Use this simple method to make crispy rice directly in the oven. This quick sheet pan method results in perfectly golden brown rice clusters that taste great as a standalone side and add delicious flavor and crunch to bowls and salads.
Sheet Pan Crispy Rice
Figure 8 Fitness Resistance Bands with Handles – Exercise Tube Band Set of 3 for Arm and Shoulder Stretch, Rope 8 Word Elastic for Women and Men
Price: $16.99 - $11.99
(as of Oct 28, 2025 00:16:13 UTC – Details)
Recommended for use with RENRANRING Physical Therapy Bands: Ideal for people suffering from leg, knee and back injuries and to help recover from MCL and ACL tears, knee replacement, patella and meniscus rehabilitation. They are also ideal for women to use during pregnancy and after childbirth to keep their bodies in shape.
Figure 8 provides effective strength training. Use the activity bands to work the arms, back, shoulders, legs and hips at the same time, perfect for body stretching, resistance training, yoga and physical therapy to help strengthen torn ligaments or muscles.
THE FIGURE OF 8 PROVIDES EFFECTIVE STRENGTH TRAINING : arms, back, shoulders, legs and hips are exercised at once with an active band, ideal for body stretching, resistance training, yoga and physical therapy, helping to strengthen torn ligaments or muscles
RECOMMENDED FOR USE WITH RENRANRING PHYSICAL THERAPY BANDS: Ideal for people with leg, knee and back injuries and to help recover from torn MCL and ACL, knee replacement, patella and meniscus rehabilitation. Also great for women to use during pregnancy and after childbirth to keep their bodies in shape
3 PIECE ICON 8 RESISTANCE BAND SET: Arm bands for workout available in 3 resistance levels: light grey 20 lbs, medium grey 30 lbs, grey 40 lbs. Soft rubber grip for added comfort and secure grip
WORKOUT ANYWHERE ANYTIME: Our figure 8 tube comes with a premium packaging bag that makes it easy to take anywhere. Get a great resistance band at home, at the gym or in the office
SAFE, DURABLE, PORTABLE: Our figure 8 resistance bands are made from a healthy, strong latex material that is flexible and toughness, with no risk of breaking. Easily correct posture and shape your body
Customers say
Customers find these resistance bands effective, with one reporting improvement after 2-3 weeks of use, and appreciate their good build quality, durability, and value for money. They are lighter than weights, and one customer notes they have three different tension levels. Customers like their convenience, with one mentioning they’re perfect for home workouts. Comfort receives mixed feedback, with some finding them comfortable to hold while others disagree.
25 Tree-Like Plants to Grow Indoors
6. Citrus
Though they’re fun to have around in any climate, growing citrus trees as houseplants in cold climates is an extra-special treat.
Yours might not produce more than a fruit or two each year, but each juicy reward is far more exciting than plucking a thousand lemons off of an outdoor citrus.
But even if you don’t ever see any fruit, they’re beautiful plants in their own right. Depending on the species you choose, citrus can grow anywhere from four to 10 feet tall indoors.
You have lots of options, so choose one that you’ll actually use the fruit from when it appears. Just be sure to give them tons and tons of sun. Even better, take them out to your patio in the summer.
If you’re a fan of sweet lemons, a Meyer lemon (Citrus x meyeri) might be the way to go.
Fast Growing Trees has Meyer lemon in one-, two-, three-, and 15-gallon containers.
Limes more your style?
Key limes (C. aurantifolia) make particularly good indoor plants. Fast Growing Trees has plants in a variety of sizes to suit your needs.
7. Corn Plant
Corn plant is a variety of dracaena (Dracaena fragrans) that can grow up to six feet tall. It’s a tropical evergreen that has a thick central cane.
From this cane, long, arching leaves emerge that somewhat resemble palm fronds. They’re drought-tolerant and pretty darn tough.
Bring a tropical vibe to your home by picking up a plant in a three-gallon decorative pot at Fast Growing Trees.
Read more about growing corn plants here.
8. Dragon Tree
A close relative of the corn plant, dragon trees (Dracaena draco) grow to about six feet tall indoors, with attractive strappy foliage.
Give them just about any level of light – as long as it isn’t exceedingly dim, they’ll put on a show.
The leaves can have a range of colors, including pink and red or even multicolor stripes.
9. False Banana
As delightful indoors as out, the false banana tree (Ensete ventricosum) doesn’t produce edible bananas, but it does grow some pretty impressive green and red leaves. They’re huge!
