Still stymied? We’ve lined up four avenues of advice about colors that look good on various styles of houses. Foursquare. Resist the temptation to paint this house the typical white with green trim. Instead, take your cues from the past. Historically, the tops and bottoms of foursquares have been painted different colors. Breaking down the big-box look gives the house a better sense of scale, thus making it appear more personal and inviting....

The Asian giant hornet is the world’s largest hornet; as the name implies, it’s native to East Asia. There, it’s considered a little scary because you certainly don’t want to be stung by one, but no one is overly concerned about it. That’s because it’s native to that environment, and other animals have evolved protections against it to keep it in check. For example, Japanese honeybees, which the hornets prey on, have an amazing group defense where dozens of them grab onto an invading hornet, forming a ball around it, and raise their temperature until the hornet dies....

Explore more perks of planting ornamental grasses in your garden. Feather Reed Grass Care Must-Knows Feather reed grass is one of few ornamental grasses that tolerates moist to almost wet soils. This makes these plants a great option for rain gardens or boggy areas. Plant this grass in well-drained, fertile, rich soil that remains consistently moist. Once established, feather reed grass can tolerate occasional droughts. As a cool-season grass, this plant may appreciate some afternoon shade if grown in a warm, southern climate....

1 lemon ¾ cup assorted pitted olives 1 teaspoon finely chopped, drained anchovies (optional) 2 tablespoon snipped fresh basil 2 teaspoon olive oil

Spread Mulch Spreading a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch over your soil is one of the best things you can do for your garden. The mulch blankets the ground, shielding the soil from the sun and keeping it cooler. That makes your plant roots happier and also prevents moisture loss due to evaporation. There’s not a single best type of mulch. Anything made from organic matter—shredded wood, pine straw, a mix of grass clippings and shredded leaves—will help your soil as it decomposes and adds to the soil structure....

Colorful Combinations With so many colors to choose from, you’ll have an easy time finding a foxglove to fit your garden. Most are biennials, which means that the first year they’re grown from seed, the plants will simply be a rosette of foliage at ground level with no blooms. The second year, the glorious spikes of blooms will produce bountiful amounts of seed in order to start the two-year cycle all over again....

“We had a simple vision for some minor renovations to get us a nice cottagey feel,” Paul says. “But once we started, we just had to keep going.” The Gravettes fell in love with the transformation launched by designers Roger Higgins, Ann Shipp, and their team at R. Higgins Interiors. They introduced the humble ranch to the charm of Provence. “A French ranch isn’t a conventional style, but that’s the influence here,” Higgins says....

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt ⅓ cup shortening 4 tablespoon cold water

Thankfully, she doesn’t have to. The storage-rich, well-appointed kitchen in the new Dallas home she shares with husband Jeff abounds with cabinets: upper cabinets, lower cabinets, even cabinets disguised to look like they’re part of the furniture-style island. Heidi has plenty of room to store everything she needs for her favorite pastime: entertaining oodles of friends and family, including the couple’s four grown children. While Heidi cooks, she can interact with the kids, who love to perch at the island (and charge their phones at cleverly hidden outlets)....

¼ cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch ¾ cup half-and-half or light cream 2 tablespoon butter ¼ teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel 3 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoon finely snipped crystallized ginger

2 ½ cup water 1 cup gluten-free coarse ground cornmeal 1 cup cold water 1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup olive oil ⅓ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 3 tablespoon snipped fresh chives 4 teaspoon snipped fresh lemon thyme or thyme ¼ teaspoon salt