall as we head towards winter.

The standard fill is described as being suitable for 'warmer climates and warm sleepers,' but neither relates to me. I prefer, however, not to have multiple duvets to store. Instead, I add quilts, a Heated Mattress Pad, available at Amazon, and a hot water bottle to my sleep space, and use the same duvet year-round.

In dropping temperatures, the Cozy Earth Silk Comforter is lightweight, yet wonderfully cozy, keeping me warm while I sleep as the mulberry silk filling traps heat without causing any overheating. The fill is also naturally hypoallergenic, if you're a sensitive sleeper, and moisture-wicking. The premium 100 per cent viscose from bamboo shell is naturally thermoregulating, too, and the whole thing is OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100-certified, meaning it's safely produced without the use of any harmful chemicals or synthetics.

There's no denying that this comforter is expensive − it's the price you pay for true luxury. Rest assured, though: A recent review from Rebecca dubs it the 'best bedding on the market.'

'I have never felt something so luxurious,' she explains. 'I am a permanent fan and client! We bought two simply because my husband had to have his own! Don’t think just buy it!'

Another review, from Brittany, adds, 'The best bedding you'll ever own. I was skeptical, but I’ll never go back. Sleep luxury. Don’t hesitate.'

I have to say, I agree. Luxury bed sheets and bedding might be a sizable investment, but they're certainly a worthy one.

More to Shop

Below, I've rounded up six more cozy sleep space recommendations to keep you cozy until spring.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

This simple trick instantly makes a bed look more luxurious − and it's so easy to try in your own space.

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Salvias are a diverse range of plants with colorful flowers, textural and aromatic foliage, and an ability to attract pollinators in droves during the season. They are low-maintenance perennials that require some TLC in late fall to guarantee the best display next year, but exactly what they need in November depends on certain factors.

You should start preparing salvias for winter in November, if you haven’t already. The amount of care and protection required will be influenced by the type of salvia and your climate. Hardy salvias may need little more than mulching in colder zones, while tender varieties will want a little extra protection. If you grow salvias, make sure you know what category they fit into before doing anything this month.

Here is what to do with salvias in November, including hardy, borderline-hardy, and tender types. We outline four key tasks, not all of which will be relevant in every garden or for every salvia. If you are on the lookout for a really hardy salvia, consider Salvia nemorosa, such as this Salvia nemorosa ‘Marcus’ at Nature Hills, which is cold hardy down to zone 4.

1. Mulch All Salvias

Both hardy and tender salvias benefit from mulching this month. A thick layer of mulch protects plants from frost, like a thermal blanket insulating the roots against freezing temperatures. Mulch not only retains much-needed warmth in the ground, but also prevents frost heave from lifting a salvia out of the ground.

Wait, there is more. Two additional benefits of mulching are that it helps retain soil moisture and boosts soil nutrients as it breaks down. Your salvias will have access to essential nutrients and moisture when they wake in spring, so they’ll develop quickly and healthily. Combine this with some balanced fertilizer in early spring (like this all-purpose plant food at Burpee), and you’ll get a fantastic display next year.

Mulching is a win-win, helping both to winterize salvias and promote strong development come spring. The best types of mulch to apply this month are organic matter. This includes compost, well-rotted manure, or leaf mold. For example, this bag of compost and manure blend at The Home Depot is ideal for mulching salvias.

Apply a 2-4 inch layer around the salvia plants, but avoid piling it against the stems or the crown. Covering the plant retains excess moisture in the crown, which can lead to rot.

2. Cover or Lift Tender Salvias

Mulching salvias in flower beds is essential for tender varieties, including Salvia guaranitica, Salvia leucanths, and the extremely popular Salvia ‘Amistad’.

Their root systems will be eternally thankful for a thick layer of mulch to act as a barrier between them and freezing temperatures. Without winter protection, you can kiss goodbye to any chances of seeing their glorious flowers next year.

For extra protection, cover semi-hardy and tender salvias with frost cloth (also called row covers or horticultural fleece) ahead of winter. Ideally, pick a heavy-grade frost cloth, such as this heavyweight 2.0 oz/sq² cover on Amazon. Use garden hoops or bamboo poles (available at The Home Depot) to create a structure over the salvias, and secure the cover over the plants as well as to the ground.

Alternatively, if you have the space, lift tender salvias and bring plants indoors in November to escape the winter elements. Carefully lift the plants from the ground and put them into containers filled with well-draining compost, such as this Miracle-Gro potting mix on Amazon. The plants can spend winter in an unheated, frost-free greenhouse.

3. Move Any Salvia in Pots

If you grow salvias in pots, a simple way to protect them ahead of winter is to move pots together. Grouping pots creates a natural microclimate that traps heat and helps to insulate the delicate roots. It is important to winterize any salvias in pots, even hardy varieties, as their roots are more susceptible to frost in containers.

So where is best to put them? Gathering them against a fence or wall blocks cold winds, while keeping the pots next to the home allows them to take advantage of the warmth that permeates through the walls. Keeping them under an overhang or the eaves protects them against freezing rain.

If extremely cold nights are forecast, you can always wrap the pots in frost cloth or burlap. Insulated pot covers are available for winter use, such as these winter pot covers on Amazon.

To stop your salvias from waterlogging or sitting directly on cold, wet surfaces that can freeze over winter, raise them on pot feet. You can get a pack of 12 rubber pot feet at Walmart.

4. Gently Trim For Health Reasons

You shouldn’t heavily prune salvias at this time of year. The old growth helps protect the crown from winter damage, so it's best to keep it in place. However, some small-scale trimming can be done, but only in certain circumstances.

This includes removing dead, damaged, and diseased material, including any growth that shows signs of powdery mildew and grey mould. Those fungal diseases can overwinter on the plant and on any debris left around it to infect new growth when it starts coming through in spring.

Removing affected material and clearing away plant debris, such as leaves or stems that surround the salvia, stops next year’s stems from facing a battle with disease straight away.

Use a pair of clean, sharp pruning tools to cut down infected stems, and disinfect the pruners after use with household disinfectant to prevent spreading the disease when you do any other trimming.

What to Shop

Come November, most attention focuses on protecting plants for winter. There are still planting opportunities, though, so don’t overlook the potential to add to your garden this month.

If the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged, you can plant in November. These include spring bulbs like tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, and daffodils, along with bare-root shrubs, trees, or hedging plants.

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Pothos is one of the easiest houseplants to care for, but even this famously forgiving plant needs a little extra attention as November brings shorter days, cooler temperatures, and the start of the heating season. Also known as devil’s ivy, its trailing stems and glossy, heart-shaped leaves make it a popular choice for adding greenery to shelves, hanging planters and empty corners. However, the change in seasons can affect how well it grows, meaning a few adjustments to its usual care routine are worthwhile.

When it comes to pothos plant care, understanding how the changing seasons affect its growing conditions is key to keeping it healthy. As daylight becomes increasingly limited, pothos naturally slows its growth and needs less water and nourishment than it does during the warmer months. Indoor heating can also create drier conditions, while cold drafts from windows and doors can put this tropical plant under unnecessary stress.

Fortunately, there is no need for an extensive winter care routine. A little attention to watering, light and temperature will help keep your pothos looking its best throughout November and into the colder months ahead.

1. Reduce Watering as Growth Slows

One of the most important things to do with pothos in November is adjust your watering routine. As daylight hours decrease and temperatures cool, the plant's growth naturally slows, meaning it will use less water than it did during the growing season. Continuing to water as frequently as you did during spring and summer can leave the potting mix excessively wet, increasing the risk of root rot. Instead, check the soil before reaching for your watering can.

A good rule is to allow the top 1–2 inches of soil to dry out before watering again. An XLUX Soil Moisture Meter from Amazon is a useful little investment if you're unsure when to water, giving you a clearer indication of how much moisture remains around the roots. Alternatively, a Bloem watering can from Target makes it easier to water directly into the soil without splashing the foliage or surrounding surfaces.

When it is time to water, give the plant a thorough drink until excess water drains from the bottom of the pot, then empty the saucer so the roots are not left sitting in water. Avoid following a rigid watering schedule, as the amount of moisture your pothos needs will depend on its position, pot size and indoor temperature. A plant in a bright, warm room may need watering more frequently than one in a cooler, shadier spot.

2. Move Your Pothos Somewhere Brighter

Although pothos is well known for tolerating lower-light conditions, November is a good time to reconsider where to place pothos in your home. With shorter days and weaker winter sunlight, a spot that provided plenty of light during summer may now be too dark.

Ideally, place your pothos somewhere that receives bright, indirect light. An east-facing window is a particularly good choice, while south- or west-facing windows can also work if the foliage is protected from harsh direct sunlight. If your plant needs raising closer to a window, an attractive plant stand from IKEA is a practical addition.

Variegated pothos varieties, such as Marble Queen and Pearls and Jade, need sufficient indirect light to maintain their distinctive leaf patterns. If your home is particularly dark, an LED grow light from Amazon can provide some additional illumination. Avoid leaving pothos in a dark corner simply because it tolerates shade, as its growth may slow and its foliage may lose some vibrancy.

3. Keep It Away From Cold Drafts and Radiators

Pothos is a tropical plant, so maintaining a relatively warm and consistent indoor temperature is important as November temperatures drop. Check where your plant is positioned, particularly if it sits on a windowsill, near an exterior door or close to a heating vent. Cold drafts can damage the foliage, while the hot, dry air from radiators and heating systems can cause leaves to develop brown, crispy edges.

Try to keep your pothos at a comfortable room temperature and avoid moving it between particularly warm and cold environments. A digital indoor thermometer and hygrometer from Amazon can help you monitor temperature and humidity around your plant.

If indoor heating makes the air particularly dry, a small Levoit cool-mist humidifier from Amazon can help improve the surrounding conditions. If you usually keep your pothos near a window, make sure its leaves are not touching cold glass, especially overnight.

4. Give the Leaves a Little Extra Attention

With less natural light in November, keeping your pothos leaves clean helps it make the most of the daylight it gets. Dust gradually accumulates on the broad, glossy leaves, so take a few minutes to wipe them gently with a soft, damp cloth, supporting each leaf as you clean. Alternatively, microfiber plant-cleaning gloves from Amazon make it easy to reach around delicate leaves and remove dust without damaging the foliage.

This is also a useful opportunity to inspect the plant more closely. Look underneath the leaves and along the stems for signs of common houseplant pests, including spider mites and mealybugs. If you spot an infestation, Bonide Insecticidal Soap can help tackle common pests, as long as the label lists your plant and the pest. Test on a small area first.

5. Hold Back on Fertilizer Until Spring

It can be tempting to keep feeding your pothos throughout the year, particularly if you are keen to encourage long, trailing stems. However, November is generally a good time to reduce or stop fertilizing. As the plant enters a period of slower growth, it has less need for the additional nutrients supplied by houseplant fertilizer. Continuing to feed when it is not actively growing can result in an unnecessary build-up of nutrients in the soil.

Put your regular feeding routine on hold for the winter, then resume using a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer once new growth begins to appear in spring. A Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food from Walmart or Espoma Organic Indoor and Outdoor Plant Food from Amazon are both options to consider when it's time to restart feeding.

There is no need to compensate for slower growth by giving your plant additional fertilizer. Maintaining suitable light, temperature and watering conditions is far more important at this time of year.

6. Tidy Up Long or Damaged Vines

November is not the time for extensive pruning, but you can still prune pothos lightly if its stems have become particularly long, straggly or uneven. Use a pair of Fiskars Loop Micro-Tip Garden Snips from Amazon to remove damaged leaves and trim back any vines that have outgrown their space. This can help keep the plant looking neat, particularly if you grow it in a hanging basket or on a high shelf.

If you want to encourage a fuller appearance, you can also take a few stem cuttings to propagate new pothos plants. Each cutting should include at least one node, which is the small bump on the stem where roots can develop. Place the cuttings in a Fiskars glass propagation station filled with water until roots form.

However, if your pothos is looking healthy and you are happy with its shape, there is no need to prune it simply because November has arrived. More substantial pruning and repotting are generally best left until spring, when the plant is returning to active growth.

Pothos is easy to care for, but a few seasonal adjustments in November will help it through the winter. Focus on maintaining healthy foliage, avoiding overwatering and providing consistent warmth and light. With the right care now, your plant will be ready for fresh growth when spring arrives.

If you're hosting friends and family over the fast-approaching holiday season, then you may be starting to think about elevating your guest room to make visitors feel as comfortable and cozy as possible.

Guest bedrooms can be tricky spaces to design, especially if space is limited or they also need to double as a home office throughout the year, but a few simple decor upgrades can not only make them well-equipped for guests, but stylish and welcoming.

To help you on your way with refreshing your guest room ahead of the holidays, we asked interior designers for the five things they always make sure to include in these spaces. From cozy bed sheets to often overlooked window treatments and small finishing touches, these shoppable ideas don't require a full redesign, but can be easily added to your existing space.

1. Cozy Bedding

During the holiday season, a warm and welcoming bed is the most important part of a guest room, allowing guests a comfortable and cozy night's sleep. 'We love our gatherings with friends and family over the holidays, but travel, long days, and all things merriment can create a need for the most comfortable bedding and a great night's rest,' says designer Theresa Ory.

'We love percale sheets in a long-staple fiber and high thread count paired with a down comforter that's incredibly fluffy yet breathable,' she adds. 'Together, they create the perfect recipe for a good night’s sleep.'

And while the comfort and warmth of the bedding itself is essential, bedding trends are also a wonderful way to elevate the room with design interest, color, and pattern. 'I love mixing different prints and textures on a guest bed, rather than making everything match,' says interior designer Laura Stephens. 'Combining a patterned quilt with simple linen and a contrasting cushion makes the room feel more individual and collected, while still creating a bed that looks wonderfully inviting.'

And, for extra warmth during the winter months, don't forget to add a warm blanket to the end of the guest bed. 'It introduces another layer of texture and color, while allowing guests to make themselves comfortable without having to ask,' says Sophie Pringle, founder of Pringle & Pringle. 'We love those thoughtful details that feel like part of the scheme but also serve a genuine purpose.'

2. Mirrors

Decorating with mirrors can be easy to forget about when designing a guest room, but they can make the space feel much more homey and well-equipped for guests staying during the holidays.

Sophie recommends including a full-length mirror, which 'makes getting ready so much easier'. And while full-length mirrors require free wall space, you can get creative with your placement ideas to make them work even in small guest rooms. 'If there isn’t space for a freestanding mirror, consider positioning one on the back of a door or incorporating it into the furniture layout,' Sophie adds. 'It’s a practical detail that makes the room feel properly equipped.'

Beyond the practical reasons for having mirrors in your guest room, they can also add a decorative feel and help the room feel considered. 'A mirror over a dresser, desk, or vanity creates a pretty vignette within a guest room,' says designer Grace Rosenstein of Atelier Roan. 'The mirror draws more natural light into the space and is both aesthetically pretty and utilitarian when paired with an antique or vintage dresser, desk, or vanity, creating a private space where guests can get ready in the morning.'

3. Light-Blocking Window Treatments

Window treatments are essential when decorating a guest room – allowing guests to adequately block the light for a good night's sleep while creating a cozy feel in the winter months.

'For guest rooms, I find that window treatments are easily overlooked but very important,' says designer Shannon Adamson. 'Providing light-blocking shades or draperies creates a softness and a finished feel for the room, and allows guests to sleep comfortably until they are ready to wake. From a visual standpoint, window treatments complete a room, taking it from looking like an afterthought to a thoughtfully considered, finished space.'

'I recommend having two layers of window treatments: one layer that allows daylight to filter through while offering some privacy, and one layer that provides light control and full privacy at night,' says Shannon. 'This combination could be a light-blocking roller shade paired with light-filtering draperies, a layer of light-blocking draperies paired with a layer of sheer draperies, or a light-filtering roller shade inside the window frame paired with a light-blocking Roman shade outside the window frame.'

4. Layered Lighting

Even the most beautifully designed guest room would be thrown off course without proper bedroom lighting ideas. Guest rooms, especially during the holiday season, should feel cozy and ambient, and having only overly bright, overhead lighting can totally detract from this feel.

'Lighting is a powerful way to make their space feel welcoming, cozy, and thoughtful,' says designer Leslie Kramer, founder of Lighthouse Design. 'I always start with bedside lighting, whether that's table lamps, sconces, or pendants on either side of the bed – these should be installed ideally with switches within easy reach.'

'Beautiful bedside lighting makes such a difference to how a bedroom feels,' agrees Laura. 'I always like to have a lamp within easy reach of the bed, with a warm bulb and a lovely shade, so guests can settle down with a book without needing the main light on. It’s also a great opportunity to introduce another color or pattern.'

Alongside overhead lighting, which Leslie recommends having a dimmer switch for, add lamps elsewhere in the room to continue the cozy feel. 'I love adding a small lamp on a dresser or a floor lamp across the room,' says Leslie. 'Make sure to use a soft white bulb so the room feels cozy rather than cool. Clients are often surprised when they see what a difference the temperature of the bulb makes for the feel of the room.'

