Category: garden

The sun will (hopefully) shine this summer, and when it does, entertaining friends and family in the garden is something many of us do. A pool party is perfect – your guests can keep cool and have fun at the same time. Pool parties are not just for kids, however. Adults love them too! Better still, you don’t need to spend, spend, spend to have a good time with a pool party.

Save money on digital invitations

With the pool party date set, you need to make sure your guests put it in their diary to join you. Ditch paper invites – good news for your budget and the environment – and text invites instead or send out an e-invite using email. If you are super tech-savvy, start a private group on one of the many social media platforms inviting guests to your pool party.

Get the outdoor garden bar stocked (and ask for contributions).

Perhaps the most singular expensive aspect of hosting any party, summer pool parties included, is a well-stocked outdoor garden bar. From wine and cocktails to non-alcoholic fruit punches your budget will really start to feel the squeeze.

Ask people for contributions – most guests will be happy to bring a bottle of two for the outdoor garden bar, as they will to bring dishes for the patio table.

HINT – short on glasses? No problem! Opt for recycled paper cups that can be tipped into your kerbside recycling container.

Outdoor seating-savvy

Pool parties are great fun, but an influx of guests bring some logistical headaches. One issue can be seating. Plastic chairs are all well and good but they aren’t always the most comfortable, and from an environmental point of view, they are not the best option either.

If you have a dining bench, then bring this out too, great for kids when they’ve finished in the pool and for storing stuff like towels and other bits and bobs.

As well as dining chairs with your outdoor dining table, there is a range of outdoor seating options such as the relaxing seat offered by sun loungers. Rattan is an eco-friendly and sustainable material that is easy on the budget too. A pair of rattan sun loungers with a matching low table is great for the garden, especially pool parties.

An excellent investment when it comes to versatile outdoor seating is an outdoor sofa. There are all kinds of shapes and sizes, including an L-shaped outdoor sofa. With a pool party, wet seating can be problematic but not with the showerproof cushion covers of the garden sofa set or garden bench.

Don’t forget to have plenty of patio chairs around the patio dining table too!

Zone your garden

Making your guests comfortable is the sign of a great host, and for a garden or pool party, the expectations are no different. Zone your garden so your guests can enjoy different spaces and interactions. From informal, lounging areas to eating areas with an outdoor table and chairs, create spaces that are inviting. You may want to consider dry and wet areas too!

With great company, food and drink to share, along with a great pool, your pool party this summer will go with a swing.

When May arrives, it ushers in warmer temperatures and is also the start of the bank holiday season. With two public holidays in May, it is the perfect time to plan a garden party. But how can you give yours a party vibe?

Get out the cushions

We’re seeing more choice when it comes to cushions suitable for the outside furniture. Bright and vibrant colours and patterns make for an instant party vibe, a visual welcome too for when your guests arrive at your garden party.

Add extra cushions to your outdoor sofa and garden benches too. Why not opt for large outdoor floor cushions too, great for kids to lounge on?

The small details have it

With one eye on environmental impact, you’ll want to add accessories that are bright and fun but don’t cost the earth. Manufacturers are creating amazing paper pom-poms, ideal for hanging from pergolas, or the outdoor garden bar and fencing to add detail to your garden. Check the packaging for instructions, but most paper accessories and trimmings can be recycled at the kerbside.

Dress the table

Just like you make a super-stylish effort with your dining room table, do the same with your outdoor dining table.

A pretty table covering is a great base from which to build the rest of the table. Stick with the bright colours, opting for the on-trend flower patterns on table covers and napkins that designers are using this summer.

Add pots of flowers to your table too, along with candles arranged in an informal pattern across the centre of the outdoor dining table. You could also add small pot plants too, perfect for making the most of nature.

Invest in outdoor seating

If you enjoy hosting spring bank holiday garden parties, you’ll need to consider investing in outdoor seating that performs time and time again. As well as an outdoor dining bench, consider opting for an extendable outdoor dining table with plenty of dining chairs to accommodate your guests.

Patio chairs work well too, especially to create for informal seating areas. A rattan sofa is also an ideal purchase – great for dressing up with colourful throws and cushions – as well as a garden sofa set, complete with low-level coffee table for cocktails and coffee! Don’t forget to add shade to some seating areas too for those guests needing a break from the sun.

Games and socialising

The best parties are those that seem to flow effortlessly, but as any great party host will tell you, it takes a lot of background work to make it happen.

