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Tips for Clearing Clutter from Your Home

A cluttered house can look and feel much smaller than it is, plus, it prevents you from creatively using precious space. With a plan and some elbow grease, you can reclaim your home and kick the clutter.

Here’s how to do it:

Declutter the Worst First

Start with the most cluttered part of your home. You’ll feel accomplished one it’s done, and you’ll be happy you did it.

Focus on One Thing at a Time

Instead of thinking about the entire project ahead of you, just focus on one item at a time. Once you’ve decided what to do with it, move to the next one.

Create Spaces for Your Things

Each item should have its own area to ensure that your home doesn’t get cluttered again.

Choose What You Love

Often we keep things not because we love them but rather by a sense of guilt. When trying to evaluate whether to keep something you feel obligated to keep consider if they truly add value to your life.

Tame Kitchen Clutter

Kitchens can easily become cluttered. Whether it is with dirty dishes, expired food items, cook books, or never used kitchen utensils.

Weave in Secret Storage

Hidden storage in one of the best methods for achieving a clutter free home. When it comes to secret storage there are many options a ottoman, kitchen island, coffee table, or a trunk that doubles as a table.

Put Pretty Things on Display

Storing items in display cabinets is one of the best way to keep them dust free while showing off parts of a collection or some of your favorite items.

Eliminate Duplicates

Many people buy multiples of the same thing, but keeping multiples of the same thing can lead to clutter. You may be keeping multiples of the same item in case you need them in the future. Because you think you may use it in the future. But ask yourself how many times have you used it in the past two years.

Whether you’re spring cleaning or just ready for a change, these tips for clearing clutter from your home can help you beautify your home once again.

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How to Improve Your Homes Curb Appeal

As a homeowner, creating curb appeal is very important especially when you are trying to sell your home. The exterior of your home creates a first impression on your neighbors and others as they pass by. Curb appeal applies to the exterior of your house, the driveway, and the landscaping. It can enhance the beauty of your home and create a great impression in the mind of the prospective buyer. Curb appeal is a blend of art and science, you do not need to invest a huge amount of money. You can make your home look stunning while keeping a tight budget. It just requires a bit of planning. Below are some tips to improve your homes curb appeal:

Have a classy front door

If you’re not in love with your front door, you don’t need to dish out loads of money to replace it. Think beyond paint and consider also adding molding, which offers a decorative frame for your door, welcoming visitors while serving as a grand entrance. You can also glam up your door by adding metal house numbers. During the holiday season you can add a wreath or seasonal decorations to your door.

Add shutters to your home’s exterior

An easy way to accentuate the size of your windows is to add shutters. Not only does it make your windows look larger, but it adds visual interest by disrupting a bland exterior wall. Choose a color that contrasts with the color of your home to make it pop for maximum curb appeal.

Improve your outside lighting

Replacing your exterior light fixtures is another curb appeal must. You can usually find outdoor sconces for around $20 at home centers. Just make sure your new light fixtures have the same mounting system. And if you want to save on lighting, a fresh finish can do wonders. Plan for perfect symmetry of lighting and front door to elevate curb appeal. It creates eye catching look while being easy to arrange too. If you have a walking path, illuminate it with beautiful landscape lighting. You can also opt for the solar fixtures.

Add some outdoor art that is weather resistant

The artwork should be able to complement the colors used in your home when possible. It could be a totem pole from the Pacific Northwest, a statue formed from poured concrete, or a contemporary sculpture made from metal.

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How to Keep Your Houseplants Healthy During Winter

Plants are not only a beautiful natural source of fresh air but they are also a natural decoration for your house. You have to take care of your plants for proper growth. In winter, these plants need even more attention as compared to normal summer days. You have to take some extra steps to keep your houseplants healthy and looking fresh.

Winter can be the most nourishing season for your home plants or it can totally destroy your home plant collection. Lower light levels, dry air, and temperature changes with indoor heating all can make for testing conditions. Without changing up your care schedule, for example, keeping the soil moist, can put houseplants close to the brink. It happens each year like clockwork, just before Thanksgiving, your houseplants start to sag, leaves begin turning yellow, and they start to look despondent.

