Good Housekeeping

Freshen up your patio by mounting potted plants to a blank wall. For easy hanging, drill a hole in one side of each of several terra-cotta pots with a bit slightly larger than the screws you’re using (if the pot doesn’t have a drainage hole in the bottom, drill one there as well). Fill the pots with low-maintenance cascading plants or herbs that can thrive in sun and shade, pick a wall you can see easily from an outdoor seating area and affix the pots to it with mortar screws. “We wanted to make this wall visually interesting,” says designer Tori Rubinson, who handled the project above. Mission accomplished! CLEANING TIPS CLEAN LIKE A PRO Throughout the issue, look for smart, simple ways to make your home sparkle from the experts in our…

SPICE-GRILLED Heat grill to medium-high. Toss 1 lb green beans with 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp Cajun or blackened seasoning. Place beans on grill, perpendicular to grates, and grill, rolling often with back of spatula, until tender and charred, 3 to 5 min. Serve as a side with grilled salmon, skirt steak or pork chops. APRICOT-GLAZED In batches, blanch 1 lb green beans; drain and pat dry. In large skillet, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil and 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced) on medium, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 2 min. Stir in 1/4 cup apricot jam, 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Add green beans and cook, tossing to coat, until heated through. PARMESAN-ROASTED Heat oven to 425°F. On large rimmed baking sheet, toss 1 lb…

FEEL-GOOD FICTION You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi Five years after losing the love of her life, Brooklyn artist Feyi is ready for a restart, and what better way than with a whirlwind summer romance? It all begins with a steamy encounter at a rooftop soiree, then cascades into a trip to a luxury estate with her seemingly perfect beau—whose father just happens to be a celebrity chef with connections to a curator who could jump-start Feyi’s career. But even though this new man is just about perfect for her, she can’t deny her attraction to his father. As the situation reaches a boiling point, Feyi has to ask herself how far she’s willing to follow her heart and whom she’s willing to hurt for happiness. This…

Whenever I shop for something important, whether it’s a new mattress, fresh makeup or even a wet/dry vac (see pages 69, 11 and 46 for this year’s best!), the first place I go for advice is up the stairs from my office to the GH Labs to see the experts there. They are constantly testing the things we use in our daily lives — and can easily offer great advice to help us find the best matches for our homes, families and lifestyles. And the next time you are shopping for something important, you can access our experts’ top picks and read their up-to-the-minute reviews of any product they test at goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews. But our scientists do so much more than identify the best products. They also help us all consume in…

I want to invite you to become an official product tester by joining the GH+ Club. Once you sign up, you could be selected to receive free products and share your experience and opinions! The best part: The main attraction of GH+ membership is unlimited access to Good Housekeeping anywhere you want—including exclusive online stories, our monthly challenges, every delicious recipe, how-to videos, all product reviews, the members-only newsletter, deals and discounts and, of course, a full-year subscription to the print magazine delivered to your door—all for less than $2 per month! Taking part in the creation of our famous reviews of the hottest new products is one of the perks our members love most. You can sign up now at goodhousekeeping.com/go/join.…

Joining our testing program is exclusive to GH+ members. “Testing for GH+ is such a privilege! Knowing consumers base their purchases on these reviews, I take pride in being a part of the process. It’s exciting to purchase a product with the GH Seal, because I know it has been through a rigorous process.”“Before I make any purchase, I always go to the GH website for research and advice.”“I love testing products, especially anything to do with cleaning. I like being exposed to items I haven’t heard of or tried before. I find it interesting to see which items work best for me and my family.”“I like being able to test products because it helps me comparison shop more effectively.”“I loved the opportunity to help other people make selections when shopping…