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Many gardeners enjoy getting their hands dirty as they garden—but unfortunately, danger can lurk in the soil. (Think animal fecal matter and organisms, not to mention poison ivy and other undesirable plants.) Garden gloves are a great way to protect yourself from thorns, brambles, and scratchy plants—and keep your hands cleaner, too. 

“Gardening gloves are essential,” says Karen Funkenbusch, extension specialist with the University of Missouri Extension. “I suggest wearing gloves for most garden-related activities. They can help you avoid scrapes, pricks from thorns, splinters, blisters, cuts from garden tools or equipment, and any chemicals that you may be using in your garden.” 

Of course, not all garden gloves are created equal. Some are ideal for weeding and planting, while others are great for heavy-duty tasks. Some will protect you from thorns; some will not. Your choice will depend on personal preference, as well as which tasks you want to use the gloves for.

“I’m a firm believer in wearing the right glove for the right garden task,” Funkenbusch says. “When it comes to choosing gardening gloves, I consider whether they will be comfortable when I’m working in the garden and check the fit around the wrist. The wrist closure should be positioned on your wrist and not sit too high or too low.”

We put 17 of the best gardening gloves to the test in our experts’ gardens, evaluating the gloves for quality, durability, comfort, design, and value as we performed a variety of garden tasks, including weeding, digging, using a watering can and hose, pruning, repotting, and working with gardening tools. We also washed the gloves that were machine washable to check how well they held up to cleaning. Lastly, we used the gloves in our gardens for six months to evaluate how they held up over time.

We’ve got the oven on our minds today as we tackle Spring Cleaning in our kitchens.

If you’re like me, it’s easy to spill in the oven, I make a big mess and a horrible smell, and then I close the door and forget all about it until the next time I turn on the oven and fill the house with smoke. I love to procrastinate cleaning my oven, mostly just because it feels hard. But we’ve got some tricks to help get your oven sparkling clean. And without a lot of hassle, so you might even do it more than once a year.

We looked into a few different methods for cleaning our ovens and wanted to compare to see which one we preferred.

Method 1: Overnight Cleaning with Ammonia

Supplies

• Ammonia
• Baking Dish
• Pot of Water
• Dish Soap
• Scrubbing Pad or sponge
• Cleaning Gloves

Directions

Step One:

1. First things first- remove all the debris in the bottom of your oven. You can vacuum it out, or use a rag to wipe out any charred, loose pieces of junk. (We didn’t do this when we cleaned the oven at Gygis, and we found it was super annoying to work around all the loose crumbs).
2. Then you’ll want to preheat your oven to its lowest temperature. While the oven is warming up, boil a pot of water on the stove.
3. When the oven has preheated turn it off. If you have an older gas range with a pilot light, turn it off. Pour 1 cup ammonia into a oven safe bowl and place it on the top rack of the oven.
4. Put the pot of boiling water on the bottom rack and close the door.

Step Two:

Now, you just have to wait! The best thing you can do is nothing. It will take several hours for the ammonia to break down the gunk inside the oven. We’ve found it easiest to set it up before you go to bed, and let time do the work for you.

Step Three:

1. After it has time to sit, take the ammonia (don’t dump it out yet!), pot of water, and oven racks out of the oven. Leave the door open for a few minutes.
2. Now it is time to get rid of all that nastiness, add a little dish soap to the bowl of ammonia and a quart of warm water. Put on your gloves and use a scrubbing pad.
3. Dip the pad in the mixture, and use the pad to wipe away the softened grease and grime. Start at the top, then clean the sides and finish with the bottom. It shouldn’t take too much elbow grease at this point!

You can finish by cleaning the door- and enjoy that gorgeous, clean oven.

Ammonia Results

This is certainly the smelliest method. But the easiest in terms of “elbow grease.” This method took the least amount of work and effort. The ammonia turned the baked on grime into a slippery mess that was easily wiped off with a sponge.

We found this method here: One Good Thing by Jillee.

Method 2: Overnight Cleaning with Vinegar and Baking Soda

This time you’ll need a few more materials:

• Paper towels
• Small bowl
• White vinegar
• Water
• Baking Soda
• Spray bottle
• Scrubbing pad

Once you gather all your materials, you’re ready to get cleaning!