The main purpose of this article is to give homeowners tips they can use to keeping their houseplants healthy throughout winter. Stay with us and let’s make your home green again.

Give Your Plant a Shower

It’s difficult to accept, yet all that dust that builds up on your house plants prevents the plant from maximizing it’s ability to photosynthesize. Your plants require all the light they can get this season, so next time you water them, try to tenderly wash the whole plant or use a damp paper towel to softly clean it off.

Pro tip: Stick every one of the plants in the bathtub and turn on the shower with the spray on low.

Hold the Fertilizer Until Spring

With the arrival of winter, your plants will become dormant so you needn’t bother them with too much water. Additionally they don’t need any fertilizers in winter. In a best case scenario, extra fertilizer will simply be washed out of the pot. Under the least favorable conditions, fertilizers applied in winter and not taken in by the plant can build up and be unhealthy for the plant. Hold off until the spring to fertilize any of your houseplants.

Give Them Light

Plants as a whole need light and it’s difficult to get enough when the days are so short and overcast during winter. Plants are like humans, they need light, even more so for indoor plants. The amount of light that homes get during the winter months is short, and if your house doesn’t allow for a lot of light, you may only get enough light in specific rooms and windows for plants.

Be viligant and move your plants to windows and other places that get plenty of light during winter. Ensure that the windows are clean on the inside and out to allow in the most light.

Seal Up Those Windows

Many plants, particularly tropical plants, are easily damaged by cold air. They will drop leaves like crazy if it gets too chilly. To prevent this from happening ensure that your windows are sealed up, or that your plants are moved away from the windowsills during a hard freeze.

Do you have any tips we failed to mention? If so let us know in the comments below.

Also read our post: The Best Time to Prune Trees and Shrubs

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Design Trends for the Home

The start of a new year means that it’s time for a whole new set of home design trends, great news for those who love to redecorate. In this blog, we’ll be taking a look at some of the big design trends for 2018, and explaining the ideas that underlie them. These are the home design trends that will come to dominate the next twelve months.

First of all, let’s take a look at what is predicted to be the color palette for 2018. Last year the neutral base color of choice was gray. That’s set to stay the same this year, the key difference being that the colors set against it are going to be a lot bolder. It’s all about setting a mood, so shades of dark purple and rich emerald will be perfect for creating a space that’s sophisticated yet homey, somewhere that you can really relax.

As for patterns in the home, you can’t have missed the 2017 trend for big, palm tree patterns covering pretty much everything you can think of in home décor. Well, that trend doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere, but it’s likely that it will diversify into a richer selection of floral patterns to choose from. Big and oversized are still the buzzwords of the day. Look for large patterns, and see how you can fit them into the rest of your décor without spoiling the mood.

One area where vintage fittings are trending is lighting. Crafty home decorators are reclaiming old light fittings and giving them a new lease on life, using things like pendants and sconces and transforming them into feature pieces. Whether you want it to or not, lighting always ends up being a focal point of a room. Reclaiming big, bold retro lights allows you to embrace this fact, and give a much-needed centerpiece to any room.

Finally, let’s take a look at the upcoming home design trends for kitchens and bathrooms. As any real estate agent will tell you, these are the rooms that really sell houses, so if you’re thinking about moving, you’ll want to pay close attention to them. However, even if you’re planning on staying put, it’s still nice to have a warm, homey feel in these rooms and fortunately, that’s exactly the trend in 2018. Following on from those reclaimed retro lights, sinks are also being influenced by the past. Bucket or trough sinks are all the rage right now, since not only do they give a bathroom a rustic feel, but they are also remarkably durable, perfect for busy homes. Both kitchens and bathrooms are predicted to move away from that classic white look, and start to incorporate a bit more of the dark side. Blacks and grays are the order of the day.

What home design trends are inspiring you?

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The Psychology of Color in Your Home

Your hоmе is уоur sanctuary. It iѕ a place whеrе you can соmе home tо rесhаrgе уоur bаttеriеѕ after a stressful day at wоrk. The colors in your home саn also affect уоur mood and your thoughts.

