April 2012

Garden fresh

April is our garden issue, an annual rite of spring for a magazine with the word gardens in its name. In all honesty, gardening is not my strongest domestic skill. While my husband, Scott, digs in the moment the ground is warm, my efforts are along the lines of potting herbs or handing Scott a ripped-out photo from the magazine.

Plant it forward

Which of these scented flowers is your favorite?

Transform Your Home

Win $5,000 and other fabulous prizes!

Win a Weber grill and $10,000!

Standing ovation

Three cheers for spring! Start the season right with umbrella catchers, "seedy" paper, and a flowery read.

Stand and deliver

Planning an egg hunt?

Treasure the trees

Tweet! Tweet!

Twitter isn't just for news and shout-outs-- these famous "birds" are singing their own 140-character tunes this spring. Check them out over your next coffee break.

Hold everything

So bloomin' easy

Technology tailored to gardeners is popping up faster than celosia shoots (below). We weeded through the offerings to find the best in show.

Life of the Party

It's the season to refresh and renew. So celebrate! Try this fresh take on the garden party from stylemaker Paul Lowe. (Psst: You don't even need a garden.)

Light Fare

A young couple brightens a 1950s cottage with space-stretching moves and a blend of casual and elegant touches.

Spring-Fresh Succulents

Looking to add some life to a room? Take a chance on one of these upbeat yellow-greens.

Secret Garden

Stuffy has no place in this hideaway space. Lush botanicals, a nature-inspired palette, and quirky touches keep it loose.

Colorful Character

A small kitchen finds its happy place, opened up and splashed in lively colors.

Screen Test

A porch addition earns rave reviews for a dual role: indoor room and outdoor entertaining space.

A Lilac That Reblooms

Spring Cleaning Shake-Up

Want to freshen your annual cleanup? Common household items used in new ways will help you take your spring cleaning routine to the next level. Add these dirt-fighting weapons to your arsenal before you start.

Clean sweep

This year, 66,000 consumers voted in our Best New Product Awards, bringing you the latest and greatest in food, household, and health and beauty. And the results are in. Here are the best in household care.

Deep-clean your fridge

Keep the inside of your fridge from looking like a science experiment with these easy tips for getting at gunk.

Better bond

How can I spiff up my laminate countertop?

Beautiful Bounty

Raised beds set a delicious scene in this Rhode Island front yard.

21 plants to try in 2012

BHG garden editors planted, picked, tested, and tasted the latest varieties to bring you our top picks for this season. And the winners are....

Reclaimed Beauty

A gardener builds a showcase landscape with reused plants and materials.

Bed and Border Planting Guide

Transform an empty piece of lawn into a beautiful garden plot with this easy step-by-step plan. Prep today, plant tomorrow, and enjoy all season!

Welcome Wildlife

Invite birds, butterflies, and other beneficial critters to your backyard. You'll discover the sensory beauty and natural balance they bring. Go to BHG.com/ backyardhabitat to learn more about creating a backyard habitat.

Instant beauty

Raise the stakes

Border patrol

3-ring planter

IN THE ZONE

Made for shade

Just a snip away

Good Eggs

From backyard picnics to big-city restaurants, deviled eggs are hotter than ever. Here are four tips for the perfect hard-cooked egg, plus clever filling ideas.

COOL TOOL

Calling all bakers!

Avocado-Green Pea Spread

BETTER FIND

Cheese, please

Salad days

Win this $205 braiser

Parchment cooking bags

Get cracking

It's easy being green

Many happy returns

Pranks a lot

The meal deal

Dig it!

Celebrate spring by getting down and dirty with the kids. Thanks to these simple, fun projects, gardening just might grow on the whole family.

I Did It!