5. Creative Storage Solutions

A stylishly decorated bedroom can feel incomplete if there isn't somewhere for guests to store belongings and hang clothes. While there may not always be space for a full wardrobe, designers think more creatively about bedroom storage ideas.

'When guests are staying for a few days over Christmas, they want to be able to unpack, put their clothes away and settle in properly, rather than living out of a suitcase on the floor for the duration of their stay,' says Laura. 'Having somewhere to hang a few things, store belongings and put a suitcase makes such a difference to how comfortable and at home someone feels.'

'You don't necessarily need something particularly large; a slimline wardrobe can provide just enough hanging space for guests to unpack a few things and feel settled,' Laura adds. 'If there really isn't room for a wardrobe, I'd make sure there is a chest of drawers so guests have somewhere to put away their belongings, alongside an ottoman or bench at the end of the bed, which is useful for storing extra blankets (if it has storage) and gives guests somewhere to lay their suitcase or clothes.'

Beyond furniture used for storage, designers also recommend providing hooks for guests to hang clothing, which is especially useful if space is limited. 'We always think a few well-placed hooks are incredibly useful, particularly if they are decorative in their own right,' says Sophie. 'You can choose something in brass, painted wood, or an interesting antique style that feels like part of the scheme, rather than simply a functional addition. They give guests somewhere to hang coats, dressing gowns, towels, or a few pieces of clothing without needing to dedicate space to a wardrobe.'

Comfortable and cozy guest rooms aren't always about highly expensive decor, but about preempting the guest experience and ensuring it is well equipped, without forgetting the finishing touches that take it from functional to welcoming. Don't forget to include layered blankets and bedding – especially important at this time of year to give guests a cozy night's sleep.

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North America is not short of captivating birds. Whether resident species or fleeting migratory visitors from elsewhere, U.S. birdlife is rich and rewarding.

One native species that gardeners in some regions may see more of now, is the cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum). Why? Because these birds 'flock up' in the fall – and love berries. What's more, fall fruits can sustain them for some time.

Growing plants for birds is one of the best ways to encourage cedar waxwings to your yard. From shrubs, like this silky dogwood from Plant Addicts, to hawthorns and serviceberries, find out the fall favorites for these fruit-loving birds, according to experts.

Why You May Notice More Cedar Waxwings in the Fall

Cedar waxwings are resident year-round in the U.S., but their presence can be seen in different regions at different times – and not always predictably.

'As with many birds, when they are breeding in the summer, cedar waxwings may become quite difficult to spot, or may even leave your area,' explains Mhairi McFarlane, PhD, Habitat Stewardship Manager, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

'However, they often start to congregate by late summer and can be found in quite large flocks during the winter. In general, during November, they are present from southern Canada coast to coast and as far south as northern Mexico and the Florida coast. They are sparse or absent in higher and drier desert systems in the west.'

Michael L. P. Retter, Editor, North American Birds, explains that in the summer when cedar waxwings are paired off, they are less likely to flock. 'In fall, they start to flock up, and as fall progresses, the flocks get larger. By winter you can see hundreds of birds together,' he says.

'Generally, cedar waxwings are around in the southern tier in the winter and in the northern tier in the summer. However, these frugivorous birds have to go where the fruit is,' says Michael.

'If it's been a good year for setting fruit, they will stick around, but if there has been a drought and there isn't much, they will move on, even to somewhere new. Their movements can be rather nomadic.'

What Attracts Cedar Waxwings?

As already outlined, these birds love fruit – and unlike many other avians – can survive on this diet for several months. Native trees, shrubs and plants with fall or winter berries are a "must-have" if you want to encourage cedar waxwings to your yard in November.

'Native fruit producing trees, shrubs and vines will attract and support cedar waxwings, and other birds,' says Mhairi. 'Select native plants which have fruit which persists as late as possible, including cedar, hawthorn and winterberry.

'Ideally, if you have space, include different native species which flower and fruit at different times, so you can support birds for longer.'

Native to North America, the appropriately named winterberry from Plant Addicts produces bright red berries through fall into winter. While the black berries on this Autumn Brilliance serviceberry tree from Nature Hill's attracts multiple bird species.

'Mulberries, native grapes, blackberries, hackberries, serviceberries and raspberries are their favorites,' says Michael. 'On the west coast, cedar waxwings love Toyon; they also eat juniper. In the eastern US and Canada, they love eastern red cedar, which is where they get their name from as they're often seen eating the cones.'

'Ornamental shrubs and trees in gardens with fruit and berries that remain on the plant into the late fall or winter could be a magnet for this nomadic species,' says Steve Roels, program director, American Bird Conservancy. 'A flock of waxwings could potentially show up in your garden if such fruit is abundant.'

How to Make Your Yard More Welcoming for Cedar Waxwings

Growing the trees and shrubs mentioned (that are native to your region), with staggered fruiting times, is the best way to support and encourage these charming creatures.

'Succession planting is ideal,' says Michael. 'We have a lot of native hollies in the U.S., so those are a good choice. In southern parts cedar waxwings adore Yaupon holly. In cooler areas out west, they love mountain ash too.'

Although cedar waxwings can survive on fruit alone for a while, they do eat insects and invertebrates too. Creating a welcoming habitat where these social birds can flock and forage for a protein source will also bring more of them to your yard.

'Cedar waxwings love fruit and eat it year-round, but they also supplement their diet with insects,' says Mhairi. 'Growing a suite of native plants supports the insect community which they and other birds need. A good mix would be native trees and shrubs which produce fruit, along with some native grasses and wildflowers to support a more complete ecosystem.'

Native to large swathes of the USA, this Blond Ambition Blue Grama Grass from Nature Hill's thrives in zones 3-10 and attracts pollinators and songbirds.

Provide A Water Source

Garden ponds, water features and bird baths all offer opportunities for cedar waxwings and other overwintering avians to sip and splash around, which is integral for their survival.

'Of course, the best thing we can do is plant their native food sources,' says Michael. 'But water is important, and particularly so for waxwings because of their fruit diet. When it's cold they start eating desiccated, dried and even fermented fruits. So they need to be hydrated in order to process it.'

Bird baths that are large, wide, and relatively shallow are best for these andmay other birds. 'At this time of year, cedar waxwings often rove around in flocks, so that gives everyone some space to bathe,' says Mhairi.

'In general, large water features, with a variety of depths, can support the largest variety of wildlife. Just make sure there are some shallow spots, with some rocks or logs in deeper zones to help smaller species clamber in and out.'

Mhairi recommends that any ground-mounted systems have some open, clear sides. 'This is so that birds have a good view of any approaching predators, and a clear escape route,' she says.

This large river stone bird bath from Etsy can be placed on the ground and can withstand all of the elements.

Plants To Avoid Growing

As worthwhile as growing the native trees, shrubs and plants that cedar waxwings thrive on, is avoiding those that harm them. These tend to be non-native species.

'Given the chance, cedar waxwings will eat nandina (heavenly bamboo),' says Michael. 'It has beautiful coral red fruits, but they are toxic to cedar waxwings as these birds didn't evolve to eat them.

'Another imported plant to avoid, that they love, is privet. It's not toxic to them but it's destructive to their habitat. Privet destroys woodlands and smothers out native plants that fruit at different times, leaving a monoculture that fruits for three weeks, so there is nothing left for them to eat.

'The same thing happens in the north with amur honeysuckle and tatarian honeysuckle, so they are best avoided too.'

'Taking care to plant only native shrubs for this species is best, because waxwings will readily disperse seeds and can facilitate the spread of non-native invasive shrubs like Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) and Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii),' adds Steve.

'Chemical analyses of fruits have shown that native shrubs tend to produce more nutrient-rich fruits than invasive plant species as well. Servicebery (Amelanchier spp.) Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), American Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana), and native hawthorns (Crataegus spp.) are attractive shrubs and small trees that will bring in Cedar Waxwings.'

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Prevent Window Strikes

Michael explains that because these birds eat fermented fruit and travel in big flocks, they're sometimes inebriated and distracted by their flock mates. 'A tipsy waxwing is more likely to fly into your window and kill itself than other bird species,' he says. 'It's common in late winter when fruit has fermented to find a group of waxwings that have perished from hitting a window.'

Michael recommends creating patterns of dots or lines on windows, whether applied with stickers, transfers or just a marker pen.

'Spacing dots or lines around 1.5-2 inches apart is very effective,' he says. 'Having a regular pattern breaks up the reflection that they are seeing. Windows and cats are the biggest cause of bird fatalities.'

'As a species that is very comfortable around our homes, it is important to note that waxwings are at risk from outdoor cats,' says Steve. 'They are especially vulnerable when feeding on low shrubs close to the ground. The easiest way to keep wild birds safe is to keep pet cats indoors.

'The landscaping that brings waxwings into our yards also increases the risk of window collisions. Treating home windows is an easy, inexpensive step and a problem anyone can help solve.'

This Avi-Dot bird saver window stencil from Etsy enables you to easily mark windows with removable dots, during migration seasons and other times when birds flock in large groups and are more prone to window strikes.

If cedar waxwings are resident in your region this season, the best way to feed these birds in winter is by growing their favorite native fruits and berries. Consider other ways to help them too, such as preventing window strikes, providing water, keeping cats indoors and removing harmful plants.

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Just because the days are getting shorter and temperatures are dropping, it doesn’t mean you can’t still have a colorful, textural garden.

I have been on a quest for winter garden ideas and found some special heucheras that are guaranteed to impress. The new Terra Nova heuchera Fyre Wing series is inspired by dragon lore and features deep, rich foliage and unique serrated foliage like dragon wings.

If you want something different for year-round color and a plant sure to become a talking point in your garden, any of the seven new heuchera varieties in the line tick all the right boxes. Of all of them, I am a fan of the heuchera Fyre Wing ‘Heliodor’ (available at Plant Addicts) with lime-green foliage tinted with orange when young. The foliage appears to glow and will remain evergreen in milder climates.

What Are Heuchera Fyre Wing Plants

Heuchera, also known as coral bells, makes a great winter plant for pots and borders. The gorgeous perennial plants are suited to a wide variety of climates, from USDA hardiness zones 4-9

When planning a winter garden, some of the best plants have vibrant foliage year-round for interest and structure. Plants like heuchera, winter heather, ophiopogon, and bergenia tick all those boxes.

Heuchera are evergreen in milder climates and semi-evergreen in colder areas. The wide palette of foliage makes heuchera so popular. The color spectrum runs from neon green to warm peach to almost black, with varieties like Heuchera 'Caramel' (available at Nature Hills) and Heuchera 'Palace Purple' among the most popular.

The foliage of different heucheras can be smooth, ruffled, lacy, or hand-shaped. However, the Terra Nova heuchera Fyre Wing series has been bred to showcase a new, unique foliage form. This sets it apart from others and will really stand out in any garden.

The series is a range inspired by dragon lore and precious gemstones. Each has foliage that echoes its namesake gem and unfurls like finely laced dragon wings.

Speaking about the heuchera Fyre Wing series, Chuck Pavlich, director of new product development at Terra Nova Nurseries, claims the series has a ‘one in a million quality’. He said upon release: ‘The deeply cut, lace-like foliage creates a level of texture and dimension that hasn't existed until now.’

How to Use Fyre Wing Plants

The seven varieties in the Terra Nova heuchera Fyre Wing series range in shade from the lime green ‘Heliodor’ to the black ‘Jet’.

There is likely a plant to match any garden style or planting scheme. The emerald-green ‘Jadeite’ (get a Fyre Wing Jadeite Heuchera at Plant Addicts) will freshen up mixed plantings, while the purple-bronze ‘Spinel’ can provide real contrast against brighter colors or white blooms in flower beds or containers.

In seasonal plantings, the rich golden ‘Amber’ and the copper of ‘Hematite’ (get a Fyre Wing Hematite Heuchera at Plant Addicts) complement existing fall color around the yard and work well with the blue, burgundy, or cream blooms of winter-flowering violas, pansies, or primroses.

Each in the Fyre Wing series features the eye-catching, deeply cut, dragon wing-like foliage, with many leaf colors developing over the season. The plants suit zones 4-9, can grow in sun or part-shade, and range from 7-11 inches tall and 12-14 inches wide, depending on the variety.

This makes them suitable for beds, borders, or growing coral bells in pots. If you are looking to add a bit of magic to your yard, these dramatic heucheras are guaranteed to do just that. Plant them along the edges of flower beds for drama, or as focal pieces in a large container or planter. You can rely on them to put on a show year-round and attract the attention of guests.

If you're after a bit of magic or lore in your yard, each variety in the Fyre Wing range comes with a birth certificate detailing the dragon’s provenance and claw print illustrations which are indicative of the foliage and the gemstone.

This added depth and mythology, along with the rare textural foliage, can support other enchanting backyard spaces, such as fairy gardens or the moonlighting trend that creates a magical feel when the sun goes down. Imagine some subtle lighting showcasing the dragon wing foliage on a darker evening.

Shop the Terra Nova Heuchera Fyre Wing Series

By carefully curating your garden with unique plants that offer vibrant color and interesting visuals year-round, you can have a beautiful space throughout the colder months.

A key part of maintaining heucheras or coral bells (whatever you prefer to call them) is knowing when to trim them each season.

As evergreen plants, pruning them in the fall robs you of any winter color. Fall trimming also exposes the tender crown to frost. The take-home message is to never cut back coral bells in the fall; instead, always do it in spring. Enjoy the plant’s winter color and texture, and add the task to your spring gardening checklist.

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Now is a crucial time for the Christmas cactus, with its blooming period just around the corner. What you do over the coming weeks could make or break your display, so it's more important than ever to protect this holiday houseplant and stop its buds from falling off.

Christmas cactus care can be particular, with it needing a dark period and stable conditions to guarantee blooms by the holidays. Humidity is a key part of this to ensure those buds stay attached; if yours are dropping off, it likely means the air in its current room is too dry. That's why houseplant pros recommend keeping your Christmas cactus in the bathroom, where it can soak up extra moisture.

Here, they explain why this can make a difference and save your festive blooms – don't forget to also pick up one of the best pots to display a trailing Christmas cactus and a soil moisture meter (from Amazon) to support your plant care.

The Problem with Fall

Despite its name, the Christmas cactus is actually a succulent. It's native to tropical rainforests in coastal mountain regions of south-eastern Brazil, where it thrives in higher humidity levels.

As per fall houseplant care, it's important to be aware of how our indoor heating can dry out the air and dehydrate moisture-loving houseplants, like Christmas cacti. As a result, these plants can drop their buds before they get the chance to open up, sabotaging your holiday blooms.

But, it isn't a lack of humidity alone that can cause bud drop: moving your Christmas cactus can result in bud drop if the conditions significantly change, due to these succulents needing a stable growing environment.

'The trick with a Christmas cactus is to leave it alone once the buds appear. Moving it, or letting the temperature swing when the heating turns on and off, makes it drop buds before they open,' explains Morgan Brooks, the Founder and Editor at Plant Style Home.

This means that moving your already-budded Christmas cactus to a bathroom that is significantly cooler and darker than its current position is risky and may also result in bud drop. However, if your Christmas cactus is struggling with humidity, relocating to a bathroom with stable conditions can be a lifeline – or relocate it to the bathroom after this flowering season for more success next year.

You can use this humidity meter from Walmart to determine where is best for your Christmas cactus, with 50-70% being the ideal window.

Why Keep Your Christmas Cactus in the Bathroom?

One of the easiest ways to increase humidity for indoor plants is by keeping them in the bathroom. The best bathroom plants are those that love some extra moisture, as they can handle the humidity from shower steam.

'As long as the bathroom has good natural light a Christmas cactus will thrive there. They love mist and humidity,' says plant expert and interior plant designer, Shane Pliska.

'Many people assume because 'cactus' is in the name that the Christmas cactus must require an arid environment. These are in fact epiphytes native to tropical rainforests and love humidity,' he explains.

Don't forget, however, that this won't automatically fix your Christmas cacti's bud drop. Your bathroom still needs to be bright and warm (between 60-70°F) to help your plant retain its buds and stay happy.

Likewise, if your Christmas cactus is already budding and your bathroom is too cool or dark, it's best to turn to other methods to boost humidity. This includes using a pebble humidity tray (like this from Amazon) or even a portable humidifier (like this from Walmart).

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There are a few other Christmas cactus mistakes to be aware of to ensure you still get a beautiful festive display. This includes watering your plant too frequently – these succulents are susceptible to houseplant root rot, so it's best to let the top few inches of soil dry out.

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Clutter is usually considered a bad thing, but when it comes to this kitchen trend, it's the makings of a beautifully lived-in space. It's not clutter in the literal sense, but a way to describe a more collected decorating style that feels personalized and homey. It's a kitchen that's clearly used and loved, with an air of curated style.

It's a kitchen trend that's been slowly emerging over the past year, especially as we move away from sleek minimal spaces towards homes that feel like homes. It's about bringing the pieces you love into your cooking space, and embracing the charm of filled shelves and signs of life.

And it's also a trend that designers say is here to stay. Find out why interior designers say the cluttered kitchen trend is long overdue, how to bring a more collected look into your own space, and how to walk the line between artfully cluttered and messy.