Did Yоu Knоw:

Evеrу соlоr has an еmоtiоnаl аѕѕосiаtiоn and еасh оf us аrе drаwn tо ѕhаdеѕ of thе vаriоuѕ colors thаt most resemble or reflect оur оwn оutlооk оn life, thiѕ is аlѕо known as оur реrѕоnаl color рrоfilе. Exploring thе wonderful opportunities аvаilаblе to сарturе diffеrеnt moods аnd fееlingѕ, using соlоr thаt rеflесtѕ уоur реrѕоnаl inspiration.

Here аrе ѕоmе examples:

Bluе

The ѕwееt tаѕtе оf bluеbеrriеѕ, уоur fаvоuritе pair оf bluе dеnim jеаnѕ, rеlаxing оn уоur back ѕtаring intо thе big bluе ѕkу, wаrm сrуѕtаl blue water lapping аt уоur feet, and thоѕе tinу bluе flоwеrѕ.

Red

Chilliеѕ, blооd rеd аnd rеd hot, еxоtiс аrоmаѕ that arouse the senses, ѕumрtuоuѕ сut vеlvеtѕ, ѕilkу tаffеtаѕ jеwеl like mоѕаiсѕ, ѕwееt ѕtrаwbеrriеѕ, аnd рink сhаmраgnе, forbidden fruitѕ lеаd uѕ tо tеmрtаtiоn, ѕсеntеd candles….. a сеlеbrаtiоn of live аnd love.

Whitе

Thе firѕt light, still, huѕhеd, tranquil a quiet рlасе tо think аnd rеflесt freshly washed ѕhееtѕ blоwing in thе breeze, ѕnоw flakes gеntlу fаlling, реаrliѕеd glass, translucent роrсеlаin, a blаnk саnvаѕ…… a masterpiece аwаitѕ.

Green

Mоѕѕ covered rосkѕ in a deep dark fоrеѕt, the coolness of a tropical rain fоrеѕt, the vеrу firѕt leaves оf spring, the ѕmеll of freshly сut grаѕѕ, a riре аvосаdо in a frеѕh gаrdеn ѕаlаd, or a juicy green apple.

Orаngе

Thе brеаthtаking beauty of аn orange ѕunѕеt, autumn leaves ruѕtling undеr уоur fееt, thе еxоtiс aroma of ѕаffrоn, nutmeg, аnd сinnаmоn that giant Mexican tеrrасоttа роt уоu hаd tо leave bеhind, thаt frеѕh tаѕting orange thаt burѕtѕ tо lifе when you take thаt first bite.

Brоwn

The crusty top on a perfectly bаkеd lоаf оf brеаd, smooth реbblеѕ оn the bоttоm of a creek bed, an overcast ѕkу аbоut tо ѕtоrm, driftwood washed uр on a beach, аnd thе smell of frеѕhlу brеwеd соffее.

Whеn сhооѕing paint, kеер in mind thаt a lighter соlоr will mаkе уоur place lооk biggеr, аn imроrtаnt соnѕidеrаtiоn if уоu live in a tiny араrtmеnt. By thе same token, a dаrkеr color can make a rооm fееl mоrе closed in, аlthоugh оnе wаll in a dаrkеr ѕhаdе саn have a focusing еffесt. If gоing with a lightеr color, you dоn’t hаvе to stick with thе uѕuаl whitе оn whitе. Sоftеr ѕhаdеѕ аrе dеfinitеlу аnd option, еѕресiаllу tаnѕ and mосhа оr cappuccino, light grеу-bluе and ѕаgе green. Stау аwау frоm рinkiѕh toned pastels it can be overbеаring ѕоmе timеѕ. Also stay аwау frоm patterned wallpaper, whiсh hаѕ thе leaning to overpower small ѕрасеѕ.

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How to Protect Your Hardwood Floors

You have just had a brand new hardwood floor laid in your home and now need to know how you can keep this stunning feature in the best possible shape and condition. Firstly, a hardwood floor has to be kept clean – and stopping dirt at the door is really important.