DIRECTIONS:

• Take out the oven racks and set them aside. Clean those in the sink later (Read more about that below).
• Remove any debris in the bottom of the oven. That junk just gets in the way!

• Mix baking soda with water in a small bowl to create a paste-like mixture. Start with the baking soda then slowly add a few drops of water at a time until it’s nice and thick. Depending on the size of your oven, you may need a couple batches of this mixture to completely coat the inside. If your mixture becomes too runny, just add more baking soda.
• Spread the paste over the inside of your oven, covering the bottom and all sides. The baking soda may start to turn brown, this is fine. It’s just pulling up the grease and grime. Close the oven door and let it sit overnight, or for at least 12 hours.

• In the morning, wipe the baking soda mixture out with the paper towels, removing as much as possible.
• Add the white vinegar to your spray bottle and spray the inside of your oven, especially where you have any baking soda residue. Then wipe it clean with more scrubbing pad.
• Now put the oven racks back in and dry the oven by turning it on at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Baking Soda + Vinegar Results

This method does work to cut through the baked on grease, but we definitely had to put in much more effort to remove all the spots. It also made much more of a mess in the oven.

A few more thoughts about the oven:

Cleaning your Oven Racks

The most convenient way to clean oven racks is to remove them from the oven and tackle the job in the sink. A little scrubbing with steel wool and a mild dish detergent usually does the job. Soak stubbornly soiled oven racks in a tub of ammonia for about 15 minutes to loosen the burned-on grime. As with the interior of your oven, wiping racks regularly as spills occur makes it easier to keep them clean. Make it a part of your dish-washing routine to wipe down the racks after your oven cools.

Keeping your oven clean with Bar Keepers Friend

After your oven is sparkling clean, it’s not too hard to keep it clean on a regular basis.

If you have a pie spill over, or some chicken splatter, use our trusty friend, Bar Keepers Friend. Use a spray bottle to add a little water to the surface, then shake a little of the chemical-free cleaner to the water. It should make a gently abrasive paste, then you can use a scrub brush to remove the baked on grime. Wipe it with a wet cloth, and the mark is gone for good!

Super easy way to maintain your well-loved appliance!

Here’s why we avoid the “Self- Cleaning” method:

• It’s a gamble every time you use your Self-Cleaning feature. With the temperatures reaching upwards of 1000 Degrees F during the cleaning cycle it can certainly wreak havoc on your appliance. This can cause the fuse to pop or the control panel (which runs everything digital in your oven) to burn out. Both of which are expensive repairs.
• So why is there a self-cleaning feature at all? Manufacturers have a hard time selling an oven without the feature, but it seems that it is really asking too much of your oven. The more you use it, the weaker your system gets which can lead to an early demise. A literal meltdown.

We are cheering you on! Go get that oven ready for a surprise visit from your mom!

And if you’re looking for a few more cleaning tasks to freshen up your kitchen, check out this post where we compiled our best ideas and tools all in one space. 

This chimichurri steak recipe starts with a juicy citrus marinated flank steak grilled to perfection, then sliced into strips, and served with cilantro chimichurri sauce! The cilantro chimichurri adds the perfect zippy flavor to this tender flank steak.

Pin this Recipe for Later

We absolutely love steak in this house, especially when it’s taken a nice soak in a flavorful marinade!

This flank steak with chimichurri is so flavorful and juicy thanks to the citrus marinade that helps infuse flavor into the steak while also tenderizing it.

And the cilantro chimichurri sauce? Oh man. It’s zippy and peppy and basically does a little dance on your taste buds. And besides all that, it’s so simple to make and a really easy way to elevate your dinner!

We love to drizzle any extra chimichurri over our Parmesan Roasted Potatoes! It’s also good on grilled chicken and pork!

This is one of those meals that you’ll want to make again and again and it’s perfect for impressing guests!

Hold on to your hats, people!

I actually captured a photograph of something edible. Something delicious. Something for YOU!