Each individual leaf can be up to six feet long – that’s a lot of drama packed into one houseplant.
If you put one in your yard the plants can grow to 20 feet tall, but indoors they stay closer to six feet in height.
Make this tall plant yours by snatching a four-inch pot at Home Depot.
10. Ficus Alii
While not one of the most common houseplants, ficus alii (Ficus maclellandii) is worth hunting down.
Also known as banana leaf figs, these plants are much easier to care for than their weeping and fiddle-leaf cousins.
The long, banana-shaped leaves won’t fall as readily as those of its cousins either. Just place it in bright, indirect light, and watch it grow up to 10 feet tall.
You can find can find one at Fast Growing Trees.
Find tips on banana leaf fig care here.
11. Fiddle-Leaf Fig
You knew there would have to be a fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) on this list, right?
And I know I just mentioned that it can be a bit finicky.
But these plants remain a perpetual favorite because it’s hard to match those Jurassic-looking leaves when it comes to making an architectural statement in your space.
While they aren’t super fast growers, they can stretch to your ceiling – and beyond! – if they receive good light.
Despite what you may have read, they can handle some direct morning light and they’ll be better for it.
For a three- to four-foot tree in a plain or decorative pot, or a four- to five-, five- to six-, or six- to seven-foot-tree, pay Fast Growing Trees a visit.
Learn more about fiddle-leaf fig plants here.
12. Fishtail Palm
I need to preface this by saying that I am completely in love with fishtail palms (Caryota spp.).
The leaves are so unique and elegant, it’s like having a bright green betta fish swimming around in your living room.
So this is not an unbiased description. To be totally honest, they’re a little fussy, but don’t write them off.
Fishtail palms can grow over 12 feet tall indoors and they make a huge statement with all that pretty foliage.
I’ll level with you, though – they do much better if you can put them outdoors for part of the year. At the very least, give them direct morning light but protect them from the afternoon sun.
Learn more about fishtail palms here.
13. Hawaiian Ti
Green is lovely, but sometimes a little color is what you need. If that’s the case, check out the Hawaiian ti (Cordyline fruticosa).
The violet, red, or pink leaves are a stand-out against all the greenery you often find in houseplants, though there are green cultivars, too.
While these tree-like shrubs can grow taller outdoors, indoors they stop at about 10 feet tall. Just be sure to give them bright, filtered light. These shouldn’t be left in a dark corner.
Find some color at Fast Growing Trees. They offer two- to three-foot plants and plants in three-gallon nursery pots.
Find tips on growing Hawaiian ti plants here.
14. Lady Fern
Lady ferns (Athyrium filix-femina) might not immediately jump to mind when you’re thinking of tall houseplants, but they can grow up to five feet tall.
Add a foot-deep container and a plant stand, and you’re stretching to the ceiling.
They thrive in low light and average humidity, so these aren’t fussy ferns.
If you’re hoping to bring a forest vibe into your space, invite this lady into your abode.
You can find plants available at Nature Hills Nursery.
15. Majesty Palm
Majesty palms (Ravenea rivularis) are truly majestic.
The strappy, massive, pinnate leaves sway in even the gentlest breeze and they can grow up to an astounding 20 feet tall indoors if you let them.
Keep the pot smaller if you don’t want that kind of growth.
Just remember that if that breeze is coming from your HVAC system you might want to run a humidifier in the room.
These palms like humidity. Also, give them partial sunlight but protect them from the hot afternoon sun.
Up for the challenge of growing this persnickety palm? It’s worth the effort. Perfect Plants Nursery carries plants in 10-inch pots.
16. Money Tree
Money trees (Pachira aquatica) are popular houseplants because they don’t ask for much from you in terms of maintenance, but they offer up a lot in terms of display.
They often come with three braided stems, and they’re always topped with glossy, large, feather-shaped leaves.
They’re fairly quick-growing and top out at about eight feet within about a decade or so. Bring home the money by heading to Nature Hills Nursery.
They carry live plants in four-inch containers.
Read our guide to growing money trees for more information.
17. Natal Mahogany
Feeling adventurous? Natal mahogany trees (Trichilia emetica) are gorgeous but they’re a bit fussy. I don’t tell you that to scare you off but to prepare you.
The feather-shaped leaves covering a seven-foot-tall plant make a real statement in the home, so those who aren’t afraid of a gardening challenge shouldn’t hesitate.
This species needs moderate light and lots of moisture, plus warm temperatures.