And that means having plenty of things for your guests to do – lawn party games from giant ‘Jenga’ to the more raucous ‘Twister’ game – to spaces that are for socialising. Food is always the big draw at any party, as too are the drinks. Serve cocktails and fruit punches from your outdoor garden bar.

A big welcome

And finally, as with any party, the summer garden party vibe is set from the moment your guests arrive, so make sure that the welcome is personal and warm.

The days are longer and warmer which means one thing – spending as much time in the garden as you can? Creating an outdoor space that everyone can enjoy, and that has enough outdoor storage is not as hard as you think, especially with these great tips…

1 Spring clean

Just like indoors, when you feel the warmth of the late spring sun, get to work spring cleaning your garden. From emptying pots to getting rid of rubbish and clutter, to digging over borders, start your preparing your garden for summer by making sure it’s tidy.

If you have a garden sofa set, now is the time to whip off the cover and give it a brush or vacuum to get rid of any cobwebs and sheltering insects. Use warm water and a gentle detergent to give it a new lease of life and following the instructions on the covers, give them a gentle wash too.

2 Give each corner of your garden a job to do

For too long, we have seen the garden as only useful when it is a wide open space of lawn and flowers. But turning your garden into a living space with ‘rooms’ or zones will mean you get more use out of it.

For example, establish a dining zone for al fresco meals. As well as being close to the house of BBQ and pizza oven, you also need a firm base. Consider adding a patio, making sure you build one as big as you garden can accommodate so you can enjoy the patio table with plenty of room to spare.

A ‘quiet’ zone is also great for kicking back and relaxing, and this is where rattan outdoor furniture really comes into its own. Able to withstand all kinds of weather, with sumptuous cushions, it’s perfect for sinking into to enjoy the sunset after a long day.

3 Small garden? Focus on HOW you’ll use it

If you’re not gifted with acres of garden space, you won’t want to stuff it full of furniture and pergolas simply because it will stop you truly enjoying the garden. If you have a smaller outdoor space, choose the outdoor furniture that serves your main priority for using your garden. For example, a simple garden bench is perfect if you enjoy lounging in the garden. If you want to eat outdoors, investing in a folding patio dining set is a perfect choice – simply fold it and store it when not in use. 

4 Summer garden party ready

It doesn’t take much to give your garden a quick and easy overhaul ready for the summer garden party and BBQ season. Aside from fragrant blooms, you need to make sure you have garden furniture that is versatile, practical and stylish.

For informal get-togethers, an outdoor garden bar is surely the winning choice? With a pleasing style to it, it wouldn’t look out of place alongside an impressive rustic style 6-seater dining table. Get even more guests around the table with a dining bench, a brilliant addition to your home and garden.

And finally, let the romantic in you come out with plenty of scented flowers and climbing plants for shades of the pergola and soft lighting that invites people to spend as much time as possible in the garden.

From your high-rise balcony to a small yard to the rear or side of your property, any outdoor space you have can be beautiful. But you may think, without the gift of acres of outdoor space, how can you make the most of the smaller garden?

One main item

Whether you have a small balcony or tiny patch of lawn, opting for one main item is excellent for creating a focal point around which the rest of the space revolves. Consider how you use your garden – or how you would like to use it – and build from there.

For example, if you want to grow flowers or veg, a mini cold frame of window boxes are a great place to start. But if you also want to sit and enjoy the space and fresh air, then a rattan sofa set makes sense.

Make more of the ordinary

A garden bench is a brilliant piece of practical furniture – and certainly a worthwhile consideration for the smaller garden – but why settle for the ordinary when you could have something a little different?

A beautiful rattan sofa is an ideal alternative to the garden bench. A simple yet functional item of outdoor garden furniture, rattan along with the metal frame of the sofa, is also just as robust and beautiful as a hardwood such as teak. It also boasts serious sustainability and eco-friendly credentials too.

Foldaway table and chairs

If you have the space for your outdoor dining set to remain permanently in position, all the better but when you have less space to play with, you may want to consider outdoor chairs that can be folded away when not in use.

This is certainly the case when it comes to al fresco dining. A garden bistro set is ideal – like this two-seater and round folding metal outdoor table – for the smaller garden. Not only does it foldaway but the streamline design doesn’t clutter the space either. As well as two colour options – blue and clay – there is also the four-seater garden bistro set worthy of consideration, perfect for entertaining.

