Winter Lawn Prep

We know what you’re thinking…there’s still snow on the ground for many of you…the weather is cold and cloudy…and it’s way too early to think about lawn care, right? Wrong!

Even though it’s only February, it’s the perfect time to seed your lawn. That way, when the midwinter thaw comes, the soil softens enough to swallow the seed, and then freezes over once again—holding the seed in place until it’s ready to grow come spring.

First, fill a hand-held spreader with grass seed, and walk across your lawn, spreading the seed in front of you so that you are stepping on it as you go. As you force the seed down into the snow, it will pick up moisture and will swell. Anytime during the rest of the winter that the snow melts and your grass is visible, use that opportunity to tend to the grass along your walks and driveways. Remove any piles of soil and scraped up grass, then rake the areas clean, and rinse any salt away with your hose. Apply gypsum to salt-damaged patches of grass, and water it in well.

And voila—your lawn is ready for spring! For more all-year-round lawncare tips and tricks, check out our bestselling book, Green Grass Magic! You can even try it FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview. Thanks for reading!

Soothe Winter Skin Woes

Winter has settled in for the long haul, and if you’re skin is feeling dry, crackly, and papery, you’re not alone! As we get older, the outermost layer of our skin naturally loses some of its ability to hold water. While we can’t control the normal aging process, we can control many other factors that contribute to dry winter skin, such as indoor heat, prolonged exposure to damp and icy outdoor elements, and long, hot baths. Try cutting down on these a bit, and you’re skin might just thank you.

You can also try these a few easy tricks to get your skin from dry to dewy. Here are three of our favorite DIY solutions you can make right at home:

Almond or Sunflower Oil. After bathing, while your skin’s still damp, coat it with almond or sunflower oil. You can also add a few drops of lavender oil to the mix before rubbing it in, if you’d like.

Homemade Honey Lotion. Make a mixture of equal parts honey and milk, then toss it in the blender and add some apricots, avocado, and/or coconut oil. Massage it into your skin from head to toe as you would a body lotion.

Oatmeal Body Mask. Make a big pot of oatmeal, let it cool a bit, and slather it on your already-oiled skin from head to toe. When it’s dry, rinse it off in a warm shower.

For more amazing recipes and remedies that’ll keep your skin in tip-top shape, check out our newest book, Grow Younger, Live Longer! You can even try it out for a full 21 days with our Free Preview!

Happy Holiday Houseplants

‘Tis the season for indoor gardening! So here are a few of our favorite tips, tricks, and (of course) trusty tonics that will keep your houseplants gorgeous, green, and growin’ all winter long:

Pretty up your plants. Never use water to clean the leaves of your houseplants. If your African violets, gloxinias, poinsettias, or other hairy-leaved plants are looking a little dusty, you can give them a gentle going-over with a soft baby’s hairbrush instead.

Get rid of the wrap. If you were lucky enough to receive a beautiful potted plant as a holiday gift, keep in mind that the colorful foil wrapping that covers the pot is just for display. It can actually be harmful if it’s left on too long, so make sure to remove it after a few days. Until that time, cut a small hole in the foil on the underside of the pot so excess water can still drain out.

Give poinsettias a boost. Keep them lush and lovely even after the holidays are gone with this power-packed potion: 1/4 cup of beer, 1/2 tbsp. of unflavored gelatin, 1/2 tbsp. of fish emulsion, 1/2 tbsp. of vitamin B1 plant starter, 1/2 tbsp. of ammonia, 1/2 tbsp. of instant tea granules, and 1 gal. of water. Mix it all up in a watering can, and use it every time your plants need a drink.

Spread the green. It’s easy to add to your plant collection—and you won’t even have to spend a dime! African violets, gloxinias, rex begonias, and peperomia are a few houseplants that root in a flash just from leaf cuttings. All you have to do is snip off a mature leaf with 2 or 3 inches of leafstalk attached, and insert the cutting into a new pot of soil. Make sure the leaf is standing straight up in the pot and that the cutting is planted deep enough that the leaf blades are touching the soil. As an added bonus, you might even get two or more new plants from a single leaf!