18. Norfolk Pine
Outdoors, Norfolk pines (Araucaria heterophylla) can reach hundreds of feet in height, but indoors, they stay closer to 10 feet tall when mature.
These lovely miniature Christmas trees bring an evergreen forest vibe to your interior. They’re happiest in bright, direct light and are sensitive to overwatering.
You can find trees in a variety of sizes available at Fast Growing Trees.
Learn more about growing Norfolk Island pines here.
19. Olive
Olive trees (Olea europaea) can grow indoors as houseplants, but be aware that they need a lot of sun to produce fruit.
They might not produce many olives, or any at all. But they’re beautiful houseplants when grown for their foliage alone.
Indoors, they stay about seven feet tall.
Fast Growing Trees carries ‘Koroneiki’ Greek olive trees if you’re dreaming of bringing the Mediterranean into your home.
20. Parlor Palm
If you love palms but want something easier to care for than, say, a majesty palm, parlor palms (Chamaedorea elegans) are where it’s at.
They can reach up to 12 feet tall but stay smaller if you keep the roots constrained.
They aren’t demanding about humidity and if you forget to water one week it won’t turn into a crumbly mess, unlike some palms I could mention (looking at you, areca!).
Find tips for growing parlor palms here.
21. Rubber Tree
Rubber trees (Ficus elastica or F. robusta) live up to their name.
While you often see them as smaller specimens, given a big pot and several hours of direct light each day, yours can grow into a 10-foot-tall tree-like plant with those characteristic, huge, fleshy leaves.
You have lots of options when choosing the perfect one for your decor, from those with solid-colored green leaves to highly variegated multicolored leaves.
‘Ruby’ is a variegated cultivar that features new growth in a bright ruby shade with magenta midribs.
As they age, the color changes – green leaves are striped with white and light pink. Be sure to give this cultivar some bright light to preserve the variegation.
Fast Growing Trees carries ‘Ruby’ in six-inch as well as one- and three-gallon nursery pots, as well as several different three-gallon decorative pot options.
Check out our guide to growing rubber trees to learn more.
22. Tree Philodendron
For a dramatic statement, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a specimen that’s more impressive than a big, healthy tree philodendron (Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum, syn. Philodendron selloum and P. bipinnatifidum).
These plants can grow up to 10 feet tall with massive, elegant leaves that are unmistakable – though it’s worth noting that they can take 20 years to reach maturity.
The secret to success with this plant is to flush the soil regularly to remove any salt buildup. Tree philodendrons don’t like salt one bit.
You can find plants available at Fast Growing Trees.
23. Triangle Ficus
Triangle ficuses (Ficus triangularis) are named for their triangle-shaped leaves, which come in solid and variegated types.
While good old F. benjamina and F. lyrata have a reputation for needing a bit of babying, this particular ficus isn’t going to drop its leaves whenever so much as a slight breeze moves through the room.
This slow grower reaches up to eight feet in height, but it takes some time. Keep your plant in bright, indirect light for the best growth.
24. Umbrella Tree
Umbrella trees (Schefflera actinophylla) are incredibly forgiving.
I had one that moved with me across thousands of miles, was left in my office for weeks in a dark corner before I remembered it, had a visiting cat pee in its pot, and fell off my patio.
None of these misadventures even caused it to flinch. It’s still cooking after 35 years.
They grow up to 10 feet tall indoors and all they want is some indirect light and a little water now and then. You can find them with solid or variegated foliage.
Bring home this easygoing tree in three- to four- or four- to five-foot-tall heights from Fast Growing Trees.
Learn more about growing umbrella trees here.
25. Weeping Fig
Weeping figs (Ficus benjamina) are fabulous despite their reputation for being demanding. In reality, these plants are pretty resilient and forgiving.
You just need to understand that they can and will drop their leaves at the merest breath of change.
If you even think about moving yours to another part of the room, expect this houseplant to drop those leaves in a huff. But don’t worry, they’ll come back – it’s just the tree’s coping mechanism. We all get stressed out sometimes, right?
Indoors, these figs can grow up to 10 feet tall if you let them.
For a traditional houseplant with a tree-like form, weeping figs are perfect. Sound like just what you’re looking for?
Grab a tree with a braided trunk in a three-gallon container at Fast Growing Trees.
Check out our guide to growing weeping figs here.
Bring the Forest Indoors
Tall houseplants bring height and texture to your interior decor. Plus, they make a much bigger statement than your average pothos or African violet.
