5 Low-Cost Pieces to Refresh Your Patio This Spring

Hello and happy Monday, GPODers!

After a successful season of spring cleaning, it’s not uncommon to look around and realize your home could use some upgrades.

In a perfect world, we'd all have a nice healthy-sized budget for adorning our outdoor spaces. But interior home projects and repairs pile up, and our shelter often takes priority over the outdoors.

How you clean your house is as personal as how you decorate it, but there’s one thing everyone can agree on. For a healthy, happy home, regular bathroom cleanings are a true must.

In the arc of an Irish gardening year, May is the month of magical things. The first rose. The first swallow. The first properly hot day. The first beech tree in full leaf. The first sighting of wisteria in magnificent lilac bloom, draping itself languidly against a high, sunny wall. As nature flashes its brilliant feathers, it’s also our last real opportunity before summer finally arrives to make a substantial difference to our gardens or allotments, whether that’s filling them with fast-growing annuals to provide plenty of homegrown produce for the months ahead, planting up spectacular summer containers, or fine-tuning flower borders for maximum impact. With all of this in mind, here’s a handy little to-do list to help you stay on course.

Q: We have a small back garden that includes an old wall covered in ivy. I love the ivy, but it has become home to an army of slugs that have eaten many of my plants over the years. I have tried many different things to combat the slugs (ground eggshells, coffee grinds, various different pellets), none of which have really made that much difference. I am also concerned about using products that may harm the birds that visit the garden and our dog. At this stage, I think I have to accept that the slugs are part of the garden and learn to live with them. So, I would like to look at planting some small shrubs and flowers that are not appealing to slugs. I would be grateful for some suggestions. JM

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While doing a deep clean or a massive decluttering can be both satisfying and rewarding, most will agree that it’s generally better to tackle your chores on a regular basis. But if you’re trying to create a weekly schedule, where to begin?

It seems that everyone wants to get away for summer, ditching their routines for a blissful retreat abroad. But the key to a relaxing mood all summer long might just be doing the opposite—by bringing the vacation atmosphere into your home. There are so many ancient design legacies across the world that can enhance your abode and turn it into a space you’ll never want to escape. 

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If you see your monstera growing aerial roots, do not snip them out as they can make it lush and bigger! Don’t believe us? Read on!

If you showcase plants the right way around your house, they can make it look a million bucks! Flowers can be a great pick for this, and we have some amazing ones to do the job for you!