If you know all too well how unbearable it can be once summer hits you’ll already be looking at ways to keep your bills down and your air supply up! Depending on where you live, temperatures can quickly reach 90 Degrees Fahrenheit and it’s much harder to concentrate, sleep and eat when the sun’s at its zenith. One of the best ways to keep cool during the summer months is to stay hydrated. You should also always make sure you carry sunglasses, as even on cloudy days the sun can be powerful, and our eyes are incredibly sensitive.

It may also be worth keeping your curtains open at night, that way the cold air will alleviate the stuffiness in your house once the sun’s gone down. Try to get as much fresh air blowing through your home as possible by opening windows, doors, using fans to circulate and blasting the AC for a few hours so the filters to trap any dirt and debris that may be floating around. You may also have noticed a greater abundance of insects appearing, summer is often where you see the most wasps, bees, flies and beetles. Take precautions by putting up fly screens even if you don’t live in a rural area and check food is never allowed to sit out in the heat, not only will this spoil the flavor and texture but it could make you quite ill. While bees and wasps may look pretty buzzing around your flowerbeds, they have a nasty sting so always know where your tweezers, antiseptic insect bite cream and plasters are!

[Photo courtesy of nastya/pexels.com]

Take Cover

Parasols are great but if you want to make a real difference to the temperature in your home why not buy yourself an awning? The Department of Energy has stated awnings, or shaded covers can reduce heat by 30% simply because the sun rises and the linen cover takes the brunt of the heat while rays bounce off. While awnings aren’t as fashionable as they used to be; they do add a certain charm to your property as well as allowing you to sit outside comfortably. Before buying an awning always check to see if your property is suitable, maintain both the mechanism and fabric to stop cracks or holes appearing and never let children pull or raise awnings themselves as they could get their fingers trapped. Avoid any accidents by using an awning pole, a device similar to a loft pole which attaches to the hook on the underside and lets you pull down the striped sail from a safe distance.

Get Planting!

If you’re very lucky, you’ll live somewhere with lots of trees which isn’t just good for your health because trees take in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen, but they also act as a natural barrier and so quite often the temperature in the shade is at least ten degrees cooler than out in the open! However, lots of us believe that as long as there are trees somewhere nearby, we’ll automatically stay much cooler! Sadly, that’s not always the case as depending on where those trees are placed, that’ll decide how much shade you get. If you have no trees close to the house, it may be worth thinking about planting some young saplings now. Choose trees that grow quite quickly like poplars, maples, birches, and willows as well as those that are famed for their leafy, green appearance, so they’ll give you plenty of shade.

To save a significant amount of energy, or at least figure that’ll be noticeable on your next bill plant trees on the south and west-facing sides of your property. Everyone knows that south facing gardens tend to get the most sun, so by creating a tree line there you’ll reduce the heat dramatically. Remember, trees are a natural way to cool down your entire home as well as encouraging wildlife into the neighborhood. When planting always check the property boundaries before you start digging and as long as you don’t cross over onto your neighbor’s land you’re fine.

However, we do suggest being courteous as not only do you not want to start a turf war but it means if you block their beautiful view now they could do the same thing to you later on.

[Photo courtesy of Pixabay/pexels.com]

Have A Ceiling Fan

It may seem a bit old-fashioned, almost colonial, but high ceiling fans do a fantastic job of keeping the air moving while cooling down rooms you spend the most time in. In fact, the more people you put somewhere small the hotter the overall room temperature gets. This is because we each have our own perfect temperature! Some people feel much colder than others but in a big group heat becomes the dominant force and as it rises things then get fairly uncomfortable quite quickly as people begin to sweat.

Ceiling fans aren’t as ugly as they used to be and now come in a variety of shapes and sizes they’re also quieter than you’d expect. Remember, these fans are designed to keep you from melting so if you’re going out turn the fan off! If you really need your AC on, and let’s face it in mid-summer plenty of us see it as a lifesaver try to look for one that’s as silent as possible. There are also some great quiet ac units out there that won’t make you feel like you’re standing in the middle of an airfield instead of your living room every time you turn on the remote control!

[Photo courtesy of Tookapic/pexels.com]

White Out!