Better yet, they don’t demand more care than smaller houseplants to keep them happy and healthy. Find the right light conditions, supply the water and food they need, and you’re off to the races.
Which species is calling your name? Tell us about your favorites in the comment section below. And feel free to share your photos – we love to see what you’ve got growing indoors!
The houseplant goodness doesn’t stop here. We have a bunch of other guides to help you bring even more nature indoors, starting with these:
Fitness Tracker with Heart Rate/Blood Oxygen/Sleep Monitor, 20+ Sports Modes Smart Watches for Women/Men, Activity & Step Tracker Smart Watch for Android/iOS Phones
Price: $28.99 - $24.64
(as of Oct 27, 2025 12:09:48 UTC – Details)
Battery Information: Battery Type ：Lithium Polymer Battery Capacity：120 Milliamp Hours Battery Size ：(22.6*13.0*3.6)mm Number of Batteries: 1 piece Battery Weight : 1.7grams Battery Charge Time : 2 Hours Battery Power : 0.33 Watt Hours
【24/7 Heart Rate Monitor 】This blood pressure watch supports real-time dynamic heart rate, blood oxygen, blood pressure ,Sleep Tracking,temperature monitoring so you can know more about your physical condition.
【Sleep Tracking 】The Smart watches monitors your sleep and analyzes your sleep quality through Deep Sleep, Light Sleep, Awake stage, gives you a nightly sleep score in the app, leading a healthy lifestyle.
【25 Sport Modes Activity Tracker】you can select any number of sports modes in the app as your exclusive sports mode to record your sports data.can record all daily health data such as steps, distance, and calorie consumption in the App “Keep Health”
【1.10 inch AMOLED HD Touchscreen】 The durable stainless steel frame of C60 pairs flawlessly with the Skin-friendly fitness straps, while its 1.10 inch AMOLED HD Touch Color Screen design and multitude of invigorating watch faces blow you away any moment
【Smart Functions】An easy-to-use activity fitness tracker with various intelligent features. Including Call & Message Reminder,Remote Photograph, Drink Water Reminder, Sedentary Reminder, Female Health,Family Health, Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Find Device, etc
【Special Tips】1,Charge it first to activate the device the first time you receive it.2,Please read the product manual carefully learn more about the product features.3,Connect the device with your phone in the App “Keep Health”
Battery Information: Battery Type ：Lithium Polymer Battery Capacity：120 Milliamp Hours Battery Size ：(22.6*13.0*3.6)mm Number of Batteries: 1 piece Battery Weight : 1.7grams Battery Charge Time : 2 Hours Battery Power : 0.33 Watt Hours
Customers say
Customers find the fitness tracker accurate in tracking heart rate, steps, and blood oxygen levels, while being compatible with both Android and iOS devices. Moreover, the device is easy to use with an intuitive app, and customers appreciate its sleek appearance that complements outfits, along with its long battery life that lasts up to five days between charges. Additionally, customers find the watch comfortable to wear and consider it a great budget-friendly option.
Crispy Rice Salad (High Protein)
This crispy rice salad with chicken is loaded with crunch, color, and a bright ginger-lime dressing. It’s one of those salads you’ll be talking and dreaming about long after the last bite is gone. It’s THAT good!
VEICK Resistance Bands for Working Out, Exercise Bands, Workout Bands, Pull Up Assistance Bands, Long Heavy Stretch Bands Set for Men and Women, Power Weight Gym at Home Fitness Equipment
Price: $17.99 - $11.02
(as of Oct 27, 2025 00:02:04 UTC – Details)
From the brand
Natural Latex
Imported
Durable & High Quality: VEICK resistance bands are crafted from premium natural latex, offering exceptional wear resistance and 30,000 stretch-resistant cycles, ensuring they withstand extreme tension without snapping. The anti-slip leather-textured interior provides a secure grip, so you can train harder with confidence, free from tears or wear
Ideal for Stretching & Warm-Ups: Perfect for relieving stiff muscles pre-workout or soothing soreness post-session. Use thses working out bands to enhance flexibility before deadlifts, squats, or mobility drills, thanks to their tear-resistant latex and steady tension control
Multi-Functional Training: From strength training and assisted pull-ups to basketball agility drills, these stretch bands target every muscle group—arms, back, legs, and more. Their versatile design adapts to warm-ups, resistance boosts, or rehabilitation exercises
Perfect for Home & Gym: Whether you’re mastering pull-ups at home or adding resistance to squats in the gym, these pull up assist bands offer adjustable support. Combine multiple bands or adjust slack to customize difficulty levels effortlessly
4 Progressive Resistance Levels: Color-coded for convenience, each band provides distinct resistance and width to match your fitness stage. Stack them to intensify challenges or use solo for targeted training, engineered for durability and performance
Customers say
Customers find these resistance bands well-made, durable, and effective, working just as well as expensive brands and providing resistance for nearly every movement. They appreciate the great variety for a full workout and consider them good value for money. The stretchability receives mixed feedback – while some praise their great elasticity, others mention they have very little stretch. Customers disagree on the smell, with some noting they don’t have a strong rubber odor.
