With proper care over winter, you’ll enjoy this evergreen’s sweet perfume every summer. But gardenias can be sensitive to extended frosts and experience damage from very cold temperatures. How Cold-Hardy Are Gardenias? Credit:Katsiaryna Liuntova / EyeEm / Getty Images But the shrubs can suffer from winter damage when the temperature dips below 15F. You’ll know your plant has suffered cold damage if the leaves turn brown or black and crisp....

Understanding the Timing Timing is important in everything including winter protection of roses. Allow roses to go dormant naturally. As the weather cools, often in October, stop cutting blooms and let rose hips form. Credit:Getty Images If you want to dry rose petals, give blooms a slight twist before they turn brown. Collect and discard fallen leaves that show signs of black spot, rust, or powdery mildew. These fungal diseases can overwinter as spores and wreak havoc next spring....

Just because your neighbors butcher their crepe myrtles doesn’t mean you should too. Here’s how to fix past mistakes and prune them right. They needlessly reduce majestic crepe myrtles to ugly stumps–in many cases, ruining them forever. Credit: Ngoc Minh Ngo / Getty Images Im always shocked by peoples obsession with pruning these plants since it should only happen on rare occasions. Why Prune a Crepe Myrtle? Cutting it back to thick stubs each year makes these goals impossible....

You prune your tomatoes, why not your peppers? Well-timed pepper pruning provides surprising benefits. While it is not necessary to prune peppers, there certainly are benefits to doing so. Credit: Getty Images Learn why pruning improves plant health and yields, and how to prune pepper plants to reap those benefits. When we remove plant material through pruning, we alter the growth pattern of plants. Higher branching also leads to more fruit production later in the season....

You have watered, fertilized, and weeded around your tomato plants. For optimum harvest, here’s how to prune them. Pruning makes the plant focus on the fruit instead of putting its energy into growing more leaves. Credit:Ralph Anderson Fungal, bacterial, and viral diseasescan all infect tomato plants. Among the most common, and perhaps the most detrimental, is late blight, triggered by thePhytophthora infestansfungus. It can kill the entire plant and is highly contagious, spreading by releasing spores into the wind....

This lovely herb is a vigorous grower, so keep a sharp pair of pruners around. Like many plants, a healthy lavender bush owes its longevity partly to proper pruning and harvesting. At the center of the mounded semi-shrub, the lavender is trying to turn into wood. Credit: Julia K/Getty Images Unfortunately, the wood is weak. It can split open and when this happens, the plant will no longer produce new shoots....

Because the last thing you need is anyone getting pricked. The history of the boutonniere is an unclear one. Others believe that on her wedding day in 1840, Queen Victoria presented Prince Albert with a small bouquet. Credit: Kelly Ginn Photography It is said that Albert cut a hole in his own jacket and inserted the stems through. A painting from 1771 of Captain William Wade of Bath, England, shows him donning a flower....

There is just no reason it should become beef jerky. It might not be very quick, but nothing about a brisket was ever quick, right? You may need upwards of four hours, so plan accordingly. Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez This method can take longer than others, so plan ahead. This will help avoidovercooking the meat. Reheat the meat low and slow to retain moisture. This method works well for sliced brisket....

Keep your chicken tender and juicy with these reheating methods. For extra crispiness, broil for the last minute or two. Stovetop The stovetop is a quick and convenient option for reheating chicken. Credit:Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox To reheat on the stovetop, heat the chicken over medium-low, covering it to retain moisture. Flip once or stir occasionally until the chicken is heated through. Microwave For reheating leftovers or small quantities, the microwave is the fastest method....

Don’t let your leftover crawfish go to waste. It can be just as delicious the next day. Can You Reheat Crawfish? Credit: Greg DuPree Leftover crawfish can be a wonderful thing to have sitting in the refrigerator. Crawfish can be reheated, however, reheating it can be tricky. If you cook it too long, the texture turns from smooth and meaty to mushy or rubbery. Credit: Southern Living If yourcrawfish were boiled, she suggests repeating it in a simplified process....

Dont just stick it in the microwave! Having delicious lasagna that’s ready to reheat and serve will make you feel like a dinnertime hero. As long as youreheat it properly. Credit: Photo: Greg Dupree You also lose the nice textural difference between the layers of noodles, cheese, and sauce. Or something a little like an explosion. Turn on the Oven Avoid future lasagna disappointment by reheating it in the oven instead....

When it comes to outdoor picnics andchurch potlucks(a.k.a. Cold chicken, just like cold pizza, can really hit the spot. Sometimes, though, you just want another bite of hot, crispy, and juicy fried chicken. Credit:Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Prissy Lee Montiel Preheat your oven to 400F. Next, set a wire rack inside a baking sheet and arrange the chicken on the rack. This will allow hot air to circulate on all sides of the chicken, even underneath....

Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Extra mashed potatoes? Cold leftovermashed potatoescan be reheated right back to their former hot, creamy, and smooth state. But you’re free to’t just stick them in the microwave and hope for the best. Credit:Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall But we do have tips for reheating in the microwave if you must. Read on for the best ways to reheat mashed potatoes....