The Appeal of the Cluttered Kitchen Trend

The cluttered kitchen trend isn't about allowing your space to become messy and chaotic. It's the idea that a kitchen should feel just as lived-in and cozy as the other rooms in your home, just in a slightly different way that balances style and function. Think of it as collected, personalized, and full of thoughtful details that make a cooking space infinitely more inviting.

It's not just another aesthetic, either. As cool neutral kitchen colors and sleek materials fall out of favor, warm hues and patinated finishes are taking their place, and the desire for a space that feels characterful and lovingly worn is only growing. This trend allows the kitchen to become the true heart of the home, rather than a purely practical space.

'The appeal is that kitchens are finally being allowed to look and feel like the heart of the home again. They are busy, hardworking spaces, and a little bit of visual abundance can make them feel much more welcoming and personal,' says Sophie Pringle, Founder of Pringle & Pringle. 'I love the idea of having everyday essentials close at hand, with beautiful ceramics, cookbooks, favorite ingredients, and pieces that you use regularly becoming part of the character of the room. It is about creating a kitchen that feels lived in and enjoyed, rather than one that is always perfectly pristine.'

It goes beyond the smaller pieces you add – the trend shows up through the larger kitchen installations, too. 'Everyone wants a home that feels lived-in, and the kitchen is the perfect place for that. Clutter does not translate into mess. It simply means displaying curated items with intention. Today, we can find beautiful appliances that actually merit being exhibited instead of being hidden behind panel-ready cabinetry. I am loving the latest coffee machines – and don't even get me started on the retro refrigerators. They make the kitchen feel cozy and homey,' says Ania Agárdy of Luxury Living.

The cluttered kitchen trend takes away the expectation of perfection. It should be easy to achieve because it naturally evolves as you use and live in your kitchen. It's a style you can take your time with – forcing a collected look never looks quite right, but filling shelves with inherited ceramics, travel collections, and seasonal pieces will instantly bring the look to life.

'I think there is something rather lovely about a kitchen that feels as though it has evolved over time, rather than being designed and styled all in one go,' adds Melissa Hutley, Co-Founder of Hutley & Humm. 'It is often the little things that give a room its soul – a collection of ceramics, interesting pieces picked up on travels, or something inherited from family. I would describe it less as clutter and more as a sense of abundance and personality. A kitchen should feel warm, welcoming, and used, not like a showroom where you are afraid to put anything down.'

Why It's Trending

The way we use, design, and live in our kitchens is evolving. No longer purely a cooking space, they've evolved into social rooms where hosting, dining, and quality time are spent. The cluttered kitchen trend brings that personalized feel and cozier style that makes you want to spend time in them.

'For many years, minimalist kitchens dominated design, but people have realized that having everything hidden makes the space feel less personal and more clinical. Kitchens have become a gathering area in the home. It is the first place a family gets together in the morning. When you create a space that is informal and intimate, it actually encourages conversation and gets us to put away our cell phones,' says Ania.

It also encourages homeowners to treat their kitchen as a place to showcase personality – just because functional tasks take place in a kitchen doesn't mean it has to feel clinical. It deserves just as much decorative attention as any other room.

'I think people are increasingly drawn to homes that feel individual and have a sense of history about them. There has been a move away from interiors that are too perfect or minimal, towards spaces that feel layered, comfortable and reflective of the people who live in them,' Melissa explains. 'The kitchen is such an important part of family life, so it makes sense that people want it to feel relaxed and full of character. We love mixing old and new and letting treasured objects and everyday pieces become part of the decor.'

How to Get the Look Without Creating a Messy Kitchen

There's a fine line between a kitchen that feels collected and one that just feels messy. Think about where you want to display decorative and elevated pieces to create a more lived-in look. Keep items on your countertops to a minimum to avoid cluttering your hard-working surfaces.

'It boils down to organization. I always incorporate display areas such as floating shelves and glass doors. The goal is to mix varying textures, shapes, and heights, combining daily essentials with decorative anchors,' says Ania, who emphasizes utilizing less-used areas to balance style and function.

'There is something rather sad about beautiful pottery spending its life behind a door while the kitchen gets decorated with things bought specifically to decorate a kitchen. Put the pottery on a shelf. Hang those lovely pans from a rail and enjoy them between meals. That is what appeals to me about this look: the things you use become part of what makes the room beautiful,' adds Grazzie Wilson, Head of Creative at Ca’ Pietra.

Once you've chosen which areas of your kitchen to curate into more collected, focal spaces, the rest depends on the items you put there. Be considerate, and balance decorative pieces and prettier kitchenware so your storage still has a practical purpose.

'For us, it is all about being considered with what you put on display. Open shelving can be a wonderful way to introduce character, particularly if you mix useful pieces such as plates and glassware with ceramics, artwork, cookbooks and perhaps a few collected objects,' says Melissa.

'In this project, we used open shelving in the kitchen to keep the space feeling light and relaxed, while introducing plenty of opportunity for personality. I would always suggest grouping things rather than scattering lots of little objects around, and mixing different heights, textures and materials to create interest. Keep the practical necessities organized and let the more decorative pieces tell a story. You want the kitchen to feel generous and full of life, but still somewhere that is a pleasure to cook and spend time in.'

What you display is just as important as what you don't for a successfully cluttered kitchen. 'The key is to be clever about what you display and what you conceal. We love designing functional pantries that incorporate breakfast and coffee stations, as we have done in many of our projects, so that appliances, cups, cereals and all those everyday essentials can be kept together and neatly tucked away when not in use,' Sophie adds.

'In our Hammersmith kitchen, we also designed the island with generous, deep drawers for practical kitchen storage, while incorporating open shelving at the sides for cookbooks and favorite pieces. The island is both highly functional and adds personality to the room. I always suggest displaying a few things you genuinely love or use regularly, rather than filling every available surface. That way, you get the warmth and character of a lived-in kitchen without sacrificing a sense of order.'

Shop the Cluttered Kitchen Trend

This emerging kitchen trend is all about bringing collected charm and personality to your cooking space, so take notes from designers to ensure you get the look right. Start with a few beautiful pieces on display, then let the rest grow over time.

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A recent article in Forbes proclaims, 'As AI Slop Spreads, Handmade Goods Are Having a Moment.' The truth is, handmade goods have had many moments in the last 150 years, as they and their creators have pushed back against mass production and industrialization: the Arts and Crafts movement, Slow Design, and Modern Craft Revival, among others. Handmade objects have never been vanquished by mass production and never will be; their visibility and customer demand for them have merely ebbed and flowed over time.

The advent of social media and now, AI, has renewed the focus on handmade goods as one antidote to the isolation and artificiality we confront in this modern era. Handmade products offer a human connection, often a story and the 'imperfections' that mark them as authentic. These are attributes I have long fostered in my work, along with the artisan communities from around the world whose techniques and traditions deliver them.

Perhaps paradoxically, however, it is our work with traditional artisans that has yielded some of our most innovative and cutting-edge designs. What machines cannot do, people often can, especially with novel materials and techniques to which no machinery is adapted.

When I set out to create wallcoverings from plant fibers that retained their organic textures, we worked with a skilled group of artisans in the Philippines who were able to create beautiful panels from the pulp of plants, leaves, and tree bark, all harvested locally. Because they were crafted by hand, no two panels were the same; they exhibited subtle variations in shade, shape and dimension and bore the unmistakable marks of their origins. Some we dyed or gilded, while others were left in their natural shades. This design, which we named Eden, has been a perennial favorite among our clients, and it is one that no machine could replicate, then or now.

Our design Newsworthy was created through a similar process. Determined to find a way to repurpose discarded newspapers and magazines from around the world into unique wallcoverings, we collaborated with artisans on the considerable technical challenges of braiding and weaving paper, which required advanced handcraft and creative skill. Handwoven on traditional looms, Newsworthy is a collection of unique panels with readable text, a prominent texture, and highly variable coloration. It has won many awards for innovation and sustainability and is now in the permanent collection of the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. It is one of the best-selling wallcoverings I have ever designed.

Human skill and ingenuity are not, and never will be, outdated. From conceptual design to execution, the role of artisans is critical to innovation and aesthetics. For these reasons, demand for handmade goods will remain a constant in the world of design, and their future looks as bright as ever.

Interior designer Lori Weitzner is one of Homes & Gardens' Editors-At-Large for By Design, sharing her thoughts on decor. See the rest of her articles here.

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As its name suggests, Mother of Thousands (Kalanchoe daigremontiana) is a succulent with a reputation for multiplying. Hailing from Madagascar and also known as the alligator plant or Mexican hat plant, it readily reproduces on its own and is also incredibly easy to propagate.

Commonly grown as an indoor succulent, a Mother of Thousands grows to three feet tall and its fleshy leaves are edged with small plantlets. These plantlets fall from the plant but also offer the quickest way to propagate Mother of Thousands, as they are readily available and root easily.

Mother of Thousands differs from Mother of Millions (Kalanchoe delagoensis), but both plants are straightforward to propagate. If you know how to propagate Mother of Thousands, you can expand your indoor plant collection and have new plants for friends, family, and neighbors. Here are two ways to do it: from plantlets and from cuttings. For both, you need a good houseplant soil, like this organic indoor potting mix on Amazon.

How to Propagate Mother of Thousands From Plantlets

It is easy to get lots of new Mother of Thousands plants using the baby plantlets that form all along the leaf margins. These small offsets root easily, so effortlessly that they often fall from the plant and root wherever they land.

This is not desirable; you can end up with lots of babies where you don’t want them. Thankfully, you can propagate Mother of Thousands in a less chaotic way using these baby plantlets in 4 simple steps:

• Remove the baby plantlets: Mother of Thousands is an easy houseplant to propagate in fall and winter, when the plantlets are mature and drop naturally. It is not limited to then, though, as you can propagate mature plantlets throughout the year. Mature plantlets have tiny leaves and some mini roots. When they show all the right characteristics, gently remove them from the leaves with your fingers or tweezers (available at Walmart) before they fall off on their own. To boost your chances of success, make sure they have at least two or three roots when you detach them.
• Put the plantlets in soil: Prepare trays or small pots with a well-draining potting mix. The best material to propagate plants in is a mix formulated especially for cuttings, like this plant propagation potting mix on Amazon. Put the separated plantlets on the surface and gently push the roots into the potting mix. Don’t bury the plantlets deeply; they just need contact with the soil to establish roots. They naturally fall from the plant and root wherever they land, which is evidence they don’t need precision planting to start growing. Place the container of plantlets where they can get lots of bright, indirect sunlight.
• Mist the plantlets: Keep the soil damp, but not too wet. The safest way is to mist the soil after you plant the babies, then repeat when the soil dries out. It would be a houseplant propagation mistake to waterlog the soil, as that will certainly result in the plantlet rotting rather than rooting. You can get a vintage glass mister at Walmart that makes a beautiful addition to any propagation station.
• Replant once roots form: After a few weeks, the plantlets will likely have developed a new root system. At this point, pot them up into an individual container. Always wait for a good root system to develop. A good sign they have rooted is when you feel some resistance when you gently pull – only gently, as you don’t want to risk snapping those fresh roots. Use a well-draining potting soil for indoor plants, like this houseplant potting soil at Amazon. Carefully lever the baby plant out of the soil and place it into the new pot. Bury the roots, but keep the foliage above the soil line. Water gently and keep the soil moist but not too wet going forward.

How to Propagate Mother of Thousands From Cuttings

Mother of Thousands is also an easy houseplant to grow from stem cuttings in late spring to early summer. It is a slower way to start new plants than by plantlets, but it is a reliable method.

Taking plant cuttings is a way to trim back tall or leggy plants and get new specimens for a houseplant collection. Here’s how to propagate Mother of Thousands from cuttings:

1. Take a 2-4 inch cutting of a healthy stem with a pair of sharp pruning snips (available at Amazon)
2. Place the cutting somewhere warm and dry to callus over for a few days
3. Dip the base of the cutting in rooting hormone (you can get rooting hormone powder from Walmart)
4. Place the cutting into a pot filled with a succulent potting mix (like this at Amazon)
5. Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag to maintain humidity
6. Place the container where it can get lots of bright, indirect light
7. Water lightly and don’t water again until the soil starts drying out
8. Once the cutting has developed roots after a few weeks, it can be potted up

What to Shop

Growing Mother of Thousands might not be for every household, as the foliage is toxic to pets. All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested by cats, dogs, or humans.

If you have an inquisitive pet at home, our guide to the best pet-safe indoor plants includes alternatives you may prefer.

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Rosemary is a glorious, almost universally popular Mediterranean shrub. It offers a wonderful combination of evergreen foliage, delicate flowers, and, of course, the aromatic foliage it is famous for. Whether you use rosemary for culinary, medicinal, or skincare purposes, the plant often needs TLC to prepare it for winter, and November is a prime time to put a plan in place.

The plant, now known as Salvia rosmarinus rather than the Rosmarinus officinalis name it was known by for many years, can be moved indoors for winter or left outdoors and given protection from the elements. Cold, wet winter conditions do pose a danger to plants, but they are fairly easy to prevent – especially if you know what to do with rosemary plants in November.

Rosemary is hardy in US hardiness zones 8-10 and can overwinter outdoors in zone 7 with some protection. Gardeners in colder climates need to protect their plants this month. If you want to grow rosemary in these zones without the extra effort, plant a cold-hardy variety like ‘Arp’. You can buy a pack of 4 live Rosemary ‘Arp’ plants on Amazon suitable for cold climates down to US hardiness zone 6.

Move Potted Rosemary Indoors

Growing herbs in pots is a vital way for anyone with small spaces or heavy soil to cultivate Mediterranean plants like rosemary, thyme, and oregano. If you get cold winters, you can overwinter rosemary in containers by bringing it indoors to see it through the freezing months.

It is an ideal solution for anyone in US hardiness zone 7 or below, where winters get too cold for rosemary. Even in milder climates, it is recommended to at least move pots to a protected area in the yard, as plants in containers are never as hardy as their in-ground counterparts.

Bring potted plants indoors to a bright position where they can get six to eight hours of sunlight daily, such as a sunny windowsill. Do this in November before nighttime temperatures consistently get down to under 45°F. You should check the plant for pests before bringing it indoors – any unwanted guests can be dealt with by spraying the plant with insecticidal soap, available at Walmart.

Large rosemary shrubs will need to remain outdoors and be protected in another way – which we’ll get to next. But smaller plants can be lifted from the ground and potted up into containers filled with a well-draining potting mix, such as this organic potting mix from Burpee.

Cover Plants for Cold Nights

In zones 7 and below, rosemary plants are grateful for added protection against freezing temperatures that can blacken the evergreen foliage or cause dieback.

This can be done in several ways in November. A strong solution is to cover smaller rosemary plants with a portable cold frame (like this polycarbonate cold frame at The Home Depot) to provide essential insulation and safeguard against plunging temperatures, cold wind, and freezing rain over winter.

Such a fix doesn’t need to be permanent for the entire season, especially if you don’t get prolonged deep freezes. Frost cloth or old sheets can be put over the plants for freezing nights and taken off again during the day.

In preparation, build a tent-like structure over the rosemary plants with bamboo canes (also available at The Home Depot). Then you can put the material over that and tie it in place when needed, rather than place it directly onto the rosemary, as the frost cloth can freeze itself to the plant and rip the leaves or bark when you attempt to remove it.

You can use frost cloth (also known as horticultural fleece), burlap, blankets, or old bed sheets to protect against frost. The one material to avoid is plastic, as it encourages moisture and makes the plant more susceptible to mold.

Mulch Plants

Mulching around the roots is a proven way to protect rosemary plants’ roots from freezing winter weather. It’s a job to do before the ground freezes this month, so add it to your fall gardening checklist for the coming weeks.

It is a sound tactic in zone 7 and below, especially key in zones 6 and 5, because it insulates the roots, prevents frost heave, and helps smother weeds. Even in zone 8, where the plant may not need winter protection so urgently, mulching rosemary in the fall brings benefits, especially for younger plants that may not be fully established.

The crucial aspect with rosemary is choosing the right type of mulch. Many plants want compost or well-rotted manure, but these hold lots of moisture over winter, and rosemary dislikes sitting in cold, wet soil.

Instead, use lighter materials for rosemary, such as straw (you can get a bag of garden straw mulch at Lowe’s), shredded leaves, pine needles, or bark chips. These insulate the ground and protect the roots, without risking holding excess water and causing rot.

Lightly Prune Plants

You can lightly trim rosemary in November, but definitely don’t do any hard pruning. It is a quick tidy rather than a major overhaul, and certainly never prune into the oldest woody stems at this time of year.

If the plant will be outdoors in winter, keep your rosemary pruning this month to removing dead, damaged, or diseased stems. This will help keep it healthy over the upcoming winter.

If you are bringing the plant indoors for winter, you can do a bit more shaping or trimming to make it fit better on a windowsill. You should still be able to carefully harvest rosemary over winter indoors, but do so sparingly and don’t cut large swathes of stems.

Always use clean, sharp pruning tools for any pruning in November. A pocket-sized tool sharpener like this from Amazon can quickly sharpen the blade of any pruners or loppers.

Reduce Watering

It has been mentioned more than once here that rosemary doesn’t like sitting in wet soil. Come November, you can most likely stop watering rosemary plants growing outdoors, unless they are in a cold frame or a protected area where they don’t get much natural rainfall.