You guys, I have to confess that I have been mentally opposed to #pumpkiningallthethings this season. It could be because I took a beach vacation at the end of September, or maybe because the food industry has really out-pumpkined itself this year. I mean, Pumpkin Spice Pringles is taking it past the point of no return. Put your thinking caps on, guys. You can do better!

Nevertheless, I had a can of pumpkin in the pantry and I remembered this old Oven Love recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Giants. I hadn’t pulled it up in a while, and when I did, I saw some ingredients in that recipe that I’m not really friends with anymore- namely white sugar and canola oil (all-purpose flour and I only see each other when absolutely necessary). So I embarked on some kitchen experimentation to see if I could substitute some pantry items and make it work.

I swapped out the white sugar for coconut sugar, used coconut oil instead of canola and substitute freshly-milled soft white wheat flour for the all-purpose. I knew by looking at the batter that they wouldn’t come out exactly the same, but I was hopeful.

The cookies bake up nice and puffy- no spreading, which I love. The texture isn’t quite as airy with the coconut sugar and whole grain flour,  but I kind of liked it that way. The cookies had a nice nutty flavor that they didn’t before. You’ll definitely need a glass of milk with these if you eat them straight out of the oven, but they will relax after resting for a day or two.

If you loved the original recipe, I’d encourage playing around with it and substituting your own favorite pantry items. Recipes are more flexible than you think!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Healthier Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Giants

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: dessert

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon milk, dairy or non-dairy
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole grain flour (I used soft white wheat that we grind at home, but you could use a store-bought whole grain flour of your choice. I would think you could substitute a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend here as well with no problem.)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups chocolate chunks or chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk pumpkin, coconut sugar, coconut oil, egg, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir the dry ingredients.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Add chocolate and stir to combine.
4. Scoop batter with an ice cream scoop and drop onto the parchment paper, leaving space between the cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotate in the oven, then bake 8-10 minutes more until puffed and set in the center.
5. Let cool on wire racks before serving and store in an air-tight container.

Did you know that over 25% of Canadian homes have gas fireplaces? And that’s not to mention the number of wood-burning fireplaces in homes across the country.

Winter is upon us, which means fireplace season is, too. Yet, though most Canadian homes have one or more fireplaces, many of us do not know how to use them properly.

That is why we are bringing you these tips for a wood-burning fireplace. If you want to know how to clean, maintain, and safety-proof your wood-burning fireplace, keep reading!

Understand the Importance of Safety Inspections

Wood-burning fireplaces are a wonderful and cozy addition to any home. Yet, without regular fireplace maintenance, cleaning, and safety inspections, fireplaces can quickly become a nightmare.

Dirty fireplaces can lead to harmful build-up that could release toxins inside your home. Worse, a neglected fireplace can lead to chimney fires, which can completely destroy your home and put your family’s lives at risk.

A fireplace inspector can help keep you and your family safe. Fireplace inspections evaluate your chimney in terms of how well it complies with local fireplace safety codes.

So, don’t forget to schedule your inspection this season.

Get the Chimney Right

In Canada, chimneys must extend at least one metre above the highest point of your home’s roof. It must also extend at least 60 centimetres from the height of any other roofs that are within three meters of your chimney.

But before you fire up that bad boy, make sure you give your chimney a nice sweep. Never cleaned your chimney before? Checkout our chimney and fireplace cleaning tips next.

How to Clean Your Chimney

Before you start cleaning your chimney, you need to know if you should do it yourself or hire a professional. Check to see if you can reach your chimney’s smoke shelf (aka smoke chamber) with your cleaning tools.

If you can’t reach the smoke collector, you should call a chimney cleaner. But if you can reach this area of your fireplace, then proceed with the following steps:

• Gather your supplies, which should include a face mask and safety glasses, a flashlight, a long-handled brush, and a vacuum
• Get up on your roof and use the long-handled brush to firmly clean away any soot or grime collected in your chimney, starting at the top of the chimney and working your way down
• When your brush no longer meets any resistance from the chimney, get off the roof and go inside your home
• Use your long-handled brush to clean the smoke shelf, working from inside the firebox
• Finish with a vacuum of the firebox and the floors around your fireplace

As you can see, chimney cleaning is a dirty job. That is why we recommend calling a professional instead of DIYing it.

