ON THE ROAD | Outdoor Projects Across Cork & Kerry 🇮🇪 Hon Kerry! This week I’ve been on the road across Cork and Kerry, getting out to a wide range of outdoor projects, including a stop in Ardfert, County Kerry — the Kingdom of Football! 🟢🟡 It’s been a busy week of travelling, meeting homeowners, looking at real outdoor spaces and seeing the challenges people are dealing with first-hand. And for us, it really doesn’t matter whether it’s rain or shine. In fact, sometimes the miserable weather is when we learn the most about an outdoor space. When the wind is blowing and the rain is coming down, you can actually see how a garden or outdoor area performs in the elements. Where is the wind coming from? Where is the water going? Which areas are exposed? Where is the shelter? How is the drainage performing? And how is the space actually going to feel and function throughout an Irish winter — not just on a beautiful summer afternoon? Those are the things that can be difficult to understand from a photograph or a plan. Over the past week I’ve been looking at everything from new builds and established gardens to planting, shelter, drainage, boundaries, outdoor living areas and practical ways of getting more from the space and budget available. I’ve also been recording plenty along the way, so there’s lots of fresh content coming over the next few weeks from Cork and Kerry. At GreenTouch Outdoor Advisory, the aim is simple: practical advice before you start spending serious money on your outdoor project. Whether you’re planning a new garden, improving an existing space, reviewing ideas or quotes, or you simply want another set of experienced eyes on a project, we offer video consultations and on-site consultations. And yes — we’ll come out in the rain. ☔ Sometimes that’s exactly when we need to see it! Think before you spend. Follow and subscribe for practical outdoor advice, real projects and simple ideas that can help you make better decisions before the work begins. #GreenTouchOutdoorAdvisory #Cork #Kerry #Ardfert #IrishGardens #GardenAdvice #OutdoorLiving #GardenDesignIreland #NewBuildIreland #HomeImprovement #IrishHomes #LandscapingIreland #GardenIdeas #OutdoorSpaces #ThinkBeforeYouSpend

A little detour on the way to my next call-out in West Cork. Not exactly a postcard day at Gougane Barra, but maybe that’s the point. The stone, the trees, the water — nothing is overdone, and everything feels like it belongs. There’s a lesson in that for our own outdoor spaces. We don’t always need more materials, more features or more money spent. Sometimes the best results come from keeping things simple, working with what’s already there and letting the surroundings do some of the work. Inspiration doesn’t always come from another garden. Think before you spend.

Heat pumps are becoming a standard feature in new-build homes, but where they're positioned can have a massive impact on your garden. This should have been a brilliant private courtyard space. Instead, the heat pump has been positioned right in the heart of it. It's not just about how it looks. The cold air coming from the unit can make the area unpleasant to sit in and can also make planting around it more challenging. With a little more thought at the planning stage, this unit could have been positioned away from the main usable areas, leaving this space to become part of the garden. When you're buying a new build, don't just look at the house and the size of the garden on the plans. Look at where the heat pump, bins, services, drains and other utilities are actually going to go. Small decisions at the beginning can make a massive difference later. Think before you spend. Need help making the most of your outdoor space? Book a video consultation today — link in bio. #HeatPump #HeatPumps #AirSourceHeatPump #HeatPumpIreland #NewBuild #NewBuildIreland #NewBuildHome #NewBuildGarden #IrishHomes #IrishGarden #GardenDesign #GardenIdeas #GardenPlanning #SmallGarden #SmallGardenIdeas #OutdoorLiving #OutdoorSpace #GardenAdvice #GardenTips #HomeImprovement #HomeDesign #HouseDesign #Homeowners #FirstTimeBuyer #NewHome #PropertyIreland #IrishProperty #HousePlanning #GardenMakeover #GardenInspiration #Landscaping #LandscapeDesign #OutdoorDesign #GardenProblems #GardenSolutions #HeatPumpPlacement #HeatPumpEyesore #GardenConsultation #OutdoorAdvisory #ThinkBeforeYouSpend

Clotheslines might not be the most attractive feature in a garden, but they are one of the most practical. The problem is that in a smaller garden, a large rotary clothesline or a badly positioned washing line can completely dominate the space. That doesn’t mean you have to get rid of the clothesline. It just means it is worth thinking about the type you use and where you position it. In my own garden, I use a retractable clothesline. It gives me a full washing line when I need it, but when the clothes are dry, the line retracts back out of the way. For a small garden, courtyard, patio, townhouse garden or compact outdoor space, that can make a massive difference. There are plenty of clothesline options available including rotary clotheslines, fixed wall-mounted lines, retractable washing lines and traditional static lines. The right choice really depends on the size of your garden, where you get the sun, where you normally access the house with washing, how much space you have and whether you want the clothesline permanently visible. It is also worth thinking about the clothesline early when planning a garden. People often spend thousands on paving, patios, planting and garden furniture and then realise afterwards that the washing line has nowhere sensible to go. You don’t want to be walking through planting beds with a basket of washing. You don’t want the line stretched across your main seating area. And in a very small garden, you probably don’t want a large rotary clothesline permanently sitting in the middle of the lawn or patio if there is a better alternative. These are small decisions, but they can have a big impact on how practical your outdoor space is to actually live with. A good garden should work first and look good second. Ideally, it should do both. If you are planning a small garden, new-build garden, patio, courtyard or outdoor renovation, think about all of the everyday practical things before you start spending money: clothes drying, bins, storage, access, drainage, parking, heat pumps, sheds, lighting and where everything is actually going to live. A little bit of planning at the start can save a lot of frustration later. Think before you spend. Green Touch Outdoor Advisory helps homeowners make better outdoor decisions before spending money on their garden or outdoor space. #Clothesline #RetractableClothesline #WashingLine #SmallGarden #SmallGardenIdeas #GardenIdeas #GardenDesign #GardenPlanning #OutdoorLiving #OutdoorSpace #GardenTips #HomeImprovement #GardenAdvice #IrishGardens #IrelandGarden #NewBuildGarden #PatioIdeas #CourtyardGarden #TownhouseGarden #CompactGarden #GardenInspiration #BackGarden #BackyardIdeas #GardenRenovation #OutdoorDesign #PracticalGarden #HomeAndGarden #GardenSolutions #LandscapeAdvice #LandscapingTips #GardenMakeover #SmallSpaceIdeas #OutdoorIdeas #WashingLineIdeas #RotaryClothesline #GardenStorage #FunctionalGarden #LandscapeDesign #GardenLayout #DIYGarden #Homeowners #IrishHomes #Ireland #DublinGardens #GardenYouTube #GardenShorts #YouTubeShorts #Shorts #GreenTouchOutdoorAdvisory