A health insurance ‘death spiral’ looms if young people drop out as prices spike : Shots
Chloe Chalakani is an entrepreneur who runs a handmade pasta business with her partner in coastal Maine. The government shutdown fight affects how much she’ll pay for health insurance next year.
Selena Simmons-Duffin/NPR
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Selena Simmons-Duffin/NPR
Chloe Chalakani has a lot at stake in the health care fight at the heart of the government shutdown.
Chalakani runs a small culinary business with her partner in the coastal town of Thomaston, Maine. As temperatures drop and the height of her busy tourist season winds down, she’s hitting her list of fall administrative tasks, including health insurance enrollment. She uses CoverME.gov, the Affordable Care Act marketplace in Maine, also known as Obamacare.
Her options for 2026 are looking grim.
“My premium is already $460 a month, and that is for the highest deductible plan that exists,” she says. She’s 31 years old and fairly healthy. Extra financial help with premiums — in the form of enhanced tax credits — expires in December, and rates are going up.
“I don’t plan to get insurance next year,” she says. “I’m just not going to do it — I’ll pay out of pocket.”
The prospect of young people dropping out of the ACA markets worries health policy experts — not just because of their own personal risk of going uninsured, but because of the effect that millions of people making the same decision could have on the whole health system.
How insurance works
Health insurance markets only function when there are lots of people pooling their resources — young and old, relatively healthy and not.
“You need people to be paying into the insurance system when they’re healthy so that they can take out when they’re sick,” explains Cynthia Cox of KFF, a nonpartisan health research organization.
Younger, healthier people tend to pay more into the system than they consume in health care. Older, sicker people often consume an amount of health care that costs more than the amount they pay in. That dynamic creates a stable insurance system.
Right now, the Affordable Care Act markets seem to be pretty balanced. A record 24 million people are enrolled, and brokers report their clients are generally happy with their plan options and find the premiums affordable.
That may be about to change. Premium costs will soon explode for many consumers because of the expiration of certain federal subsidies that kept those monthly costs low. It’s the issue at the heart of the current federal shutdown — Democrats want the subsidies to be extended, Republicans say those negotiations shouldn’t be part of the government funding debate.
The dreaded ‘death spiral’
If Congress does not extend the federal subsidies set to expire in December, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that 4 million people will become uninsured in the next several years.
The people who opt to go without insurance will probably be younger and healthier, Cox says, “because sicker, older people will be more motivated to keep their coverage, even if that means paying a lot more each month.”
It’s easy to find people who fit these profiles. Chalakani, the 31-year-old in Maine plans to skip coverage, while a 64-year-old in West Virginia who needs expensive medications tells NPR she’s saving up money now to pay $2,800 every month for her coverage next year.
“If you only have sick people buying health insurance plans, then the average cost of that plan is going to be very high,” Cox says. “The concern is that the least sick person in that group is going to drop their coverage because it becomes unaffordable, and then the next year, the least sick person in that group might drop their coverage because it becomes unaffordable and on and on.”
This is what’s called a death spiral for an insurance market, she explains. “Premiums get so high that only the sickest of the sickest people are enrolled, and eventually insurance companies just are not going to want to participate in a market like that — it’s just not going to function.”
Although it is a relatively small portion of Americans who buy these plans, it has the potential to hurt everyone, regardless of how they’re insured. If more people in the country become uninsured, that’s hard on hospitals and health care access.
“If hospitals face a lot of financial strain from having a lot more uninsured patients coming through their doors, then they might start changing the services they offer,” she says. “They may have to close the maternity ward. They might have to close down altogether.”
That’s already starting to happen in Maine and other parts of the country, where health care markets are under financial pressure. And that pressure is increasing with looming cuts to Medicaid from President Trump’s budget law that are expected to increase the number of uninsured people by millions more.