It can be easy to overwater outdoor plants – unfortunately, rosemary and waterlogged soil don’t play well together, and the usual result is root rot. Take extra care with watering plants this month and consider using a soil moisture meter, available at Amazon, to see how much water is already in the soil before adding any more.

Lift rosemary in outdoor containers on pot feet so they drain well, and remove any saucers from underneath to stop them sitting in water. You can get a pack of rubber, non-slip pot feet at Walmart.

What to Shop

Rosemary plants can get woody and leggy over the years. You can do some hard pruning in spring and early summer to revitalize woody rosemary plants, cutting as low as possible without going into the bare wood.

Around the same time, it may also be advisable to propagate rosemary from cuttings in case your shrubs don’t respond as you’d like. You’ll get exact clones of the existing bush that can replace your old ones down the line.

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Paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus) are one of the most popular Christmas bulbs, with slender stems topped by dainty white, highly fragrant blooms. They brighten up interiors for the holidays and make for exquisite living arrangements, but success in growing them is all to do with planting the bulbs at the right time.

If you're considering forcing bulbs indoors for the holidays, now is the time to pick up your paperwhite bulbs (which you can find at Walmart). Growing paperwhites is fairly straightforward: plant them 4-6 weeks before you want blooms, provide plenty of bright light, and keep them consistently watered.

But, it isn't as straightforward as planting and leaving them alone. Here, a flower growing expert talks through the exact window to plant your paperwhite bulbs for Christmas and two different methods to use (pick up an elegant bulb vase to get started).

When to Plant Paperwhites

Paperwhites are some of the best indoor bulbs to force for Christmas, and you can grow them in both soil and water. Either way, a bit of planning is needed to time planting in time for a holiday display.

'I grow hundreds of paperwhites each year to keep the flowers blooming over winter. Most paperwhites start blooming 4-6 weeks from planting,' says flower farmer-florist, Joey McFarland.

'Since the blooms themselves will last for a week or more once they’ve opened, it’s best to start on the earlier side. I recommend starting Christmas paperwhites by mid-November,' she continues.

Forcing spring-flowering bulbs essentially works by providing the bulbs with an ideal growing environment indoors prior to the natural, seasonal conditions. It tricks them into breaking dormancy and blooming earlier than they're meant to.

Unlike other indoor bulbs, like hyacinths (this hyacinth forcing vase from Amazon is ideal for these bulbs), crocus, and tulips, paperwhites don't require a chilling period to trigger growth. This is thanks to their Mediterranean native habitat, where the milder winter conditions are enough to trigger growth – warmth and moisture indoors does the trick.

If you want flowering paperwhites indoors throughout the holiday season and beyond, plant new bulbs every two weeks from October to January and enjoy staggered blooming.

Keep in mind that temperature can also influence the speed of growth. Warmer temperatures between 68-75°F can encourage faster blooming, sometimes as soon as three weeks after planting. If you want to delay blooming, position your planted paperwhites in a cooler spot (between 65-70°F, which you can monitor with this Walmart room thermometer). This will also help encourage sturdier stems as the shoots appear.

As for how to go about planting them, there are two different techniques to use: either in water or soil.

How to Grow Paperwhites in Water

'My preferred planting method is in water. Select a vessel at least four inches tall. Fill the bottom 2-3 inches with pebbles or stones. Nestle your paperwhite bulbs into the stones. Fill with water until it’s just touching the bottom of the bulbs. Soon the bulbs will start forming roots,' says Joey.

To force bulbs in water successfully, Joey says to take care not to submerge the bulbs in the water, as this can cause rot.

'Paperwhites can grow quite tall so using a taller vessel can help support the heavy stems. You can also stake them or tie them together with a festive ribbon,' Joey recommends.

This tall bulb forcing glass from Amazon is designed to keep the paperwhite bulb out the water to avoid this issue.

Don't forget to refresh the water frequently to keep it clean and topped up. A houseplant watering can with a narrow spout (like this black metal one from Amazon) can make this much more convenient to do.

How to Grow Paperwhites in Soil

Even though paperwhites are one of the best indoor bulbs to grow in water, it is just as straightforward to force bulbs in soil – opt for this Wayfair terracotta pot to get the rustic look above.

It's best to choose a shallow container with a drainage hole to manage moisture. A well-draining potting mix is also wise, like this Miracle-Gro potting mix from Lowe's.

The pointed side of the bulb should be facing upwards, but you don't need to bury the bulb – leave the neck exposed.

Keep the bulbs well-watered but not soggy. Brighter light will also keep the stems upright and avoid flopping.

What to Shop

As well as using forced bulbs for festive arrangements, consider adding some holiday houseplants into the mix. Paperwhites look beautiful among red poinsettias, for example, and can add some height alongside your Christmas cactus.

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With a sprinkling of luck and a little low sunlight to set off your star plants, November can be a beautiful month in the garden. In fact, it can be golden. Which is exactly what we need to keep the spirits high when the nights are drawing in.

To help your backyard shine this month, I've picked a stellar line-up of trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses for a November glow. From the butter-yellows of fall foliage stars and the last dahlias to the burnished buff and amber of some of my favourite ornamental grasses, it's a palette to warm and soothe the soul.

While it may be tempting to leave the fall gardening jobs at the gate and hunker down inside, I promise you won't regret getting out there on a sunny day and appreciating what's looking good. And if you find your garden lacking, it's not too late. There's still time to plant before the frosts set in, whether that's for fall interest or for the gardening year to come. I've got my eye on a 'Brooks Road' Ginkgo tree from Garden Good Direct – its neat upright shape is perfect for smaller gardens like mine.

Mahonia

For golden late-fall colour in flower form, top prize has to go to the wonderful group of shrubs that are mahonias.

Most begin flowering in late autumn and continue until early spring, with long flower spikes decked in lily-of-the-valley-scented yellow-orange blooms, which are a magnet for hungry late-season pollinators. In fact, they're one of a select group of plants that look better in fall than summer.

So what comes first in any mahonia growing guide? You need to know that they're ideal for the back of a shaded or partly shaded border, where their dramatic glossy green evergreen spiked foliage creates a handsome foil for a huge range of other shade-tolerant shrubs and perennials.

They're tough, easygoing plants too, thriving in most kinds of soil and needing very little in the way of pruning or shaping. Just let them get on with it and they'll flower for years.

Some of the best varieties for the earliest flowers include Mahonia nitens 'Cabaret' (USDA Zones 6-8), which begins its flowering display in late summer, its orange buds opening to cheerful yellow. Mahonia 'Volcano' (USDA Zones 7-9) begins to bloom in September, with coppery buds opening to golden yellow.

Then there's Mahonia x media 'Winter Sun', (USDA Zones 5-9) a November starter with sunny yellow flowers – its grows to around 16ft (5m), so it's one for a big garden. Finally, try Mahonia 'Soft Caress' (USDA Zones 5-9) from Perfect Plants, a more compact variety with no prickles and bright yellow flowers from late autumn to early spring.

Ginkgo Biloba

Plant a Ginkgo biloba and you'll be investing in one of the most ancient trees to exist, its fossils dating back 170 million years.

More importantly perhaps, you'll be providing year-round joy in the garden, with a spectacular burst of butter-yellow fall foliage to enjoy in November.

Ginkgo, or the maidenhair tree, is one for a large garden, as it will eventually grow to around (25m). How to grow a ginkgo tree? Well, the basics are that it thrives in a sunny spot in any kind of soil and won't need pruning, but do put in some decent tree stakes to stabilise it in its formative years. 'Autumn Gold', available from Nature Hills, is a particularly colorful cultivar.

Feather Reed Grass

'Karl Foerster' is one of my favorite ornamental grasses, brilliant in smaller backyards too as it's very neat and upright, shooting up in early spring, flowering in summer then holding on to its handsome soft yellow-buff seedheads right into winter.

When you're thinking about landscaping with ornamental grasses, planted en masse (find feather reed grass at Nature Hills), it makes a useful and beautiful feathery screen to around 6ft (1.8m) in height in a sunny spot. Ideal for USDA Zones 5-9.

It needs nothing more than to be cut down to the ground in late winter so it can begin its growth cycle once more.

Carex Testacea

One of the brightest, most vibrant ornamental grasses in fall, Carex testacea is a tough New Zealand native with elegant arching leaves that turn yellow-orange in fall.

Most aren't too challenging in terms of how to grow ornamental grasses. This one is no exception, growing to around 2ft (60cm) in height and spread – the cultivar 'Prairie Fire', available at Nature Hills, is particularly colorful.

Plant it towards the front of a border, somewhere the low fall sun will light up its foliage – it deserves that forethought, and you'll love the glowing result.

Combined with dahlias in fall tones (see below) it's glorious. It's also good in a pot, ideally a nice tall one so the fountain-like foliage can cascade unimpeded over the sides.

USDA Zones 6-10

Witch Hazel

This large shrub or small tree is one of the best witch hazel varieties – you can buy American witch hazel at Garden Goods Direct.

It's stunning during the cooler months of the year when, from mid fall, its flowers open like pale yellow crumpled pompoms or spiders, with a sweet, almost clove-like perfume, and the leaves turn to golden tones.

This is the witch hazel from which medicinal witch-hazel extract is made, and it's a fantastic plant, reaching around 23ft (7m) with handsome spreading branches.

Plant it in sun or part shade, in a sheltered spot tucked away from harsh winds. Underplanted with Carex testacea it makes a stunning fall focal point in a large backyard.

Hydrangea Petiolaris

A much underrated plant in my opinion, the climbing hydrangea offers so much throughout the seasons. In summer, its flat white sprays of flowers cover the plant, while in fall its leaves turn a charming soft yellow before they fall. Even in winter its deep rust-brown textured stems bring interest.

It's super useful too, growing up and over a north-facing wall or fence with grace and elegance where little else thrives. I have one covering a deeply shaded fence, where it's incredibly happy.

In the border below it Mahonias add to the golden glow in fall. You can buy climbing hydrangea at Garden Goods Direct. How to grow a climbing hydrangea really isn't too challenging either, it just needs some decent soil and a touch of patience.

USDA Zones 4-8

Dahlias

It's true that most dahlias are at their peak in around September, but there are plenty that are going strong into November, especially if you live in a sheltered spot or one of the warmer, more western US Zones.

In mid to late autumn it's mainly the pompom, ball and smaller dahlias that are still flowering – simply because the huge dinnerplate varieties use up their flowering energy more quickly.

And they'll go on until the first frosts if you keep cutting back the spent flower stems – one of the most important aspects of learning how to grow dahlias. 'Yellow Jill', 'Golden torch', 'Sunny Boy' are particularly well known for their extended flowering periods, so look out for them online.

I tend to grow my dahlias in pots, then at this time of year pop them into gaps in borders. The yellow ones combine particularly well with the ornamental grasses I mentioned earlier, Carex testacea and Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster', creating pools of honeyed light in the garden.

What to Shop

A big mistake a lot of gardeners make at this time of year is to give up on their outdoor space. There's still so much pleasure to be had, and fall is the perfect time of year to plant.

Enjoy the pleasures of the late season garden with my seven glorious picks for a golden fall garden. They'll bring joy to the garden and happiness to your soul.

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When I first started cooking for myself, I relied entirely on timings. Whatever the recipe or packaging recommended was exactly how long something went in the oven or into the pan. The result? More than a few overcooked, dried-out dinners.

That's the last thing you want when preparing Thanksgiving dinner. After putting so much time and effort into your feast, the thought of spending an hour chewing through a dry slice of turkey is hardly appealing. Worse still, carving into the bird only to discover it's not fully cooked.

That's why a meat thermometer is one of my essential hosting tools. Available for just $12 at Walmart, this simple gadget takes the guesswork out of cooking, letting you monitor your meat's internal temperature rather than relying on timings alone. Pair it with one of the best roasting pans, and you have a much better chance of serving your best Thanksgiving turkey yet.

Any experienced chef will tell you that cooking to temperature is more reliable than cooking to time. Every cut of meat behaves differently, so what worked for your turkey last year might not deliver the same results this time, even if it's a similar size. Timings are useful as a guide when cooking turkey, but a meat thermometer gives you a much clearer indication of when your food is ready.

This instant-read thermometer from Walmart delivers a precise temperature reading in under three seconds, helping you avoid the disappointment of undercooked or overdone meat. It also has an extensive temperature range of -58°F to 572°F, making it useful for everything from smoking and grilling in summer to monitoring hot sugar when making candy or caramel come Christmas.

I even use my food thermometer when baking cakes. I'm looking for an internal temperature of around 200°F to 210°F for a properly baked sponge, alongside a clean probe with just a few crumbs attached. It's a simple way to check that your cake is cooked through without sacrificing that lovely, fluffy texture.

If you're particularly invested in getting your Thanksgiving menu just right, a leave-in wireless meat thermometer is another worthwhile upgrade. Available at Amazon, these clever devices are more expensive, but they connect to your phone, providing real-time temperature updates and estimated cooking times. That way, you'll know exactly how your meat is progressing and when to start preparing your sides and sauces, helping you bring the whole meal together on time.

When hosting Thanksgiving, it is a super simple upgrade that can save you an ounce of stress. I certainly would never be without one.

What Else to Shop

From the best non-toxic cookware to hardworking cooking and cleaning essentials, these expert-approved picks will help make your Thanksgiving kitchen routine simpler and more streamlined.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

The meal is just one consideration when getting your home Thanksgiving-ready. Next, consider your furniture layout to make space for guests, and corral clutter for a welcoming home.

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Alpines are tough plants, popular for being pretty, hardy, versatile, and low-maintenance. You may not think that this rugged group of plants needs winter protection, but neglect them at your own risk. The one thing that harms alpines in winter more than anything else is wetness.

Cold isn’t usually an issue over winter, but waterlogging during the colder months is an alpine plant’s nemesis. Stopping them from sitting wet for extended periods is key to overwintering alpine plants.

Thankfully, overwintering alpine plants isn’t too difficult. Either cover rock garden plants in situ with a cold frame, mini greenhouse (such as this at The Home Depot), or a cloche, and move potted ones indoors for winter. This prevents the roots or crown from rotting. Maintaining airflow is vital too, so fungal issues don’t build up and affect plants over winter.

The Hidden Danger of Winter Wet

Alpine plants naturally grow in tough conditions, often at high altitudes and in climates with intense sun, strong winds, and cold winters. Over the years, they have evolved to cope with these harsh environments.

For home gardens, this means alpines are drought-tolerant plants that can thrive in poorer soils. These low-maintenance plants need little watering or feeding once established, which has helped make them popular choices over the years.

With that in mind, overwintering alpine plants might sound unnecessary. However, one key difference between their natural habitats and most home gardens makes overwintering plants a balancing act – and one you need to get right.

It is not freezing temperatures that usually kill alpine plants in winter; it is waterlogging. Alpine plants usually grow at altitude and sit under an insulating layer of snow over winter. These winters are cold and dry. The snow protects them from icy winds and rain, and when it melts, the lean, rocky soil drains quickly.

This is not often the case in home gardens, where winters are usually wet and mild. Alpines aren’t protected from freezing rain, waterlogged soil, or repeated freezing and thawing, which can lift plants from the soil (known as frost heave). Long periods of sitting in cold, sodden soil can signal the demise of alpines.

The danger stems from the fact that alpines don’t absorb much moisture during winter. Jessica Mercer, Horticulturist at Plant Addicts, explains: ‘During wet winters, water fills the air spaces around the roots and deprives the roots of oxygen. Over time, the roots and crown can rot.’

‘Plants with hairy or woolly foliage (e.g. edelweiss, pussytoes, and partridge feather) trap more water near the crown and thus are more susceptible to crown rot,' she adds.

Such hairy or woolly plants, including spring-flowering alpine varieties of pulsatilla and saxifraga, won’t use all that extra water they store during winter and can quickly decay unless protected from the elements.

How to Protect Plants From Rot

Overwintering alpine plants will differ depending on where you grow them. Plants in a rock or crevice garden need protection in place, while potted plants in container gardens can be transferred to a sheltered spot.

Alpines in the Ground

Sensitive hairy and woolly foliage plants in rock, crevice, or gravel gardens can be covered for winter. This can be done with a cold frame, a garden cloche, glass panes, or plastic sheeting. The latter two need securing in place, and plastic sheets should be staked to keep them from blowing away.

‘When I lived in Seattle, where winters are mild but wet, I grew cold-hardy dryland plants in my rock garden under clear mini cloches all winter,’ claims Jessica Mercer. ‘These included sulfur buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum), beavertail cactus (Opuntia basilaris), and Agave ‘Blue Glow’.’

A portable cold frame like this on The Home Depot protects plants from the worst winter weather. On warmer days, remember to open the vents for essential air circulation.

Garden cloches (like these at Walmart) offer the same protection. Any leftover glass panes from renovations and plastic sheets over garden hoops make budget-friendly DIY cloche alternatives.

Alpines in Pots

Move potted alpines for winter to protect containers from frost and freezing rain. Plants are more susceptible to freezes in containers and should not be left outdoors, as they risk sitting waterlogged when temperatures plunge during winter.