Do you recall your eighth-grade science lessons and how your teacher told you how snow reflects the heat instead of absorbing it due to it’s lighter color? The same principal applies to our roofs so if you want to lower the temperature below you should mix it up above! It’s often why you’ll find buildings and roofs painted white or yellow in hotter countries so that the encroaching heat doesn’t seep inside. Believe it or not, a report by Climate Change Research suggested that if all buildings and roads in the US were painted white the energy saved could run into millIons of dollars.

Everyone needs to be able to relax and have fun at home. Having entertainment options you can choose from will keep the whole family entertained and stop anyone getting bored. But if you want to be able to entertain yourself whenever you want, you need to have access to superior entertainment. If you want to improve the entertainment you have available in your home, you need to consider how you can access it and what you use to enjoy it. Improving your sources for entertainment and the tech you use to experience it can make everything more fun and relaxing.

[Photo courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio/pexels.com]]

Update Your Equipment

The first thing you might want to do is change the tech you use to enjoy different forms of entertainment. Your music or movies are often only as good as the equipment you use to play them. If the image or sound quality isn’t good, you won’t enjoy the experience as much. It might be time for a new TV or a new sound system if you think something isn’t fulfilling your needs anymore. If you’re a movie fanatic, maybe it’s time to finally set up a home theater with a projector. Or if you love music, perhaps you should get a new record player with Bluetooth connectivity and MP3 conversion capability.

Get Access to More Movies and TV

There’s nothing worse than scrolling through your movie options and not wanting to watch any of it. When you have so much choice, it shouldn’t be difficult to find something enjoyable. But perhaps the answer is to expand the choices you have available. With the right streaming apps, you can access whatever you want, whenever you want. And if you like it, you can buy it to own too. Showbox and other apps like it make it easy to watch movies on mobile devices, so you’re not just confined to your home, either. You can find both free and paid resources to use to expand your entertainment collection.

[Photo courtesy of Georgefromistanbul/wikimedia.org]

Improve Your Music Options

You also want to be able to access lots of music and choose whatever you’re in the mood for. Listening to whatever you want can be a combination of choosing the right music services and using the right sound system. If you use a service like Spotify, you can find almost any music and listen to it anywhere. Plus, is you use a wireless sound system such as Sonos, you can connect various music sources and control everything with your phone or tablet.

Alter Your Interiors

If you want the ultimate entertainment experience at home, you should think about redesigning some of your space. For example, turning one room into a home theater can involve making the decor darker, getting in some comfortable seating, and choosing some appropriate lighting. Having the perfect environment in which to enjoy your movies or music can improve your experience greatly and change everything forever.

If you want to make sure you’re never bored at home, improving your music and movie options can help you to do that.

At this time of year, we all feel that craving for green. The bare trees have been here too long, and the novelty of winter has worn off. The goods news is, spring is around the corner. The daffodils are out already, and soon the leaves will start growing! It’s around this time that we all head out to get the garden ready. In truth, though, your garden isn’t the only way to make the most of the outdoors. There are plenty of ways to bring the outside in. If you’ve been craving nature recently, this list has got you covered.

House Plants

Houseplants are probably the best thing you can do to bring the outside into your home. There are many benefits to houseplants. Not only do they make the place look beautiful, but they also keep the air in your home fresh! If you’ve never had houseplants before, take the time to do a little research. Decide which most appeal, then go out and get them! To get the most from your plants, make sure to buy some vases, too. While some houseplants come with vases, most come in plastic pots.

[Photo courtesy of Pexels/pixabay.com]

Flowers

If a houseplant is too much of a commitment for you, turn instead to flowers. Again, you’ll need to invest in some vases for these. The best thing about flowers is that they’re cheap and low maintenance. As long as you change the water every few days, they can live for at least a few weeks. These also add a beautiful splash of color to any home! If it’s green you’re after, don’t worry. There are bunches of flowers out there with plenty of greenery. All you have to do is look for them! There are some amazing flowers out there at the moment. It’s the perfect time of year for tulips and daffodils!

Wreaths

Why not get unique with your decor choice and experiment with wreaths? Yes, they’re traditionally for Christmas. Even so, they can be an impressive feature at any time of year. Take a look at a company like Worcester Wreath Company to see what’s on offer. You can’t get much greener than this, right? You could incorporate flowers into the wreath as well if you wanted to. That way, it can turn into a celebration of the coming spring!

