Homes & Gardens

What to Consider Before Adding Colour to Your Home

Choosing a new colour for your home is much more than just picking something that looks good in isolation. You need a tone that reflects your style and complements the architecture. Before you start splashing paint on the walls, there are a few factors to think about that can help you make an...

Composters and water butts up for grabs

Plymouth residents are being invited to a one-day sale of compost bins and water butts at discounted prices.

A range of compost bins, water butts and wormeries will be up for grabs at the event taking place on Sunday 14 April.

Plymouth City Council has teamed up with Original Organics Limited to offer compost bins and other environmentally-friendly garden features at discounted...

RHS calls on garden lovers to take part in unique climate change study

Scientists from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and the University of Reading are asking anyone interested in gardens and gardening, whether allotment holders or those who enjoy visiting gardens, to take part in a unique survey designed to improve understanding of how climate change may affect gardens and green spaces in the future.

The information gathered will enable the RHS to...

Historic Merchant’s House opens for summer season

The Merchant’s House, one of Plymouth’s most historic properties, has opened its doors for the 2013 season.

Located at 33 St Andrew Street, tucked behind the Magistrates Court, the house is Plymouth’s finest surviving example of a 16th to 17th century residence.

Inside, it is divided into a series of themed rooms that look at different aspects of Plymouth’s more recent history...

Has spring sprung in your garden?

If your Plymouth garden is springing forth with a seasonal splash of colour despite the wintry weather, you could show it off with the Plymouth in Bloom spring garden competition.

The competition is being run in conjunction with Plymouth City Council who are encouraging people to get involved: "Just fill out the entry form and judges will pop round to take a look at your gardens or...

Trailers to require a permit for household waste

A permit scheme to cut the number of traders who illegally tip their rubbish is being extended to include trailers as part of a package of changes to the city’s household recycling centres. People who use trailers will soon have to apply for a permit if they want to tip household waste at Chelson Meadow and Weston Mill household waste recycling centres.

In 2002 van permits were...

Community garden apprentices dig deep for award

A team of nine apprentices at Plymouth City Council are gearing up to become ‘Apprenticeship Team of the Year’ by revamping a community garden.

The award is part of the Brathay Apprenticeship Challenge, organised by the Brathay Trust and the National Apprenticeship Service, which sees teams of apprentices across the UK competing to gain the title.

The teams will develop,...

Avoid overloading your electrical sockets advice

Most people have extension leads in their homes, often using four-way bar adaptors to increase the number of appliances that you can plug into a wall socket.

Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service remind you that although there is space to plug in four appliances, this does not mean it is always safe to do so.

Different electrical appliances use...

Persimmon first in South West to sign up for FirstBuy 2

Persimmon Homes will be the first housebuilder in Devon and Cornwall to offer prospective home buyers access to the Government’s FirstBuy 2 scheme after signing up with the Homes & Communities Agency.

Nationally, 281 of the group’s Persimmon and Charles Church developments will offer the scheme, with a possibility of further sites being added at a later date....

Growing your own chillies has never been easier

Growing chillies has never been more popular. Now it really couldn’t be easier, as South Devon Chilli Farm has introduced a new service offering a range of seedlings which can be delivered direct to your home by post.

The seedlings are available in sets of six with 24 varieties in total to choose from:

‘Hot Six’ Chilli Seedlings

In this set of...

Top Tips for buying a kitchen worktop online

A quick remedy for refreshing the kitchen without replacing it entirely is to simply update the work surfaces. However, buying a kitchen worktop from an online company can be a daunting task.

Neil Shah, Managing Director of Stone Masters, the innovative granite and quartz stone specialists, offers these useful ‘top tips’ when buying a worktop online:

1) Consider what type of...

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