Make use of corners or shady areas

With beautiful lights and plenty of seating options – sometimes wooden stools or even a dining bench make for brilliant ad hoc seating for the small garden when entertaining – but a small garden doesn’t mean you can’t have an outdoor bar. Streamline yet beautifully robust and stylish, an outdoor bar is perfect for shady corners or a space that you don’t use as much as the sunnier spots in your garden. Or, you could find an outdoor corner sofa that fits perfectly.

Adding plants in pots with ladder shelving

Plants in pots are great for smaller gardens or on the patio or balcony, but too much ‘clutter’ at floor level can close in the space even more. That doesn’t mean waving goodbye to greenery, pleasantly scented blooms or your herb garden – cluster plants in pots on a smaller outdoor ladder shelf instead. Great for doubling up as a small garden table for cocktails.

You can have it all…

Think you can’t have a rattan sofa set? If you enjoy lounging in the sun (safely, of course, with plenty of protective sun cream), you can, even if the dimensions of your garden are a little on the bijou side. As rattan outdoor furniture goes, is there anything better than rattan loungers with coffee table?

Hopefully, the sun will shine from the start of summer and well into the autumn, perfect for your Airbnb guests to enjoy the garden. Just how do you create a garden that is inviting, welcoming and practical to Airbnb guests?

The garden is a beautiful space for your guests to use. Get it right, and it can become the feature that attracts guests, making your Airbnb rental stand out above the rest.

Embrace nature (but be tidy)

There is a difference between a garden that is untouched and one that is ‘manicured’ to make the most of nature. Are there parts of your garden that are under-utilised? Making the most of every inch, whether you have a small garden or acres of land, is essential for dressing your garden to be the outdoor haven your guests will love.

Offer different options when it comes to use

Your guests will be looking to relax and enjoy the outdoor space thus it makes sense to offer different seating options…

• Outdoor bar – with an outdoor bar and stools, your guests can lap up the sunshine and each other’s company in an informal social setting.

• Alfresco dining – a garden patio set on the patio is perfect for breakfast in the garden, as it is for lunch and the evening meal. If space is limited, a folding garden bistro set with either two or four chairs is ideal. Or you can opt for a chunky hardwood outdoor dining table and chairs if you prefer.

• Informal seating – from a rattan sofa set to an L-shaped garden sofa set, informal seating has become really popular in the last few years. Better still, rattan outdoor furniture is the perfect investment simply because it is robust, stylish and from sustainable sources too. Sofas imply lounging, and that means enjoying the garden to relax in.

Give your garden a wow factor

Outdoor space is always a selling point when it comes to Airbnb rentals, but by giving it an extra injection with the wow factor, your bookings will fly off the chart.

• A garden room – investing in a garden room or studio is perfect for expanding the potential bookings you could enjoy through Airbnb. As well as being perfect for spending more time in the garden and enjoying your hospitality, it also makes your property an ideal rental for business travellers too.
• A peaceful haven for guests and nature – from spectacular waterfalls to pretty ponds full of life, creating a peaceful nook, complete with rattan sofa or garden bench, is perfect for those guests who want to get off the merry go round of life, for a day or two at least.

Invest in garden design

You may not have the budget to do a full Monty Don on your garden, but there is no denying the difference that the professional services of a gardener can make both in the design of your outdoor space and how welcoming it looks.

Plant plenty of fragrant blooms and dreamy climbers and add lights as well as making sure there are plenty of rugs, throws and cushions for the outdoor rattan sofa and chairs for guests to use.

Make the most of every aspect of your garden, from the view at the hedgerow to shade of the pergola.

At the end of the month, we turn the clocks forward, and we know what that means – what we lose in terms of an hour less in bed, we gain in the shape of more daylight hours. With days stretching ever longer, as the temperatures rise, we’ll spend more time in the garden but only if we have the weatherproof rattan garden furniture to enjoy it!

This year, we welcome several key pieces to our rattan outdoor furniture ranges. Made from this beautiful, robust, natural and sustainable material, let us introduce you to five of our latest outdoor garden furniture items, perfect for sitting back and relaxing in your garden.

Beyond al fresco dining – relaxing in the garden

There is more to garden furniture than outdoor table and chairs although we agree these should remain part of your garden furniture set up. But if you enjoy the garden more by relaxing and reclining, it makes sense to invest in the beautiful Heyshott rattan sofa set. The spacious sofa and matching armchair, along with a coffee table would look elegant on any patio.

