Apart from your budget and the amount you can afford to spend on your garden furniture, the most important aspect to consider is how comfortable it is and how you plan to use it. Obviously, a sofa suitable for your lounge will be the most comfortable for outdoor use, but it isn’t going to be particular appropriate when rain falls, which it certainly will. Therefore, finding a balance of what works as good quality outdoor garden furniture and what you believe to be good value, is your task ahead.

Wood, Metal or Plastic Garden Furniture?

It’s quite easy to dismiss plastic garden furniture, even though it will cost much less than wooden garden furniture or the metal variety. Plastic garden furniture fades in colour relatively quickly, doesn’t look new for very long and can break quite easily, especially if left out in the sun for too long. Nevertheless, if that’s as far as your budget will stretch, then it is better to buy garden furniture that can see you through for a short while and add to your budget for when you have the opportunity to purchase wooden or metal garden furniture.

Plastic garden furniture is very easy to keep clean, requiring just a little soap and access to a high-powered hose, but whichever way you look at it, plastic furniture isn’t going to improve the outlook in your garden.

Wooden furniture has been popular for many years with its natural look which is why it fits in so well with most gardens. Metal garden furniture can be an attractive proposition as recent designs have produced many striking models that do great justice to a garden setting, which means the thoughts of metal garden furniture having to be large, heavy iron furniture,  is long behind us.

When you’re intending to purchase wooden garden furniture, being able to purchase teak as your choice of wood will give you furniture that will last for years and years and most importantly be comfortable. Some cheaper wooden benches might look attractive when you put them together after a cheap purchase from your local DIY store, but they tend to lose their stability quite quickly which is why it is better to buy good quality wood furniture when you can.

Maintaining and cleaning your outdoor furniture

Whatever the type and style of garden furniture that you purchase, it will need cleaning and maintaining regularly to keep it in pristine condition.

Plastic garden furniture will not need much more than a quick wipe with soapy water and drying completely before being put away at. Unfortunately, if any part of a plastic garden seat or chair or table breaks, you probably won’t be able to repair it.

Wooden garden furniture needs treating against damp and wood eating bugs at least once a year, but if you are purchasing teak garden furniture you will probably only need to oil it at the end of the summer season and wash it down occasionally, during the summer.

Metal garden furniture will only require washing with warm soapy water occasionally to clean it, but it’s essential that the furniture is perfectly dry before you put it away, otherwise damp on your furniture may eventually turn some of the metal into rust.

Once your new garden furniture is in place, the most essential items that you will be purchasing will be the seat and back cushions. Spend a little more on these than you originally estimated and they’ll last you much longer and be more comfortable when in use.

For the gentlemen there will be a similar range and also a selection of waterproof clothing. Male lovers of country sports will also find shooting accessories and fishing equipment in their local farm supply store. Children are also catered for and there are jackets, waterproof clothes and wellington boots for small feet.

So what else would you find in your local farm supply store? Most stock a range of household goods such as washing powders and liquids. Garden equipment is usually well covered and you will find everything from bedding plants to ride on lawn mowers. These larger outlets normally have excellent deals on their plants and seeds and they are a good source of items to kick start your garden for the summer. Some also have interior items such fireplaces and electric fires.

Of course outdoor sports are well catered for especially the equestrian activities. Horse feed, bales of haylage and a full range of clothing can be found at a farm supply store. There will usually be a complimentary range of equipment for the horse. Feed supplements and grooming equipment of all brands can be found and there will always be a useful trained assistant who can guide you in what is best for your horse. Some larger outlets sell rugs and saddles and again there will be someone to advise you.

The smaller members of the family aren’t forgotten either and there will be a full range of pet supplies. For dogs you will find baskets, collars and leads and for other animals feed and health products that it can be difficult to find anywhere else. So next time you want to stock up on anything involving your outdoor activities, your home and garden, or need something for the animals then pop down to your local farm supplies store. You may well be amazed at what you can find.

Can you put it there?

Your local authority has a list of rules which dictate where you can place garden sheds in your garden. You can’t just put it anywhere you want.

They will be able to tell you the maximum size of garden shed that you can place in your garden without applying for permission. What this means is that if you want to choose a garden shed that is bigger than the maximum size you will have to go through a process, often costly and time-consuming, before your council will finally tell you whether they are granting your permission or refusing it.

Your local council offices will tell you how far from your neighbour’s property you must locate the shed as a minimum distance. The reason for this is so that all of the rain water that falls off your garden shed will fall into your garden and not that of your neighbours.

The garden storage unit might not be allowed within a certain distance of your front property line or too close to other buildings.