Choose Your Wood Wisely

Want a fire that burns all night? Then you need to pay attention to the type of wood you buy. Different types of wood have different rates of burning and produce more or less smoke.

The best firewood burns slowly, doesn’t spit, and produces as little smoke as possible. Firewood with these properties includes yew logs, thornwood, rowan wood, hawthorn and beech, and ash.

If you can’t get your hands on these types of wood, try any of the following:

• Maple
• Oak
• Cherry
• Cedar
• Apple

Cedar and applewood, in particular, offer decent warmth and relatively little smoke. Plus, they will scent your home with their unique scent profiles.

Stay on Top of Ashes

One of the easiest ways to get your fireplace dirty is to ignore your ashes. Ashes are not all bad. They help insulate firewood to increase the temperature of the burn.

However, when left to accumulate for too long, ashes can present a safety hazard. As such, always make sure to clean your ashes when they reach one inch thick, at the end of fireplace season, or whichever comes first.

And FYI: you do not have to throw your fireplace ashes in the trash. Ashes are great for shining up dingy silver jewelry and utensils, creating soap lye, and boosting the pH of lawn soil for gardening.

Kindling Is Crucial

“Kindling” is the word for the firewood you use to get a fire started. There are two ways to use kindling in your fireplace successfully. We will talk about them next, so keep reading.

Structures for Successful Kindling

The first way to kindle your fire is to place two split logs parallel to one another in the firebox.

Make sure to leave enough space to add small kindling sticks. Alternatively, you can just use crumpled-up newspapers. Next, add larger kindling wood on top of the split logs. Make sure the larger kindling is perpendicular (crosswise) to the split logs.

A second way to kindle your fire is to create a top-down fire. Top-down fires burn from the pieces of wood on top of the pile to the pieces of wood on the bottom of the pile.

To create a top-down fire, place large logs at the bottom of the firebox. Then, build on top of those logs with progressively lighter kindling. The lightest kindling sticks should sit on top of the pile.

Don’t Just Throw on Logs

Once you start your kindling, avoid just tossing logs onto the fire at will. Instead, wait until your fire has burned for about 45 minutes. At that point, your fire may have dissipated to a few embers. Adding new wood to the fire should bring it back to life.

Bring Wood Inside Before Each Fire

Do you store your firewood outside in the wintertime?

If so, it is critical to bring firewood inside before starting your first fire of fireplace season. Firewood can collect moisture when outdoors. With too much moisture, the wood will not burn well or even at all. So, make sure your firewood makes a “ringing” sound when struck before using it. If the wood makes more of a “thud” sound when struck, it is too wet to use.

The Takeaway

Before you light your first fire of the season, make sure you read through these safety tips for a wood-burning fireplace.

With the help of this guide, you can make sure your fireplace is safe for your family and build the most magnificent fire ever.

Relocating across the country is exciting but can also be stressful, especially when you’re doing it with your furry family members. Pets become accustomed to routines and places they know, so moving to a new location can be disorienting and anxiety-provoking.

The good news is with some planning and preparation, you can make the transition as smooth as possible for your pets and ensure they settle into your new place happily.

From choosing the right moving company and preparing essential supplies to keep pets comfortable during travel and helping them adjust to new surroundings, there are many things you can do to make moving with pets less stressful for everyone involved.

The key is giving your dogs and cats plenty of time and patience. With the proper care and attention, your pets can thrive in their new environment and turn your house into a home in no time. Moving is a significant change, but with love and the right strategy, you and your pets can navigate it together.

Find A Pet-Friendly Place To Live

Finding a new place to call home is stressful enough without worrying about whether or not your furry family members will be welcome. Do your research ahead of time and look for pet-friendly housing.

Check rental listings for keywords like “allows pets” or “pet friendly.” Call landlords and property managers directly to inquire about their pet policies and any possible restrictions on breed, size, or number of pets. Be prepared to provide references for your pets to reassure them that you are a responsible owner.

