Summer in full swing
WHATEVER the weather, gardens and outdoor spaces are the key to socialising with our family and friends this summer and it seems flexibility is the way to go. Foldable, stackable, easy-to-store furniture and accessories are this year’s number one trend according to UK garden centre company Dobbies.
“Whether you have a balcony, terrace or patio, or just want a few extra seats to bring out for barbecues, good things come in small packages,” says a spokesman and this year it is waving the flag for comfort, colour and quirkiness: “Comfort is key, with new hanging and free-standing egg chair shapes and designs.”
Dobbies’ pastel sling chairs are quietly colourful as well as comfortable and its unusual Sail Shade gazebo is suitable for all weathers, with a rust-resistant steel frame and durable polyester canopy.
Also comfy and quirky are just about any of the garden accessories sold by Raj Tent Club, best known for its exotically stylish Indian-themed pergolas and marquees.
Its new Mexican hammocks are handmade in the Yucatán Peninsula and are strong enough to take a whole family – as long as the weight is under 250kg.
Sheds are the obvious place to store all this extra seating and sales are soaring by 500 per cent according to Toolstation (toolstation.com), which sells a variety of designs, but if you’re lucky enough to have plenty of space the popularity of hanging chairs continues to grow.
Bramble-crest’s new Chedworth range includes a double cocoon chair, which is neither compact nor stackable – but it’s very romantic.