An ideal place to overwinter alpine plants in pots is an unheated greenhouse, alpine house, cold frame, or porch. Keep plants somewhere warm and dry. On warm days, open the doors or lids of the greenhouse or cold frame so air circulates freely, rather than sitting damp and humid to risk fungal problems.

If you don’t have an indoor structure, you can move pots under the eaves. For extra drainage, Morgan Brooks, the Founder and Editor at Plant Style Home, advises: ‘I raise every pot on pot feet or bricks and tilt it slightly so rain runs off, and I plant in a gritty mix of compost, sharp sand and fine gravel.’

You can get a pack of pot feet at Walmart to raise containers over winter. To prevent waterlogging, check each pot’s drainage holes before winter to make sure they are not blocked and are allowing excess water to flow away.

What to Shop

FAQs

Do You Need to Water Alpines Over Winter?

Watering is a very delicate balance when overwintering alpine plants. The general rule is that they require very little water over winter, as you don’t want them sitting in waterlogged soil. Check the moisture levels every few weeks to avoid the soil drying out, especially when plants are protected from the elements.

‘Water when the mix feels dry about an inch or two down,' advises Jessica Mercer from Plant Addicts. ‘Pots in a cold frame or greenhouse can heat up quickly in afternoon sun and may dry out more quickly as a result.’

You can check the soil beneath the surface with your fingers, or a soil moisture meter available on Amazon is an alternative option that gives instant results.

November is a prime month to look around the garden, think about which plants you need to protect from frost, and how best to do it. Useful kit like cold frames, frost cloth, and mulch helps protect plants in beds and borders.

Plants both large and small need some TLC ahead of winter. It may be that larger tender plants need wrapping in November, such as tree ferns, banana trees, or tropical hibiscus. For this, use frost cloth, burlap, or special winter plant covers.

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A cluttered home leaves little room to relax and enjoy the season. Between decorating the tree, hosting friends and family, and finding time to put your feet up, your home has to work harder between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day than at almost any other time of year. That's why it's worth making a little breathing room before the festivities begin.

Decluttering now also means you can reap the benefits come January, without waiting for the usual 'new year, new you' reset. Instead, you can welcome 2027 with a home that feels calm, considered, and ready to enjoy, rather than one that's already crying out for attention.

Here, experts share their decluttering methods and tips for streamlining your space ahead of a steady influx of holiday guests. Rest assured, there's still plenty of time to make a real difference to your space ahead of December festivities.

1. Part With Outdated Holiday Decor That No Longer Works With Your Style

It might seem counterintuitive to declutter your Christmas decorations right before the holidays, but think of it as a way to make room for decor that fits the way your home and style have evolved.

Start simply by removing anything that's broken, including string lights, which can be plugged in one by one and checked over. Then, go through each item and use the pile decluttering method to sort each item into keep, discard, or donate. Place any items for donation directly into a box, available at Amazon, or basket, which will help you promptly get them out the door.

It can be understandably difficult to part with sentimental items, like decorations that may have been passed down by relatives, so give yourself grace to hold on to these items. If you are determined to clear them, though, using tips to declutter sentimental items can make it easier to let go.

Then, when buying decorations and festive supplies going forward, Professional Organizer and Founder of Heartwork Organizing, Darla DeMorrow, suggests making eco-friendly choices. ‘This will result in less clutter and waste at the end of the season, not to mention less guilt! As a general rule, bypass plastic and always opt for durable items over disposable ones,' she recommends.

2. Rehome Preloved Toys To Make Space for New

I don't have any children, but I've seen firsthand just how bountiful Christmas is for my niece. That's why it's always a good idea to declutter toys before Christmas.

‘I like to encourage my children to be part of the decluttering process’, says Lucy Mansey, Organizing Expert and Founder of Organised by Lucy. ‘We go through their toys and decide what they do and don’t play with, and what they want to give to charity.

'I then bag the items up,' the Mainstays Heavy Duty Storage and Moving Bags, available at Walmart, are helpful for this, 'and they help me take them to the store. If they have ownership of the process, they’re far more likely to want to declutter, and they’ll feel good about it, too.’

That said, decluttering toys can often be easier said than done. If you are struggling to declutter toys when your children aren't on board, be flexible, supportive, and never tackle too much at once to avoid overwhelm.

3. Clear Your Kitchen Cabinets to Create a Clutter-Free Cook Zone

It's never too early to begin organizing your kitchen ahead of the holidays. It's the heart of any festivities, and also the room you'll retreat to for a comforting meal as temperatures drop.

Start by getting any seasonal cookware and serveware out of storage (you can leave it on display on your dining table if you don't have anywhere else to keep it). Then, free up space by decluttering your kitchen cabinets and drawers, getting rid of any unwanted, broken, or duplicate items. Anything usable can be donated or rehomed to a friend or family member.

'It sounds counterproductive,' says Kate Ibbotson, Professional Organizer, member of the Association of Professional Declutterers & Organizers and Founder of A Tidy Mind, 'but if you want to clear space on your counters, start by decluttering hard-to-reach cupboards.

'Items you find in there are often bulky and less-used; getting rid of or moving them outside of the cooking zone will then free up temporary space for those countertop items you use more regularly.'

During the decluttering process, it’s a good idea to make an inventory of what utensils, cookware, and crockery you have, too, making a quick note on a memo pad, available at Anthropologie. That way, you can work out if you have enough to accommodate extra guests.

If you don’t, consider borrowing or renting items rather than buying them – you won’t need them in the long run, and they’ll likely wind up as clutter.

4. Go Through Your Gift Wrap

Before you know it, it will be time to wrap presents − one of my favorite parts of the festive season. Before you start wrapping, though, declutter your existing gift supplies. Discard small offcuts that won’t get used, or repurpose them to make your own gift tags, and ensure you’re stocked up on essentials such as sticky tape, available at Amazon, as these can be harder to come by as the big day nears.

In order to reduce wastage, Professional Organizer and Founder of Ready Set Organize, Sarah Dunn, suggests, 'Give yourself the challenge of using up all of your holiday wrapping paper, ribbons and gift bags before you buy more.'

Keep your collection neatly organized to prevent damage in a Wrapping Paper Storage Container, available at Walmart.

5. Declutter Your Entryway to Set a Good First Impression to Guests

Finally, your entryway is the first sight that greets your guests when they enter your home, so it pays to ensure it's clutter-free and inviting for a warm welcome. It's also an easy way to make your entryway more relaxing.

Brenda Scott, Professional Organizer and Founder of Tidy My Space, recommends you tackle your entryway closet or mudroom storage first, decluttering and adding extra hangers, available at Amazon.

'Doing this will ensure guests feel at ease and appreciated,' she explains. 'There's nothing less welcoming than seeing your jacket crammed into a space that's already overstuffed.

‘Next, remove all of your personal products from the cloakroom to make it a neutral, luxurious space that’s easy to use – the same goes for guest bathrooms, too. You could even decorate it with a few pieces of holiday decor for an extra personal touch,' she says.

Then, just before guests arrive, light your best candle to fill your space with a seasonal scent. The Gather Candle by Anthropologie, in the Fresh Noël Pine scent, will look beautiful on an entryway side table and smell just as good.

What to Shop

Below, I've handpicked six essentials to help declutter your home and get it ready for guests.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet the Experts

This four-week decluttering method quickly banished chaotic clutter ahead of the holidays.

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Temperatures are dropping and the nights are drawing in. Before the first frosts arrive, some tender, tropical, or subtropical plants in your garden might need to be put to bed for the winter. Wrapping these frost-sensitive plants keeps them safely tucked up and protected from freezing conditions.

Giving popular trees and shrubs like tree ferns, bananas, citrus, tender palms, or tropical hibiscus a cozy, insulated layer of frost cloth or burlap protects the plants from frost. It is an alternative way to shield them from potentially damaging winter weather if you don’t have space to lift and bring them indoors.

Here are five tender plants to wrap in November, along with easy-to-follow recommendations for how to keep them protected. If you plan to use frost cloth, also known as horticultural fleece or row covers, choose a thicker heavyweight type, such as this super heavyweight row cover on Amazon, which protects down to 20°F.

1. Tree Fern

Statuesque, textural tree ferns are always dramatic additions to any garden. They are hardy in zones 9 and 10 but will need protection from the winter cold in zone 8.

If you have the space, you can lift the plants and overwinter them in a greenhouse or frost-free spot. Otherwise, wrapping tree ferns is the best way to protect them from frost. This is what we did every winter at one historic garden I worked in.

When you grow tree ferns, their crowns are highly vulnerable to cold and wet, so the growing point is the priority when wrapping plants for winter.

To winterize tree ferns, tie the fronds together (you can cut them off in climates with milder winters, but I prefer to keep them for extra protection) and then pack the crown with straw or hessian to insulate it.

With the crown packed and protected, wrap the entire trunk in frost cloth or burlap (you can get a natural burlap roll at Walmart) and tie it in place with string to keep it secure.

2. Tropical Hibiscus

Tropical hibiscus varieties only survive outdoors in zones 9-11. To enjoy the vivid trumpet-shaped blooms of the tropical plants year after year, you need to learn how to winterize hibiscus.

The simplest way is to grow hibiscus that need winter protection in pots; then move them indoors once the temperatures drop. However, this is not always possible, but it is not impossible to overwinter these hibiscus outdoors in areas that get light frosts each winter.

In colder climates, a key job to do with hibiscus in the fall is to mulch the roots. Then you can prune the hibiscus back by up to a third with sharp pruners and wrap the plants with thick-grade frost cloth to insulate them from frosts.

Use bamboo poles (available at The Home Depot) to build a tent structure around the hibiscus, and drape the frost cloth over it. Secure the covering to the ground with bricks or landscaping staples (available at Lowe’s) to keep it in place and prevent cold drafts from getting in.

3. Citrus Trees

Some citrus trees are hardier than others. However, any citrus tree will only tolerate temperatures down to 25-28°F for a short time before suffering damage in the form of wilting leaves or blackened tips.

The hardier citrus trees can live year-round outdoors in zone 8, but more tender types will need protection, and all citrus need extra winter care in zones 7 and below. Plus, young trees are not as hardy as older ones, so newly planted trees need winter protection in their early years.

People usually overwinter citrus trees in one of two ways. One is to grow citrus trees in pots and move them indoors before the frosts arrive. The other is to leave them outdoors and use frost cloth, burlap, or tree covers (available at Amazon) to wrap them and protect them from frost damage.

4. Banana

Bananas can be dug up and overwintered indoors, or wrapped and protected in place before the first hard frost. Tender banana trees always need protection, while even popular cold-hardy banana trees in the Musa genus need to be wrapped in US hardiness zones 5-8.

The extent to which you need to overwinter banana trees will depend on your climate. It all starts with removing the leaves and making a sloping cut above the top of the stem, so moisture runs away over winter.

When you grow banana trees in milder climates, a layer of frost cloth topped with a layer of burlap can suffice.

However, in colder zones with deep winter cold, it needs to be something a bit more insulating. This comes in the form of a chicken wire cage around the trunk that you pack with straw, leaves, or fleece. You can get a roll of galvanized steel chicken wire fencing at Lowe’s.

A layer of mulch around the tree is also recommended to insulate the roots from frost.

5. Tender Palms

Tropical and subtropical palm trees are frost-sensitive. Some hardy palms, such as the Trachycarpus species, can overwinter outdoors down to zone 6, but most fall into the tropical or subtropical category and need winter protection.

The crown is the most delicate part. To protect the palm trees in winter, stuff fleece around the crown, bundle the fronds together, and wrap them with string or twine. This keeps them in place and prevents frost from penetrating the growing point.

Then, wrap the tied fronds and the trunk in frost cloth to insulate against the cold. You can also use burlap or blankets, but never wrap trees in plastic, as it traps moisture and causes mold.

A pop-up plant protection tent from Amazon can be used to cover smaller palm trees and other borderline-hardy shrubs that need winter protection.

Mulching around palm trees in winter with two inches or more of bark (such as this bag of pine bark mulch at Lowe’s), wood chips, or compost offers a beneficial layer of insulation for the roots.

What to Shop

It is not all about simply putting the garden to bed in November. It is also a month for adding trees, shrubs, perennials, and spring bulbs to the garden.

You can plant in November, as long as the soil is workable and not waterlogged or frozen. Yes, spend time protecting and preparing before winter, but also set some aside for new additions to add to the display next year.

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A decided chill in the air signals that November is here. The leaves are turning brown, mulled wine is being brewed, and Christmas lights are starting to sparkle. Before you relax into the festivities, though, there's cleaning to be done.

When guests come knocking throughout the holidays, you want your home to reflect the beauty and celebration of the season. A clean, welcoming environment instantly invites a convivial atmosphere, and a space where friends and family can truly make themselves at home.

Here, experts share their cleaning tips with advice on what to tick off ahead of time, and why. Spoiler alert: they're all quick and simple tasks, many of which can conveniently be completed in less than 30 minutes.

1. Vacuum, Clean, and Shampoo Your Floors and Carpets

Believe us when we say first impressions count. That's why it's so important to take the time to clean your floors and clean your carpets ahead of guests' arrival.

Begin by cleaning any appropriate flooring with a steam mop to leave it fully sanitized. This could be done with a dedicated steam mop, but there are a few options that vacuum and steam, like the TINECO FLOOR ONE S7 Stretch Steam. It's designed with a 180° lay-flat design for cleaning under furniture, rather than just around it, and combines vacuuming and floor mopping, with temperatures of up to 320 degrees Fahrenheit, to help loosen stubborn grease and sticky stains.

Then, for a quick carpet fix, Forrest Webber, Cleaning Expert and Founder of Bear Brothers Cleaning, recommends cleaning a carpet with baking soda. 'Sprinkle some baking soda on the carpets and give them a quick vacuum,' he advises, after about 15 to 30 minutes. Use your best vacuum for this. 'It's a simple way to keep the space fresh, even with all the extra foot traffic,' he continues.

To deep clean a carpet, if yours needs some extra attention, you may also wish to use a shampoo with a carpet cleaner. You can rent these for the day, or, alternatively, you may wish to clean a carpet without a machine. Luckily, this is just as easy and can be just as effective.

2. Deodorize the Kitchen for Better-Tasting Food

While it may seem counterintuitive to clean an oven before cooking a large Thanksgiving or Christmas meal like a turkey or roast beef joint, cleaning cooking appliances ahead of time can remove odors and built-up grease stains and make your food taste better in turn.

Karina Toner, Operations Manager at Spekless, advises, 'With all the cooking and baking that'll go on, a clean oven is a must. Any leftover grease or spills from previous meals could create strong, unpleasant odors. A clean oven ensures all those mouthwatering holiday dishes come out just right.'

Begin by cleaning your oven with the Easy Off Fume Free Oven Cleaner, available at Amazon. If you prefer not to use chemicals, you can also try your hand at testing some oven-cleaning hacks, like the vinegar steam method.

Don't neglect to clean your glass oven door, too, as this is where the majority of grease tends to build up unnoticed, and clean oven racks by soaking in warm, soapy water before hand-washing.

Next, deodorize your refrigerator by clearing away any old, expired food, and cleaning the shelves and door with a microfiber cloth and all-purpose cleaning spray. The method Pink Grapefruit All-Purpose Cleaning Spray, available at Walmart, is my favorite.

Forrest also recommends popping an open box of baking soda in the fridge. He says, 'This way, your holiday leftovers won’t end up smelling like last month’s takeout.' You can also use coffee and salt to deodorize a fridge as another eco-friendly alternative.

3. Prepare Your Guest Bedroom

As the Sleep Editor here at Homes & Gardens, it's only natural that preparing my guest bedroom is always at the top of my priority list when the holidays roll around. Most importantly, I always begin by washing any bed linen so it's fresh for guests.

Then, once dry and the bed remade, I move on to the actual cleaning, paying particular attention to the guest bathroom. 'Ensure that the towels, rugs and bathmats are all freshly laundered,' says Marla Mock, President of Molly Maid. 'Disinfect the toilet, tub, shower and surfaces, and wipe clean the sink, mirror, cabinets and doorways. Then, sweep and mop the floor.'

Despite the cold weather, make sure you ventilate the space, too, by opening windows, even in winter. Then, just before guests arrive, light your favorite festive candle to make your home smell like Christmas − the Diptyque Sapin Candle is my all-time favorite − and leave a box of matches close by in case guests want to enjoy the scent over their stay.

4. Wipe Down Internal Doors

When was the last time you paid any attention to your internal doors? They're one of the things professional cleaners always notice in dirty homes, and you don't want your guests noticing them, too.

For a simple door cleaner, begin by removing dust, before mixing one cup of plain water with five or so drops of essential oil, such as the aptly festive Majestic Pure Peppermint Essential Oil, available at Amazon, in a glass spray bottle, available at Walmart. Spray the solution directly onto the door or onto a soft cloth, and buff until any dust and marks are gone. This also has the added benefit of making your home smell nice.

Don't forget about your baseboards, too. 'Baseboards and doors tend to get overlooked, but they collect dirt and scuff marks,' warns Karina. 'Giving them a quick wipe-down will make a surprisingly big difference in making rooms look fresh and clean.'

