decoration

Barbecues, Celebrations And Holidays, Decoration, Events, Garden Furniture, Outdoor Heating, Zoe

Garden Party

 

Summer has slowly approached us in the UK, and even with the interruptions of rainy showers, it’s not enough to dampen our spirit. We’re sure you have something to celebrate this summer, whether it be: a wedding or engagement, a birthday party, a new home, a new baby or simply because you want to have a party!

So why not take your party outside, we have thought of everything you will need to have a garden party no matter the weather.

Gazebo

A gazebo is an absolute must if you are planning a garden party this summer. A gazebo protects you from all of the unpredictable wind, rain or scorching sun. If you have little ones around it’s a great place to protect them from the harmful rays or equally you can run for shelter if the weather takes a turn for the worst.

If you are thinking of a garden party on a grander scale, it may be worth considering purchasing a marquee that can hold a lot more people than the standard gazebo. Many people consider renting marquees, but there are plenty of reasonably priced luxury options that will allow you to re-use it again and again!

For events such as weddings or large scale celebrations, marquees offer a place to put your dance floor or a place to seat your guests for a dinner.

 

Marquee

 

Outdoor Lighting

No doubt your garden party will last until the sun goes down, and when that happens you can illuminate your garden with an array of outdoor lighting. You can create a magical atmosphere with the addition of lights and be sure to wow your guests.

A popular option now for outdoor lighting is those that are solar powered. These lights will generate their power via the sun during the day, and have a pleasant glow when it gets dark. These are fantastic for saving money on your energy bills and are great for the environment. What’s not to love?

BBQ

Is there anything better than being in the sunshine with friends whilst smelling your lunch being grilled on the BBQ? We don’t think so.

Rather than buying disposable BBQs time and time again, why not spend the extra and buy a permanent one that will last you for many summers to come? Disposable BBQs can’t be recycled or composted so the investment is much better for the environment, and with the huge amount of styles now available, a stylish BBQ can be a great feature in your garden.

BBQ

 

 

Garden Furniture

Of course it’s important to consider where your guests will sit at the garden party! Depending on how formal your party is there are a variety of options you can consider from benches, dining sets and even bean bags to create the perfect place for everyone to sit back and relax.

You also might want to consider a quirky drinks cooler that will get your guests talking, our recycled steel cooler can be used as a outdoor ornament for the rest of the year.

Outdoor Heaters

 

Let’s not kid ourselves, if you’re having a garden party in Britain it will no doubt turn to the chilly side at some point. There’s no need to move the party inside though, if you have an outdoor heater to keep you warm you can still party through the night.

Nowadays you have the option of a gas or electric heater depending on what your requirements are. Both have their advantages; take a read of our breakdown of Gas vs Electric Powered Heaters to help you make your mind up what will be best for your need.

 

Outdoor Heater

 

We hope you have a great time at your garden party, send in your photographs of your Primrose products to photos@primrose.co.uk and you could win £5 worth of vouchers if they’re used!

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Zoe at PrimroseZoë works in the Marketing team at Primrose, and is passionate about all things social media.

After travelling across Europe and Asia, Zoë is intrigued by different cultures and learning more about the world around her. If she’s not jet setting, Zoë loves nothing more than curling up with a good book and a large glass of red wine!

She is an amateur gardener but keen to learn more and get stuck in!

See all of Zoë’s posts.

Decoration, Garden Design, Garden Furniture, Gardening, Geoff Stonebanks, How To, Planters, Plants

My multi-award winning garden, Driftwood, is located by the sea in Sussex, on the coast between Brighton and Eastbourne. Over the years it has seen 14500 visitors and raised £76000 for charity. Last year it featured on BBC Gardener’s World and was a finalist in Gardeners’ World Magazine, Garden of the Year Competition too. Every year it is a challenge to create a variety of garden rooms that looks a little different, so the many returning visitors see something new and fresh. In order to create a flexible and fairly easy to change garden, I’ve always used terracotta containers of all sizes. I’ve probably got a collection of over 150 now. I’ve never been keen on plastic ones, they just don’t look at home in the garden, whatever the colour. OK I hear you say, the advantage is that they are not as heavy as the real thing, but there really has never been any competition for me, despite the weight! Now roll on the years, I’m 64 this month and I’ve been forced to reconsider how I create a different look in the garden this year. I’ve been using a trolley in recently to move containers around , but even that has started to get more difficult, especially in a garden on a slope with several steps to negotiate.

driftwood garden

So, this year I decided I needed to try and ease the burden, by investigating some lightweight pots that still looked like terracotta. The obvious place to check on line was Primrose, as they seem to stock everything anyone could need for the garden, and I have purchased quite a few things from them over the years. 

