Even though many of our favorite indoor plants originate in tropical areas of the world, most are fairly adaptable to indoor environments. Houseplants provide living spaces with greenery and other colors, and opportunities to learn about plant care and growth. A study performed by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America during the late 1980s, concluded that common houseplants also help to purify the air by removing harmful elements such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde.

If you've ever explored a vegetable seed rack, you've probably noticed an array of choices. However, there are three basic types of seeds:

Hybrid varieties have been bred for particular traits such as growth pattern or disease resistance. They have been hand-pollinated, and are patented, often sterile, genetically identical within food types, and sold through both multinational and small seed companies. F1, or first generation hybrids are true to their variety only in the first generation and are not reliably reproducible from their own seeds.

Everyone I know who grows flowers likes to bring them into the house, at least every once in a while. Fresh flowers always look great for the first few days, so it's hard to imagine what all the fuss is about when people go on about the art and science of flower arrangement. Although, it becomes clear that they had a point a few days later as flowers flop over, petals start dropping and the water clouds up and smells like a musty swamp.

Seed saving is an environmentally sustainable, economical, and educational activity for all age groups, gardeners, and food lovers. With a few basics, you can save seeds from your own garden or community garden and enjoy the magic of seeds to plant the next year.

To begin, you need to:

select the right type of seed

use the appropriate drying method

adequately store the dried seed.

Home flower and vegetable gardening can be a fascinating and rewarding activity involving the whole family. There is hardly anything more rewarding than walking out to your gardens and harvesting fresh vegetables for your stir fry and cutting a few stems of flowers to decorate the dinner table.

If you are planning to start a vegetable garden or if you have one already, you may be wondering what's in your soil and is it healthy enough to grow food in it? The University of Minnesota (UMN) Soil Testing Laboratory offers tests for lead as well as organic matter, pH, phosphorus, potassium, and more.

If you live in an older home, you might wonder if it is safe to grow food in your yard. There could be lead in the soil from paint chips that have washed off the exterior of your home, or leaded gasoline may have contaminated the soil areas near streets. Even newer homes' yards may be at risk if they were developed on former orchards or farmed land, for example. Lead arsenate was used for many years as a pesticide for fruit trees. If you plan to grow fruits or vegetables, or if children play in your yard, it is simple—and advisable—to order a soil test.

Once your garden soil is prepared, you are ready to plant! Choosing from the huge array of vegetables and herbs can be overwhelming, but there are many resources available to help you choose.

First, decide what you would most like to grow in your garden—presumably, your favorites.

Second, plan how to best use the space available. For example, if only one family member likes tomatoes, one plant will suffice; but if sugar snap peas are everyone's favorite, plan to grow numerous vines on a trellis or other support.

Cutting the grass not only takes time and effort but it can also significantly impact the environment, depending on the type of lawn mower you currently use. An easier option, for those that can, would be to invest in a sturdy fence and let animals "mow" the grass for you!