Here Are Spruce Readers' Favorite Kitchen Paint Colors

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.

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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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. 

Although spider plants are quite hardy and can survive a lot of abuse you throw at them, there are time when these beauties start to show splitting foliage, that takes away the charm off its show. We’ll tell you how to keep it in pristine condition!

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May is historically the hungry gap in the vegetable garden, because it is the time when the winter crops run out and before the summer crops get going. If you have been well organised, you may have some early crops of salad leaves, broad beans, radishes and even strawberries to harvest towards the end of the month – as well as asparagus, which is at its prime now. But the main focus this month is the sowing, nurturing and tending of your crops, as growth accelerates. Potatoes should be earthed up so the tubers are not exposed to light, while peas and broad beans need supporting with pea sticks or canes and twine as they get bigger. Weeding must be done regularly (little and often is my motto) and, if the weather is dry, watering is essential. It is best done as a thorough soak every few days rather than a scant daily sprinkling. At the start of May, I sow tender crops like tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes in seed trays and individual pots. I keep these in the greenhouse until later in the month, when it has warmed up and they can go outside. As the month goes on, the focus shifts to planting out. I find it very satisfying to be able to plant a neat row of seedlings along a garden line, rather than try the lottery of direct sowing into the ground, then thinning out. Using the no-dig method, I will have already prepared my beds with a layer of well-rotted compost. Just before planting out, I will rake the bed to break down any larger clods and give the seedlings a better chance of establishing.

When you think about white kitchen appliances, chances are you’re transported back to the kitchens of the 1990s. If you’re picturing outdated kitchens with yellowing fridges, you aren’t alone. But it’s 2024 and white kitchen appliances are back with a completely new look that’s so chic—yes, really!

There are certain points of contention in interior design: maximalist or minimalist, vintage or new, carpet or hardwood floors? Another question that seems to garner polarizing opinions: if headboards are really needed in the bedroom.

No Mow May is a bee conservation movement that has surged in popularity over the last few years, in part, due to its simplicity. To participate, all you need to do is leave your lawn alone in May. This allows lawn flowers to bloom and feed hungry native bees emerging from hibernation when other flowers are scarce.

The exterior facade of your home is what truly makes its first impression. Homes are often set in the same cookie-cutter designs and palettes, so it’s easy to ignore the exterior and jump straight to the inner walls of your abode.

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