[Photo courtesy of JÉSHOOTS/pexels.com]

Fruit Bowl

For some reason, the idea of a fruit bowl has become an outdated one. Even so, it’s time to bring it back! If you get creative, your fruit bowl could become an excellent feature. Look out for dishes that compliment your home. You don’t have to opt for the traditional options. Any bowl will do. Look out for one that catches your eye. Think, too, about the fruit you buy. If you’re using your fruit bowl as a feature, you could have a little fun with color coordinating your fruit! Make sure, too, that you don’t leave the fruit too long. A bowl of overripe fruit won’t have the same effect!

From the smallest of home renovation projects to big new build constructions, you find yourself faced with one particular problem.

Well, okay, you find yourself faced with many problems. You find yourself waking up in the morning to a light layer of dust over everything, and wondering why you ever began this project. You find yourself visiting friends, staring at their walls – without holes in them! – and daydreaming of living in such a place. We all reach a point where the downsides seem to be so substantial, there’s no possible…

[Photo courtesy of Ksenia Chernaya/pexels.com]

Hang on; that wasn’t the point I was trying to make. Okay. Let’s refocus. No more whining; we all know the benefits of home-style construction and why it’s worth it. We live with our choices and embrace them – even if they can be a little problematic at times!

The issue I was originally referring to was much more simplistic. No matter the scope of your project, you’ve probably encountered it: should you buy or rent expensive machinery?

[Photo courtesy of Mark Schellhase/wikipedia.org]

This applies to everything, from a humble power washer when sprucing up your home’s exterior – right through to an excavator for a garden project. Hiring can seem the easiest answer, but it can also be prohibitively expensive. The choice is usually an individual one, but if you’re struggling to make a decision, here’s a few pros and cons on the hiring/buying debate. I’ll take it from the perspective of buying for yourself, for the sake of clarity.

PRO: It’s yours.

The most obvious one, but an important aspect to consider. If you do something to a piece of machinery you have rented – an accident, or misuse that results in a breakdown – you could be in for a massive bill. With your own machine, any potential mistakes that you make are your own. It will be cheaper to repair an item than to compensate a hire company for any damage that results from your use of it. Then when it is repaired, you can still use it free of charge when you own it.

[Photo courtesy of pixabay/pexels.com]

CON: You’re responsible for repair and maintenance.

Even if you decide the initial purchase price is cheaper than renting on a cost-per-use level, that’s not the end of the road. With renting, if a piece of machinery breaks down, it’s not your problem. You can hand it back to be fixed, providing you’re not the one who broke it.

If you own it, however, any breakdowns are going to be yours to deal with. Factor this in when you look at the purchase price.

As an example, let’s say you want to hire a mini digger for a big garden project. Rental is going to cost you $200 per day. You anticipate you’re going to need it for around seven days. The cost to buy your own is $1000 – a saving of $400. Seems an easy choice, until you factor in potential repair costs in future.

There are ways and means of lowering the cost. Performing routine servicing will keep an item running as it should. Replacing parts from a reputable retailer such as Woods equipment and the like can also insure against future issues. There should also be a warranty that means any issue not of your fault will bounce back to the manufacturer. But it’s still worth keeping in mind.

PRO: You can expand future projects thanks to it.

Staying with the example of the mini digger, you might have planned to use it for one particular project. That means it’s going to be surplus to requirements for anything else, right? So hiring might be more expensive, but at least you don’t then have to store a digger you have no other use for it.

You will probably find that you do find a use for it. The scope of your existing projects can change and expand because you now have a piece of machinery that makes more innovative ideas possible.

CON: You run the risk of not being able to take it back.

If you hire something, you always have the option of returning it if it’s not a good fit. You might choose something that isn’t up to the task at hand; or even an item you just don’t feel comfortable using.

When you buy, you’re stuck with it – within reason. All the usual buying laws apply to you, but you have to be careful to read the small print to ensure you can return an item. Some sales policies – especially for larger machinery – may only allow you to return an item for store credit, partial refunds or not at all if the item has been used. Be aware of your rights in case something doesn’t work as you hoped.

PRO: You can hire it out to friends and family.

One way of keeping a piece of machinery running is to make a little money off it. There’s nothing stopping you from hiring it out to your nearest and dearest for a small fee to help contribute to maintenance.

CON: You might not use it.

[Photo courtesy of Peter Griffin/publicdomainpictures.net]

There is always the risk that you will buy something, planning many future projects… and then never feel the need to touch it. If buying is cheaper than renting, then this still might be worth it – it all depends on the storage space you have available.

