How to DO ANYTHING BETTER

Our pros share their expertise to help you get things done around the house. Learn how to measure ingredients masterfully, mix a mean martini, manage that mountain of laundry and more!

- Mike Garten

HOW TO

Find Your Perfect Plant

Picks for small spaces, low light and forgetful folks

Snake Plant

Best for: shady spaces

This plant’s eye-catching swordlike foliage deals well with low light and little water, and it grows tall.

Golden Pothos

Best for: tricky environments

Also known as “devil’s ivy” because it’s very hard to kill, this hardy vining plant can thrive even in fluorescent light.

Cacti

Best for: low maintenance

Try growing barrel cacti, which have bright yellow spines, on windowsills. Avoid heavyhanded watering and feeding.

Rattlesnake Plant

Best for: homes with pets

The Calathea plant’s reptilian two-tone leaves are nontoxic to pets and love low light.

Succulents

Best for: bright rooms

Though they benefit from good sunlight and dry air, they typically require only weekly watering.

Bird’s Nest Fern

Best for: low-light conditions

Fern plants are ancient: Bird’s nest ferns can endure spotty water conditions, and they enjoy low light.

Heartleaf Philodendron

Best for: infrequent waterers

It’s actually beneficial for this plant to let it dry out slightly between waterings. And it has sweet heart-shaped leaves.

Fiddle-Leaf Fig

Best for: living room decor

Keep this beauty kicking with indirect bright light. Once the top inch of soil is dry, drench it until water comes out the bottom of the pot, then repeat.

ZZ Plant