Easy to reach

Whether you’re looking at cheap sheds or a quality unit, where you place it is important in comparison to what you’re going to use it for. If you’re going to fill it full of garden related items like and tools and fertiliser, it needs to be close to your garden where you’re going to use those items. If you were to place it at the other end of your garden, your children might not be so keen to put away their bicycles properly; potentially leaving them open to theft and damage.

The position has to look good

Your garden shed must look as though it belongs in your garden. If it is set near a nice tree or plant arrangements, it will look much better than just placed in the middle of your lawn and standing out like a sore thumb.

Cheap sheds are more prone to water damage, but even when you are purchasing a high-quality garden shed, you should still locate it where the ground is particularly level and water doesn’t usually pool in that area. Water around the shed can cause rotting of wooden panels and dampness in metal sheds, so choosing the location is extremely important and can save you money in the long term.

If your land is not flat, you wouldn’t want to place your shed at the top of your garden, because it means you would have to push the lawnmower back up there whenever you want to put it away.

By thinking ahead, you will be able to locate your shed in just the right position for your garden storage. If people are going to be delivering soil or equipment to you, you will probably want to locate the shed as close to the delivery point as possible, if this is going to be a regular activity.

Choosing your shed position is important for your garden storage needs. Select the position before you choose your shed.

Getting away from it all

Even getting away for just a short while from all of the stress and hassle that life throws at you can prove useful,  maintaining your heart’s correct beats per minute. A summerhouse can provide a separate area for meditation, a private retreat or perhaps somewhere to share a socialisation or celebration with your close family.

The point of erecting one of Walton’s garden buildings is to provide you with a quiet space away from the telephone, the television, your front door bell ringing and battles and discussions with double glazing salesman – and the many games machines that seem to exist in a wide range of formats.

Choosing your summerhouse

A modern summerhouse will be built with insulation, safety and location firmly in mind. When you choose one of Walton’s garden buildings, you know you will be purchasing a high-quality unit that will give you many years of great use.

By utilising a high-quality summerhouse which arrives at your home in kit form, it is easy for two of you to install the building across a good weather weekend. You can make the retreat as relaxing and inviting as suits your personality. For some people this will simply be a means to play gentle music to soothe you, while for other people flowers and scented candles create the atmosphere.

A modern summerhouse is built to withstand all of the rain, cold and snow that the weather can throw at it. The windows and doors are no longer the loose fitting examples you may remember from 20 years ago.

You can further create a wonderful garden around your summerhouse so that when the weather is fine and you’re sitting outside on the veranda, relaxing in your quiet space, you can focus your attention on the flowers and shrubs that you planted to give the outside of your summerhouse a wonderful appearance because an unfinished look will keep your mind busy as you plot your next gardening experience.

The furniture that you purchase for your modern summerhouse can make or break the effect of relaxing immediately. It is worth paying a little extra for better quality furniture that is extremely comfortable to give you the opportunity to fade into a relaxing mode as soon as possible. If you’re sitting on bare wood for more than a few minutes, you will probably wish to get up and move around which will spoil your mood and your relaxation.

There are an enormous range of modern summerhouses available from Walton’s Garden Buildings. You can always find a model that will match your budget, but the selection for a relaxing retreat is more to do with the style that fits in well with your garden and sets you in the right frame of mind as quickly as possible.

You’re going to have to keep your fence posts and fence panels in the best condition that you can or you’ll find yourself having to make repairs which, although relatively easy, do demand an element of effort and perhaps a friend to help you complete the task.

What if the fence posts break?

When a fence post breaks, there is every chance that it will bring down a fence panel or two at the same time and you’ll be looking at buying new fencing unless the damage to the panels isn’t too bad.

You will need to replace the fence posts if they break as they form the foundation of the stability of your fence panels around your garden.

If your fence post was set into the garden with a metal fence post holder which has a large spike at the base which is driven into the ground, you should be able to un-tighten the part of the post holder which holds the fence post so that you can remove all of the fence posts and replace it with a new one quite easily. However, if, like most people, you have sunk your fence posts 2 foot into the ground in solid concrete, you may not want to face the task of digging out all of the concrete and replacing your fence posts by starting the whole job again. This is where the repair spike saves your day.

Adding repair spikes to your shopping list

Where posts have rotted and broken off either at ground level or higher up, and the base of your fence post still sits solidly in a confident concrete base, you can use a repair spike as your facility for replacing fence posts.

They are usually made from mild steel. They will be galvanised and powder coated – like painting – to give them a long life against rusting.