Open enrollment is Nov. 1
Weeks into the shutdown, federal lawmakers have apparently not started negotiations to overcome the stalemate. The two sides have been at an impasse since Oct. 1.
Meanwhile, open enrollment is coming on Nov. 1 — in Idaho, it’s already begun. Unless Congress acts quickly, enrollees will likely have sticker shock when they log in to find a plan for 2026. On average, consumers will have to pay double next year for the same plan.
Entrepreneurs like Chloe Chalakani are among the 24 million Americans who get their insurance through the ACA.
Selena Simmons-Duffin/NPR
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Selena Simmons-Duffin/NPR
Chloe Chalakani says she plans to go uninsured even though she knows that car accidents and serious illnesses can happen. “Should a catastrophe happen, I’ll probably say, ‘Wow, I should have had insurance,'” she says. “But at this point, I don’t have the financial ability to plan for that.”
If lawmakers do overcome the impasse and extend the enhanced subsidies so her premiums stay about the same, she says she might reconsider her plan to go without health insurance in 2026.
Adriana’s California Container Garden in Late Summer
Happy Friday, GPODers!
We’re wrapping up the week in Northern California as we head to the San Francisco Bay Area for another stunning submission from Adriana Porter Felt. In her previous submissions Adriana has highlighted two plants signature to her garden’s design (check out those submissions here: Adriana’s Pride of Madeira in Spring and Drifts of Pink Heuchera Blooms), but today she is giving us a full tour of one container-filled section of her landscape.
We bought a house with a large, fenced pool-deck area that was almost entirely hardscaped. For safety reasons, we had to keep the fence, which blocked the sight of the surrounding gardens. I brought in greenery and flowers with a large container garden.
We used three kinds of containers: large metal planters for our primary planting beds, blue ceramic pots, and large raised planters that added height. We continually add to the collection. It brings light and charm to our back deck.
These photos were taken in late summer, when our dahlias, passion vines, and Japanese anemones (Anemone hupehensis var. japonica, Zones 5–7) are in bloom. I also caught the tail end of our Russell lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus ‘Russell hybrids’, Zones 4–8) in bloom. Earlier in the year we have blooms from purple Jerusalem sage (Phlomis purpurea, Zones 8–10 or as an annual), clematis, and scabiosa.
We live in the Berkeley Hills, California, where frost isn’t a concern but dry summers are our way of life. I water deeply by hand every three days.
Upon entering the pool patio from Adriana’s backdoor, you’re immediately immersed in a plant paradise. An arbor covered in passion flower welcomes you with the colorful group of blue ceramic containers Adriana mentioned in her introduction.
Dahlias and lupine are gorgeous additions to these artful pots, which would make a statement even if nothing was planted inside. I really appreciate that while all of the pots are blue, none are exactly the same; this makes for an interesting group of pots that also doesn’t steal too much attention from her beautiful flowers.
A bubblegum pink dahlia is a lovely complement to the blue pottery as well as the bright greenery behind.
Even more blue pots add so much to this corner that would otherwise be devoid of color. The color theme continues with some funky chairs at an outdoor dining table, and all of that blue is paired with the most wonderful palette of pink and purple blooms.
To break up all that blue, metal raised beds allow for bigger planting possibilities but still connect to the rest of the design. The tall, arching Japanese anemones in the background are perfectly mirrored by the much shorter ‘Butterfly Blue’ pincushion flower (Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’, Zones 4–8) in the foreground.
Another seating area, right outside the back door, is equally lush. A beautiful mix of green and purple plants, including purple Jerusalem sage, gives this area a calm and cool vibe.
A close-up of the purple passion flower (Passiflora incarnata, Zones 5–9) growing over Adriana’s entryway arbor
This must be Adriana’s back patio before the addition of most of her plants. A couple of very stylish raised planters add a little bit of color, but overall it’s a pretty blank slate.
And the impressive entryway in all its glory, today: While the “before” is still an attractive back patio that many would dream of, the “after” takes the space to the next level and transforms blank hardscaping into a garden oasis.
Thank you so much for introducing us to more of your amazing garden, Adriana! What we’ve seen before was dazzling, but this submission really shed light on your incredible designs and the fantastic landscape you have crafted.
When I think we’ve seen it all from our fabulous contributors, they always have a way of surprising me with hidden gems and never-before-seen aspects of their gardens that absolutely blow me away. If you have any secret treasures in your garden that you haven’t gotten around to sharing yet, please make 2025 the year that you show them off. Follow the directions below to submit photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with #FineGardening!
