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Aha! Guide to Gardening

Even the most novice gardener can create something beautiful. Get started with these surprising gardening tips, clever DIY centerpieces, and easy container garden ideas.

Gardening Tips

Create a Cabbage Centerpiece
Tuck sweet peas in hollowed-out vegetables for a stunning arrangement.

Garden with a red geranium, pots, and tools

Gardening Pointers

A glossary of gardening lingo.
Photo:  John Gruen

5 Double-Duty Gardening Items

New uses for styrofoam peanuts, bathroom soap, and more.
Photo: Beatriz Da Costa

The Best Spray Nozzles

The right hose attachment, whether you’re misting the marigolds or washing the car.
Photo: Kana Okada

Low-Maintenance Flower Boxes

Three easy steps to a blissful flower patch.
Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo
Garden with a red geranium, pots, and tools
Plants displayed in a birdbath
Green gardening hose with yellow spray nozzle
Flower box for a sunny window

Gardening Advice

Banana peel with soil and yellow roses

Gardening New Uses for Old Things
Can a golf bag come in handy in the garden? Find the answer—and many more innovative ways to use everyday items for gardening.

Self-watering pail planters

The Best Pots and Planters
Find the ideal vessel to show off your flowers and plants.

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Indoor garden corner

April 2010 Keep-it-Together Monthly Checklist

Stay calm and in control with Real Simple's easy-to-follow monthly to-do list. Get it delivered to your inbox every month.

  • Dust your houseplants. Don’t feel obliged to take a feather duster to your philodendron every time you wipe down the TV screen, but most houseplants do benefit (and breathe easier) from having their leaves cleaned once or twice a year. The quickest way: Pop them under a soft shower, or spray them gently with the garden hose.
  • Save on your taxes. Look into lesser-known tax deductions. For instance, if your doctor prescribed a weight-loss program, you can add it to your medical deductions.

    Related: Commonly Overlooked Tax Deductions

  • Sit taller. Establish good posture at your desk and sit with your back against your chair and your feet flat on the floor. When you look at a computer screen, your eyes should be level with the center of it. If they aren’t, raise or lower the monitor.

    Related: 6 Ways to Avoid Bad Posture 

View The Entire Checklist

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