Look for houses or complexes with yards, nearby parks, or trails where you’ll have space to walk, run and play with your pets. If you’re in an apartment, proximity to outdoor areas is even more critical. Make sure any yards, patios, or balconies are securely fenced.

When you find a good place, schedule a walkthrough. Look for easy-to-clean floors like wood, tile, or linoleum, and avoid carpet if possible. Check that doors and windows seal properly to prevent escape attempts or outside pests from getting in. Consider any additional modifications to make the space pet-proof, like a doggy door or mesh screens.

Moving to a new home is a big change, so help your pets adjust by keeping a routine, sticking close by, and giving them extra love and patience. Make their favorite spaces, toys, beds, food, and water bowls easily accessible right away in the new place.

Make Vet Appointments Before And After The Move

Before the move, scheduling vet appointments for checkups and get copies of your pets’ medical records in case of emergencies. Have your vet examine your pets to ensure they are fit to travel and handle the stress of moving to a new home. Get any necessary vaccinations or treatments out of the way ahead of time. Ensure they wear ID tags with your contact information if they escape during the move.

Find A New Veterinarian

Do some research online or ask for referrals to find a highly-rated vet within a reasonable distance of your new home. Call to inquire if they accept new patients and schedule checkups for your pets as soon as you move in. Moving to a new place can be disorienting and stressful for animals, so a vet visit will help them get comfortable with their new environment and caretaker.

Ask About Local Health Issues

Speak to vets at your current and future locations about any diseases or parasites common in the areas you’re moving from and to. See if there are any additional vaccinations or preventatives they would recommend based on your pets’ lifestyle and the new local climate. For example, heartworm prevention medication dosage may need to be adjusted in warmer southern areas. Discuss flea, tick, and heartworm prevention to ensure your pets stay healthy and protected from local pests.

Update Your Pets’ IDs

Once you have an address for your new home, update the contact information on your pets’ ID tags, microchips, and registrations. If your pets get lost during or after the move, up-to-date ID will make it much more likely they will be returned safe and sound to you.

Relocating to a new area can expose your furry family members to unfamiliar health risks, so planning and finding a trusted vet in your new hometown should be a top priority. With the proper precautions taken, you’ll be able to enjoy your new adventure together without worry.

Gather Supplies To Keep Your Pets Comfortable

To make moving with pets as stress-free as possible, gather essential supplies to keep them comfortable during the move and in your new home.

Food, Water, and Bowls

Pack up your pets’ food, treats, bowls, and medications. Having their familiar food and routine will help reduce stress during the moving process. Don’t forget bottled water in case there are issues with the water supply at either your old or new home.

ID tags

Ensure your cats and dogs wear sturdy collars with ID tags that include your current contact information in case they get lost during the move. You’ll also want to update the tags once you have your new address and phone numbers.

Crates and Carriers

Secure crates, carriers, and leashes will ensure your pets stay safe during the loading, unloading, and unpacking. Place familiar bedding, toys, litter boxes, food, and water in the crates to make them feel more at home.

Toys and scratching posts

Bring your pets’ favorite toys, scratching posts, litter boxes, and other large items to place in your new home immediately. Having familiar items in their new space will help them adjust to the new surroundings faster.

Train Your Pets For The Long Distance Move

Start training and preparing them well in advance to make moving with pets easier on them (and you!).

Get Them Used to Their Carriers

If your pets aren’t accustomed to their carriers, start crate training them at least a month before the move. Feed them in their carriers, give them treats and praise when they go in voluntarily, and take them on short car rides to help them associate it with positive experiences. This will make it much less stressful for them on moving day.

Practice Commands

Work on basic obedience commands like “sit,” “stay,” and “come.” Use lots of positive reinforcement with treats and praise to help them pick up these skills quickly. Stronger commands will give you more control on moving day and in your new home.

Keep Your Pets Secure In The Vehicle

When it’s time to hit the road, keeping your furry friends safe and secure should be a top priority. Their comfort and well-being will make the move easier for you both.

Choose a Carrier or Crate

For smaller pets, a carrier is ideal. Look for one large enough for your pet to stand, turn around and lie down in, with secure locks and ventilation. For larger dogs, a crate is best. Familiarize your pet with it before the move to avoid stressing them out. Line it with a towel, mat, or bedding, and bring toys, treats, and any medications to keep them comfortable.

