ShopRTO

sm-fbsm-twittersm-youtube

Outdoor Living

Protect your plants from freezing

By

Frozen plants

Protect your plants this winter.

As the wind chill rolls in don’t forget about your plants. Experienced gardeners and plant owners know how much of a threat frost and freezing temperatures can pose on plants causing damage and in worst cases, killing them. We have some tips on how to protect your plants from winter.

Since temperatures vary all across the country you might question at what temperature exactly is of concern. Plants are classified by “hardiness” that indicates their ability to survive in various adverse conditions and to assist in determining what climate is destructive to them you can use the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Tender plants are those are more susceptible to freezing. When a plant freezes, the water inside causes its cells to burst sometimes resulting in irreparable damage.

Here are some tips to take for tender plants during a freeze.

  • Bring any plants in containers or potted plants inside, as well as tender bulbs. Dig those up and store in a cool dry place. If you’re unable to bring plants in, cluster them and place them in a sheltered area close to your home.
  • Water the soil of outdoor plants thoroughly. It might sound counterproductive but water in soil actually acts as insulation, protecting the roots and warming the air above the soil. Keep plants such as succulents that are water sensitive in mind where over watering is detrimental. In these cases, its best to bring them in or keep them as dry as possible.
  • Cover up shrubs, trees and larger plants with fabric such as bed sheets, burlap or plant frost cloths. Stakes should be used to keep material from touching and plastic should be avoided. Covering plants acts the same as blankets do in keeping us warm. Be sure to remove once temperatures rise above freezing.

Even after following our tips it’s possible that your plants may undergo some visible damage but the good news is that plants are surprisingly resilient. They may have lost their bloom for the year but don’t prune or dig them up, hang onto them until spring. They may recover and sprout once temperatures start to warm up.

Just another Shop RTO lifestyle tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home decorating and living tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

Host Your BBQ Like a Pro

By

BBQReady, set, grill. It’s football season and holiday are just around the corner. Time to host the best BBQ — we show you how.

Know Your Guests’ Stomachs

Now’s not the time to try out that artichoke-spinach soufflé you heard you can make on the grill. Most people come to a barbecue wanting one of two things: a burger or a hotdog. (Okay, and maybe a beer.) And make sure to have a few veggie burgers or other alternatives for vegetarians.

Let the Food Come to You

Unless you’re a masochist (or a control freak), a potluck is a great way to let go of some responsibility and also incorporate new foods into the mix. To make sure you don’t end up with eight desserts and one bag of chips (although, we’re not sure that’s such a bad thing), give each guest a category. For those noncooking friends, there’s always the category of “alcohol.” Make the barbecue even simpler by offering a “you bring it, we grill it” option!

Make it Fun For the Kids (of All Ages)

Always ask yourself what a child would enjoy, and use that as your reference point (let’s face it, adults love simple pleasures!). Have a deck of cards on hand, balls to toss around…you get the idea. For the actual kids, hula-hoops, sparklers, bubbles, and a game of Simon Says are all safe bets. Make s’mores (it’s an activity and a dessert.) For the young (but still under the age of 21) crowd, keep an outside game (such as bocce ball) for them to play away from the children and adults for a bit of independence.

Enjoy the Outdoors

Ask your friends to bring coolers if they have them, and make sure to stock up on extra ice. Keeping guests out of the kitchen will give you some peace of mind and will keep everyone interacting. Another bonus? Being prepared will save you a trip to the store mid-party (and will ensure you don’t miss out on the s’mores, which, let’s be honest, you’ve been looking forward to since we brought it up).

Plan for the Worst

You know everything doesn’t go as planned. Prepare for rain by having board games and other fun indoor activities at the ready. And if you don’t have enough space in your home to host guests in case of rain, don’t cram everyone in like sardines in hopes that “it clears up.” Propose a new location, or if need be, a new date. Send everyone home with a sampling of all the different foods — hey, they did come hungry!

SOURCE

Just another ShopRTO Lifestyle Tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home living and decorating tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

An outdoor living room? It’s more common than you think.

By

Get an outdoor living room set

Make an outdoor living room.

When one thinks of outdoor furniture, they automatically think of patio furniture. Which is great as it is durable through the seasons. Lately, though, many people are putting regular living room furniture outside.

When some buy new living room furniture, they’re left with older but still usable furniture. Knowing the furniture is going to be tossed out or given away, many Americans keep them by using it to furnish their outside especially if they have a covered deck. Or they put it outside and make sure to have heavy duty covers to keep the furniture as long as possible.

It creates a whole new vibe for the backyard or porch. Add an HDTV and watch baseball in the Summer breeze. And, again, if the furniture is used and was on its way to the dump then why not get some more use out of it.

If you have a covered deck or porch, the furniture lasts much longer and the comfort is great. Your family and guests will love it when waiting for the barbecue to get ready. And will add an unusual but very comfortable touch to the outdoors.

Some specifically but new living room furniture for the outdoors and some find used furniture for the outside. If so, rent to own stores are a great option as they are constantly needing to get rid of used furniture. The trick is finding the right store with the furniture right for your outdoor circumstances.

Just another ShopRTO outdoor decorating tip.

ShopRTO provides consumers home decorating and living tips and promotes rent to own as a shopping option for affordable home furnishings.

Sign up today for our free ShopRTO e-newsletters and receive the latest news and tips on:

Use our safe and secure signup form below, look for your confirmation email, then sit back and enjoy our informational articles.

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required

×