For smaller items like pressure washers and wallpaper strippers, you probably have a corner of your attic that you can use. For large machinery, then it might be a little trickier to give over space for something from which you’re not getting much use.

PRO: You can always sell it.

However, if the above happens, you always have the option of selling an item on. Returning to the mini digger: you saved $400 when you bought it, paying $1000. If you then sell it on, even for a small amount like $200, your saving goes to $600. Providing you get a good deal on the purchase price, this is definitely something to keep in mind.

Coming around to the decision to give your home a makeover is an easy one.

Of course, the reasons in the pro column are long and substantial. Who doesn’t want their home to look better? Give everything a refresh; change things around so that it all feels like new again? Perhaps your eye has been caught by a new decorating trend, and you can’t wait to try it out for yourself. Or perhaps you’re just the kind of person who tends to need a project.

You find yourself imagining the changed decor; the fresh paint; the new levels of comfort that you can explore. Then, with a screech of brakes, your mind remembers all the reasons you shouldn’t do it.

Sometimes, though, you just have to seize the moment and go for it. If there’s something you want to change about your home, then it’s time to banish the concerns to one side. I’m going to go through all of the usual objections and show why they’re not anything that should stand in your way. Just call me your home decor and renovation enabler!

“I can’t afford it.”

[Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures/pixabay.com]

Of course, this one is pretty difficult to argue on the surface of it. If you don’t have the money, then what can you do? You can’t magic it up from thin air and progress on developing a money tree is still limited, so you’ll just have to wait until you can afford it.

The best option in this scenario is to look at a way to change something up without breaking the bank. Rather than a full-scale kitchen remodel, for example, why not go for a facelift? You could change the cupboard doors rather than fitting entirely new cupboards.

The same philosophy applies throughout the house. Craving a new bed to snuggle down into? Maybe that’s outside the budget, but memory foam mattress toppers can give a boost of comfort without the same price tag. Does the carpet really need replacing, or will a deep clean and brush be enough to bring it back up to standard?

“I don’t have the time.”

[Photo courtesy of obpia30/pixabay.com]

Realistically, you probably don’t have the time for most things you do. We get it; life is busy, it’s stressful, and you’re struggling to do the basics. Why should you make your workload easier?

Because you don’t have the time! It’s that simple; the same thing arguing against the scenario is the thing that makes it a necessity. Unless you have a huge chunk of holiday time coming up that you know you can dedicate to DIY, where is it going to come from? You’re going to have to fit it in somewhere. There’s no time like the present, or so the old saying goes.

Putting something off to some fantastical period when you’re going to magically have “more time” isn’t going to work. You can break it down into chunks. Do a little as often as you possibly can to make it less draining.

“It’s a lot of disruption.”

Yes, of course, it is. You have to shop, make decisions, then implement them. Depending on the scale of your project, that might involve a builder being involved or transferring items into new furniture. It will be disruptive – but it’s always going to be. It’s the same as the point about time. Unless you can foresee sometime in the future when you will be able to do these things unencumbered, there’s no point holding back.

“It’s a lot of mess.”

[Photo courtesy of geralt/pixabay.com]

Even the most basic things do cause a mess, but so does life. I’m going to imagine your house tends to require cleaning anyway. So, given the potential end result, what’s the harm in a little extra?

“It’s not a good time.”

There’s a chance this is a legitimate concern and I don’t discount that. If you’re particularly busy, going through a stressful situation or have health concerns – you’re right. It’s probably not a good time and you should wait until it’s more something you can cope with. There’s also seasonal considerations; it’s little use deciding to renovate the garden in winter, for example.

[Photo courtesy of Unsplash/pixabay.com]

Only you can know if the problem is just where you’re at in your life – you know if this is a genuine reason or not. Often, this argument might be masking a concern about one of the above, so check your thinking to see if that’s the case. If it is, then see if there’s something you can do about progress. If not, and it really is a bad time, consider yourself un-enabled for now!

If your home doesn’t seem to be selling, it could all be down to your property’s curb appeal. What exactly is curb appeal? It’s how good your home looks from the curb. So even if your interiors are up to scratch, a bad curb appeal could be dragging your property down. Want to know how you can increase the attractiveness of your house from the outside? Here are some fantastic ways to do so on a budget.

