Better Homes and Gardens

WE HAVE A TRADITION in my house: When it’s your birthday, you get to pick whatever celebratory dessert you want, and I will make it for you. Over the years, there has been carrot cake, coconut cake with lemon curd filling, s’mores cake, strawberry layer cake, apple pie, coconut cream pie, banana cream pie, chocolate cake with raspberry filling. One year, there was a request for a “sock” cake, which, after much confused discussion with my then-3-year-old son, turned out to be a regular chocolate cake decorated with piped icing in the shape of a standard white tube sock. Another year my husband wanted a very particular dessert that was a bit harder to accommodate. His grandmother used to make a chocolate chiffon pie that was his favorite but that no one…

We scoured our Test Kitchen’s favorite holiday recipes and crafted an irresistible Easter menu to fit your busy schedule. Scan the QR code to find classic springtime dishes (many with a twist!), including Stuffed Spiral Ham, Loaded Baked Potato Salad, and our best-loved Carrot Cake. All of them have make-ahead instructions to help you plan the meal with ease. Tap here for the full menu. Blades of Glory For National Lawn Care Month, help your yard become its best, greenest self with top tips from the experts. 1 LAWN HEIGHT MATTERS Several factors determine how long your grass should be before you mow. Learn the optimal height and mower settings for the healthiest lawn. BHG.com/GrassHeight 2 RAINY DAY DOS AND DON’TS Spring showers are good for greener grass—but not your mower. Learn the most common mowing mistakes…

Inspiration of the month The Dream List 1 KEEP IT SIMPLE While a pergola could be the star of the show, here it serves as the foil for the riot of garden surrounding it. The structure’s clean lines and understated design balance out the unruliness of the plantings. 2 LET LOOSE Ridder shows no restraint in the garden. “I want the pathways to get narrower and narrower as the season goes on,” she says. She achieves density by overplanting, mixing perennials like heuchera and baptisia with annuals like poppies and zinnias, and including towering plants like amaranth and tithonia for an enveloping feel. 3 SEEK BALANCE In addition to the pergola, the surrounding hornbeam hedge (which hides a deer fence) defines the outdoor room and adds a sense of order that balances the wildness of the garden.…

SPOTTED, LOVED, SAVED With their painterly motifs, interesting shapes, and natural materials, these outdoor-friendly pieces are worth using year-round. • Wine Glass and Goblet Chunky silhouettes with a retro-cool feel. Acrylic Textured, from $3 each • Place Mat Instant texture for the table. Lauren Fabric, $5 each • Floral Melamine Dinnerware Stylish enough to use every day; durable enough to handle it. $3 each • Tablecloth Subtle white pinstripes on a warm, goes-with-everything neutral. Beige Pinstripe, $12 • Flatware Minimalist gold flatware with a trendy brushed finish. River 20-Piece Flatware Set in Gold, $20 Shop 1 Floral Decorative Outdoor Throw Pillow in Off White/Black (18"x18"), $10 2 Fits a 3"–6" pot and holds up to 40 pounds of weight. Wood Brown Beaded Plant Hanger, $10 3 This slim cement-and-wood plant stand doubles as a cocktail…

Talk about a renaissance. Pleated and patterned cabinet curtains are popping up everywhere, including this space, above, from designer Caroline Gidiere’s new book, Interiors for a Life in Good Taste (Rizzoli New York). A nod to cottage style or a classic corner bistro, a cabinet skirt or café curtain can solve a multitude of problems. You could even pop one on the front of a piece of furniture, like an open media cabinet or shelf, or at the base of a sink to hide clutter. Power Sconce Wall sconces are trending in a big way, and this one makes it easy to jump on the bandwagon. It’s battery-operated, rechargeable, and remote-controlled—no wiring required. Style bonus: There are over 160 shade options to suit your room. Single Chukka Cordless Wall Fixture in Antique Brass,…

Round Top Antiques Fair Round Top, Texas DATES March 27–April 1 and October 16–21, 2025, and January 22–25, 2026 Three times a year, the tiny town of Round Top, TX (population 90), hosts what’s arguably the preeminent antiques fair in the country. Over 4,000 dealers display their treasures across 11 miles of fields during the spring and fall shows. To best experience the event, you’ll need a car and shoes made for walking. You’ll find most of the high-end dealers at The Big Red Barn and the Marburger Farm fair (competitive buyers are known to run across the fields to Marburger on opening day). Spots like Blue Hills, the Compound, and Excess I and Excess II are great places to find home goods too. If you want less shopping competition, visit the winter…