With springtime on the horizon, gardens are starting to burst into life, with early bloomers like snowdrops and daffodils already putting in their appearance ahead of the pack. Wildlife is starting to return too, so it’s time to switch to songbird-friendly food in at least some of your bird feeders.
As the weather gets warmer and the evenings get lighter – especially after the clocks go forwards for British Summertime – there are plenty of ways to make the most of your garden this spring and into the summer months.
Bring it to life
Outdoor water features add movement and sound to gardens, helping to bring them to life even before any wildlife comes to visit. Standalone garden water features can be placed in a quiet corner or as a focal centrepiece on your patio or lawn.
Solar water features are an excellent addition to a far corner of your garden where mains electricity is not available, or anywhere where you don’t want the hassle of installing wiring.
Whether you choose solar or mains powered, water features introduce gentle motion and the trickling sound of the water to your outside space, and will help to attract small songbirds to drink and bathe in the little pools and waterfalls.
All that’s left to add is a patio bistro set or sunloungers from our exclusive Norfolk Leisure LIFE outdoor furniture range, so you can sit and enjoy the sights and sounds of your water feature.
Water feature care
To keep your water feature clean and in tip-top condition throughout the spring and summer months, add some Aqua Flo Fountain Fresh water feature cleaner to your order.
Just a spoonful of Fountain Fresh for every five litres of water will help to keep your garden fountain or waterfall sparkling clear – even in the summer months when the sunlight can otherwise encourage algae growth.
Fully furnished
A vibrant garden is a joy in itself, but it’s even better if you have plenty of versatile outdoor furniture so that you can get out there and enjoy the visiting wildlife and the colourful blooms of flowerbeds and tree blossom.
Garden furniture suites are designed to be left in place, and should need little more than a quick wipe down from time to time, to keep the base units clean. Outdoor cushions are also designed to withstand occasional exposure to the weather, and can be stored in a safe place when heavy rain is forecast.
For light showers, we’re currently loving fun and funky parasols in bright colours from our exclusive Hartman garden accessories range. They can really liven up your garden furniture along with some matching weatherproof scatter cushions.
Secure storage
Secure outdoor storage gives you somewhere to put your garden furniture cushions during a downpour, along with any smaller accessories and gardening tools. Larger storage spaces such as garden sheds are a great addition if you need some extra capacity.
The main garden furniture brands each offer their own matching storage – so for example, if you’re buying rattan garden furniture from our exclusive Supremo outdoor furniture range, you can get a matching Supremo Turin rattan-style cushion box.
A garden for all seasons
By planning ahead now, you can give yourself a garden that not only works for the coming spring months, but will continue to serve you well throughout the summer, autumn and even into next winter. Choose outdoor furniture and accessories that can cope with changing conditions and your garden will be a continual companion.
Hanging egg chairs and cocoon chairs are on-trend and you’ll find several to choose from in our exclusive Bramblecrest garden furniture range. Bramblecrest produce covers for much of their outdoor furniture including their hanging double cocoon chair, so you can protect it against the elements when not in use.
Remember water features can bring your garden to life at any time of year too – and because the moving water is less likely to freeze, they can provide some much-needed drinking water for birds and wildlife as we move towards the end of this year and autumn turns to winter once again.