Garden Pots and Planters set off the flowers at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show to perfection with a riot of colour and design.
Highlights in the garden pots and planters category included Spanish-style flowerpot holders designed to attach flowerpots to walls, pergolas, trellis and wherever else you can think of! Stone troughs were used in abundance to contrast with vibrant blooms of every colour of the rainbow and eco-friendly wicker planters created a natural concept which ran through from pot to plant.
Garden pots and planters were everywhere you looked in sizes ranging from ‘egg-cup tiny’ to vast planters housing fantastic banana trees, bursting out from every angle. As well as the variety of sizes, colours and textures were used to blend in, contrast and even reflect their surroundings – as seen in the huge mirrored urns in one spectacular display. In addition to the usual high standard of flowers on show, there was also a nod to the self-sufficient home grower with a large selection of potato barrels, tomato planters and raised vegetable beds with the fruit and vegetables spilling out of them in vivid colours with aromas to match.
It’s definitely worth a trip down to the flower show next year if you didn’t get the chance this year – if not to buy, then certainly to pick up a few tips for your garden at home.
Garden Lanterns can create the perfect finishing touch to your outdoor space and there are some fantastic designs available.
The Orchard Home and Gifts have a fantastic garden lantern currently available at a very reasonable price in the shape of their Cosmos Mini T-Light Chandelier. The light incorporates 5 votive holders into a mini chandelier design which can be hung both indoors and outdoors. Made out of metal and glass in a rust colour, this exquisite piece of garden decor is the perfect addition to any al fresco eating area. Standing at 23cm high and just slightly smaller in width at 20cm, it can be used in the smallest of areas or several can be grouped together for larger areas to create an impressive lighting effect.
As the sun goes down, it’s always nice to be able to stay outside a little longer during the warmer evenings and not be forced inside through lack of light. These garden lanterns combine both practical usage with an elegant design and you can alternate the tea lights that you use to create different effect: coloured candles to match surrounding decor such as table linen and fragranced candles to give off a pleasant fragrance in your home or garden.
I finally had to admit that my garden furniture had seen better days when I dusted it off this Summer – I thought that a lick of wood stain might do the trick for another year but when a leg fell off the table, I had to admit defeat! So then it was a case of what the choose to replace the set that has graced out garden for the best part of ten years. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen as much choice as I did whilst browsing the garden centres, and at such affordable prices too.
The theme for this year seems to be ‘outdoor living’ and making your garden into a more usable area than just the odd BBQ when the sun comes out. Over the last few weeks, I have seen outdoor fire places, solar-powered chandeliers and even an entire kitchen suite for the garden! Not wanting to go over the top and have virtually an extra room outdoors (we do live in the UK after all!) I settled on a gorgeous rattan corner suite with weather-resistant covers which would not look out of place inside my home.
Fingers-crossed that we get to use it as much as we hope – I’m sure that we’ll be rained off on more than one occasion but that’s all part of the fun. The most important thing is to choose garden furniture which suits your home and lifestyle – we plan on sitting back and watch the kids playing in the garden this Summer and our new garden set is just perfect for the job.