5. Launder Table Linens and Polish Silverware

Christmas dining room decor looks beautiful when done well, but is often improved by having fresh table linens, napkins, and polished silverware.

'If you'll be using special silverware or glassware, give them a polish in advance,' says Karina. 'This lets you set a sparkling table without worrying about fingerprints or tarnish on the big day.' Knowing how to clean silver can seem daunting sometimes, but in reality, it is pretty simple to polish silverware. This can be done with just a polishing cloth, available at Amazon.

I also make sure to never neglect my glassware. I learned how to clean wine glasses properly while working in a restaurant, and I always polish them to a streak-free shine with a soft kitchen towel.

Table linens can be laundered according to the laundry symbols on the label. For an elevated touch, it's worth taking the time to iron them afterward, before pairing them with handwritten table name cards.

6. Clean Windows Inside and Out

Cleaning windows is usually a task people leave for spring and summer, but wiping them down in winter (especially if there has been snow or rain) will help to keep your glass sparkling for the perfect view of your Christmas window decor ideas.

'Clean windows let in more natural light and make the home feel brighter and more welcoming,' explains Karina. 'They also make a noticeable difference when guests arrive, and give you one less cleaning task to worry about during the holiday rush.'

For interior windows, begin by dusting the frames and sills first, before wiping the glass with a microfiber cloth and glass cleaner, homemade window cleaner, or dish soap solution for streak-free windows. Then, rinse and finish with a squeegee, available at Walmart. 'Clean on a cloudy day to help prevent streaks,' adds Karina.

7. Clean Out Fireplaces and Log Stoves

Finally, if you are lucky enough to have a working fireplace or log stove in your home, then you will likely have had the chimney swept when preparing your home for fall. Before Christmas, however, it is a good idea to do a quick check of the hearth and clear out any collected soot or ash.

Given that your fireplace is often a big focal point when guests come around, making sure it is clean and your wood pile is well stocked will make it that much more impressive. Plus, a clean fireplace helps a fire burn better and truly elevates your Christmas mantel decor.

If you're not sure how to clean a fireplace, Karina advises, 'Make sure the fireplace or stove is completely cold before cleaning. Remove cooled ash with a metal shovel and fireplace brush, placin git in a covered metal container outdoors, away from flammable materials.

'For log stoves, clean the glass with an approved stone-glass cleaner,' such as the MEECO'S RED DEVIL Wood Stove Glass Cleaner, available at Amazon, 'and wipe the exterior with a soft cloth. Avoid using an ordinary household vacuum for ash.'

We also recommend investing in a brush set, such as the Coal Shovel and Hearth Brush Set, available at Amazon, for touch-ups all winter long. And when lighting your fire when guests are on their way, make use of these clever ways to make your fire smell good as it burns.

What to Shop

Below, I've handpicked six top-rated cleaning supplies and essential cleaning tools for an inviting space this holiday season.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet the Experts

These last-minute pre-Christmas organizing tips help to make Christmas less overwhelming.

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While the garden settles down for winter, our indoor plants still need plenty of attention. From overwatering to reduced daylight, there are several seasonal challenges to navigate. One that often gets overlooked is indoor heating.

While many indoor plant parents know to protect their plants from cold drafts, Justin Hancock, horticulturist at Costa Farms and author of the upcoming book The New Complete Guide to Houseplants (available to pre-order from Amazon), warns that turning on the heat can bring a different challenge. Warm, dry air can dehydrate plants, cause yellowing leaves, pest problems, and even plant death – and Justin reveals houseplants with thinner leaves are among those most at risk.

Speaking to Homes & Gardens, he explains why thin-leaved plants are particularly vulnerable, which houseplants to look out for, and how to protect them in winter (don't forget to have your houseplant care kit to hand).

The Danger of Heating

Winter houseplant care can be easy to neglect, particularly when plants aren't showing many signs of growth. However, this doesn't mean they should be ignored – winter is the time to pay attention to challenging indoor conditions that put your plants at risk.

'We tend to think of our homes as being a consistent environment and disconnected from the outside world, but this isn't true,' Justin says. 'The biggest thing is that the light and temperature change in winter,' he explains.

Justin points out that houseplants experience much more sudden temperature changes indoors than in their natural environment, particularly when exposed to direct heat. This can cause heat stress, dehydration, and yellowing and crisping leaves.

'If you have a plant next to a fireplace or a heating vent, the air coming out of there is so much warmer because it has to heat the room, and it can be stressful on the plant,' he explains.

Prolonged exposure to this dry air can even create ideal conditions for houseplant pests (particularly spider mites) putting your houseplant at even greater risk.

'As our heaters go on, we see spider mites reproduce a little bit faster. An egg can hatch into an adult, mature, and lay more eggs all in just seven days. So if you're really not monitoring it, those populations explode fast,' Justin notes.

But this doesn't mean you need to keep your heating off to protect your houseplants. Instead, it's about managing their environment carefully, especially for those most vulnerable.

Which Houseplants Are Most at Risk?

'As a general rule, the thinner the leaf, the more delicate a plant tends to be. So, plants like your ferns and calatheas are going to be a little bit more temperamental to those type of environment changes,' Justin explains.

Plants with fleshy, waxy leaves, such as succulents, ZZ plants, and snake plants, tend to store more water in their foliage, helping them cope better with drier periods. In contrast, plants with thinner leaves have less capacity to retain moisture, making them more susceptible to water loss when exposed to the dry air caused by indoor heating.

These are some of the houseplants most at risk:

• Ferns
• Calatheas
• Peace lily
• Prayer plant
• Ivy
• Polka dot plant
• Nerve plant

How to Protect Them

To protect houseplants from central heating, Justin says the solution is simple.

'It's best to watch the draft sources, both cold and warm. Pay attention to things like your heating vent and where the air is coming out. That can often be as simple as moving your plant just a tiny bit so it's no longer in the path of the air.

'If you have a fireplace, the mantle could be a terrible place for a houseplant, even though it looks beautiful there,' he adds.

A room thermometer (like this from Walmart) can help monitor temperatures more accurately. Generally speaking, 60-75°F is the sweet spot for the majority of plants.

Watering correctly during can also help with moisture management and ensure your houseplants don't become dehydrated or oversaturated. A soil moisture meter (like this from Amazon) is essential for this, giving you an instant reading to determine if your plant needs watering.

Likewise, increasing humidity for indoor plants can help counter dry winter air. You can move plants close together, use a pebble humidity tray, or a portable humidifier (like this from Walmart).

What to Shop

It's important to also protect your houseplants from cold temperatures this season, as cold damage can likewise weaken plants. Luckily there are plenty of ways to keep houseplants warm in winter without relying on harsh heaters. Burlap (like this from Amazon), for example, is a breathable material that can be used to insulate plant pots in particularly chilly rooms.

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A drip irrigation system is a great tool for watering plants in the warmer months. It can get neglected once the temperatures drop, though, and this can be a big mistake. It risks the system breaking or, worse, hitting you with a surprise repair bill.

You need to know when and how to winterize a drip irrigation system, as freezing temperatures can crack pipes, fittings, and valves. It can even result in large water leaks in your garden or home. To avoid this, any outdoor drip irrigation system should be shut down and drained before the first hard frost.

Winterizing any outside irrigation systems, such as drip irrigation and sprinklers, is an important part of overwintering a garden. I spoke with irrigation specialists about winterizing a drip irrigation system and the five key steps to follow.

Why You Need to Winterize a Drip Irrigation System

A drip irrigation system is an efficient way to reduce water waste in your yard while also watering your plants deeply. However, if you don’t winterize drip irrigation, you risk wasting water, damaging your system, and incurring a hefty repair bill.

Winterizing the system protects it from freeze damage, which can affect many different components.

‘Water left in irrigation lines or backflow preventers can freeze and expand, potentially cracking pipes, damaging valves, or causing backflow assembly failures,’ warns Heather Todd, brand president of Conserva Irrigation.

When the system is still connected to the tap and left full of water in winter, the damage can affect more than just the drip irrigation. It can extend into your garden or property.

Justin Wilson, owner of American Irrigation Repair, highlights brass backflow preventers as ‘usually the first things to burst’ when cold weather hits. He adds: ‘If a pipe or backflow preventer freezes and bursts, you could end up having to shut off the water supply to your entire home to stop the leak.’

Properly winterizing the system prevents damage to your home or garden from frozen pipes, which can add up depending on the extent of the repairs needed. It also ensures that the drip irrigation system is ready to use again come spring.

You can get an industrial-grade insulated winter pipe cover on Amazon to protect pipes and backflow preventers from freezing.

When to Winterize a Drip Irrigation System

Be proactive and have your system drained and shut down for winter well before temperatures drop to a level that could damage it.

‘Ideally, you should winterize your irrigation system before the first freeze of the year,’ recommends Heather Todd.

Depending on your location and US hardiness zone, the first frosts can be anywhere from early October to December.

Justin Wilson looks after irrigation systems in Central Texas, where the frosts hit late, and some years there are none at all. He says: ‘Our hardest freezes typically come in January and February. What I do is to watch the forecast and get ahead of those hard freezes.’

Monitor your local short- and long-term forecasts to get ahead of the frosts. A digital weather station, like this one on Amazon, can be installed, and sensors can be put in the garden to provide current information and forecasts for your location.

How to Winterize a Drip Irrigation System in 5 Steps

1. Turn off the water supply – Before doing anything else, switch off the water supply to the drip irrigation system at the main source, at the tap, or at a shut-off valve.
2. Open the ends and drain the irrigation lines – Remove any water in the irrigation lines. If you have end caps or plugs, remove them from the pipes and raise the tubing to allow gravity to drain the lines. Allow time for it all to drain by elevating sections and letting any residual water escape. To blow out the lines, Heather Todd adds: ‘A professional winterization service can evacuate water from the lines using pressurized air.’ An expert should blow out an irrigation system. It is an effective way to remove all the water, but compressed air can damage pipes if not done properly.
3. Remove the timer – If you have a timer on your drip irrigation system, disconnect and remove all water from it. Take out the batteries and store it in a dry, protected place for winter.
4. Protect exposed backflow preventers and valves – If your system has a backflow preventer, it needs to be drained and protected for winter. ‘Leave one exposed during a hard freeze for six or eight hours, and you’re asking for trouble,’ warns Justin Wilson. ‘Make sure it’s properly drained and insulated. Better yet, if your setup allows it, have it removed and stored somewhere warm.’ He adds: ‘Bottom line, folks, protect what’s above ground, drain what you can.’ You can insulate pipes and valves with foam pipe insulation (from Ace Hardware) or insulating tape (available at The Home Depot).
5. Store away components – tubing, drippers, control valves, fittings, and controllers are best stored for winter. Non-electrical parts can stay outside, but they risk being damaged over winter. Check each part for any cracks or damage, then store in a dry, frost-free place, such as a shed or garage. Label any storage boxes so you can easily find all the components again come spring.

What to Shop

Now you know when and how to winterize a drip irrigation system; you won’t forget each year.

However, for added peace of mind, Justin Wilson from American Irrigation Repair adds: ‘We also highly recommend a rain/freeze sensor. It’ll automatically shut your system down when it rains or freezes, giving you a little insurance in case you forget.’

You can get a rain/freeze sensor from Amazon for any home irrigation system. Just in case you forget to winterize a sprinkler system or drip irrigation.

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Rustic doesn’t have to mean rough around the edges. In this Swiss chalet, Linda Boronkay took the familiar language of alpine design – timber, texture, and the ritual of gathering around the fire – and reinterpreted it without the usual clichés. The result is what Linda describes as ‘contemporary alpine living with soul’: a timeless rather than trend-driven space designed for coming together, slowing down, and reconnecting.

The room’s greatest transformation isn’t visible: long before selecting fabrics and finishes, she completely removed the boundaries between the kitchen, dining, and living areas to create an interior that feels far more fluid. ‘Mountain homes have a very different rhythm from city living, and we wanted the interior to reflect that,’ says Linda. ‘The vision was always to create a space that encourages people to slow down.’

Rather than designing a formal living room, she reimagined the ‘rituals that would take place there’ – returning from skiing, gathering around the fire, reading, sharing meals, and having conversations. ‘Everything was designed to encourage those moments,’ she explains. ‘Comfort became just as important as aesthetics.’

Having opened everything up, Linda needed something to bring the newly connected areas together. ‘The fireplace became the emotional heart of the room,’ she says. Clad in glossy, chocolate-brown tiles that catch the changing mountain light, it serves as both the visual and social anchor of the space. Rather than orienting the seating toward a television, it’s arranged from several directions, allowing everyone to stay connected to both the conversation and the fire.

The chalet’s original timber, meanwhile, is treated less as a feature than as a foundation. Rich in warmth and patina, it wraps the room from floor to ceiling, yet never feels overwhelming, thanks to Linda’s decision not to compete with it.

‘It already carried so much warmth and character,’ she explains. ‘Instead, we treated it as the architectural backdrop,’ introducing clean lines, softer silhouettes, and carefully considered materials to create balance. ‘Contemporary design doesn’t mean removing character,’ she says. ‘It means allowing traditional materials to breathe by surrounding them with restraint rather than decoration.’

The key is contrast. Rich, tactile materials such as linen, bouclé, and glossy tile help ‘create relief’ and soften the expanse of wood. ‘If every surface shares the same texture and tone, a room can quickly feel visually heavy,’ says Linda.

The same sense of restraint extends to the color palette. But rather than defaulting to neutrals, Linda chose ‘confident colors’ that would complement the timber rather than compete with it. Inspired by the surrounding landscape, she selected deep forest greens, warm ochres, burnt oranges, and rich burgundies to ‘capture the richness and vibrancy of mountain life,’ layering in textiles and artwork that create ‘moments of surprise and delight.’

Nothing competes for attention in this scheme. Pattern is introduced sparingly – ‘some are more graphic, while others almost disappear into the texture’ – while shelves are styled with a collector’s eye, and moments of negative space allow everything to breathe.

‘I like leaving negative space,’ Linda says of her approach to styling. ‘It makes objects feel far more considered and allows each piece to be appreciated in its own right.’

For Linda, however, the room’s greatest achievement isn’t any single piece of furniture or dramatic design gesture, but its overall composition and rhythm. ‘A great deal of time was spent refining proportions and sightlines,’ she explains. These are the invisible design decisions that quietly do the heavy lifting, creating a room that instantly puts you at ease.

Shop the Look

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You can plant container-grown fruit trees and bushes throughout the main growing season, but planting bare-root specimens over the winter months can prove far more cost-effective.

From apple trees to raspberries, I have regularly used the dormant season to plant fruit, especially in large numbers, at the gardens I have managed over the years. Not only because bare-root trees and bushes tend to be cheaper, but also because they have time to develop root systems before new growth in spring.

However, if you are wondering what else you can plant in November, the list is surprisingly long and includes hardy vegetables, flowers, and spring-flowering bulbs. Having gardened professionally year-round for nearly two decades, I’ve learned the hard way that the wrong kit, especially gloves, can make tasks miserable. When choosing winter gloves, choose something warm and waterproof but with enough dexterity for the task at hand, like these Thinsulate waterproof insulated gloves, available from Amazon.

Apples

Picking a fresh, crisp apple straight off the tree is something I always look forward to. From ‘Honeycrisp’ to ‘Fuji’, there is a wide array of varieties to choose from, and that is before you even consider cooking types. Furthermore, you can choose between standards, cordons and espaliers, depending on the space you have available.

For the best yields, you will want to plant your apple tree in full sun and on fertile, well-drained soil. If your apple tree requires cross-pollination, make sure you plant it in close proximity to a compatible tree.

You can plant a bare-root apple tree anytime during its dormancy, which typically falls between November and March, depending on your USDA zone. However, don't plant when the soil is frozen, as this can damage roots and keep trees from thriving.

When planting any tree, you will want to support it and prevent any wind rock until its roots establish a strong anchoring system. A single slanted stake and tree tie strap, available from Amazon, is generally adequate. For exposed areas and taller trees, a crossbar attached to two posts will provide more support.

Bare-root dwarf apple ‘Fuji’ trees are available to purchase from The Home Depot.

Pears

Pear trees are surprisingly easy to look after and growing one in your backyard will mean you can pick your own sweet fruit come harvest time.

Thriving in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 10, pear trees are available on different rootstocks, which determine their final size. You can choose free-standing specimens, trained trees to grow along a wall or fence, or dwarf varieties suitable for a container.

With trees just entering dormancy now, November is an ideal time to plant bare-root specimens. This is because dormant plants' root systems continue to grow during winter, albeit far more slowly than in the growing season, unless the ground freezes.

To aid root penetration and establishment, dig a hole two to three times as wide as the roots and as deep. Digging can be laborious, but a sharp spade, like this AgroPro flat shovel, available from Amazon, will help make the task easier.

For the best yields, plant pear trees in full sun and on fertile, free-draining soil. You can purchase bare-root dwarf ‘Comice’ pear trees from The Home Depot.

Plums

Another fruit tree to plant in November is the plum. Delicious when eaten fresh or in compotes or jams, a plum tree is a great investment in your garden.

