Gazebos Archives - Primrose Blog

Awnings, Gazebos, Marquees, Outdoor Living, Sail Shades

Shade Solutions For Your Garden

All year, we long for the glorious summer days. Sometimes, however, the full heat of the sun can be overwhelming, and there is a need for a shady spot. There are a whole host of shade solutions that can provide shelter for your outdoor space. You can sit comfortably with your family and friends, having protection from UV rays. Read on to discover the top shade solutions for your garden.

Gazeboes

A gazebo is an outdoor structure perfect for entertainment. It offers a roof for shade and gives a wide view of your surrounding garden. They provide both protection from rain and shaded comfort on those hotter days. They are perfect for social parties but can also be used as permanent structures to create a covered seating area for use year-round.

Awnings

Awnings are versatile shade solutions for your garden. They are generally made from canvas or other material that is stretched onto a frame. They are ideal for giving shade to a patio or seating area. Many of these are retractable, so you can wind them in or out depending on your changing needs. Visit our sister site Primrose Awnings for our full selection.

Parasols

Not just for the beach, parasols are a great way to add instant shade to your garden. Their portable nature means they can be placed anywhere in your garden to create shade over a seating area or patio. The options on the market today are more advanced than the standard beach parasol, with variation in colour, shape, and leaning. The Norfolk Leisure Geisha-Style Cantilever Parasol is an elegant style that can be adjusted and tilted as required.

Shade Sails

Shade sails are essentially large pieces of fabric that fit onto buildings, fences, or poles to add shade over a section of your garden. They are perfect for patios, or seated areas of your garden. Easy to install, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are handy for all kinds of uses from giving shade to social areas, children’s play areas or even creating a spot in your garden for more shade-tolerant plants. Check out this post for some inspirations shade sail setups.

Arbours

An arbour is a great way to combine plant life with shade offering. These handy structures are both delightful seating areas and a framework for climbing plants to grow over. You can train a variety of climbing plants onto an arbour to create a truly special place to relax and unwind.

Trees

If you’re looking for a natural option to provide shade in your garden, the solution is simple: trees! Not only do they provide a long-term source of shade, but planting trees is also great for the environment. However, this is not an instant fix, as trees will take time to establish, and you will need to spend time researching varieties and choosing your spot as they are not easy to uproot. Good, relatively fast-growing, trees for providing shade are the American sweetgum, red maple, silver maple, and northern red oak.

Which shade solutions for your garden are you using? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!

Charlie, Gardening Year, Gazebos, Lighting, Marquees, New Products, Outdoor Heating, Solar Lighting

Primrose’s Guide to an Indian Summer

The great British weather. Nothing compares. Particularly not this year, with a freezing March and early April, going into the hottest early May bank holiday on record you can safely say the weather has been up and down this year. A part of this is the indian summer we experienced in late April and early May. But what exactly is an indian summer?

The phrase actually was actually coined in 1770 in what would become the United States of America and is not – as many assume – anything to do with India or the days of the British Raj, but is actually a term used to describe the weather by Native Americans to the settlers of New England. It was a phrase used by the settlers to describe the unseasonably warm weather in spring and autumn when otherwise the climate was very similar to what they were used to back in Europe.
In the UK the term did not actually get much usage until about the 1950’s – and is largely more associated with a warmer autumn than a warmer spring. Here’s hoping the term will get lots of usage this autumn.

But what can Primrose do to help you out with the indian summer we’re experiencing and the indian summer that, hopefully, lies ahead of us? Well, we don’t stock suncream, but have a great range of garden shade to keep the heat off your back. We’re especially proud of our new lines of canvas indian tents which are new in this season and sure to wow the neighbours – even if its a different sort of indian to the “indian summer”.

We also have a great range of lighting, which is perfect for elongating the warm evenings, especially as the nights begin to draw in again, but the temperature remains warm.

We also have a dizzying array of sail shades and awnings to suit almost any garden, and don’t forget to check out our range of water features to get the relaxing sound of trickling water in your garden even in the long, dry summer months.

All in all an indian summer is something to be celebrated. Many artists have used the term as a metaphor for prolonged good fortune and here at Primrose we certainly believe that good fortune with the weather is something to be cherished.

And if an indian summer doesn’t materialise, you can always create your own with our great range of outdoor heating solutions.