[Photo courtesy of jaymantri.com/pexels.com]

Invest In Artificial Grass

Don’t want to be stuck in your garden mowing the lawn all summer? Then you should think about buying artificial grass. You can find it for quite low prices in many garden centers and DIY stores. All you need to do is dig up your lawn and replace it with this artificial grass. There’s no need to water or keep it trimmed. It’s a super easy way to create a pretty garden without having to continually spend money on keeping it neat and tidy!

Fix Garage Doors

If your garage doors are noticeably broken or faulty, it can decrease the security of your home. And if potential buyers notice this when they view your property, they may not want to place an offer on your home. So it can pay to renovate your garage doors to ensure they are both safe and attractive. Get a professional company to sort them out, such as www.GarageDoorService.com/overhead-door/

[Photo courtesy of jaymantri.com/pexels.com]

Declutter Windows

If there is a lot of clutter on your inside windowsills, it can make your home appear messy. Even if it is actually very clean and tidy inside! But as passersby will only be able to see items perched on your windowsills, they can make or break people’s impressions of your home. So it is best to keep ones that are visible from the street clean. Move any ornaments to other ledges or surfaces in a room and keep decorations on your windowsills down to a minimum.

Trim Hedges

If you use hedges to plot out the boundaries between you and your neighbours, you need to ensure that they are kept neat and trimmed. They don’t grow as quickly as grass, so you won’t need to trim them as often as a lawn. In fact, just one prune at the beginning of summer should be enough. If you leave them to grow, they can make your garden look overgrown and like a jungle. They could even make it difficult for passersby to notice your pretty flowers and plants! You can find out how to prune a hedge online: www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/pruning_prunehedges1.shtml

Plant Flowers

Keep your front garden and yard bright with lots of gorgeous flowers. They will add beautiful colors to your garden and will certainly catch people’s eyes as they walk by. People may find this very attractive for other reasons too. It means that the garden will look great when they move in, so they won’t have so much work to do!

A home is a huge investment for many of us, so why not make it worth even more? You should consider getting your home renovated and refurnished by using some home tools and different materials that you can buy from online stores, doing it alone will save you from buying weight loss fads in Milwaukee.

There are many types of home improvements techniques that you can implement in a tight budget. The first home improvement method is for comfort. You add ventilation, waterproofing basements, gourmet features, bath tubs in bathrooms, soundproofing, etc.  Next you can use maintenance and repair services like doing the masonry and concrete repairs to the chimney and foundation. Repainting the walls, rooms or fences as well as replacement of the roof or repairing the electrical and plumbing systems. Taking care of the garages, kitchen and repairing the cabinets. Refilling the floor or tending the garden, all the sub-activities that can enhance the look of your home.

[Photo courtesy of stevepb/pixabay.com]

There are home improvement techniques too that can be applied using home tools for making additional space in the house. This can be done by extending one house area by adding extra levels to the roof or by adding more rooms to the available space. Another method is to make livable space by turning imaginable areas such as turning home theaters or attics to a bedroom, or turning basement into recreation rooms, etc.

Moreover, there are home improvement tools that provide energy storage and efficiency by using thermal insulation and good lightening. Some of them are solar panels, geothermal exchange heat or biomass pellet stoves. Insert some safety tools inside like burglar or fire alarm systems, storm cellars for protection from hurricanes and tornadoes, backup generators, security doors, windows and shutters.

Is your backyard dull and bland and crying out for a change? I thought so.

Does doing something different with your backyard require a lot of money? Certainly not. The following are a whole raft of backyard ideas you can try out for yourself that won’t break the bank. So without further ado, let’s get started.

Marble Fence

Does your wooden fence lack a bit of spark? Probably. But fear not.

One cool thing that you can do is drill holes in your fence and then glue marbles into those holes. Dot the marbles at different heights and distances from each other. And play with different sizes. When the sun shines through them, they’ll glow differing colors and look amazing during a sunset. Just remember to ask your kids first whether they mind their marbles being used for decoration.

Make A Floating Cooler

This one is great if you have a pool in your backyard. Get a plastic box, like one you’d put files and folders in. Then glue foam tubes along all the top edges so that when you submerge it in water, it will float.

Then, fill the tub with ice and your favorite drinks and pop it into the pool. On a hot day, the water from the pool will keep the drinks cool, so you don’t have to continuously trek back and forth to the kitchen fridge.

Make A Throwing Game For The Kids

Grab a tarpaulin and cut a few holes in it that are big enough, so a ball to fly through. Label the different holes with different numbers, depending on their size. Bigger holes will have smaller numbers, and vice versa.

