Buy Summer Garden Gifts!

The days are lengthening, the nights are growing shorter.  Soon summer will be here once again, when long and lazy days stretch out before us, tempting us into the garden.

A garden should be an extension of the home.  Think of it as an outdoor room, brimming with potential for family fun and relaxation.  With a little planning, the summer garden can easily become one of the most enjoyable features of a home - and a good garden can also add value to your property!

This Hubpage offers a wide variety of ideas and choices to help you achieve the outdoor room of your dreams.

From traditional ornamental cast iron chairs to plain and simple wooden benches, the choice of outdoor seating is enormous. Perhaps you might prefer a design which can be folded away for easy storage during winter months, or which is readily portable. Or you might desire an ultra-modern sleek look rather than a chunky rustic chair.

Whatever your preferences in taste and budget, garden seating needs to be both comfortable and durable.

Think about where you're going to site your chairs or benches, and pick both sunny and shady spots for different times of the day and different weather. Plant fragrant lavender nearby and this will fill summer days with heady fragrance.

Add a small outdoor table, and instantly you have created a practical area where you can enjoy meals in the sun.

Solar powered lights have two very good advantages. One benefit is the sheer simplicity of not needing to install electricity cables of any kind; you simply choose a location for the light, set it in place and the job's done. The other obvious benefit is that they cost nothing to run.

The design of solar powered garden lighting range from the traditional-looking to the quirky. Some are incorporated into sculptures, while others are stand-alone lights.

They are a very convenient method of lighting pathways and floral arches, doorways and interesting aspects of your garden such as ponds or sculptures.  They offer a way of extending the use o fyour garden long after dusk has faded to dark.

The re-chargeable batteries which power the solar lights do wear out over time, but these can be replaced at low cost.

Summer wouldn't be the same without being able to enjoy meals outdoors. Barbecues and picnics are a great way to bring friends and family together in an informal, fun setting.

Perhaps you fancy an elegant wicker picnic basket? These can easily be slipped into the boot of a car and taken anywhere.

Add a few of the lawn games from the ideas listed above, and you'll have the makings of a fine day out for all ages and pockets. Traditional games like boules or quoits need only a bit of space, and anyone can join in readily.

Paper or plastic plates need not be dull.  Look at the colourful plates on the left for ideas, and there are many more designs to choose from, whether your preference is for delicate florals or bold abstract patterns.

Eye-catching sculptures can add so much character to a garden. The poor old garden gnome has had a rough time from culture snobs in recent years, and fairies seem to taken their place as one of the most popular choices.

Stone, bronze, resin and concrete are common materials used for garden ornaments, which not only have to please the eye but withstand the elements.

Personally, I really like the large dragon sculpture shown on the left. It makes such a big statement!   The mermaid would look great next to a pond, too.

Don't be nervous of incorporating large sculptures into your garden. Smaller ones tend to become buried amongst shrubbery, but a bold and artistic feature will always be a talking point.