And just as we hit September and brace ourselves for the cooler Autumn…we get a mini heatwave!  I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the British Seasons…they change every year!

We need to make the most of this unseasonal weather and eke out the last few weeks of garden time – and what better way to do that than with some new garden accessories.  If you’ve been busy all Summer, now is the time to create a lovely outdoor space for some September al fresco dining, late Summer barbeque’s, or simply basking in the sunshine (a matter of weeks before Halloween!).

Shabby chic and replica antique garden accessories are still bang on trend for this season and there’s still plenty of demand for quirky pieces and vintage items.  Fans of vintage furniture and accessories for inside their homes are looking to replicate the look on the outside too.

A vintage garden is actually quite easy to achieve.  You are allowed to mismatch, clash and have stuff that looks loved – there’s no uniformity or palette matching here!  We all know that traditional garden furniture can be a bit boring, so a vintage garden is a refreshing change.

If you are looking for garden accessories, then take a look at The Orchard’s website – a vintage inspired homeware and gift online boutique – and see what vintage treasures you can find for your garden.

Imagining our lives without a hint of sunshine just isn’t plausible – just one unexpected sunny day out of season can bring a smile to your face and make the whole world seem a little brighter!  When you open up the door to the garden on a lovely day, there’s just nothing quite like it…just make sure that your garden decoration doesn’t let you down.  Whether is it your brightly painted shed, glam greenhouse or stunning outdoor furniture which makes your garden worth admiring, make sure that every aspect of your garden decoration is as good as it can be all year round – perfect for when an Indian Summer decides to strike!

Everything seem so much more stylish now than it did years ago – and prices can be very affordable if you shop around.  From your local garden centre for cheap plants through to online stores which sell off end-of-season patio sets, there are some bargains to be had if you look hard enough.  So it is worth spending a bit more time to kit out your garden space – no matter what size it is.  Spending that little bit of extra time making sure your garden decoration is bang up to date means that you will benefit on those long summer days and balmy summer nights we all hope for each year!

Different types of garden furniture can suit your life at various stages.  For instance, when you have small children, you look for garden furniture which can be easily maintained and relatively safe for toddlers.  More often than not you try and save money and go for whatever is cheapest in terms of plastic or resin garden sets.  You can leave out these out in all weathers and throw them away when they begin to get really tatty.

Once the children get a little older you can then move onto a wooden garden furniture set as the children will be old enough to mind their heads a bit more on any sharp table corners.  You can also easily maintain the wood veneer with a lick of wood stain annually.

When the kids are even older and you are looking for something a bit nicer to put in your garden then you should look no further than some of the stunning blue and white ceramic designs currently available.  Some are set in beautiful iron frames and, together with the aged blue and white ceramic design, can create a beautiful look for your garden space.  They look almost antique in design and the range brings a touch of old-style glamour into any garden or patio area.  You can mix and match this type of garden furniture with more modern pieces to create a completely bespoke garden look – add hanging lanterns to light up your seating area as these look great at night, so too do hurricane lamps and tea-light holders dotted around the ground.  Experiment with some different looks to create something unique with this beautiful ceramic furniture as the focal point.

We all love those lazy Summer days spent outdoors.  Afternoons spent in the fresh air, perhaps with a famous British BBQ is a tradition that most of us enjoy.  If you usually end the evening when the sun sets, it could be time to invest in some garden lighting so that you can prolong your time outside once the sun goes down.  This is especially true at this time of year when we’ve had the chance to carry on sunbathing in October!!!

I’ve always thought of it as such a shame to call time on the day when dusk comes, so lighting in the form of garden lanterns can solve that problem by lighting up large areas of your outdoor space.  This is ideal for times when you have a Summer party with a lot of people and everyone wants to stay out a bit later (and in anticipation of a few more days of Indian Summer perhaps!).  Alternatively, smaller items of garden lighting can light up a smaller area for a more intimate feel – candlelit garden tables look amazing against the backdrop of the night sky.

The idea of outdoor living which our neighbours in warmer climates experience is increasing in popularity here in the UK and there is more on offer than ever to decorate and light our gardens well into the Summer nights.  It’s great to be able to use gardens well into the in the evening as well as benefiting from them during the day.  Creative choices in garden lighting are available in most garden centres around this time of the year but don’t forget to look online for bargains too as there are loads to be had.