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While the adult cicadas die off following a six-week frenzy of eating, mating, and general pandemonium, the next generation waits behind them. When they get into their adult stage, experts say you still have the egg-hatching stage to look forward to. After about six weeks of incubating inside the woody branches where their mothers laid them, the cicada nymphs hatch and fall to the ground. Then they burrow into the soil to feed on the sap of tree roots for the next 17 years....

A treasure trove of artifacts from the Golden Age of Hollywood is headed to auction. Nearly 250 items from the property of legendary actor Gregory Peck and his wife, Veronique, will be offered via Heritage Auctions later this month. Highlights from the collection include a leather-bound, photo-filled To Kill a Mockingbird script—for which Peck won his first and only Oscar—and a 35th-anniversary copy of the novel signed by its author, Harper Lee....

This is a rhododendron in my back yard. Her name is ‘Caroline.’ Isn’t she purty? Unfortunately, growing rhododendrons in the South can be quite a challenge, unless you follow Grumpy’s expert advice. But before we get to that, let me dispel some confusion you may have about rhododendrons. People talk about rhododendrons and azaleas as two different groups of plants, but in fact, all azaleas belong to the genus Rhododendron. Our native azaleas, also called wild honeysuckles, are upright, airy, deciduous shrubs, often with fragrant flowers....

As we’ve spent the past few months cooped up in our homes, we’ve likely noticed spaces in need of a refresh. After countless hours on the couch, we’ve realized how gloomy the living room’s gray walls feel, and after cooking dinner every night, we’ve noticed how stark the all-white kitchen looks. The power of paint is undeniable—it’s an easy, achievable way to make over an entire space (and in most cases, a DIY project that could be completed in as little as a weekend)....

Have you ever been to a crawfish boil? If so, you know how much fun it is to hang out under the shade trees with friends and a cold drink, inhale the tantalizing aromas bubbling up from the cook pot, and then gather round a newspaper-covered table to enjoy the hot, juicy mudbugs, buttery corn, and savory sausage. If you are hosting your own crawfish or low-country boil for the first time, plan on making some easy appetizers and summery cocktails to keep your guests satisfied before the big meal....

Move over, poinsettias. ‘Yuletide’ camellias might be on their way to becoming the South’s next favorite holiday bloom. These beautiful evergreen shrubs—also known as Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’—bring shiny green foliage and eye-catching red flowers to the garden. Sometimes they bloom a little earlier, meaning the holiday season can get started even sooner in your garden. (And who doesn’t love that?) The Southern Living Plant Collection describes the ‘Yuletide’ camellia as a “compactly growing shrub [with] glossy, dark green leaves which remain throughout the year....

Next to sweet tea, a tall glass of lemonade is one of the most refreshing ways to cool off during the South’s hot and humid summer months. And just like sweet tea, the best lemonade starts out with hot water. Everyone knows that lemonade is made with water, sugar, and freshly squeezed (yes, you’ve got to use fresh lemons!) lemon juice. But you can’t just put all of those ingredients in a pitcher and stir them up....

Pumpkin Ravioli is a unique dinner choice that’s both comforting and sophisticated. With a few adaptations, it can be put together on a weeknight for family. Given a bit more time, a couple of easy tricks can elevate the flavor of the dish, and it becomes fancy enough to serve to company or at supper club. And with an entire afternoon and a pasta maker, you can channel the spirit of Italy and make fresh pasta yourself....

Pineapple casserole is a quintessential Southern dish, and at Easter, you’ll always find it in the lunch spread, on the table between the sliced ham and buttery cornbread, with a serving spoon at the ready. The pineapple is a symbol for hospitality, so what better way to welcome guests? My family’s Pineapple Casserole is the stuff of legend. At any potluck get-together, there are sure to be four or five 9x13 dishes of Pineapple Casserole....

Picture your dream living room. Chances are, it’s got Joanna Gaines’ magic décor wand all over it. Thankfully, if you can’t hire JoJo in the flesh, she just wrote a new Magnolia At Home blog post on how to choose the best rug for your space. “When I was first starting out as a designer, it was typical that I had a tight budget to work with. Often times, that meant when it came time to add texture to a space, I would go looking for any 4×6 or 5×7 rug that I could get for under a 150 bucks....