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ARS Telescoping Long Reach Pruner
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Resistance Bands with Handles, 175lb Exercise Bands for Working Out, Fitness Bands, Workout Bands with Door Anchor and Ankle Straps, Physical Therapy, Yoga, Strength Training Home Gym Equipment
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(as of Oct 26, 2025 11:58:28 UTC – Details)
From the brand
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Medicaid cuts could hit Southern states like Louisiana hard : Shots
Rosie Brown, executive director at East Carroll Community Action Agency in Lake Providence, La., said many people in the area struggle to make ends meet. Medicaid expansion was a lifeline for the town. Now, she said, President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill could snatch it away.
Shalina Chatlani/Stateline
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Shalina Chatlani/Stateline
LAKE PROVIDENCE, La. — East Carroll Parish sits in the northeastern corner of Louisiana, along the winding Mississippi River. Its seat, Lake Providence, was once a thriving agricultural hub of the region. Now, charred and dilapidated buildings dot the small city center. There are a few gas stations, a handful of restaurants — and little to no industry.
Mayor Bobby Amacker, 79, remembers a time when “you couldn’t even walk down the street” in Lake Providence’s main business district because “there were so many people.”
“It’s gone down tremendously in the last 50 years,” said Amacker, a Democrat. “The town, it looks like it’s drying up.”
Now, East Carroll residents stand to lose even more with the pending cutbacks to Medicaid, which covers many low-income people in the region.
Like many people in Louisiana, they received a lifeline when the state expanded Medicaid in 2016. Expansion drove Louisiana’s uninsured rate to the lowest in the Deep South, at 8% in 2023 for working-age adults, according to state data, despite it having the highest poverty rate in the U.S. that year.
State health data show the number of people on Medicaid in East Carroll Parish increased from about 53% in 2015 to about 64% in 2023, according to state health data.
Many now worry those gains in coverage could disappear. The tax and spending bill President Donald Trump signed into law this summer includes nearly $1 trillion in cuts over the next decade to Medicaid, the joint state-federal health insurance program for poor families and individuals.
Researchers from Princeton University estimate that 317,000 low-income Louisianans could lose health coverage because of the new law. More than 30,000 Mississippians too; that state has refused to expand Medicaid.
Lake Providence Mayor Robert “Bobby” Amacker. Without Medicaid and Medicare, he says, many people in his town “wouldn’t have any kind of health care at all.”
Shalina Chatlani/KFF Health News
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Shalina Chatlani/KFF Health News
The tax and spending law now imposes new work reporting requirements on Medicaid expansion enrollees and will make them verify eligibility every six months, instead of yearly. This requirement, among others, won’t kick in until 2027, after the midterm elections. It also limits a key financing strategy — known as a provider tax — that states rely on to give more money to health providers.
Nationwide, about 10 million people are expected to become uninsured over ten years because of the law, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Across the deep South, Louisiana was the only state that expanded Medicaid.
“The way I’ve described this [law] right now is we know there’s a hurricane out in the Gulf,” said Richard Roberson, president and CEO of the Mississippi Hospital Association. “We don’t know exactly what the category of the storm is going to be at landfall. But we know we need to be prepared for it.”
Struggling rural communities brace for impact
In the Delta region, which includes communities in both Louisiana and Mississippi, the impacts are expected to be damaging.
Louisiana, where almost half of the state depended on Medicaid in 2023, could lose up to $34 billion in federal Medicaid dollars in the next decade, according to KFF, a health policy research group. Mississippi could lose up to $4 billion.
“The physician community spoke out pretty heavily against this,” said Dr. Brent Smith, a physician at Delta Health System in Greenville, Mississippi, about 50 miles northeast of Lake Providence, across the river. “The fact that it still went though…was a real sense of disconnect with what our legislators are doing and what we as a health care community feel like is the reality on the ground.”
Residents of the Delta say they feel similarly distraught and are wondering how Congress could be so blind to how much they are struggling.
Dr. Brent Smith, left, a physician at a primary care clinic at Delta Health System in Greenville, Miss. laughs with a co-worker.
Shalina Chatlani/Stateline
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“Why do you wanna knock someone who doesn’t have anything and you already got everything,” said Sherila Ervin, who lives 20 minutes up the road from Lake Providence in Oak Grove and has Medicaid coverage. “It’s gonna be real difficult when [the law] goes into effect.”
Ervin, 58, has been working at Oak Grove High School in the cafeteria, serving hot plates to children for 25 years. She says it’s one of the good, steady jobs available in this area, but her income is only around $1,500 per month.