Two areas of the garden that rely very heavily on the use of containers, are these central steps in the garden and the patio area at the back of the house, which resembles a wall of plants on either side, like corridor of plants!

On investigation, I found what looked like the perfect solution! The fibre clay containers seemed to fit the bill perfectly for the steps, as I needed to find ones that were the right size to sit perfectly on the brick steps. They look absolutely at home, even before they have been filled with annuals for the summer season. These containers are all 30 cm tall and will work well, creating the waterfall effect I need to achieve. Look at last years results to see what I aim to create.

Fibrecotta Troughs

On the other hand, at the back of the house, one of the features I had within the wall of flowers was an old Victorian wooden cart which sat under a large potted camellia. On moving it to tidy up last month, it disintegrated and I’m left with the 2 axles and a side panel. I therefore needed to fill a large space, so two fibre clay containers, the tall one 64 cm tall and the lower one 37 cm tall. They look amazing in the space already . Granted, these are so big they will probably never be moved but all the others are perfect for ease of movement each year as needed. I also needed 3 troughs to sit on tiered shelving as part of this area of the garden. The 3 from Primrose fitted perfectly, which will also make life a lot easier. Just imagine how they will look when we open the garden gate to our first visitors on the 11th June. The garden is open 14 times for public days this year but also by arrangement from 1st June until 3rd September. If you live around Sussex, or are planning holidaying in the area this year, why not come and visit the garden yourselves. Full details can be found at www.driftwoodbysea.co.uk 

Look out for the next blog this Summer, so you can see what the containers look like when our visitors view them in the Summer.

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Geoff StonebanksGeoff Stonebanks lives in Bishopstone, near Seaford in East Sussex and spends all his time gardening and fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support. Using his multi award-winning garden, Driftwood, he has raised over £76,000 for various charities in 7 years, £40,000 of that for Macmillan. The garden, which first opened to the public in 2009 has featured on BBC2 Gardeners’ World, Good Morning Britain and in many national and local media publications. In his spare time, Geoff is also the National Garden Scheme’s Social Media & Publicity Chair as well as an Assistant County Organiser & Publicity Officer in East & Mid Sussex.

Christmas, How To, Zoe

how to care for your Christmas Tree

A real Christmas tree can be a beautiful centre piece during the festive season, and is certainly the object of admiration from family and friends who come to visit. But problems can arise when your tree starts to wilt in the heat, drop needles and lose its colour.

Did you know that when natural trees are stressed they begin to shed their needles in an effort to save themselves from dehydration?

In order to keep your tree in tip top condition, and avoid an abundance of needles across your floor, follow our easy steps to keep your tree looking fantastic through to New Year!


Top Tips

  • After you’ve picked your favourite tree you need to cut about half an inch off the bottom of the trunk. Someone may do this for you at the retailer, but if not you can do it yourself easily at home. This will let your tree absorb more water and remain fresher for longer.
  • Within eight hours of cutting the bottom of the tree you need to get it in water, and your tree will be very thirsty! Your tree may need up to 3 litres on the first day, and regular watering every day after this.
  • Do not remove any bark from the tree in an attempt to squeeze it into a container. Most of the water absorption comes from just under the bark, so your tree will dehydrate much quicker if you do this.
  • Some people suggest putting an aspirin in the water to help the tree, or perhaps fizzy drinks such as lemonade that will help your tree absorb some water and help it look extra lovely. BE CAREFUL putting aspirin in your water if you think a curious cat may want to have a sip from it however.
  • Allow your tree to rest for a while before you decorate it, the longer you can leave it the better, preferably twenty four hours.
  • If the foliage on your tree is quite dense, try snipping a few of the branches back to the trunk. This will create a tidier image, but will also save your tree from wasting water on more branches.
  • Place your tree in a cool place. Having your tree next to a fireplace or radiator will dry out your plant.
  • Try to use low voltage fairy lights when you decorate your tree. Larger lights will warm up the branches surrounding it and cause water loss.
  • Keep on top of collecting the fallen pine needles. These can be hazardous for infants or pets if swallowed or stuck in the skin!
  • Lastly, you might find using a Christmas tree spray may help to retain moisture in the branches. You could also try spraying hairspray on the underside of the tree, HOWEVER this will make the tree much more flammable so only do this with great  care.