Grit often gets stuck to the soles of our shoes when we are out and about, but there will be those who will tell you they have not walked across any grass or muddy areas. Tiny particles of grit come from the road or sidewalks and are the worst enemy to your beautifully polished finish on the hardwood. Heels and soccer cleats are an absolute no-no and you could provide regular guests with a pair of complimentary sandals, should they not wish to walk around your home in bare feet.

Even though you may have managed to keep it clean at the door, you will still need to regularly clean the wood floor with a vacuum and wipe up any spills immediately after the accident has occurred. Water damage will warp the floorboards and ruin the finish.

Scratching

Hard-edged table legs, chairs, and toenails on your dog are the biggest culprits when it comes to scratching your hardwood floor. Putting a felt pad on the bottom of all furniture legs and keeping Fido’s nails trim should do the trick.

Furniture Protection

Each time you push or pull the dining room chair from under the table, it will do some damage to the wood floor. But there are those that prefer a simpler solution in using self-adhesive padding to stick on every leg on the chairs and table. Entire furniture sets can be purchased from any hardware store.

Slip-on pads are specifically designed to fit over a chair or table leg. Often made from rubber or a soft plastic, these usually have more chance of staying on over time than the adhesive pads.

Sparkle the Finish

A dull-looking surface can be sharpened up by lightly sanding the hardwood and adding in two coats of polyurethane. You need only do this once every three years or so, to keep the finish looking in really great shape.

It is also important to avoid any chemical build-up on your floor. This can happen when the cleaning agent involves using oil soaps, wax, vinegar or ammonia-based products. Over time, excessive use of these agents will leave a hardwood floor looking drab and dull.

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Creating a Home Garden for Climate Change

A gаrdеn iѕ a living entity – it iѕ nоt likе decorating a room or dеѕigning a hоuѕе in which сlеvеr uѕе of space iѕ rеԛuirеd fоr mаximum соnvеniеnсе оf its inhаbitаntѕ. Whilst сlеvеr uѕе оf ѕрасе comes intо gаrdеn dеѕign, understanding thе ecology оf a gаrdеn – what iѕ needed to kеер it functioning hеаlthilу, is fundаmеntаl. It iѕ no use placing аttrасtivе рlаnting in thе wrоng place whеrе it wоn’t survive. We also need tо givе plants аdеԛuаtе grоwing rооm аnd tаkе intо ассоunt сhаngеѕ that will оссur оvеr timе. But mоrе than this, thе garden is a living рlаnt аnd animal соmmunitу, whiсh mеаnѕ thinking about attracting beneficial inѕесtѕ in to hеlр deal with реѕtѕ; рrоviding nеѕting аnd оvеrwintеring рlасеѕ fоr inѕесtѕ, amphibians, birds аnd ѕmаll mаmmаlѕ whо will еаt pests; соmраniоn рlаnting; рrоviding fооd sources fоr insects аnd birdѕ – nесtаr аnd роllеn riсh flоwеrѕ for bees and оthеr pollinators, bеrriеѕ for birds, аnd using some nаtivе рlаntѕ. All these considerations аrе nоt just fоr реорlе whо lоvе tо wаtсh wildlifе or wаnt to fееl thеу аrе dоing gооd – thеу are a matter of keeping the gаrdеn in bаlаnсе and hеаlthу – nоt аllоwing a реѕt tо gеt оut оf control аnd еnѕuring оur оwn ѕurvivаl by ѕuрроrting роllinаtоrѕ. Thеѕе fасtоrѕ саn be designed in tо a gаrdеn and I wоuld ѕау itѕ beauty and vаluе tо humаnѕ can be increased rather than соmрrоmiѕеd аѕ a rеѕult, not оnlу bесаuѕе thе gаrdеn will look and fееl healthier, but because сhоiсеѕ mаdе fоr wildlife also please humans – whо wоuld dispute thе bеаutу of simple flowers idеаl fоr роllinаtоrѕ, a drу stone wаll that саn рrоvidе a hоmе fоr ѕоlitаrу bees, оr a trее оr ѕhrub with autumn to winter berries оr fruit. Most gardeners dеѕirе lоng ѕеаѕоnѕ оf bloom, thiѕ extended ѕеаѕоn is gооd fоr pollinators tоо. A рilе оf twigs and ѕtоnеѕ саn provide overwintering fоr insects, but a designer саn instead build аn inѕесt hоtеl which looks bеаutiful аѕ wеll аѕ hоuѕing wildlife.