You will need to cut the post just below the area where it is rotten so you are only left with good wood in the concrete base. The repair spike is simply driven by hammer or mallet – a sledgehammer might make the task easier and quicker – between your old wood and the concrete. This means you don’t have to remove any of the concrete to provide a support for your new post. It’s now a simple job of fitting your fence post back into position and then buying new fencing or using your existing fencing panels if they are still in good condition to reinstall the border between your garden and that of your neighbour.

At first sight, a rotten fence post is a worrying dilemma and replacing fence posts doesn’t look an easy task, but with the correct use of repair spikes you can have your fencing reinstalled in less than a day.

It’s no good creating a state-of-the-art office, beautifully furnished and decked out with computers and communications equipment, if you have to retreat back to the house when it gets too cold to use during winter. Effective heating in your work space is essential.

If your garden office is relatively small and compact, then a portable electric heater might do the job perfectly well. They are simple to use and effective – just plug it in, set the temperature and you’re good to go.

Convector heaters can warm up a room extremely quickly and have the added benefit of operating quietly which allows you to work without the annoyance of background noise. While standalone appliances can often be bulky, convector heaters are relatively compact and neat to store, which is important if you like to work in a tidy and organised environment.

Convector heaters are, however, generally the more expensive form of electrical heater. Oil heaters are cheaper to buy, but are larger and take longer to warm up a room. Fan heaters, although relatively noisy, circulate warm air very quickly and efficiently. While portable heaters – electric or gas – might be cheaper and more convenient initially, in the long-term it could be more prudent to invest in underfloor heating.

This heating source spreads warmth evenly around your office annexe, as opposed to portable appliances which are more effective in their immediate vicinity and are often unable to heat the ground level, leaving you with cold feet!

Underfloor heating is controlled by a thermostat, which enables you to select an exact temperature to suit you and its added efficiency compared to a portable heater means you will need to use it less often and save money on your energy bills.

It’s true to say that installation will require a significant outlay depending on the size of your office; approximately £60 per metre squared and £100 for the thermostat. But if it means you’re more comfortable in your office and able to work more productively, it’s an investment well worth making. Not to mention the money it’ll save you on energy bills long term.

And, if you’re particularly fussy about the style and design of your garden office, you won’t have to worry about a bulky portable heater cluttering it up and taking up valuable space.

Regardless of which heating source you choose, you must first ensure your office is properly insulated. This will enable you to make the most of the heat generated from electrical equipment and lighting, to help reach a comfortable working temperature and keep costs down.

You might choose to thermally insulate your walls with polystyrene or perhaps opt for one of the more eco-friendly materials on the market, such as Thermofleece or Rockwool.

Carpeting, or if you’re looking to create a ‘natural’ ambience, laying fake grass, provides effective insulation of your office floor, while double glazing windows is an obvious way to keep in any heat generated.

Remember having to climb up onto the roof of your old wooden sheds to reapply weathered or weakened roof tiles or roofing felt? This is eliminated with a metallic roof. One thing you can ensure with a metal shed is the protection of the contents. Metal sheds, in most cases, are bolted down to a concrete base which means that they remain firm and stable even in harsh weather conditions. They are also available in different sizes. Whether you need a bike shed to hold the entire family’s bikes or somewhere to ensure your BBQ gas cylinders are locked away, safe from prying hands, a suitably sized metal shed will be ideal.

Each metal shed is different in terms of assembly times, largely determined by overall size and the number of doors, yet it is safe to say that the assembly of a metal shed is still quick and easy when compared to comparable wooden models.

Offered in numerous styles and sizes, a metal shed can provide robust, secure storage for a range of items. Modern metal sheds are galvanised which minimises the chance of any corrosion. Clearly your budget will determine the quality of the materials employed in its fabrication and fittings. Budget models can sometimes be a false economy when you consider life span and thus the overall cost of ownership. What is also appealing about metal sheds is the potential for recycling the metal infrastructure. Once you no longer need the shed, for whatever reason, the metal can be re-cycled and then re-used, ensuring your participation in using sustainable materials.

Metal sheds are, by definition, fire retardant, dramatically more so than a wooden equivalent. This is particularly important when a shed is located in close proximity to the house and in consideration of the fact that many householders store flammable liquids such as petrol and oil for the lawnmower and other garden power tools.

Garden accessories need to be kept safe and secure. Depending on the model and size chosen, the storage space that is available in these sheds can even allow for larger, more awkward items. Bikes, scooters and wheelbarrows are ideally stored in these dry, rot free environments. Even items that are potentially more perishable such as timber, linen and, no matter which tent you may own, all can be stored safely.

Hot tubs have built-in jets that supply a soothing massage to a person’s body. This kind of hydro massage has benefits for the mind and body. The biggest benefit is that of relaxation and with the reduction of stress comes a decrease in all kinds of stress-related illnesses. The soothing massage and heat therapy are also beneficial for illnesses such as arthritis and for muscles injured as a result of sport or exercise.

