If you aren't blessed with a natural green thumb, it's best to rely on a few tips and tricks for keeping plants alive. In addition to believing that each home should have at least one customized piece of furniture, designer and expert woodworker Jason Pickens thinks every home should have a living plant. "Plants and flowers add a very special element to the home — they bring quiet life," he says. If your plants tend to do more dying than living, these rules of thumb will help change your luck, according to Jason.