Container-grown plum trees can be planted throughout most of the year, but November is a great month for bare-root planting as long as the ground is not frozen hard.

Plum trees grow best in a sunny spot, but being one of the first trees to blossom in spring, you will want to protect them from harsh winds and late frosts.

When choosing a plum variety, you can pick between those for eating fresh and those intended for cooking, although there are some that are dual-purpose.

Plum trees generally require less pruning than other top fruit, but knowing when to prune them is key. Spring is usually considered best for pruning young trees and mid-summer for established specimens. Either way, sharp and sanitized secateurs, like these Okatsune 103 bypass pruners, available from Amazon, will help make clean cuts and minimize the risk of infection.

Cherries

Cherries are a seasonal delight and taste so much better when they are eaten straight off a tree. Furthermore, their blossom will add interest and beauty to your spring garden.

Cherry trees vary in hardiness, so before buying, it is wise to check that the variety suits your hardiness zone.

As with the other trees mentioned, November is a perfect time to plant a bare-root cherry tree as the ground, depending on your location, is generally not frozen solid and allows time for roots to establish before spring arrives. That said, in colder areas, where hard freezes have already begun, you may want to wait until early spring or when the soil is more workable.

To give your cherry tree (sweet types) the best chance of fruiting well, plant it in a sunny, sheltered spot with fertile, well-drained soil. Water in after planting and keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged, if conditions are dry until established.

If your soil is poor, you can mix some well-rotted manure into the planting soil, which will help enrich it. You can purchase Harvest Company premium aged manure from Lowe’s.

Raspberries

You can plant container-grown raspberries at any time during the growing season. However, a far more cost-effective way to grow raspberries is to buy them as bare-root plants and plant them anytime during dormancy, from November to March.

Raspberries are well suited USDA zones 3-9 (depending on variety) and you can choose between summer-fruiting and fall-fruiting varieties or a combination of the two to provide a succession of fruits over the growing season.

Raspberries thrive when they are grown in full sun and on a fertile soil. If your soil is lacking in nutrients, you can amend the soil by digging in garden compost or well-rotted manure ahead of planting.

Bare-root raspberries are often on sale from your local garden nursery. Alternatively, you can purchase pot-grown plants such as Carolina Raspberry from Plant Addicts.

Currants

Currants (or Ribes) are healthy, delicious fruits that are easy to grow. I have planted them in nearly all the kitchen gardens I have managed over my career and have found currants to be among the most reliable croppers and great for making cordials and desserts.

Currant growing was banned nationwide in the US in the past because they can harbor a fungus which harms native pine trees. Although this ban was lifted in 1966, some states still restrict them, so check with your local horticultural extension office before purchasing. Some current varieties are incredibly cold-hardy and can be grown in USDA zones 2-3, which makes them an excellent choice for cooler areas.

Currants fruit best in full sun and fertile soil. When planting bare root, November is a great month, as this allows time for roots to establish before new growth bursts forth in spring.

Bare-root ‘Red Lake’ currant plants are available to purchase from Burpee.

Gooseberries

Another Ribes banned until 1966, you can now grow gooseberries in most states, but it is worth checking with your local extension first. Traditionally bright, translucent green, gooseberries are now available in shades of red, yellow and purple. Typically tasting sharp and tangy, they are used in both sweet and savory dishes.

Although they will tolerate some shade, they grow best in full sun and in fertile, well-drained soil. You can buy pot-grown gooseberries throughout the growing season, but why not take advantage of the cheaper bare-root plants available now? Having just entered dormancy, November is a good time to plant bare-root specimens, as long as the soil is workable.

Gooseberries are generally grown as bushes. However, you can also train them against a wall or grow them in a container. If growing in a pot, choose a container around 16 inches wide and deep with plenty of drainage holes and backfill with a soil-based compost.

Suitable for growing in zones 3-8, Bare-root gooseberry ‘Pixwell’ is available to purchase from Burpee.

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Using sharp and clean tools not only makes gardening tasks easier but can also reduce the risk of plants or trees becoming infected. With less to do in the garden, this time of year is ideal for a stock check and any garden tool maintenance.

From cleaning off dried mud to oiling and sharpening, our guide to servicing tools will help your pruners and hedge cutters be something you will look forward to using when the time comes.

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December is undoubtedly the busiest time of year. Between cocktail parties, nights spent around the dinner table or in front of a roaring fire with friends and family, and overnight guests, your home is almost never empty from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. Managing the energy of your space when hosting, therefore, quickly becomes more important than ever.

'A restful home starts with intention,' explains Certified Classical Feng Shui Expert Maggie Li. 'Everything in it holds meaning, positive or negative. When we remove the items that trigger negative emotions, we make room for good energy to flow.' She's right − soon the table will be set, glasses polished, and presents placed under the tree. Your space should reflect the sparkle of the season, not dull it.

So, ahead, everything you need to know about perfecting your home's Feng Shui this festive season, to make hosting as seamless (and enjoyable) as possible.

1. Approach Your Home With Greater Intention

As Maggie explains, the holidays are pure 'yang' energy, filled with noise, light, and movement. 'Rest is yin, and a home needs both,' she says.

To achieve this, layer in the senses with soft lighting, candles, fresh flowers, and ambient music. 'Designate at least one quiet corner with a chair, a warm lamp, and no screens, where you or an overstimulated guest can reset,' she adds.

'Fresh-cut flowers, evergreen garlands and a real tree bring nature indoors. In Classical Feng Shui, living things carry sheng qi, the vibrant, growing energy of life. It draws beauty and vitality into the whole home. Choose plants with soft, rounded leaves over spiky ones, and replace flowers the moment they start to wilt.

'Dried flowers, on the other hand, create stagnant energy that blocks positivity from flowing into your home. They’re beautiful and very on trend, but they’re no longer alive, and the space feels it. Whenever possible, I recommend live plants over dried or plastic ones.'

Take the time to learn about the best foliage for Christmas decor, and the best Feng Shui Christmas tree placement for your home, particularly taking into account where guests will likely gather. Adding a tree skirt, like this Wavy Fabric Tree Collar, available at Anthropologie, is an easy way to add festive flair to your space.

2. Boost Your Productivity By Decluttering

Preparing to host requires plenty of productivity. Fortunately, 'The most important aspect of Feng Shui is that it boosts positive energy and neutralizes anything difficult or unsupportive in a building,' advises Suzanne Roynon, Feng Shui Consultant and Interiors Therapist. 'If you can’t function effectively in your home, the positive ‘chi’ or life-force energy won’t circulate either, and that’s when you’ll feel stuck, grouchy, and things become harder and more irritating than they need to be.'

Therefore, Suzanne suggests taking the time to declutter for good Feng Shui − to to make space for the love and happiness you want your guests to feel. Begin by decluttering closets, then organize your kitchen drawers before organizing your pantry for Christmas. 'Cherish the good stuff and ditch the bad without second-guessing yourself,' she says. 'It's incredibly liberating.

'Every bauble, trinket, and ornament should bring a sense of joy when it’s hung. If holiday decorations are past their best or carry unhappy memories (this often happens after a divorce), there is no obligation to keep them,' so don't forget about decluttering your Christmas decorations, too. For any you're unsure on, put them in a Christmas Ornament Storage Box, available at Amazon.

'You can make a decision next time around, although I bet, when you realize the pain they cause, they won’t make it past next January,' warns Suzanne. 'An important concept in Feng Shui terms is that once you’ve decided to let something go, don’t procrastinate about passing it on, and certainly don’t allow it to create stagnant energy in the basement, garage, or by the front door.'

'In Feng Shui, every part of your home energy map impacts one important part of your life or another. There is no ‘safe space’ to store clutter. Instead, remove it straight away. Your home will thank you for it. You could even take a leaf out of the book of minimalists, who avoid these storage essentials and work to clear as much as possible from their homes to avoid needing storage solutions.

'The great thing about doing this now is that there is still time for charities to re-sell your unwanted stuff ahead of Christmas, boosting their coffers and ensuring you make a difference with minimal effort and maximum effect.'

This, in turn, makes your space more welcoming for guests, too, offering them more space to relax and unwind in your clutter-free home.

3. Use Feng Shui Christmas Colors to Steer the Energy of Your Space

Do you know the luckiest colors to decorate with? 'Use basic Feng Shui color energies in different areas of your home to help you and your guests channel their wishes and desires,' says Suzanne. To do this ahead of Christmas hosting, all you need is a smartphone compass, or a regular compass, available at Amazon, to accurately identify the direction of your home. This will allow you to make use of the important energy mapping centers (called guas) of your living space.

Use blues and blacks in the north area of your home, advises Suzanne, 'to support career and life paths. Perhaps you have teenagers or young adults coming to stay, and they are making some important life decisions. Your home's energy can intersect with their lives during their festive stay.'

Use earth colors in the Southwest of your home for good energy for relationships. 'In the northeast, earthy colors will bring good energy for family, community, and the past,' adds Suzanne. 'Placing soft earthy-colored throws will keep guests cozy and reverberate good energy for interactions.' For example, try this Taupe Selena Faux Fur Throw Blanket, available at Anthropologie.

Use greens in the east, 'for building feelings of family, community, and for dealing with the past,' she continues. 'Greens in the southeast will bring wealth and abundance.'

Use metallics like gold, silver, and white in the northwest. 'This will inspire and channel opportunities for travel and encourage helpfulness from friends. Using metallics in the West will channel energy for new beginnings and children.'

Finally, use reds, hot pinks, and fiery colours in the south to bolster Fame and Reputation.

Remember, you’re only decorating for a couple of weeks. So, if you’ve already planned your tree colors, or usually deck your tree in your crimson traditional Christmas decor ideas, and it happens to be in an area that thrives on metal colors, 'please just relax and relish it precisely as it is,' assures Suzanne.

4. Follow the Pathway of Your Guests

As Maggie explains, in classic Feng Shui, qi is life-force energy. 'It moves through your home the way your guests do, so follow their path,' she suggests.

Begin with the entryway, because first impressions really do matter. 'The front door is the mouth of the home, where qi and guests arrive,' advises Maggie. 'Clear away shoes, packages, and anything blocking the door from opening fully, because a door that can't swing wide restricts what can come in.

'Make sure the entry is well lit, inside and out, so guests feel welcomed before they knock.' Make sure you give people a 'place to land,' too, whether it's hooks or space in a closet for their winter coats, a tray or pot, available at Anthropologie, for their keys, and a bench for their shoes. 'Guests who don't have to juggle their belongings relax faster. The first ten seconds set the tone for the whole evening.'

Then, move on to the kitchen − 'the heart of nourishment,' as Maggie calls it. 'The kitchen feeds everyone, physically and energetically. Clear the counters of anything you won’t use that day so the cook can move freely. A chaotic kitchen sends stressed energy straight to the table. Keep the stove clean and every burner working; in classical Feng Shui, the stove represents the household’s nourishment and prosperity.

'If guests tend to gather in the kitchen, and they always do, give them a defined spot to stand or sit that’s out of the cook’s path.'

The cozy living room is usually where connection happens when guests come over. Therefore, says Maggie, be sure to arrange seating so people can face each other with a view of the room, rather than the wall or the TV.

'When people feel protected, they relax and open up,' she explains. 'Make sure no one ends up with their back to the door, which keeps the body subtly on guard. Leave clear pathways so people can move through without squeezing past knees. Warm, layered lighting from lamps at different heights feels far more inviting than a single overhead.' A small chain of lights, like this Sparkler STRÅLALED lighting chain, available at IKEA, can go a long way in lending warmth, too.

Next, your dining room should exude abundance and equality. 'The dining table is where a gathering becomes a memory,' says Maggie. Where possible (though don't buy a whole new one if you don't already own one), opt for a round or oval table to flatten hierarchy and avoid anyone being the head of the table. 'Make sure every chair has room to pull back comfortably, since crowding creates tension,' she adds. 'A full bowl of seasonal fruit or a generous centerpiece signals plenty,' and is affordable to put together, yet mightily effective. 'Keep centerpieces low enough that guests can see each other’s faces, because conversation needs eye contact. Soft light over the table, dimmed as the evening goes on, invites people to linger.'

Don't forget about your guest bathroom, either. It's the detail everyone notices, even if you tend to overlook it yourself. 'Keep the space fresh and clean, and the door closed when it's not in use,' says Maggie. Keep it stocked as if you were a five-star hotel, with plenty of fresh hand towels, extra toilet paper, hand soap and lotion (this Diptyque hand soap is a personal favorite), a candle or a subtle diffuser, and a small basket of essentials, like mints and hair ties. 'Check again an hour before guests arrive and once mid-evening,' adds Maggie. 'A tidy, well-stocked bathroom tells guests they were thought of in every corner of your home.'

Finally, create a restful environment in your guest bedroom ideas for anyone staying the night. 'Give them the power position if the guest room allows; put the headboard against a solid wall, with the door in view but not directly in line with the bed,' Maggie shares. 'Guests who sleep well make better company.'

5. Give Yourself Permission for Peace

Finally, this one goes without saying − 'If everything has changed this year, there is no requirement to stick to past customs,' assures Suzanne. 'Give yourself Christmas your way. Take a holiday; invite someone new; eat in the evening rather than the middle of the day. It’s your holiday, so spend it the way you choose. It's actually one of the things as a Feng Shui expert I wish everybody knew.'

'I can honestly say my most memorable and happy Christmases are the ones where tradition was turned on its head, and we went with the flow. Just thinking about those wonderful years is guaranteed to make my eyes shine with happiness.'

Just because you're hosting doesn't mean you need to give up your holidays to spending all day in the kitchen. 'Take shortcuts,' says Suzanne. 'Prepare all you can in advance, don't cook veggies no one will eat, and clear up as you go alone, which will help you clean when you are busy.'

The holidays are all about relaxation and indulgence, so make sure you think of yourself just as much as you consider your guests. It's a promised way to make you a better host, too.

What to Shop

Below, I've handpicked six favorites I always rely on when preparing my home for guests, all of which also make beautiful gift ideas this holiday season.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet the Experts

Interested in Feng Shui crystal placement? This ancient practice can help harmonize the energy of your home.

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When my husband and I bought our first real home 12 years ago, one of the things I was most excited about was hosting Thanksgiving. I loved the idea of cooking for everyone, but I was even more interested in setting the table. Even in my 20s, I had already started collecting vintage china and glassware with the hope of one day putting it all to use.

Since then, we’ve hosted most of my family’s Thanksgivings. I still look forward to it every year, but the way I set my Thanksgiving table has become much more streamlined. Twelve years ago, there were six of us. Now, with new spouses and seven kids added to the mix, efficiency matters a little more.

That doesn’t mean I set the same table every year or sacrifice style for simplicity. I’ve just landed on a formula that works: easy enough to repeat, flexible enough to change, and polished without requiring me to reinvent the whole thing every November. These days, I start with a few dependable elements, then layer in just enough variation to make the table feel fresh.

My Go-To Thanksgiving Table Setting Formula

I've tried a variety of Thanksgiving table themes and schemes over the years, and I've learned some things about myself along the way. Namely, that I'm not particularly talented at arranging flowers for a centerpiece, and I do not like to hand-wash piles of dishes after cooking and hosting all day. Those realizations have shaped the way I set the table now. Here's the formula I now use to set my table each Thanksgiving.

Forgo Flowers for a Greenery Garland

Since flower arrangements aren't my natural forte, I now do a greenery garland in the center of the table instead. I love it because it's easy to make, even if you’re not an aspiring florist; plus it won’t block your view of the person sitting across from you, and it still creates a beautiful visual impact. I start with magnolia leaves, which I buy from a florist or grocery store (Trader Joe’s is usually a reliable source around the holidays, if you live near one). I like the mix of green and brown, which sets a natural palette for the rest of the table, and the sturdy leaves make an easy base for layering in other greenery, like evergreen or myrtle.

I usually skip floral wire altogether and simply arrange the stems directly on the table. To finish it off, I’ll add jeweled fruit, pumpkins or gourds, along with a mix of candlesticks and tapers (I've been thinking of switching to flameless tapers this year!).

Dress Up Dishwasher-Safe Plates

I’ve mostly retired my vintage dinner plates from family Thanksgiving. As lovely as they are, many need to be hand-washed, and I’d much rather spend the post-dinner hours by the fire with everyone than standing at the sink. Some of the tableware I use when I host Thanksgiving still requires a hand-wash, but ensuring the dinner plates can be popped in the dishwasher significantly lightens the load of cleaning up.

Now I use simple, dishwasher-safe china dinner plates (my favorite are these Lenox ones) for the main meal. To make them feel more special, I layer them over charger plates, or add a smaller vintage plate on top for bread or salad, or even just for looks. That’s usually where I play with the color scheme from year to year. Sometimes I go with the blue-and-white transferware I used on that first Thanksgiving we hosted; other years, it's the gold-rimmed plates from my grandmother’s collection, or a set of orange-and-yellow florals I picked up at a thrift store.

Let the Linens Be a Background

For linens, I like to stick with a solid tablecloth so the rest of the tablescape pops. Then I mix in patterned or solid napkins, sometimes both, depending on the plates and whatever colors I’ve chosen that year.