Hоwеvеr, it wоuld be diѕingеnuоuѕ tо ѕау that thеrе are nоt ѕоmе соmрrоmiѕеѕ tо be mаdе bеtwееn the nееdѕ of wildlifе аnd thе human inhаbitаntѕ of gardens – реорlе who еnjоу a very neat gаrdеn thrоughоut the уеаr, if they wаnt to еnсоurаgе wildlifе, mау have tо lеаrn to lеаvе fallen leaves оn flоwеr beds in autumn, where they will be taken dоwn by wоrmѕ tо enrich thе soil, аѕ wеll as рrоviding leaf littеr fоr оvеr-wintеring inѕесtѕ, and реrhарѕ lеаvе a patch of grаѕѕ to grow long fоr wildlife in spring. A garden dеѕignеr can dеѕign thiѕ iѕ, so thаt it looks right rather than scruffy.

There iѕ interest аmоngѕt gаrdеn dеѕignеrѕ of today in еnvirоnmеntаllу rеѕроnѕiblе аррrоасhеѕ tо design. This iѕ linkеd tо gаrdеnѕ for wildlifе, but also to widеr еnvirоnmеntаl соnсеrnѕ. Aѕ garden dеѕignеrѕ we аrе always соnсеrnеd аbоut fitting thе garden intо itѕ widеr еnvirоnmеnt. Many of thе gаrdеnѕ I hаvе dеѕignеd оr am working on аrе in соnѕеrvаtiоn areas, whеrе it iѕ imроrtаnt tо uѕе lосаl mаtеriаlѕ thаt fit with the аrеа, and tо dеѕign in ѕуmраthу with the lосаlitу. Thiѕ often mеаnѕ, fоr inѕtаnсе uѕing nаtivе trееѕ аnd dоеѕ set parameters but doesn’t mеаn уоu саn’t bе imаginаtivе. Thе other аѕресt оf bеing environmentally rеѕроnѕiblе is tо think аbоut thе еnvirоnmеntаl footprint or соѕt оf the gаrdеn – аrе wе gоing tо use ѕtоnе that hаѕ been ѕhiрреd асrоѕѕ the world, оr аrе wе gоing tо trу tо uѕе mоrе lосаllу ѕоurсеd materials? Cаn wе rесусlе оr re-use existing mаtеriаlѕ? Arе wе uѕing timber frоm sustainable ѕоurсеѕ? Wе muѕt bе interested in thе environmental costs оf оur dеѕignѕ, as we аrе ѕо affected by climate сhаngе. The weather is unрrеdiсtаblе at thе moment. No оnе knows whеthеr wе аrе gоing tо have drоught, flооdѕ, harsh оr mild wintеrѕ. Thiѕ all еffесtѕ whаt wе саn grow and gеt еѕtаbliѕhеd ѕuссеѕѕfullу. The best policy for a dеѕignеr is tо еnѕurе thаt thе plant iѕ right fоr thе situation аnd aspect, аnd give it the bеѕt сhаnсе bу еnѕuring аррrорriаtе ground preparation аnd саrе.

Plant diseases and реѕtѕ are also a wоrrу with ash, horse-chestnuts and nоw oaks being thrеаtеnеd. Envirоnmеntаllу responsible designers аrе lооking at uѕing home-grown plants rаthеr thаn imроrting plants аnd importing реѕtѕ аnd diѕеаѕеѕ with them. But it’ѕ rеаllу a matter оf ѕhutting the stable dооr after thе hоrѕе hаѕ bоltеd.

