Once you know what makes houseplants happy, growing them is a snap. If you start with one of the 10 easy houseplants I suggest and then follow the guidelines and tips in this Cheat Sheet, you’ll have a green thumb before you know it. You can then join the large and growing clan of dedicated houseplant lovers, and you may even decide to branch out with more difficult plants or crafts, such as creating your own corsage.

A corsage is a wearable flower arrangement. Although some people think corsages are unfashionable (or even corny), I guarantee that if you make one for yourself or your partner for a special occasion, you’ll get loads of compliments.Many houseplants’ flowers and foliage make stunning and long-lasting corsages, and you can create one yourself relatively quickly.

To get all the best flavor and highest nutritional value from your vegetables, you need to pick them at just the right time. Some vegetables taste terrible if you pick them too early; others are tough and stringy if you pick them too late. ©Jacob Lund / Adobe StockAnd after you pick your vegetables, what if you can’t eat them right away?

When you consider the sustainable fashion and the clothing industry, you might feel overwhelmed as you think of landfills filled with clothes and read startling statistics about the environmental damage from the fashion industry. But you tell yourself that you don’t make or sell clothes, so how can you make a difference?

What makes a brand sustainable? This question cannot be answered just by looking at glossy mission statements or publicly stated commitments around sustainability (although those are not unimportant). ©Daisy Daisy / Adobe StockYou have to consider how a brand operates. Brands must be judged by their deeds, not their words.

To understand the importance of fabrics being sustainable, you should understand the environmental impacts of fabrics, from growing the crops to make the fabrics, to manufacturing, and even disposal. ©Roman / Adobe StockUnfortunately, there is no fabric that has no impact on the earth. Anything processed has a footprint, but eco-friendly fabrics have a much smaller one.

Simply put, low-water landscaping is all about landscaping with less water. And no matter whether you’re trying to sustain an established yard in a desert-like climate or you’re wishing to make changes while adjusting to a limited or unpredictable water supply, the message is the same: You can do it! ©Katy / Adobe StockHaving a beautiful landscape isn’t just nice, it’s also important.

A popular alternative to a traditional, water-sucking lawn is a meadow or, more properly, a meadow bed. These plantings use native grasses and prairie-type plants or native flowers, both annual and perennial. ©M.dörr & M.Frommherz / Adobe StockCertain wildflower (pre-made) mixes composed of low-growing plants can also be used for meadowlike lawns.