Her job offers health benefits, but she can’t afford the premiums on her salary. She relies on Medicaid for care, including medications for her high blood pressure. She said the new work reporting requirements are completely unfair, and she’s worried she will accidentally lose her Medicaid.
“My coworkers are talking about it every day,” Ervin said. “A lot of people probably won’t even know until they go to the doctor and they don’t have any coverage.”
In East Carroll Parish, finding a job — let alone a good-paying one with health benefits — is difficult, says Rosie Brown, executive director at the East Carroll Community Action Agency, a nonprofit that helps low-income people with their utility bills. Many of the jobs available in town pay minimum wage, just $7.25 an hour.
“We have one bank. We have one supermarket,” Brown said. “Transportation isn’t easy either.”
Even a full-time job doesn’t guarantee health care coverage. Nevada Qualls, 25, earns $12 an hour, working as a cashier at city hall in Lake Providence. She qualifies for Medicaid expansion coverage, which is good because she can’t afford the premiums for private insurance.
Because of the new Medicaid law, the mom-of-two will have to work extra hard to keep her coverage. Qualls will face regular work reporting requirements, more frequent eligibility checks, as well as the quarterly wage checks that Louisiana Medicaid already conducts.
“It’s going to be stressful,” Qualls said. “It’s another thing to add to my load that is already heavy.”
A massive burden for states
States will be required to implement work requirements by Jan. 1, 2027, giving them less than a year-and-a-half to build a reporting system and raise awareness among enrollees. Depending on how Louisiana’s work reporting system functions, researchers estimate up to 357,000 people could lose coverage.
The law will now require adults who get Medicaid through expansion to prove they are working or volunteering for 80 hours a month or going to school part-time to keep their coverage, unless they qualify for an exemption.
But, data show most Medicaid enrollees are already working, KFF reports. When Arkansas implemented Medicaid work requirements in 2018 — the first state to do so before a court struck it down — about 18,000 people were disenrolled in less than a year, many for ‘paperwork’ reasons, says Benjamin Sommers, a health economist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
And there was no evidence that work requirements had a positive impact on employment, he said.
“We are leveling this bureaucratic red tape on people, the vast majority of whom are already doing the things that we supposedly want them to do,” Sommers said.
Courtney Foster, senior policy adviser for Medicaid with the nonprofit Invest in Louisiana, said it will be a “really big lift” for states to administer the new Medicaid work reporting systems.
“The hope is that [Louisiana] really engages with people on the ground, as well as with community-based organizations that work with people who are covered by Medicaid to create a system that actually works,” Foster said. “Let’s make sure that we can mitigate as much harm as possible.”
Mississippi is also getting ready, said Roberson at the Mississippi Hospital Association. Without Medicaid expansion, the state’s enrollees won’t be subject to work requirements, but the law’s financing changes to the Medicaid program could strip hundreds of millions of dollars away from hospitals, said Roberson.
‘Why are we going back?’
Jennifer Newton is the executive director of the Family Medical Clinic, a community health center in Lake Providence, La.
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Shalina Chatlani/Stateline
The law did create a $50 billion rural health fund, meant to offset spending cuts and help keep rural hospitals open. Roberson said Mississippi is applying and believes the state will be awarded at least $500 million over five years.
But if those funds don’t make it to struggling hospitals, they could either close or significantly cut back services, he said.
From her small, sunny office in East Carroll Parish, nurse Jennifer Newton, who oversees The Family Medical Clinic in Lake Providence, doesn’t understand the attacks on Medicaid.
The community health center is one of the few providers in town, and half of its patients are on Medicaid.
Newton, who has worked in health care in the area for decades, saw first-hand how Medicaid expansion made it possible for more patients to afford the care they desperately needed.
“It’s absolutely helped,” she said. “Absolutely.”
In 2015, the year before Louisiana expanded Medicaid, the uninsured rate among working-age adults in East Carroll Parish was nearly 35%. By 2021, that number was 12.7%.
“Why are we going back?” Newton asked. “We’ve made so much progress.”
This story was produced as part of a collaboration between Public Health Watch and Stateline, which is part of States Newsroom. It is part of “Uninsured in America,” a project that focuses on life in America’s health coverage gap and the 10 states that haven’t expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Stateline reporter Shalina Chatlani can be reached at schatlani@stateline.org. Public Health Watch reporter Kim Krisberg can be reached at kkrisberg@publichealthwatch.org.