Having a soothing hot tub soak before bed time lowers the body temperature afterwards and makes a person fall asleep more readily. It can also improve deep sleep, which is thought to be essential for a healthy mind and body. This natural sleep remedy makes medication redundant.

The buoyancy of the water makes it an ideal environment for gentle exercise, even for older people and the injured. The warmth reduces swelling and stiffness in the joints and makes the person more flexible. The increase in body temperature causes the blood vessels to dilate, resulting in improved blood circulation. This speeds up recovery from infections of the body and is especially beneficial for diabetics, who often suffer from impaired blood circulation.

Socialising in warm, bubbly water has been popular since the time of the ancient Greeks. It has simply become much easier to attain, with hot tubs installed in your own home or garden. The tubs of the sixties and seventies were all made of wood or composite wood, but acrylic tubs in various shapes are now the norm. They are made to be weatherproof, so the hot tub can stand outside in all conditions. Some hot tubs are available with lids; there are also covers available that will keep dirt, snow and rain out of the tub.

Hot tubs are available in various sizes, though most support between two and seven people. A swim spa is large enough for exercising. Some of these hot tubs have detachable resistance bands for a variety of exercises. An inflatable hot tub is portable and easy to set up anywhere. There are many accessories available for hot tubs, including chemical kits, replacement covers and maintenance kits containing brooms and leaf scoops. Hot tubs have all the benefits of swimming pools but are much smaller and therefore cheaper and easier to maintain.

For many people, storing tools and equipment is not the most important concern for the garden. Rakes, spades and the odd screwdriver are thrown into the old shed at the bottom of the garden. The lawnmower may receive some better treatment by being packed away in the corner of a garage. Occasionally, the family car may park a little too close to it.

Felt-roof sheds made of old timber can let in the rain and make garden implements rust. They look untidy and serve as an invitation for burglars. Old sheds easily crumble after one kick or thump to the door or roof. Wooden sheds require constant maintenance. In some regions in Britain, felt roofs have to be replaced every year. The cost of replacing garden tools that have deteriorated or been stolen usually persuades householders to consider more secure storage.

Replacing the old timber pile with a modern shed, however, may be a gamble. Strengthened timber may not provide enough security for expensive tools and lawnmowers, while plastic sheds and garden boxes can look ugly.

Metal outdoor storage units could be the answer to many gardeners’ needs. Sheds made from thick galvanised steel are both weatherproof and secure against burglars. Modern garden tools are some of the easiest targets for burglars and are not usually covered by home insurance, but good-quality metal garden storage tends to be extremely heavy.

The base has to be firmly anchored to the ground. Internal walls and roofs are secured through a series of clips, joints and hidden internal bolts. The result is a highly secure storage unit with between three and five locking systems. No burglar will be able to kick in the door or take off the roof. The unit requires little maintenance other than the occasional oiling of hinges. An in-built ventilation system will reduce condensation and keep tools and equipment dry.

Metal storage units come in a wide selection of heights and widths. They can range in height between three and fifteen feet and weigh between 70 and 500 kg. These units are secure enough to store bottled gas and other fuels, garden equipment, push bikes, motorbikes and quad bikes. The interior of the unit is organised into tidy storage sections for tools, sports equipment such as skis and even patio furniture.

It’s important to ensure that metal garden storage units have been endorsed by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB). This official approval ought to reduce home contents insurance premiums.

Be it acres of flat grass or steeply sloped woodland, your garden is part of your home; as such, it will benefit from any additional personal and creative touches you care to make. A perfect way to enhance your outdoor space is to use decking to create additional areas for eating, drinking and socialising.

With raised or even sunken decking a flat expanse of grass can be given new levels, simultaneously ensuring your garden looks great and benefits from extra drainage. No matter what the weather, a decking area won’t get waterlogged, which means the garden can be a usable and enjoyable space every single day of the week.

For a hilly garden decking can provide a stair effect, making both ascent and descent less hazardous to your health. Depending on the incline of your garden you may want to combine rail systems with your decking, making it easy for all ages to use and enjoy.

One of the nicest things about garden decking is that it is completely organic and provides a natural environment in keeping with garden spaces. Because it is made of wood rather than stone or brick it is easy to shape, build, repair and maintain. It is also less cold to the touch.

With no planning consent required, decking makes for a simple and easy way to change the look of your garden and with so much choice available it can be carefully integrated into an existing style or design.

Decking really can make a difference to a space, making each and every garden a unique extension of the home. With the right weather this garden space can become an additional lounge or reception room, making entertaining easy and enjoyable.