Secure it Properly

Whether using a carrier or crate, ensure it is securely fastened in your vehicle before driving off. Carriers should be buckled in or placed on the floor behind a seat. Crates can be strapped or tied down to prevent sliding. This protects your pet in case of sudden stops or turns.

Make Frequent Stops

While driving, stop every few hours to check on your pet, walk dogs and give food/water. Let smaller pets out of their carrier for exercise and potty breaks. Reassure your pet with affection and treats each time their carrier is opened. Keep a leash on hand for when they need to get out.

Choose A Pet Transportation Company

You also have the option to choose a reputable pet transportation service that can help reduce stress for both you and your furry friends. These companies are professionals who know how to properly handle animals and keep them safe and secure during transport.

Do Your Research

Check reviews from other pet owners to find a company with a proven track record of caring for animals. Ask if they are licensed, insured, and certified in pet first aid. Inquire about their vehicle types, security, transportation features, and any amenities for long trips. Meet with company representatives in advance, if possible, to get a feel for how they interact with pets.

Discuss Your Pets’ Needs

Give the company details about your pets’ ages, breeds, sizes, temperaments, and any medical conditions so they can determine the appropriate transportation method and necessary accommodations. Be open about your pets’ likes, dislikes, fears, or anxiety triggers so the staff can help keep them comfortable. Ask about options for walks, exercise, bathroom breaks, food, water, climate control, and emergency vet care along the route.

Prepare Paperwork

Ensure your pets’ vaccinations, medical records, and any necessary permits or licenses for crossing state borders are current and ready to provide to the company. Microchip your pets in case they escape during a walk or potty break. Include your current vet’s contact information and the info for an emergency vet at your destination.

Visit Beforehand (If Possible)

Have a representative meet your pets in their home environment before the move. This allows the staff to familiarize themselves with your pets and gain their trust, making the actual transport day less frightening for the animals. It also gives you peace of mind that your pets are in good hands.

Make Your New Home Pet-Friendly Before Moving Day

To make a move as stress-free as possible for your furry friends, do some prep work to ensure their new home is ready for them.

Pet-Proof the House

Before moving day, thoroughly inspect your new place for any hazards or access points that could endanger your pets. Block off any holes or cracks leading to the attic, basement, or garage where pets could get trapped or exposed to toxic substances. Install baby gates to restrict access to certain areas. Ensure all trash, food waste, and chemicals are securely stored in cabinets or drawers pets can’t open.

Set Up Essentials

Set up food and water bowls, litter boxes, scratching posts, toys, leashes, carriers, bedding, grooming supplies, waste bags, etc., in spots your pets already associate with those items. Keeping some familiarity will help reduce stress and confusion in the new surroundings.

Confine Pets at First

When you first arrive at the new home, confine pets to one room with essentials like food, water, a litter box, a bed, and toys. This gives them time to adjust to the new place’s smells and sounds in a secure space. Slowly give them access to more of the home over the first few days. Provide affection, play, and treats to help make positive associations.

A little preparation and patience will help your furry family members settle into the new home sweet home. Keeping things consistent, limiting stress, and giving lots of reassurance during the transition will have your pets feeling right at home in no time. The effort you put in will be well worth it!

Tips For Helping Your Cat Or Dog Adjust

Moving to a new home is stressful for pets. Help ease your furry friends into their new surroundings with these tips:

Give Them Their Own Space

Set up a room just for your pets where they can go to feel safe. Keep their essentials there like food, water, litter box, bed, and toys. This space will become familiar while the rest of the house feels new.

Stick to a Routine

Maintaining your pets’ regular routines can help reduce stress and anxiety. Feed them, walk them, and give them attention at the usual times. If possible, unpack their things first to set up space quickly. Familiar smells and a predictable schedule reassure them during this transition.

Give Them Time to Adjust

Moving day will likely be stressful and scary for your pets. Give them space to adjust to the new sights and sounds on their own timeline. Some pets may hide at first. Ensure they have access to food, water, a litter box, and private space, and give them affection when they come around. Stay patient—some pets can take days or weeks to settle in.