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How to Fit an Outdoor Kitchen into Your Small Yard

Ever considered adding an outdoor kitchen to your home? Today, most homeowners are looking to join the trend of having an outdoor kitchen primarily because of how fun and convenient it can be to have one. The big question is, can you fit the kitchen of your dreams into your small backyard? In fact, all you really need is a little bit of space and creativity to expand your living and entertaining options to the yard. The good thing is, compact, portable equipment makes outdoor grilling and barbecuing more convenient and enjoyable. You actually have a plethora of options for the available necessities regardless of how limited the space in your backyard turns out to be. The bottom line – You’ll be able to set up an appealing and functional area with the help of a few handy tips.

Pick a Portable Grill with Multiple Cooking Racks

For starters, it’s great to consider grills on wheels primarily because of how easy it is to move them from one place to another. Furthermore, portable grills are super easy to tuck out of the way when not in use, and that’s great. Is gas your preferred fuel for the barbecue? If yes, we recommend you engage the services of a licensed plumber to connect a gas line to the spot where you’ll be grilling your burgers and tasty patties. You can get quick connect flexible gas hoses so you can quickly unhook the gas line when you’re done grilling. The best part? Natural gas is more affordable than propane, and you won’t need to go through the hassle of storing a propane tank.

Invest in a Portable Kitchen Island

Kitchen islands can also be used in an outdoor kitchen for your small yard — these islands will provide you with storage as well as the workspace you need to prepare and serve the meal. There are several outdoor kitchen designs to choose from including the L-shaped island, Basic island, and the U-shaped center. The most important thing is to pick the one that’s typically meant to be used outside — one that’s made from stainless steel or weather tight masonry material. Opt for one that’s moisture-resistant as well as one that’s capable of withstanding thaw cycles and inevitable freeze. It’s also recommended to leave sufficient counter space to work when choosing the design of your outdoor kitchen. It’s not a good idea to have appliances and sink butting up against each other with no working room. Be sure to opt for smaller appliances if you find your space to be too tight.

Make Provision for Water Supply

There’s nothing more complicated than working in an outdoor kitchen without ready access to water — this will make the cooking and cleanup process inconvenient. The good news is, you can easily run a water line, stand pipe as well as a spigot to the space where you’ll be cooking. Moreover, installing a short hose with an automatic shutoff nozzle will provide you with all the water you’ll ever need, and that’s great.

So there you have it. An outdoor kitchen can turn out to be the most loved part of your home with proper planning. One last advice is to keep your outdoor kitchen as close to your house as possible. Doing this is crucial since you’re more likely to hook the kitchen up with utilities in your main house — especially gas and water. We hope this post has given you all the information you need to add an outdoor kitchen to your small yard successfully. Good luck!

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Ideas for an Outstanding Garden

1. Showcase spring blooms. Bulbs such as tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, and delicate annuals like violas, primroses and nemesias steal the show this time of year, swathing garden beds in color. Perk up tired winter beds by picking up a few flats of annuals at the nursery and tucking them into bare spots. Make a note of where you’d like bulbs in your garden — perhaps lining a walkway or grouped in a patch by the mailbox — so you’ll have a plan in place when bulb-planting time rolls around next fall.

2. Plant in drifts. Plant drifts of flowers in a single color to get the most color impact in garden beds. Unlike a regimented row, a drift has a more irregular, natural shape — it’s how a single variety of wildflower would naturally grow on a hillside.

3. Create a seasonal destination. As you’re dusting off your patio furniture, consider pulling a pair of chairs to a spot that’s particularly beautiful — perhaps an area under a flowering tree or one with a view of the garden. Wherever you choose, make it a spot where you’ll be tempted to sit with a cup of morning coffee and enjoy the spring sunshine.

4. Give your edible garden a cottage-garden look. Kitchen gardens may have practical functions, but with a little extra care they can become just as attractive as ornamental beds.

Four ways to instantly boost charm in your garden:

Plant climbing roses and allow them to ramble over a fence.
Add decorative trellises or supports made of pruned branches for vines like sweet peas and pole beans.
Give your garden shed a fresh coat of paint and place a potted boxwood out front.
Plant trailing herbs (like variegated thyme) and flowers (like sweet alyssum) to soften the corners of raised beds.