Alright, Texas pet lovers, it’s time to add an impressive accolade to your list: The Lone Star State was named the best state for pets to live in, at least according to a study from Joy Organics. Several other Southern states made the top ten list, including Florida in second, South Carolina in third, Kentucky in sixth, Virginia in seventh, and Tennessee in 10th. To create their rankings, the Joy Organics team “analyzed the US pet industry data per each state based on various lifestyle factors, such as the number of pet shelters, pet-friendly restaurants, pet accounts on social media, and the average amount spent on pet products,” per a company press release....

Country music superstar Kenny Chesney is one of countless entertainers forced to stop touring amid the coronavirus pandemic. In March, Chesney postponed the first set of dates on his latest tour, which had been set to open April 18 at AT&T Stadium in Darlington, Texas. Further dates are still in question, though they will almost certainly be delayed for safety reasons. “We were building the beast when all this went down—literally in the middle of designing the light show and getting all the video content together,” Chesney explained in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times....

I have never been inclined to prove my pedigree by staring down a stalk of poke salad. I’m not tempted by a chitlin’. I know what a chitlin’ does. It is said that my grandma worked 18 hours to clean a chitlin’, and it still smelled, in cooking, as if she were not altogether successful. I don’t need a chitlin’ to be authentic. I do not feel like I am betraying my culture by refusing squirrel brains....

From graduations and championship games, to weddings and funerals, the coronavirus pandemic is changing the way we mark milestones. With no end to the crisis in sight, Madeline Gresham Haisten and John Orr didn’t want to wait to make their relationship official. So, the Georgia couple came up with a unique way to celebrate their wedding with family and friends without putting anyone at risk. On Sunday, the lovebirds tied the knot at their Cumming home, with the ceremony captured on video for family members to experience....

A Georgia bride-to-be’s weekend beach trip would have ended in heartbreak if not for the help of a lifeguard and a local treasure hunter. Katherine Keen was packing up after a day at Tybee Island on Sunday when she realized that her diamond engagement ring was nowhere to be found. A friend flagged down veteran lifeguard Todd Horne and explained the situation. Horne alerted other Tybee Island lifeguards and asked them to keep an eye out for anyone using a metal detector....

A New Year means new beauty trends and we love scouring the internet to see what the hottest beauty moments will be in the coming year. With a quick scroll through Instagram and Pinterest, it’s easy to see that the milky nails look (#milkynails) is already on the rise. The white manicure trend quite literally looks like the ever-popular dairy beverage found in your fridge. Hence the name, milky nails. We consider the look a neutral take on Essie’s popular shade Ballet Slippers, the sheer pink polish that is loved by everyone—including the Queen of England herself....

You know all the sayings—“Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” and “Texas forever.” Maybe you even have them engraved on a sign or printed on a shirt? No judgment. It’s hard to watch the show without going all in. But we bet there are at least a few fun facts you may not know…check these out, and see just how much of a Dillon Panther you really are: Just when you thought Coach Taylor couldn’t be any more inspiring: While filming the Friday Night Lights series, Kyle Chandler also worked as a volunteer firefighter....

AmaryllidaceaePerennials from bulbsUS, MS, LS, CS (northern third)9–1, except as notedFull sun or partial shadeRegular water during growth and bloom Native to Europe and North Africa, these are arguably the finest and most valuable spring bulbs for the South. They are long lived, increasing naturally from year to year; they stand up to cold and heat; they have many garden uses; and they offer a fascinating array of flower forms, sizes, and colors....

Any way you slice or peel them, we love tomatoes. After all, who can resist a fresh-out-of-the-oven tomato pie? When tomatoes are ripe for the picking, there are endless ways to use our bounty, from tomato jam to a delicious tomato soup. If you’re new to tomato gardening or looking to see yields fast, there are a few easy varieties that will grow in your home garden quickly so you can start cooking in no time....

Between her ever-growing empire and raising five young children—including five-month-old baby Crew—we often find ourselves asking “how does she do it?” But seriously, how does Joanna Gaines, 40, find the energy not just to pull it all off, but to turn everything she touches into gold. In a recent interview with People, Gaines revealed that the answer isn’t a secret caffeine blend, meditation, yoga, or any of the other usual suspects....