Give Extra Attention and Affection

• Spend quality one-on-one time with your pets. Play with them, groom them, and take them for extra walks.
• Give them praise, belly rubs, ear scratches, and treats. Your love and affection will help reassure them.
• If they seem anxious, try an anxiety vest, pheromone collar, or calming aids. Ask your vet about anxiety medication if needed.

The move may be stressful initially, but with time, patience, routine, and love, your furry family members will feel right at home. Keep reassuring them; they’ll enjoy their new place before you know it! Staying calm yourself will also help keep your pets feeling secure.

Moving With Pets FAQ

Does moving traumatize cats?

Yes. Cats are territorial creatures, and moving to a new home can be stressful. Some signs your cat may be traumatized by the move include:

• Hiding and seeking out small, confined spaces
• Loss of appetite or not using the litter box
• Excessive meowing, especially at night
• Aggressive or fearful behavior

To help reduce stress for your cat, keep as much as possible the same, like feeding schedules, litter boxes, scratching posts, and hiding spots. Give your cat extra love and playtime, and ensure they have a space to themselves in the new home where they feel safe. Most cats will relax and adjust to their new surroundings within a week or two.

How long does it take for a dog to adjust to a move?

Most dogs will adjust to a new home within 2 to 4 weeks. Some dogs may settle in within a few days, while more anxious dogs can take six weeks or longer to relax in a new environment fully.

How do I destress my dog after moving?

Stick to your routine as much as possible. Keep walks, feedings, and playtimes at the usual times. This helps create a sense of normalcy. Give your dog plenty of exercises, have walks around the neighborhood, and be patient.

One thing I love is the intoxicating scent of a garden rose – especially an English rose.

Earlier this year, I designed a new garden behind my main greenhouse not far from my raspberry bushes. This space had previously been used for planting dahlias, but I decided it would be an excellent area for planting a variety of David Austin roses. Every gardener and rose expert is familiar with the rose hybridizer, David Austin, who started as a hobby breeder when he was a teen and went on to breed a collection of roses renowned around the world. His specimens have exquisite blooms and the most alluring fragrances. My new rose garden was first planted in late May – you may have seen glimpses of it on my show, “Martha Gets Down and Dirty” on Discovery+. And this week, so many of the roses are blooming.