Charlie works in the Primrose marketing team, mainly in online marketing.

When not writing for the Primrose Blog, Charlie likes nothing more than a good book and a cool cider.

To see the rest of Charlie’s posts, click here.

Amie, Barbecues, Events, Gardening, Gazebos, How To, Marquees, Media, News, Outdoor Heating, Solar Lighting

Create Your Own Glastonbury In Your Garden

Over 200,000 revellers will descend upon Worthy Farm for the annual Glastonbury Festival today. Whilst they will be rocking out to the likes of Ed Sheeran, it is also inevitable that they will encounter a lot of rain and mud too. Yes I know, we’re in a heatwave, but it’s Glastonbury – it ALWAYS rains. Not to mention the fact they will be unable to shower for almost a week, will be slogging it on a camping mat and will be void of all the amenities you appreciate with every day life.

So, how do you enjoy Glastonbury without actually slogging it with the masses? Well bring Glastonbury to your garden of course! Whether you’re listening on the radio or watching on the TV, you can easily recreate that feeling of being there.

We’ve a few products to make your ‘Glastonbury Garden’ even better.

Gazebos
Recreate that feeling of being in a tent, but with a lot more space and freedom. I’d recommend the yellow party tent; it’s funky colours will help create that festive vibe. The majority of our gazebos are waterproof too, so you don’t have to worry about getting soaked!

Outdoor Rugs
Relax in comfort with a vibrant outdoor rug. Not only are they 100% waterproof, but they’re also really easy to clean thanks to their polypropylene material. You can sprawl out, and use these as a picnic blanket if you wish also (or even as a place for your pets to lay and join you).

BBQs
When you’re at a festival, chances are you’ll either be eating beans off a small stove, throwing gone-off burgers onto a disposable BBQ or will simply divulge in a liquid-only diet. However, now you have the opportunity to cook up a fresh feast, and eat like royalty in comparison to the campers.

Outdoor Heating
Leading on from the delight off freshly cooked, warm food, why not keep yourself warm too in the cool evenings? Avoid layering up and wrapping yourself in blankets, and opt for a heater or firepit instead. It will provide you and your guests with ultimate warmth throughout the evening, and no longer will you have to worry about the cold British weather. If you opt for a firepit, you can recreate that festival feeling of sitting round a campfire, singing to your hearts content too!

Solar Lighting
Add an enchanting glow to your Glastonbury Garden set up with solar lighting. Whether you want to stake them into the ground, or hang them up on your gazebo (or nearby trees), you can create a beautiful scene which will help guide you back your bed when it’s getting dark.

Bean Bags
Perfect for lounging around in your garden, why not sit back and relax whilst you enjoy the sound of Barry Gibb or Stormze. Why stand up on your feet all day, draining yourself at the main stage when you can sit back and crack open a cold one. No more sore feet. No uncomfy bottoms.

(photo credit to bigfire.co.uk)

So there you have it. Enjoy Glastonbury this year without the hustle and bustle of leaving your garden! And if you are planning on going to Glastonbury, let us know how you get on!

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Amie is a marketing enthusiast, having worked at Primrose since graduating from Reading University in 2014.
She enjoys all things sport. A keen football fan, Amie follows Tottenham Hotspur FC, and regularly plays for her local 5 a side football team.
Amie also writes burger reviews on Barnard’s Burger Blog.

Cat, Garden Furniture, Gazebos, Marquees

Have you seen our Gazopy?

What’s a gazopy? It’s what we think our Harlington gazebo-canopy should be called! Made from steel, it’s perfect for a party or simply to create an outdoor living space for your family and friends to enjoy whilst effortlessly adding style.

Here’s why we think it’s marvellous:
Powder coated steel frame – sturdy and long lasting
Coated polyester roof canopy – durable and stylish
Sleek ornate design – for a classic yet crisp finish
Pegs for extra ground support – to make sure it remains firmly in place

We’ve also got matching sidewalls – so you can hide away if the weather turns!

“Easy to assemble and looks good.”

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Cat works in the marketing team and is responsible for online marketing, social media and the newsletter.
She spends most of her time reading about a variety of interesting facts, such as oddly named Canadian towns, obscure holidays and unusual gardening.
She mostly writes about Primrose news and current events.

See all of Cat’s posts.