Then find two trees in your garden, roughly 15 feet apart. Suspend the tarpaulin between them, so that it is hanging like a picture. Then take aim with a soccer ball and fire.

Use Rope Lighting

Rope lighting is all the rage right now, partly because of its versatility. But it also looks incredible at night as one, continuous line of light.

[Photo courtesy of Hans/pixabay.com]

You can use rope lighting to line your garden, separating different regions from one another. It works well for lighting the edges of paths and for delineating the edges of flower beds.

Use Epsom Salt Fertiliser

Few people know it, but Epsom salt makes an excellent fertilizer. So if your pot plants are looking a little drab, and you don’t want to go out and spend a load of money on fertilizer, use Epsom salt.

It’s simple to apply. Just mix two tablespoons of salt into each gallon of water. Then use this mixture once per month instead of regular water when watering your plants. If you’re planting seeds right now, you can just sprinkle the salt on the soil and wait for the rain to do its job.

Use Pool Noodles For Kickball Croquet

Do you dream of being able to entertain the kids on a dime? Well, now you can, with kickball croquet. Just grab a few pool noodles – the foam tubes that I mentioned earlier for the floating cooler. Cut the noodles in half. The fashion them into an arch before using garden stakes to peg them down into the ground. Then just gather up a few balls and take it in turns to kick them through the hoops, just like you would take turns with a regular game of croquet.

[Photo courtesy of en.wikipedia.org/Pool noodle]

Use Faux Stone Walls

Real stone walls are expensive. Faux stone walls? Not so much. Faux stone walls from sites like www.FauxDirect.com/product-category/stone-2/ go for less than you might think. Usually, faux stone walls are made from polyurethane – a cheap plastic. Yet, surprisingly, they look and feel just like the real thing. And, just like real stone walls, they’re ultra-durable.

Use Fire Crystals

There’s nothing like having the family sit around the fire pit on a long summer evening chatting about life’s foibles. You can spruce up your fire pit with attractive colors by using fire crystals. These burn blue-green and purple, adding a beautiful twist to the already mesmerising fire.

Grow Your Own Summer House

Summer houses have been all the rage since Victorian times in England. But building another house in your garden has never been cheap. Traditionally, it was only something that the rich could do. Even today, wooden summer houses can end up costing thousands of dollars.

But why bother buying one when you can grow your own? It’s easy really. Make a circular shaped flower bed in an appropriate location in your garden. Then plant some meter-long garden stakes in the bed, woven together with some garden twine. In the bed, plant a fast-growing plant like sunflowers, that will eventually grow tall enough the provide a wall and a canvas. And then just let nature take its course.

[Photo courtesy of Donnawetta/pixabay.com]

If you do it right, you’ll end up with a beautiful, natural summerhouse that you and the kids can relax in whenever you like.

Remodel Old Tree Stumps

Most of us have some sort of tree stump, lying around in our back garden. Instead of waiting for it to rot away, why not make use of it. You could transform it into a table if it’s tall enough. Or use it as a planter, if it’s in among the flower bed.

[Photo courtesy of Los Angeles/en.wikipedia.org]

Use Mirrors

Most interior designers will tell you to use mirrors if you want to make a room inside your house look bigger, . But you don’t have to just use mirrors on the inside of your house

If you’ve got a couple of mirrors that you don’t want, you can hang them on your back fence to make your garden look bigger.

Use Glow-In-The-Dark Paint

Gardens in the daylight are stunning. Gardens at night – not so much. But it’s at night when the glow-in-the-dark paint can make a real impact. You can light up just about anything you want using it. But most people opt to highlight just a couple of features. Perhaps you’d like to make your plant pots glow. Whatever it is, glow-in-the-dark paint is an excellent way to instantly light up your garden.

Use Fast-Growing Plants For Ground Cover

Your garden probably has at least one dreary looking paths. It would look a lot better if it were a little greener along its length. You can use plants like sedum sarmentosum to cover patches of dull ground quickly. These little green plants will shoot up in no time and are ideal in harsh conditions. Then all you have to do is place stepping stone conveniently along the path and hey presto – you’ve solved the problem of your boring path.

Plant Lemongrass

You might think that lemongrass is just a herb used in South East Asian cuisine. And you’d be right. But what fewer people know is that the herb is also great at fending off annoying bugs, like mosquitos.