Enjoy these photos.Last May, we prepared a large bed for my new rose garden. The area was cleared of old plant roots and weeds, rototilled, and then fertilized. Finally, all the holes were dug for our new rose plants.The David Austin roses came bare root meaning just that – loose with nothing around their roots. They were all placed in trug buckets filled with water. When working with bare roots it’s important to soak the whole plant – roots and shoots – for several hours or even overnight before planting. Never let the roots dry out.Within the next couple of days, all the roses were planted in neat, tidy rows.Around the entire perimeter of the garden, we planted foxglove. Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, thrives in full sun to partial shade to full shade, depending on the summer heat. They will thrive in this space.At the front of the garden bed, I decided to plant two large boxwood shrubs gifted to me by my friend, George Bridge, who first introduced me to boxwood more than 15 years ago. Please go to his web site to learn more about his farm, his amazing collection of plants, trees, and boxwood, and his wonderful landscape design business.And here is the rose garden now. The plants are still small, but every one of them has at least one beautiful blooming rose.This is ‘Carding Mill.’ The full blooms are a blend of pink, apricot, and yellow, giving the overall impression of orange. They also have a wonderful fragrance close to myrrh.‘Vanessa Bell’ opens to medium-sized cups of pale yellow, lightening to white at the edges. At the center, each bloom has a rich yellow eye. The fragrance is similar to green tea with hints of lemon and honey.This rose is called ‘Tottering-By-Gently.’ This variety has simple single flowers in soft yellow with golden stamens. Paling prettily over time, they have a light musky scent, with notes of orange peel. ‘Tottering-By-Gently’ flowers freely, repeating regularly throughout the summer.This David Austin rose is just beginning to open. Called ‘Lichfield Angel,’ this flower’s pale peachy pink buds gradually open to form neatly cupped, cream rosettes. Each bloom has a perfect ring of waxy petals enclosing numerous smaller petals. Eventually the petals turn back to form a large, domed flower.‘Jubilee Celebration’ is bold with large, domed, coral-pink flowers held elegantly above the foliage on graceful, arching stems. This cultivar has a strong, delicious fruity fragrance with hints of fresh lemon and raspberry.‘Queen of Sweden’ has exquisite little buds open to half-enclosed cups, eventually becoming wide, shallow, upward-facing blooms of soft-apricot pink, gradually changing to pure soft pink over time.And look at the foxglove. This plant forms a tight rosette of simple, coarse leaves with prominent veins. The ovate to lanceolate leaves with barely noticeable rounded teeth on the margins grow on a winged petiole. The alternate leaves, up to a foot in length, are covered with gray-white hairs.A couple of the foxglove plants are also blooming. Each plant usually has a one-sided raceme with 20 to 80 flowers.The downward-facing blooms are tapered and tubular with four lobes. Each 1½ to 2½ inch long pink, purple or white corolla has long hairs inside and is heavily spotted with dark purple edged in white on the lower lip, which serves as a landing platform for pollinators. The flowers are visited by bees – primarily bumblebees – which climb deep into the flower tube to get the nectar inside.Another beautiful David Austin rose is ‘The Poet’s Wife,’ which bears rich yellow flowers that pale over time. The form has an outer ring of petals enclosing more petals. There is a strong, wonderfully rich fragrance with a hint of lemon, which becomes sweeter and stronger with age.‘Eglantyne’ is a David Austin favorite. It has perfectly formed, soft pink blooms with a charming, sweet Old Rose fragrance.This is ‘Princess Alexandra of Kent’ with its unusually large, bright pink flowers that are full-petalled and deeply cupped. It features a strong fresh tea fragrance, which changes to lemon, eventually taking on hints of blackcurrants.And here is ‘The Alnwick Rose’ – with broad, full-petalled shallow cups of soft to rich pink.‘Brother Cadfael’ bears large, globular, clear pink flowers, reminiscent of peonies. They have a particularly strong and rich Old Rose fragrance.‘Lady of Shalott’ shows chalice-shaped blooms with loosely arranged, orange petals. The surrounding outer petals are salmon-pink with beautifully contrasting golden-yellow undersides. It gives off a pleasant, warm tea fragrance, with hints of spiced apple and cloves.And a perfect white rose named ‘Tranquillity.’ This one has beautifully rounded flowers, with neatly placed petals making up the rosettes. The buds are lightly tinged with yellow but as the flowers open they become pure white. I hope you have at least one David Austin rose in your garden. If not, I encourage you to get one, or two, or even three – they’re exquisite.

Most rose books recommend a 2-foot planting hole for each rose bush, but that’s not a directive that works everywhere. Where I am in Georgia and where Paul is in South Carolina, we have red clay. As Paul says, digging a 2-foot hole requires small explosives. 

Paul preaches a whole-bed approach. “Prepare your entire bed,” he says. “Make sure that entire bed is full of life.”

And by life, he is referring to the soil microorganisms that flourish in healthy soil that’s been amended with compost and organic matter. 

Though Paul has no irrigation system, in the first year, just to get new plants established, he hand waters. He recommends infrequent, deep watering to encourage the plants to grow deep roots. He waters in the morning so the plants have a chance to dry out in the sun and the foliage will not stay wet for a prolonged period of time, which fosters diseases. If he does water at night, he avoids getting the leaves wet.

I always avoid overhead watering to reduce any chances of fungal diseases taking hold. Pathogens really love wet foliage.

Also note that if there is a prolonged period of drought — three or four weeks without rain — then even established plants will benefit from supplemental watering.

It was a warm afternoon in Walnut Creek. Friends and family gathered from near and far at the Gardens at Heather Farm to celebrate Eve and Weihan’s wedding as well as their final days as residents of California. Surrounded by loved ones in a beautiful rose garden in full bloom under the warm California sunshine, not a bad way to close out, and start a new, chapter of your lives.