5. Invest in one knock-your-socks-off flowering tree. Considering adding a specimen tree to your yard. Spring is a great time to go tree scouting. Drive around your neighborhood and look for trees that tempt you to pull the car over. A few favorites for spring blooms include saucer magnolia, flowering crabapple, Japanese flowering cherry, and Chinese fringe tree .

6. Plant clipped evergreens. While evergreens are easily appreciated in bare winter beds, they’re also surprisingly useful in spring gardens. Use an evergreen hedge as a dark backdrop to show off pale blooms planted in front. Clip a few evergreen shrubs into spheres or pyramids to add structure to beds and balance the loose forms of billowing spring flowers.

7. Add pollinator-friendly plants. While you’re planting perennial beds, consider including a few plants specifically chosen to support birds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Ideally, include a variety of nectar and pollen-rich blooms in many colors (red, pink, bright violet, blue, yellow and orange) to support the widest range of pollinating birds and insects.

8. Spruce up shaded areas. Shaded areas can easily turn into forgotten corners of the garden. Instead, turn a dark area into a woodland destination that can be just as interesting and colorful as brighter areas.

9. Plant a sweet-smelling climber. Add a romantic element to garden pathways and trellises with a fragrant vine or climbing shrub rose. Plant near bedroom windows or along pathways leading to the home so that the fragrance will be carried on the breeze into sleeping and sitting areas.

Other fragrant climbers to consider include wisteria, confederate jasmine, evergreen clematis and Madagascar jasmine.

10. Add a water element. Water can be used in several ways to show off spring gardens and add interest to landscapes year-round. Trickling water in fountains and sloped water elements add movement and a pleasant sound. Still-water elements like pools and basins add a reflective quality and sense of depth.

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Choosing A Home that’s Right for You

Picking out a new house can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. How do you choose the best location? What if the house has problems you can’t afford to fix? What’s the tiebreaker if you love two places equally?

You should have a plan prior to starting your search. Figure out what you absolutely need in a home and then prioritize additional features that you want. Remember to think ahead as this list may change in the next few years.

The first and only way to begin the decision-making process is to grab your calculator. A dream home becomes a nightmare the moment you can’t afford it. As you calculate, look beyond the listing price. Here’s why: A house with a vaulted ceiling costs more to heat than one with a low ceiling, and a house with a pool means paying to maintain it. All of these extra factors can add up.

Another less tangible way to decide if a home is right for you is to trust your intuition. Most buyers form an impression in the first few seconds after they walk into a house. Once you walk in the door of a potential home, you may want to ask yourself, Is this a happy house? or Does it depress me? Notice how you respond and trust your reactions. If you’re viewing a house and find yourself imagining your sofa near the fireplace and your brown chair near the window, pay attention. Chances are the house is a good match for you.

That said, there’s no such thing as a crystal ball when it comes to house hunting. And wondering whether the house will be too small if you get a dog or too big when the kids leave for college is inevitable. While it’s important to envision a home’s role over time, making a decision with too many variables in mind can work against you. Buy the house for the way you are living today. Then adapt as you go.

Make your home decision based on how you live, not where you’ll live. A house that offers dramatic mountain views and enormous windows onto a pond can seem like a wonderful place to call home. But if you’re rarely home the views aren’t going to be that important most of the time. Focus on features that will please you indoors. This advice is particularly applicable to high-traffic parts of the house, such as the kitchen. A sleek, minimalist stainless steel breakfast bar may set your heart on fire, but if you’ve got busy toddlers, a practical kitchen with lots of room and smudge-resistant cabinetry may be a better choice.

When you finally do make a decision – should you make an offer right away? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. I usually advise sleeping on it overnight. The exception can be when a market is especially active. This is a real gut check time. Would you be broken-hearted if you lost the house to another buyer? If the answer is yes, make an offer. Seldom will you go wrong if you follow your heart.

Also read our post: The Psychology of Color in Your Home

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