Better Homes and Gardens March 2017

“Oh, I’m not a gardener,” people say to me. “My black thumb kills any plant I come in contact with.” When I hear that statement I just smile, because I know they’re mistaken. In my experience, everyone has a clever little gardener in them waiting for the right circumstances to come out. Gardening—like any interest or hobby—comes down to a matter of interest and time. I understand when people tell me there’s no room in their lives for planting flowers, staking dahlias, or weeding. But, I would counter, there will come a time when the kids are grown, the elderly parents don’t need as much assistance, or a random gap opens in your day and you look out the back window and think, I’d really like to grow tomatoes this summer.…

WHAT’S TRENDING ON BHG.COM 1MAKE IT WORK Twenty-three clever fixes for your home’s hard-to-style spaces. BHG.com/StyleTricks 2START NOW, PLANT LATER Jump-start your garden with our seedstarting essentials. BHG.com/SeedStarters 3 DIP MADNESS Dunk into our make-ahead dip recipes perfect for parties. BHG.com/Dips [ EXCLUSIVE OFFER AT LAST ROSE A robust, disease-resistant add ition to the garden, this easy-care, reblooming floribunda rose produces clusters of fragrant flowers over a long season. Each cupped double bloom is crowded with apricot-color petals tinged yellow at the center. The flowers arrive in flushes on vigorous dark green plants that reach 3 feet tall. [ SWEEPSTAKES] Win $25,000 Enter for a chance to win $25,000 to use toward the kitchen of your dreams. Entry details on page 133. Enter atBHG.com/ 25DreamKitchen. [ BLOGGER OF THE MONTH] CHELSEA McDONNOUGH BHG.COM/TWOTWENTYONE@TWO_TWENTY_ONETWOTWENTYONE.NET From nursery dressers to plant nurseries, Chelsea McDonnough’s realistic tips help her fans…

STYLING: JESSICA THOMAS; WALLPAPER: GRASSCLOTH IN OAT, SERENAANDLILY.COM…

ABACA With a history rooted in industry (it was used to make marine rope during the 19th century), this banana relative combines both strength and sheen. Sometimes called Manila hemp, it’s commonly braided into chunky weaves. JUTE Jute’s stalklike fibers are green, soft, and silky. It tends to be affordable due to its abundance. RUSH Also known as apple matting, rush has long been associated with English country homes. Made from the bulrush plant native to Europe, it’s prized for its width (greater than many other natural fibers) and smoothness. SEAGRASS As its name implies, this durable fiber grows in fields submerged with seawater. Water and stain resistant, it can’t be dyed, so the color palette is limited. WATER HYACINTH The dried, braided stem of this widespread flowering aquatic water plant has a variety of uses, including as handbags,…

Life’s busy for Joanna Gaines and her husband, Chip. They’ve wrapped four seasons of their show, created lines of paint and home furnishings, written a book, and launched a quarterly lifestyle magazine. (The second issue, focused on simplicity, just hit newsstands.) And that’s not to mention their steadily growing Waco, Texas-based Magnolia Market at the Silos. The modern-farmhouse shopping center now includes a bustling garden outlet, the Seed + Supply. Beds of spring hyacinth, tulips, and daffodils lead the way to a greenhouse of seedlings growing into this summer’s eggplant and chard. In a sensory garden, visitors can taste and smell herbs. It’s all about inspiration and, Joanna says, “finding a good dose of confidence to tune into and trust your instincts.” CLARA CARVING POTS “Each has unique wood grain and personality,”…

Y ou probably don’t often think about cell turnover, but that behind-thescenes process determines the luminosity of your skin. “The reason skin looks so bright in your teens is that it doesn’t have mounds of dead cells on its surface,” says Neal Schultz, M.D., a New York City dermatologist. “At that age, dead skin cells fall off every 28 days. But by adulthood, some cells hold on for 40, 50, 60 days.” Not only does skin look duller from those old cells but slower cell turnover also triggers less collagen production, which results in a loss of firmness and more wrinkles. Luckily, there’s an easy way to turn up your turnover and get your glow back: an at-home chemical peel. how peels work In the few minutes that a peel is on…