Outdoor living - what's your style?
One of the many impacts of Covid is our newfound appreciation for outside space.
Covid has made people reconsider where they want to spend their time. Estate agents have seen a surge of interest in properties with gardens and those in rural areas. Anyone who spent lockdown in an apartment will understand the need to breathe fresh air and see green leaves.
Gardening was one of the key growth areas of 2020. As people across the UK turned to gardening as a hobby, sales of seeds and plants rocketed and the Royal Horticultural Society saw a fivefold increase in requests for gardening advice on its website. Online orders for garden furniture and accessories soared as people made the most of their outside space.
Lockdown is easing, albeit slowly, but demand for plants and garden accessories is expected to remain high in spring 2021. If you want to make the most of your outside space this spring, now is the time to transform your plot.
In this blog post, we look at three main gardening types and suggest suitable furniture, accessories and plants for each one. Our website Kayu Home is an ideal starting point for vintage and upcycled garden furniture and accessories.
The garden gourmet
If you see your garden as an extension of your entertaining space, you’re a garden gourmet. Outdoor dining is a key requirement for this type of homeowner. No matter that the weather is more Romford than Riviera, you never miss an opportunity for al-fresco eating.
These Kaso storm lanterns mean you don’t have to end your evening when the sun goes down. Made from timeless brass and available in two sizes, they perfectly hold a church pillar candle and throw a soft ambient light.
For that continental café vibe, we love the Odee outdoor coffee table. Attractively crafted from antiqued iron slats, it’s the perfect partner to the Odee outdoor bench. Both have a powder coating, making them durable enough to stay out all summer.
This antique wooden cart hub is the perfect place to rest your drink. Although it started life as a hub for a wooden cart in Beijing, it’s ready for a new life as a garden planter or side table.
Every gourmet gardener needs herbs. Not only are they essential ingredients for the dishes you prepare, they also release a delicious scent when brushed past. Grow rosemary in this stunning Wampu tall terracotta planter and thyme in the shallow Tembesi brass bowl. Try Herbal Haven for plants - they stock a great range of culinary and aromatic varieties.
The urban sophisticate
You might not have much space, but you make every inch count! Your garden is a vision of pared-down elegance and you need garden furniture and accessories to reflect this.
The Pomo recycled metal planter has a contemporary design and comes in three sizes. They are made from waste material from the motor industry, by reusing waste cuttings from car windows. The metal has a sleek charcoal finish and is perfect for home or garden. A removable bung can be inserted for indoors and taken out for outdoor use.
Of similar style is the Endo reclaimed iron pot. These delightful garden planters are made from recycled iron storage drums. Each one is unique and like the Pomo planter, are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.
Feeling stressed? Centre your chakras with this stone-carved Buddha. Hand-carved from solid stone, this garden ornament is beautifully detailed and very heavy! Perfect to create a corner of tranquillity in a busy city space.
A garden design trick we love is to site a mirror in the garden. Mirrors are especially effective in small courtyard gardens or on roof terraces. A well-placed mirror can be transformative, adding a new dimension and a sense of space, as well as reflecting light into shady spots. The Imoma full length arch mirror gives the illusion of a mysterious doorway when placed against a garden wall.
Plant-wise, go for spiky, structural shapes, which give high impact but are low maintenance. Famous gardener Gertrude Jekyll was a fan of Yucca to add definition to her borders. Other edgy architectural plants include Eryngium (or sea holly) and ornamental grasses.
The rural retiree
Your icons are Tom and Barbara from the Good Life. You have a spacious garden and time to enjoy it. Your style is traditional and you love natural materials.
The rustic-looking palm pot planter is made from a hollowed-out palm trunk. It has a natural, earthy finish and is ideal for both indoor and outdoor plants.
Our stone elephant will add a quirky touch to your rural retreat. The elephant is hand-carved and perfect as a garden ornament. His trunk, ears and saddle feature a carved design. Why not get two, and flank the entrance to your patio? They are available as a pair with either left or right front foot forwards.
These elegant Jio garden lanterns have an attractive, bulb shaped glass bowl with a hammered finish to disperse the candle light in a soft glow. The glass bowl is mounted on a sturdy iron base that can be pushed into the ground for stability. They are ideal to light up a pathway or decorate a courtyard area.
Nothing beats the warmth of a real fire. This reclaimed iron Kadai would have would traditionally have been used as a cooking bowl and comes complete with iron stand and grill. The rustic brazier makes a super barbeque or fire pit.
Carry your kindling in one of our Noko seagrass baskets. Available in three sizes, they can be used as planters or for holding laundry.
For a cottage garden style, try Californian poppies. They are simple to grow - just scatter seeds in the border now and be rewarded with a colourful display in early summer.
You’ll find lots more inspiration online at Kayu Home. Or check our sister site Shimu for handcrafted oriental furniture and accessories and Chinese antiques.
