The Grow List: Plants and furniture to turn your garden into a relaxing outdoor haven

The Grow List: Plants and furniture to turn your garden into a relaxing outdoor haven
Create the perfect work/life balance in your backyard (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Most of us are pretty used to this whole working from home malarky by now, but as the weather improves, why not take your laptop to the garden?

Yes, many of us are heading back to the office soon, but for those who have found a slightly more flexible arrangement, you’re probably long overdue a change of scenery.

From a light-cum-speaker to soothe you while you work to a full on mini outdoor office, here are the Grow List’s top picks this week.

Cotinus ‘Candy Floss’

Cotinus Candy Floss They are large shrubs or small trees, native to the warm temperate northern hemisphere. The leaves are deciduous, alternate, simple oval shape, 3??????13 cm long. The flowers are clustered in a large open terminal panicles 15??????30 cm long with a fluffy grayish-buff appearance resembling a cloud of smoke over the plant, from which the name derives. The fruit is a small drupe with a single seed. Often classified in Rhus in the past, they are distinguished by the leaves being simple (not pinnate) and the 'smoke-like' fluffy flower heads. The smoke trees, particularly C. coggygria, are popular garden shrubs. Several bronze or purple-leaved cultivars of C. coggygria have been selected, with warm pink inflorescences set against purple-black foliage; the most common in commerce are 'Notcutt's Variety' and 'Royal Purple'. When brought into cultivation together, the two species will form hybrids; some garden cultivars are of this parentage.
Pretty in pink (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

If ever there was a shrub with the wow factor, it’s Cotinus ‘Candy Floss’, also known as the smoke bush thanks to its clouds of pale pink haze that will stop you in your tracks when they burst into bloom in July.

Buy it for £21.99 (2L pot) from Crocus.

Citronella outdoor bucket candles

Outdoor bucket candles.
No flies on these candles

Scented with citronella, these outdoor bucket candles will keep the bugs away as you eat.

Buy it for £5 from Wilko.

Harvst mini greenhouse

Haryst's mini greenhouse.
High tech houses

Harvst’s mini greenhouses are more than just a sleek design – with self-watering and climate control it could be the perfect solution for keeping your tomatoes in tip-top condition while you take a mini-break from the garden.

Buy it for £639 from Harvst.

Haxton outdoor wall light with integrated speaker

Haxton Outdoor Wall Light with Speaker ( ?108, darlighting.co.uk ) HAX2137
Wall of sound

The Haxton outdoor wall light also contains an integrated Bluetooth speaker so that you can listen to your favourite playlist or radio station as you work – or rest – in the garden.

Buy it for £108 from Där Lighting.

Modulr garden office

Modulr garden office.
Room with a view

There are garden offices and then there are Modulr garden offices – clad in cork, rubber and accoya, with lovely growing sedum roofs and picture windows, you’ll skip to work at the bottom of the garden every day just to admire its architectural beauty.

Buy a Small Space for £17,500 from Modulr.

Bamboo lantern

Bamboo glass lantern.
See bamboo in a new light

Rattan and bamboo are trending this summer. Rather than replacing your garden furniture, why not add an accent with these bamboo glass lanterns for an instant style update.

Pre-order for £45 (small; large £55) from FRP Homestore.

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on purchases made through one of these links but this never influences our experts’ opinions. Products are tested and reviewed independently of commercial initiatives.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

MORE : Man spends 25 years turning his boring garden into a tropical jungle packed with rare plants

MORE : The Grow List: The best buys to jazz up your garden in time for summer socialising

How to get your Metro newspaper fix

Metro newspaper is still available for you to pick up every weekday morning or you can download our app for all your favourite news, features, puzzles... and the exclusive evening edition!

Download the Metro newspaper app for free on App Store and Google Play

Enregistrer un commentaire

0 Commentaires