Weatherproof outdoor living ‘room’

Continuing the theme of relaxing and reclining, we bring you the beautiful Colwell rattan sofa set. Ideal for when you regularly entertain or if you have a larger family to accommodate, the beautiful off-white outdoor cushions of this set are weatherproof meaning that the occasional shower we have come to expect of the great British summer weather is not a problem.

Corner sofa for the patio

The outdoor corner sofa is an item of outdoor furniture that has become a firm favourite in recent years. And no wonder with all the seating it offers as well as the vast expanse of a sofa, perfect for a cheeky snooze on a summer’s afternoon…

We like to think that the outdoor corner sofa has come of age this year with our Hampstead garden sofa set. With a sturdy aluminium frame, it is not only robust and more than capable of withstanding the great British weather, but it is also ideal for the conservatory, sunroom or in the shade of the pergola too. A stunning piece of how the combination of rattan and other materials can come together into a sublime fusion.

Something smaller – the two-seater rattan sofa

A garden bench in a shady nook of the garden is the ideal spot to get away from it all, kick back, read a novel or just enjoy the gentle buzz of nature all around you but swap the hard-outdoor bench for a pretty and robust bamboo bench. Opt for a low-level outdoor table too, and you have instantly created an outdoor reading nook.

Spa-like relaxing

If you’ve spent any time in a spa, you’ll know the importance of reclining and allowing your mind, body and soul to unfurl and relax. We want you to emulate this in your own outdoor space which is why we have decided to include these amazing garden lounger sets. No wobbly sun loungers threatening to collapse at any moment, just deep seating that is so comfortable you won’t want to move. And with a handy matching table with a tempered glass top to match, the garden has never looked so relaxing and enticing.

Size isn’t everything, but it can be hard to dress a smaller area that allows it to be both a practical and functional space. Designing a smaller garden is similar to designing a small interior room: you need to think through your styling, making sure that everything is carefully selected and placed to optimise every inch. Here’s how to achieve this in the small garden.

Start with shade

Just because you have a small garden doesn’t mean you can’t welcome guests over for a spot of al fresco dining. However, no matter what outdoor table and chairs you choose, if it’s in a sunny spot of the garden, make sure there is shade. Why not consider a gazebo or a sail shade for maximum style?

Consider how you will use your smaller garden

From lounging to dining, consider the main activity that will take place in the space and dress it accordingly. For example, if it is an informal play space, then informal, lounge seating such as an outdoor sofa will be your priority in terms of seating.

Opt for a round dining table to maximise space and flow

If dining in the garden is something you enjoy doing during the warmer months, then choosing an outdoor table and dining chairs that are fit for purpose will clearly be top of your list. A rectangle outdoor table will have a solid presence, but if you want to maximise space in the smaller garden, the opting for a small round dining table encourages this with improved flow.

Dimensions and size are important

Just because your garden is Bijou doesn’t mean that you can’t opt for a 6-seater dining table with stylish dining chairs, especially if you have a large family or plan on moving your entertaining from your dining room to the patio. Opt for the largest table you can give your budget, space and dimensions of the patio but a beautiful outdoor dining table and 4 chairs is a great addition to the smaller garden.

Make the most of every corner

Some corners of the garden can be sunny, others in the shade but if you smaller garden is blessed with the morning sun in one area or you can enjoy your evening meal basking in the rays of a glorious sunset, consider opting for more formal dining table and chairs. A bistro garden table set is ideal for as a smaller patio table with two very functional chairs. There is also something very chic about this patio table and chair sets too.

Switch it up with statement dining chairs

Just because you have a small garden doesn’t mean you can ramp it up in terms of style. As well as pretty LED lights gently flickering or a pillar candle in storm glasses, consider notching up the style with statement dining chairs. For example, rattan outdoor dining chairs are ideal for mixing with an outdoor dining table or patio table.

Cushions, throws and rugs

Just like an interior room, framing your patio or smaller garden helps in its appeal and by adding functional details, you add style without clutter. Consider an outdoor rug, for example, perfect for your garden table set to sit on and soften the edges bringing warmth with rugs and scatter cushions for your guests too.

The smaller garden can be a haven of style, a welcome outdoor space in which to relax and dine, more so when you maximise space with a round outdoor table and stylish dining chairs.