Christmas Tree Decoration

 

If you follow these steps your tree should remain healthy for up to four weeks and be the envy of all your family and friends!

Haven’t bought your Christmas tree yet? Check out our expert advice on how to spot the perfect Christmas tree.

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Zoe at PrimroseZoë works in the Marketing team at Primrose, and is passionate about all things social media.

After travelling across Europe and Asia, Zoë is intrigued by different cultures and learning more about the world around her. If she’s not jet setting, Zoë loves nothing more than curling up with a good book and a large glass of red wine!

She is an amateur gardener but keen to learn more and get stuck in!

See all of Zoë’s posts.

Gardening, Geoff, How To

Here at Primrose we like to think of your garden as not just a place chock full of plants and trees, but a place full of expression and character – filled with fine little details that make it simply a great place to be in and explore. Taking this into account and in no particular order, here is a list of 6 of our favourite DIY garden ideas we’ve come across that we think you should definitely try!

Tree Stump PlantersTree Stump Planters

Old tree stump causing a bit of an eye sore? No problem, turn it into a tree stump planter! Save spending money on removing them and simply hollow out a section of the stump, fill it with soil and plant some of your most vibrant and exciting plants. This gives you a wonderful natural looking flower bed without the heavy price that sometimes comes with one. Just be sure to break off some bark and create spaces for drainage at the bottom of the stump to allow for proper growth.

Sail Shade Cinema ScreenOutdoor Cinema

We’ve mentioned this before, but we’re mentioning it again because it is such a fantastic idea. Don’t settle for a big movie night in a cramped living room, check out this customer built outdoor cinema! Most iterations of this idea involve using old PVC piping, weighted buckets and sheets, but we suggest using one of our ever versatile shade sails. If you have the space to manage it, simply hook one up on its side, grab a projector (and of course snacks!) and you are good to go.

Wheel Barrow PlantersWheel Barrow Planter

Revive some life back into an old wheelbarrow and fill it up with soil and plants. Simple as that. Just make sure you have a few small holes for drainage, beware of large holes though or you could end up with flowers across your lawn! Not only does this provide you with a super versatile planter, you can easily move it to anywhere in your garden.

Garden MarkersGarden Markers

If you are particularly arty and need some plant markers, grab some stones from your garden and get painting. These works particularly well when growing your own vegetables are you can get pretty creative with your markers. If you’re feeling brave you could even let your kids loose with the paint and let their imagination run wild.

Coffee GroundsCoffee Grounds

This one isn’t so much a creative ornament or display but a way to recycle something you probably throw out every morning. If like me, you prefer percolated coffee to instant then it turns out you have one of the best and most versatile tools any gardener can have! Sprinkling said coffee grounds on your shrubs and home grown veggies will not only give them a nitrogen boost – promoting better growth – it also doubles as a natural way to deter slugs and ants!

Pallet ShelvingPallet Herb Garden

If you have had a large pallet delivery in the past and don’t know what to do with it, this is a fantastic a rustic way to show off your plants or home grown herbs. Simply remove some of the strips of wood, leaving the top and bottom sections of the pallet. Be sure to use a hammer to remove the nails without damaging them, you’ll need these later. Reattach these pieces of wood at suitable shelving heights and use any remaining strips for front facing and feet. If you are unsure, take a look at the images below for a better step by step idea – but we can assure you, these look fantastic!

Fancy trying your hand at any of these DIY garden ideas? Show us how you get on and send in any pictures to our Facebook or Twitter. If any of these are featured on site, we’ll be sure to send you a £5 voucher!

 

GeoffGeoff works within the Primrose marketing team, primarily on anything related to graphics and design.

He loves to keep up with the latest in music, film and technology whilst also creating his own original art and his ideal afternoon would be lounging in a sunny garden surrounded by good food, drink and company provided there is a football nearby.

While not an expert, his previous job involved landscaping so he’s got some limited experience when gardening.

See all of Geoff’s posts.