Feed your indoor garden. To keep your indoor herbs, veggies, and potted citrus trees happy and healthy all winter long (plus prevent pests!), mix up this terrific tonic in a handheld sprayer: 1 tbsp. of liquid kelp, 1/8 tsp. of dishwashing liquid, and 1 gal. of water. Then, just spray your plants every 2-3 weeks.

For more houseplant helpers and green growin’ secrets, check out our bestselling book, Green Thumb Magic. You can even try it out for FREE for a full 21 days with our Free Preview!

Flocking in a Winter Wonderland

Colorful berries on trees and shrubs are known for attracting winter birds. But that’s not all that our feathered friends love to flock to! Here’s how to turn your backyard into a winter wonderland—that’s literally for the birds:

Create a Feeding Station. Simply drill 1-inch holes into a thick branch, and hang it from a tree. Fill the holes with suet (heating it first to make it easier to pack), and you’re good to go. Just make sure to keep refill the suet every few days.

Fill a Winter Birdbath. A supply of fresh water for drinking and bathing is a must all year round, but it’s especially important in winter! Heat some water to lukewarm and pour it into your birdbath every morning. The birds will love their luxurious winter hot tub!

Whip up a fruity treat. Combine 4 parts black oil sunflower seeds, 1 part cracked corn, 1 part chopped dates, and 1 part chopped dried cherries, and stir to mix thoroughly. Serve it in an unroofed tray feeder so the birds can spot the sweet stuff as they’re flying by.

For even more terrific tips, tricks, and treats that’ll attract beautiful birds to your backyard, just check out our bestselling book, Backyard Birdscaping Bonanza. You can even try it out FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview!

End-of-Summer Lawn List

Fall is just about officially here, but it’s not time to pack your lawn mower away for the winter just yet. There are still several good weeks of green grass left to enjoy before ol’ Jack Frost comes a callin’, so make sure to keep taking good care of your grass with these steps:

1. Continue cutting your grass to its maximum recommended height. Many types of grass start to go dormant when the first frost hits, so keep an eye out for a cold snap. Once your lawn stops growing, drop the blade a notch, and mow one last time.
2. Don’t let fallen leaves remain on your lawn, or they’ll block the sun and moisture from reaching the grass. Rake ‘em up and add them to your compost pile or green-waste bin.
3. Pay attention to the weather. A few days before temps are expected to dip into the 30s, give your turf a good soaking with our Last Supper Tonic (below). A lawn that goes into the winter with a full stomach will always wake up in better shape than one that didn’t.
4. Mix up a bucket of our Last Supper Tonic: ½ can of beer with ½ cup each of apple juice, Gatorade®, urine, fish emulsion, ammonia regular cola (not diet), and baby shampoo. Then pour the solution into your 20 Gallon Hose-End Sprayer, and apply it to the point of run-off.

For more terrific tips to keep your turf in tip-top shape, check out our bestselling book, All-American Lawns! You can even try it FREE for 21 days with our Free Preview.

Will Spring Ever Spring?

Just when you thought it was safe to put away your snow shovel and stash your car’s windshield scraper—WHAMMO!—another big snow storm hit. To most of us, this winter seems longer, snowier, and colder than ever before.

After yesterday’s big snowfall, I grabbed my trusty blue shovel. The snow was pretty light and fluffy, so I thought I’d be fine tackling the job on my own. And I was cruising right along, making quick work of the task when the blade of my shovel suddenly stopped short as it slammed against a big crack in my pavement. The jolt of the blow seemed to travel right up my arm and right down my back. Lucky for me, a neighbor saw me taking a break and took pity on me. He and his sons brought their own shovels over, and just like that, the job was done.

As for me, I went inside, tenderly removed my winter gear, and headed to the kitchen to whip up some sore muscle magic.

Here’s how you can make a little magic of your own, with ingredients you probably already have on hand:

Mix 1 tablespoon of petroleum jelly with 6 drops of peppermint oil in a small bowl, and put it in a larger bowl of warm water. Soak a towel in warm (not hot!) tap water, wring it out, and drape it over the sore spot. Leave it in place for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove the towel and massage the oil/jelly mixture into your skin.

Now that my pain has subsided, I’m hoping for the snow to melt so I can see the early crocuses pushing up through the ground. And then I can start thinking about patching that crack in my driveway, too!