Harvest Tips Pick leaves as needed throughout the growing season. Their flavor fades after plants bloom so harvest before flower buds open. Savor oregano’s spicy taste on grilled meats or seafood, sprinkle it onto cooked vegetables, or stir it into pasta sauces. Gather fresh flowers to add to salads. Oregano’s flavor stays strong after drying it. To dry a large amount of oregano, cut stems back to 3 inches (before flower buds open); cut again in the same way in late summer....

Baking Tips 101 The next time you’re baking a cake, keep these simple tricks in mind: Prep the ingredients. Have all of the ingredients at room temperature, unless the recipe directs otherwise. (Eggs should only be left out about 30 minutes before using them.) This makes ingredients easier to combine and gives the cake better volume. Use the right flour. If a recipe calls for cake flour and you don’t have any on hand, use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour for each cup of cake flour....

Pitcher Plant Care Must-Knows Pitcher plants are best grown in the consistently moist soil of a bog garden. The bog garden should be in full sun to promote full leaf coloration and strong, upright growth. The plants grow best in a humusy muck that is constantly damp but doesn’t have standing water. Irrigation hoses and rubber pond liners should be considered to create the just-right environment for pitcher plants. Pitcher plants grow from rhizomes....

See more beautiful Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas. Editor’s Tip: Adapt this look for Christmas by arranging evergreen sprigs around the bases of the candlesticks. See easy-to-make-Christmas centerpieces.

Thorny raspberries can be planted around the edges of your yard and used like a fence or physical barrier. Avoid planting them near driveways or walkways, however, because of their thorns. Don’t have just the right spot to plant them in the ground? Smaller raspberry varieties are perfect for growing in large containers. Raspberry Plant Care Plant your raspberries in a spot that has full sun (at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun per day) to keep your plants healthy and productive....

Understand the Different Shades of Red In general, different shades of the color red are made by adjusting the amounts of white and black, as well as by varying the intensities of bases. For example, a deep, rich burgundy has much more black in it than a soft pastel shade of red. On the home above, a muted shade of red incorporates more white for a soft salmon appearance that complements crisp the white trim and architectural details....