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A Great British gazebo

February 16, 2012 by

The British are famous for the gardens and their obsession with all things gardening-related, but perhaps other countries of the world are better known for the things they put in their garden?

It’s a moot point, perhaps, but if it’s true then it must be down to climate.

But this day and age, there’s no reason why British gardens can’t have a nice gazebo that is useable all year round – or at least, most of the year.

It may be a bit of a stretch to suggest that you’d want to use a gazebo between November and February, but it’s possible given the ease of insulation and the kind of safe outdoor heaters that are available these days. But of course, a British gazebo that is useable for almost all of the year isn’t one in the classic style of permanently open sides etc. It has to be one you can close in when need be to protect yourself from the elements – and which is easy to open up completely on the nicest of days.

Have a look around, though, and there are many designs to choose from on the web that really do lend genuine charm to an English country garden whatever the weather, but particularly in the spring and summer.

If you pick up a fairly cheap dining table and chairs to go inside – it can be great fun to eat “almost” outdoors even in the off-season. And on the hottest days, a gazebo can be a wonderfully cool place to while away the hours with your other half on a pair of recliners with the doors and windows thrown open.

Perhaps the most open thing to remember is that the gazebo will be the first thing people notice – and the wrong sort really can spoil the look of the whole house. So don’t skimp on cost; if you’re going to do it – do it right, buy a beautiful one that will last, that complements your garden and house – and that you will spend many happy years dozing in!     

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Make the conservatory part of your home

January 31, 2012 by

All too often in modern homes the conservatory has become too separated from the rest of the house to be used on a day-to-day basis. To avoid having a room that doesn’t get used for ninety per cent of the time, you have to make a few changes to make it more of a central part of your home.

You might decide to turn it over to the children as a second sitting room. If you have an extending dining table in your conservatory then when it’s set up without the extension, it gives more room for other activities apart from eating. You might even have enough space to put in a leather sofa that could easily remain in the room during the times you want to use it as a normal conservatory again.

And, instead of having a really formal dining table, you might want to get a more casual style table, so that the kids are able to use the same table for drawing and colouring without worrying about whether they’re damaging it. Look online at sites like Harveys for some inspiration on different dining furniture styles.

The best way to use a conservatory more often is to make sure you eat dinner in there

at least once or twice a week; no matter if you’ve got a big enough table in your kitchen. It can sometimes feel like a bit of hassle carrying all the serving dishes, crockery and cutlery into the dining room, but if you enlist the kids to help, it’ll soon be done quickly enough.  One big advantage is that you can eat away from the preparation and washing up area. After all, you’d go to this effort for guests, so you should do it for yourselves, too. It will make family meals feel special, and it’ll ensure that your conservatory gets used, even during the winter months.

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Prepare for the weather when gardening this winter

September 20, 2011 by

Just because winter isn’t far away, doesn’t mean you can stop spending time in the garden. The green-fingered among you will realise that the cold weather doesn’t mean you need to stop gardening completely; you just need to do slightly different things and tend to other areas of your green spaces.

Come rain or shine, with mens waterproof jackets to hand, you’ll be well equipped for the weather. If it’s a bit nippy outside, it makes sense to have waterproof jackets so you won’t get too cold if the rain or even sleet comes along.

There are some important jobs which need to be done, even during the winter months of the year. You should always try and cut the grass if you can see it’s growing still, but it’s important to raise the height of the mower blades before doing so.

In order to stop containers with winter bedding from freezing, either bring them inside from the garden into a sheltered space or wrap them with bubblewrap in preparation for the cold weather.

You can also start to think a bit further down the line. In the winter, you can begin planning for spring, thinking about the plants and flowers you might want in the garden next year. Grab yourself a seed catalogue so you can find out what needs to be planted and when, then you’ll be able to get organised ahead of the warmer weather arriving next spring.

Gardening isn’t just a summer activity, so if you’re happy to brave the cold and wet weather every now and again, you’re still more than capable of going out and exploring your garden even when the temperatures drop.

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