Alfresco Living Online Blog

New figures published today by the British Retail Consortium and Google have revealed a surge in online searches for rattan garden furniture.

In the second quarter of this year, both garden furniture and DIY items made it into the BRC-Google Online Retail Monitor’s top five search terms, with a total overall increase in the volume of online retail searches increasing by 27 per cent year-on-year. Much of this was down to the increased ease of online shopping as more people buy iPhones and other mobile devices.

The heatwave that heralded the British spring was certainly one factor in the increased searches for garden furniture. Savvy UK consumers are aware that some of the best bargains on rattan garden furniture are to be found online, with great deals and only the highest quality items – so long as customers take care to only shop with the most reputable firms, such as Alfresco Living.

photo credit: Steve-h

Channel Five’s resident gardening expert David Domoney urged householders to buy only the most stylish rattan garden furniture and to consider the overall visual impact of their garden purchases in general.

The presenter, known for his job fronting the Garden ER show, said that there were some simple moves which gardeners could make to avoid obvious style blunders – as well as improving their garden’s health by ensuring that they lay their lawns in the spring and autumn and water them frequently.

When it comes to buying rattan garden furniture, lawn ornaments or water features, Mr Domoney said that they should always be in keeping with the style of the garden and ornaments should not be so big that they dwarf its natural features, or so small that they are swallowed up by the lawn itself.

“Be bold with features, choosing something that fits in with the garden, whether it’s water, statues or a gazebo,” declared.

photo credit: Ozulus

New research published this week has revealed that UK home-owners spend some £297 each every year on maintaining and improving their gardens – including the purchase of plants, landscaping and garden furniture.

The research, commissioned by banking giant HSBC, found that the total annual spend on rattan garden furniture, sheds and other items came to a whopping £7.7 billion, with Britons spending £73 a year on shrubs, flowers and other plants, £70 on general garden maintenance, £71 on landscaping and £82 on rattan garden furniture and other forms of furniture.

Garden furniture is the largest area of spending, while the most expensive single item is the reliable old garden shed – researchers found that the average sum spent on a shed was some £1,340, and sheds were present in 53 per cent of gardens.

The second most expensive item was the greenhouse at £1,310, with 13 per cent of Brits owning such a thing, and 40 per cent of Brits owned a barbecue costing £512 on average.

photo credit: xlibberWith garden furniture, barbecues, lawn ornaments and other garden items becoming increasingly popular and valuable, it is not surprising that many gardens in the UK are becoming a target for thieves.

With this in mind, far-sighted householders need to be sure that they are not only insured properly for their home’s contents, but also for their rattan garden furniture and other outdoor items.

Home insurance specialists Hiscox have calculated that 21 per cent of home-owners in the UK have garden items that they consider of value, and over the next six months more than half of them are planning on adding value to their garden’s plants – while 10 per cent are planning to buy new garden furniture.

Hiscox has created a free iPhone app to help people calculate the value of their garden’s contents, in order to make insuring their favourite garden furniture and other items more easy. It can be found at the iPhone store.

photo credit: CharlesLam

Garden centre staff and parents of kids an Oxfordshire pre-school have donated garden furniture and other accessories to transform a patch of waste ground into an exciting sensory wildlife garden.

The Oxford Mail reported that pupils from Rainbow Pre-School in Hendon Place, Bicester and staff at the Bicester Avenue Garden Centre have been working together on the new garden, with plants and rattan garden furniture being provided to ensure that the new green space gives the youngsters the best possible outdoor experience.

Explaining the genesis of the wildlife garden, pre-school business manager Roz Edwards told the paper: “We recently moved into a purpose-built eco building, which has allowed us to increase the number of children we can care for.”

“The new site, which is a part of Glory Farm Primary School, has a large area of wasteland, which we think would be ideal as a garden.”

The events manager at the local garden centre, Jeanette Cocklin, added that staff were very happy to donate not only the garden furniture, but also their time.

“Not only are we planning on creating a nice outdoor area, we also hope it will allow the children to learn all about plants, insects and animals,” she said.

photo credit: Common Pixels

With more people buying good quality rattan garden furniture and other accessories designed to make summer in the garden a comfort and delight, canny householders should also be paying attention to keeping their items secure. Here are a few tips to prevent garden theft.

Gardeners can make clever use of planting to make their space secure, with a prickly hedge, such as gorse, holly or hawthorn securing the perimeter. Climbing roses are an attractive way to make climbing walls or fences a far less attractive prospect, as well.

Sheds and garages should be kept secure and not allowed to become dilapidated, with secure walls, doors and locks. When garden furniture and barbecues are stored away at night – as they should be! – wall anchors are a good way of making the shed even more secure a storage environment.

Finally, garden lighting is a good way of deterring thieves, especially those with a timer or motion activation system. The lights themselves though, should be fitted high enough to stay out of the reach of thieves!

Stay secure, and you will be able to enjoy your quality rattan garden furniture for many summers to come.