Before setting the table, I give the linens a quick iron or steam so they feel fresh again. I’ll usually secure the napkins with simple napkin rings or a length of velvet ribbon, then tuck in a small sprig of greenery from the garland. Sometimes I’ll swap that for another natural detail, like a feather or extra herb stems we don't need for dinner.

Save the Fancy Pieces for Glassware and Flatware

I remember hearing when I was younger that things like crystal glassware, sterling silver flatware, and formal serving pieces were becoming irrelevant as entertaining has gotten more casual. I've collected them over the years anyway. I’ve always loved the idea of having a few things that only come out for holidays and special occasions, and Thanksgiving is exactly when I want to use them.

One of my favorite examples is a set of crystal glassware that lives in the corner hutch in our dining room and comes out for holidays and dinner parties. I inherited it from an aunt who moved South and didn’t want to take it with her, and I love that it now has a second life at our table.

Shop My Thanksgiving Table Essentials

What I like about this formula is that it gives me enough structure that I don’t have to reinvent the table every year, while still leaving room to make it feel a bit different.

The greenery, white dinner plates, and simple linens are the foundation, while the vintage plates, chargers, napkins, candles, and smaller decorative pieces are where I can change things up. Most of it is already tucked away in my dining room cabinets, collected from various sources over years rather than bought for one particular Thanksgiving.

This balance has become more important as the number of people around our table grows. I still want Thanksgiving to feel special and considered, but I’ve learned that it doesn’t have to be complicated to get there.

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I have always enjoyed taking cuttings and find hardwood cuttings the most reliable way to propagate new shrubs. They are easy to take and usually have a high success rate. If you want new plants, November is an ideal time to take hardwood cuttings, when shrubs lose their leaves and enter dormancy.

You can take hardwood cuttings of deciduous shrubs, fruit bushes, roses, and trees from late fall to late winter. It is a satisfying, cost-efficient way to expand your plant collection, and you’ll get exact clones of your favorite shrubs. They do require patience, but on the plus side, these rugged cuttings require little maintenance, especially if you plant them directly into the ground.

Yes, you can buy new shrubs or trees to plant in November. But also examine what you already have that impresses. You can clone them to add more color or texture to the garden. Here are seven hardwood cuttings to take in November, along with expert tips to help yours root successfully. I always use rooting hormone powder (available at Walmart) when I take plant cuttings. As hardwood cuttings can take months to root, anything that speeds up that process is worth using.

Taking Hardwood Cuttings in November

Once you know how to take hardwood cuttings, you can propagate shrubs, climbers, fruit, and trees for years. You can take cuttings from mid-fall to late winter, while plants are dormant. The good news is that they are reliable, forgiving, and often need little attention after being started.

Take 8-12 inch cuttings of healthy one-year-old wood, making a straight cut at the base below a bud and an angled cut at the top above a bud. Remove any remaining leaves and dip the bottom of the cutting in rooting hormone. The hormone powder or gel is optional but recommended, as it helps speed up root development.

Hardwood cuttings can be put in pots or directly into outdoor trenches. Whichever you choose, bury two-thirds of the cutting below the soil line. Keep the cutting moist, but not waterlogged. It needs to be carefully monitored and kept moist to develop roots and be ready to plant next fall.

1. Gooseberries

When you grow gooseberries, hardwood cuttings are the most reliable way to add more bushes to your garden without buying more. As fresh gooseberries aren’t always common in stores, growing your own heavy-cropping bushes is a go-to way to get fruit for desserts, preserves, or savory dishes.

Yes, you can invest in new bushes, but they won’t bring the satisfaction of picking gooseberries from bushes you propagated yourself. That joy can’t be measured. It does need a bit more patience, but trust me, it is worth it.

Gooseberries want pruning during dormancy, so you can take material for cuttings while trimming the bush. Before you cut anything, ensure your pruning tools are clean and sharp. A good pair of pruners is essential for taking cuttings and pruning fruit bushes – I have used a trusty pair of Felco F2 pruning shears (available at Amazon) for years.

2. American Beautyberry

An American beautyberry is an absolute stunner in the fall. Its arching branches are covered with dazzling purple winter berries that stop you in your tracks. If you want more native shrubs with winter berries, this should be near the top of any list.

If you have a shrub, or a friend or neighbor has one, you can collect seeds or take cuttings to grow another beautyberry. Don’t worry about ruining the display by removing stems; you only need to take a few this month. You usually don’t prune beautyberry shrubs until late winter or early spring, but taking the odd stem or two for cuttings is fine.

The best option for American beautyberry cuttings is to place them in a deep pot filled with a well-draining potting mix for cuttings. One such example is this 3-in-1 soil mix for seeds and cuttings at Amazon. Keep the pots in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame over winter.

3. Spirea

Spirea makes a great landscaping shrub as it puts on a show throughout the seasons. The flowers appear in spring and summer – with different spirea varieties coming in shades of white, pink, or light purple – and the blooms are followed by vibrant fall foliage. The flowering shrubs both look fabulous and are a beacon for pollinators.

The low-maintenance shrubs are very popular and versatile. You can use them in flower beds and borders, planted in large containers, or as a colorful hedge. If you want to use spirea as a hedging plant, it can be cost-efficient to grow many plants from cuttings.

When you are planting a large number of cuttings, the easiest way to do this is to put them straight in the ground. Pick a sheltered spot with well-draining soil and use a garden spade (Available at Ace Hardware) to make a slit in the ground, into which you bury your cuttings around six inches apart. Firm the soil down around the cutting, water it well, and keep the soil moist over the coming months.

4. Elderberry

Elderberry, or sambucas, is a stunning flowering shrub with dramatic foliage, white flowers, and dark berries that are popular for pies, jellies, jams, syrup, juices, and more. It is one of the best shrubs for dark foliage, which can be purple to almost block.

An elderberry is a simple woody plant to propagate from hardwood cuttings. If you can get cuttings from an elderberry bush – whether in your yard, a neighbor’s, or a plant in the wild – there is a very high chance it’ll root successfully. To give it the best chance, make sure each cutting is around the thickness of a pencil and contains two to four buds.

It is possible to root elderberry cuttings in water. Prepare the cutting as outlined above and submerge it in a glass of water, with at least half underneath the water line. Change the water every few days, and wait for roots to form. Once the roots are a few inches long, you can pot it up in containers filled with soil.

5. Forsythia

The bright yellow blooms of a spring-flowering shrub are a welcome sight after a long, hard winter. Forsythia is one of the first to burst into bloom in the new year and warm the soul. For that reason, you may choose to take forsythia cuttings to add more of these attractive, vibrant plants to your yard.

The right time to prune forsythia shrubs is after the blooms fade for the season. But you can take cuttings without hugely affecting the upcoming spring display. Take 6-8 inch cuttings of one-year-old stems, trim them, and dip them in rooting hormone. Place these cuttings into pots and keep them in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame.

You can get a strong polycarbonate cold frame at The Home Depot that is ideal for overwintering cuttings. The cuttings will be protected from frost and heavy rain to develop roots and be ready to plant in the garden next fall.

6. Blueberries

Blueberries are highly nutritious and rich in vitamins and antioxidants. There are many health benefits that come from growing this superfood at home and enjoying the rich blueberry harvests you get each summer.

As you prune blueberries while the bushes are dormant, you can tick two jobs off a fall gardening checklist by pruning and propagating blueberries from cuttings at the same time.

Take 12-inch stems of the previous season’s growth that are pencil-thick. These can be processed into 4-6 inch cuttings and put in pots filled with a well-draining potting mix. It helps to cover the pots with a clear plastic bag to maintain humidity, or you can use nursery pots with humidity domes from Amazon for cuttings.

7. Weigela

Lots of people like growing weigela because the shrubs are easy, reliable, and showy. The tubular spring and early summer flowers are bright, come in a range of vivid colors, and attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees.

Weigelas come in different colors and sizes. But often you see a limited range available to buy. The potential uses for weigela include planting the shrub as a wildlife-friendly screening plant. If you have a variety you adore, taking weigela cuttings is a budget-friendly way to get identical plants to expand any shrub collection.

If you opt to put weigela cuttings into an outdoor nursery bed, take care with watering plants over winter and spring. The soil needs to be kept consistently moist, but not waterlogged, as this can cause the cutting to rot in sodden soil. A soil moisture meter, available on Amazon, can be used to check the levels and avoid overwatering the cuttings.

What to Shop

November is a prime month for tidying the garden and also preparing for next year. This includes pruning deciduous shrubs and trees as they enter dormancy to shape them and deal with any dead, damaged, or diseased growth that may pose winter dangers.

Or trimming perennial plants that show signs of disease to stop bacteria or fungi from overwintering in old growth. Our guide to plants to prune in November highlights seven plants that may need attention this month.

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Peace lilies are relatively easy houseplants to care for, but they need a few seasonal adjustments as the weather cools. November brings shorter days, lower temperatures, and the start of the heating season, all of which can affect how well your plant grows indoors.

I have the Peace Lily Plant from Trees.com in my own home, and good peace lily care at this time of year is largely about adapting to these changing conditions. From adjusting your watering routine to finding a spot away from cold drafts and heating vents, a few simple jobs will help keep your plant healthy through winter.

1. Move Your Peace Lily Somewhere With Plenty of Indirect Light

As daylight hours shorten in November, your peace lily may benefit from a change of position. These tropical plants naturally grow beneath larger trees, so they prefer bright, indirect light rather than direct sunshine. When considering where to place a peace lily, an east-facing window is often ideal, while a spot slightly back from a south- or west-facing window can also work well.

If your plant has been sitting in a shady corner over summer, move it somewhere brighter for winter, but avoid strong direct sunlight, which can scorch its leaves. A lightweight plant stand, such as IKEA's OLIVBLAD, can help lift your peace lily closer to a window, while an LED grow light from Amazon is worth considering if your home doesn't get much natural daylight.

2. Adjust How Often You Water

One of the most important parts of peace lily care in November is adjusting your watering routine. As temperatures drop and growth slows, your plant won't use water as quickly as it does in spring and summer. Rather than following a fixed schedule, check the soil first. Peace lilies prefer consistently lightly moist soil, but don't like sitting in waterlogged soil. Allow the top inch to dry out slightly before you water a peace lily again, then let any excess water drain away.

Peace lilies are expressive plants, and their leaves often droop when they're thirsty, but that shouldn't be your only sign they need a drink. Regularly checking the soil will help you avoid both underwatering and overwatering. An Amazon indoor watering can with a long, narrow spout makes it easier to direct water towards the soil, while an XLUX Soil Moisture Meter from Amazon can help you check moisture levels before watering.

3. Keep It Away From Cold Drafts and Heating Vents

Peace lilies are tropical plants, so they don't appreciate sudden temperature changes. November is when many of us start turning on the heating, but the warm, dry air from radiators and heating vents can be particularly uncomfortable for these humidity-loving houseplants. Try to keep your peace lily somewhere with a relatively consistent temperature, ideally between 65°F and 80°F.

Some of the places to never grow a peace lily include spots beside exterior doors, drafty windows, radiators and fireplaces. While a little extra warmth is welcome, direct heat can dry out the leaves and surrounding soil much faster than you might expect. If your home gets particularly dry during winter, the DREO cool-mist humidifier can help maintain a more comfortable level of humidity around your plant.

4. Give the Leaves a Little Attention

Peace lilies are loved for their glossy, deep-green foliage, so November is a good time to give the leaves a little attention. Dust can collect on their broad leaves, particularly when windows are kept closed more often during winter. Gently wipe each leaf with a soft, damp cloth to remove dust and help keep the foliage looking fresh. A microfiber cleaning cloth is a useful addition to your houseplant kit for this job.

This is also a good opportunity to check for yellowing leaves, brown tips or any signs of pests. Remove dead or badly damaged foliage using clean, sharp scissors, such as a pair of Fiskars Steel Micro-Tip Pruning Scissors from Amazon, cutting close to the base of the stem. If you notice brown tips, don't immediately assume your plant needs more water. Low humidity, inconsistent watering and mineral buildup from tap water can all contribute to this problem.

5. Increase Humidity Around Your Plant

Indoor heating can make the air particularly dry during November, which isn't ideal for a tropical plant like a peace lily. Although they can adapt to average household conditions, peace lilies appreciate higher humidity. If the air in your home feels particularly dry, you could use a glass plant mister from Walmart to lightly mist the surrounding air.

Another simple trick is to group your peace lily with other houseplants, helping to create a slightly more humid microclimate around their foliage. Just make sure there is enough space between plants for good airflow.

6. Hold Off on Fertilizing

If you've been feeding your peace lily regularly throughout spring and summer, November is the time to slow down. Peace lilies naturally grow less during the colder months, particularly when daylight is limited, so they don't need the same amount of nutrients as they do during their active growing season. If you're wondering when to fertilize a peace lily, I'd avoid feeding throughout winter and resume in early spring when you begin to see fresh growth.

Applying too much fertilizer when a plant isn't actively growing can lead to a buildup of salts in the soil, potentially damaging its roots. When it's time to start feeding again, the Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food for All Plants from Amazon is a good option.

You could also choose a balanced, water-soluble plant food, such as the Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food from Amazon, diluted according to the instructions, to support healthy foliage and new growth.

7. Remove Spent Flowers and Check for New Growth

Although peace lilies are best known for their beautiful green foliage, their distinctive white flowers are another reason they're such popular houseplants. Flowering can become less frequent as daylight hours decrease, so don't worry if your plant isn't producing new blooms in November. This is a natural part of its seasonal growth cycle.

If your peace lily has any flowers that have turned green or brown and begun to fade, remove them by cutting the flower stalk down near the base. A pair of precision Fiskars Pruning Shears from The Home Depot will help you make a clean cut without damaging the surrounding foliage. This also keeps the plant looking tidy and allows it to focus its energy on maintaining healthy leaves.

Avoid forcing new flowers with additional fertilizer or moving the plant into direct sunlight. Instead, focus on providing consistent care until growing conditions improve in spring.

What to Avoid With Your Peace Lily in November

While peace lilies are generally forgiving tropical houseplants, there are a few common mistakes to avoid as winter approaches:

Don't overwater: Cooler temperatures and slower growth mean the soil takes longer to dry out. Always check the soil before watering.

Don't leave it in a dark corner: Shorter days mean your plant needs to make the most of available indirect light.

Don't repot unnecessarily: November isn't the ideal time to disturb the roots. Unless there is an urgent issue, wait until spring to repot.

Don't place it next to a radiator: Direct heat can dry out the foliage and create uncomfortable growing conditions.

Don't worry about fewer flowers: Reduced flowering is normal during the darker months, and your plant may naturally bloom more readily again in spring.

With a few simple seasonal adjustments, your peace lily should make an easy transition into winter. Focus on providing the right light, adjusting your watering routine and keeping it away from cold drafts and dry heat. There's no need to overdo things – consistent, gentle care through the colder months will help keep its foliage healthy and give it the best chance of producing fresh growth when spring arrives.

Winter brassicas are hardy, but that doesn’t mean plunging temperatures and hungry pests don’t trouble them during the colder months. The simplest way to protect winter brassicas and preserve your harvest is to cover the plants.

Kale, winter cabbages, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts can survive winter in the vegetable garden and provide a bounty of crops for hearty seasonal meals. They even taste sweeter after a frost, but tough winter weather can harm them. They're also a target for hungry birds in winter, and pests such as slugs and snails can still be an issue.

To avoid losing any harvests, keep using physical barriers like netting when overwintering vegetables. They let light and moisture through but keep pests out. As a professional kitchen gardener, I routinely used covers like this ultrafine mesh netting at Walmart over my winter brassicas for many years to keep the harvests coming. I have also always staked taller brassicas to stop them from falling in strong winter weather.

Do You Need to Fleece Winter Brassicas?

Winter brassicas are tough crops that can overwinter outdoors without an issue. They have evolved to handle cold weather and freezes, including extended hard frosts.

For example, the hardiest kales can handle temperatures down to -10°F, and savoy winter cabbages and sprouts can tolerate down to around 10°F. The exact hardiness depends on the specific variety, and while the plants can tolerate those temperatures, they may suffer some damage, which affects the harvest.

Growers in USDA hardiness zone 5 are usually able to overwinter these crops without worrying too much about potential damage. However, in zones 3 or 4, you need to pick the hardiest varieties and consider covering them with thick-grade frost cloth, like this 2.0 oz thick frost cloth at Amazon.

In cold, northern climates, a thick layer of snow actually insulates plants. It does make harvesting vegetables trickier, but it can help protect vegetables from frost over winter.

Netting Winter Brassicas

Over winter, vegetables become targets for hungry wildlife, particularly birds, who like to graze on crops. Canada geese, pigeons, goldfinches, and more can do damage ranging from pecking holes in leaves to stripping whole plants.

Birds are the worst culprits over winter, but winter backyard pests like rodents, deer, and rabbits will also eat winter brassicas if given the opportunity. Slugs and snails are also active in winter and will nibble holes in leaves.

The simplest way to combat birds and protect winter brassicas from damage is to keep them covered with a physical barrier, namely bird-proof netting. The garden netting will allow essential light and water to reach your brassicas, but will, of course, stop the birds from getting at the plants and ruining your winter crop.