Don’t let mosquitoes ruin your time in the garden. Plant some lemongrass today to keep that annoying buzzing away.

Make A Tarp Splash Pad

Pools are expensive. But you and the kids want somewhere that you can cool off on a hot afternoon in the summer, especially if you live in the South.

The solution is to make a tarpaulin splash pad. Get a hose and attach it to a sprinkler. The place it on top of a tarp, spread out on the ground. The sprinkler will create a cooling splash pad, and the tarpaulin will create a fun, and slippery, surface.

Make A Wind Chime

Wind chimes made from brass are expensive. But if you’ve got a creative streak, you could make yours out of whatever you like. One option is to use a stick, some string and some old keys you don’t use anymore. Just paint the keys, strings, and branch in different colors. The suspend the keys from the branch, using the string.

Here’s another example, using old CDs.

[Photo courtesy of Windell Oskay/flickr.com]

Make A Garden Swing

Got an old, wooden chair lying around that you don’t use anymore? Why not make it into a swing? Just hack off the legs and put to one side. Then throw some rope around a sturdy tree branch, connecting it to a base made from wooden beams. Then attach the chair to the beams, and voila – you’ve got a new swinging chair.

Get Inventive With Pot Plants

When planting, you don’t have to stick to the generic plant pots from the garden center. You can use pretty much whatever you like. Got a rustic-looking crate lying around? Why not fill this with different varieties of plants and put it in your backyard?

Repaint Your Back Door

Perhaps you’ve got a wooden back door. If so, giving it a fresh coat of paint is an excellent way to make your garden look more vibrant. Why not go for a deep gold color paint to complement the summer?

[Photo courtesy of Arpingstone/en.wikipedia.org]

Use Wall Decorations

Walls aren’t always the most attractive feature of a back garden. But you can do a lot to improve their appearance. One cool thing to do is to hang bottles or pot plants, brimming with flowers. And don’t be afraid to use a lot. The more, the merrier.

Spring is drawing to a close, and summer is within touching distance. You may be thinking about spending lazy days in the garden, but is your home ready for summer? Here is an essential checklist to prepare you for the warmer months and ensure you’re all sorted and ready to relax in the sunshine.

Prepping your garden

Most of us get excited at the thought of spending free weekends in the garden. Are you planning to get friends and family around? Are you looking forward to playing with the kids in the open air? If so,  it’s a good idea to get your garden prepped and ready now. Start by having a good clear out and getting rid of any loose patio tiles, weeds, and dead leaves. Give decking and paved areas a sweep and then jet wash them clean. Mow your lawn on a dry day, and plant your seeds. When the weather warms up, dust down your patio furniture and give the barbecue a thorough scrub. If you’re eager to add some color or create an entertaining area, look for inspiration online. You can convert a modest decking area into a chic dining space. Add a rattan table and chairs set, some oversized lanterns and a couple of patterned floor cushions.

[Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture/pixabay.com]

Spring cleaning

Nothing prepares you for summer better than a good, old-fashioned spring clean. Now is the time to declutter. Tackle those boxes that have never been unpacked and be ruthless. If you have items that are in good condition, give them to charity, or organize a yard sale. Visit the tip and get rid of anything you don’t want. Once your rooms are clear, get your rubber gloves out and clean from top to bottom. Open the windows and let the fresh air in. You may not enjoy cleaning, but you’ll feel much better when it’s done. Pack away winter clothing to give you more closet space.

Maintenance checks
Before summer arrives, it’s a good idea to get any DIY jobs completed and to book some essential maintenance checks. Finish off painting jobs and put those shelves up in the spare room. Call a service man to carry out appliance repair, and book boiler and air conditioning checks. Replace broken appliances that cannot be salvaged. If you’re looking to save money on energy bills, go for products, which have a high energy rating. If you’re expecting hot weather, it’s particularly important to get air conditioning units serviced.

Interior design
If you fancy brightening up your home in time for summer, you don’t have to spend a fortune to make a difference. Invest in finishing touches, such as lamps, vases, and cushions to inject some color and give your home a new look. Look through some magazines for ideas.

[Photo courtesy of midascode /pixabay.com]

If your home is not quite ready for summer, don’t worry. You’ve got time to work through your to-do list. Investing time and effort now will enable you to put your feet up and enjoy the warm weather when summer arrives.