How to make the most of your garden this spring

How to make the most of your garden this spring

Since the majority of the past year has been spent in lock-down, the opportunities to get outside and breathe in the fresh air have been seriously reduced. This is a shame, as being out in green spaces is believed to offer many benefits to health and well-being and, right now, many people need this more than ever.

The good news is that spring has now arrived, and the restrictions of recent months are beginning to ease, which means that everyone can get outside and enjoy more time in nature. You don’t need to travel to enjoy the benefits of fresh air; simply spending time in your garden can be incredibly beneficial. To enrich your time spent outdoors, why not try some of these tips to help you make more of your time in the garden this spring?

Grow your own

Enjoying your time spent outside by relaxing and soaking up the sunshine is a lot of fun, but getting out to do some gardening is also a great way to use your outdoor space. If you love to cook and are trying to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, then growing produce is an excellent way to put this into practice and enjoy the freshest possible ingredients for your culinary creations.

Depending on the fruit and vegetables you plan to grow, you should only need a small patch of the garden dedicated to growing your fresh produce.

Dine al fresco

There’s something incredibly calming about eating outside, and no matter how often you do it, it still seems to have a novelty factor about it, like being on holiday in your own garden. Enjoying your evening meal outside is a great way to spend a laid-back evening enjoying the spring air while eating delicious food.

To get yourself inspired and in the mood for some outdoor dining, you could try some new recipes that are perfect for eating outside. Take a look to see how to barbecue chicken thighs which are ideal for eating outdoors on a sunny spring evening spent with friends and family. Building up a repertoire of dishes that are perfect for outdoor eating is an excellent way to make the most of sunny spring evenings.

Create a relaxing space

Gardens perform so many functions and are both a decorative and practical addition to your home. However, when your garden is not playing host to your loved ones while you entertain, it makes the ideal space to unwind. Creating a relaxing area in your garden makes the perfect place to kick back and forget about the world after a busy day of working. If you want to make space for some serious relaxation, you could introduce a hot tub to your garden or perhaps create a covered area that you can relax in regardless of the weather. The important thing is to create a garden that delivers your perfect idea of relaxation and helps you make more of your outdoor space during the spring and throughout the year.

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Price Points: Travel condiment sets

Travel condiment sets

Often, when we drive somewhere for a day out, we stop for a drink or bite to eat. Instead of stashing a hodgepodge of sachets of sugar, sauces, salt, pepper etc in the jumbled glove box, these travel condiment sets is a much smarter option.

When we go to the seaside, we often have takeaway fish & chips. A bit of extra salt & vinegar as you work your way through to the lower layers is often desirable. And when we visit a new town with a nice looking bakery or butchers, Justin always likes to try out the local sausage rolls and pork pies. I often sample their cheese & onion versions. A bit of tangy chutney adds an extra twist.

Also, we’ve started travelling with a rucksack containing vacuum flask of boiling water, two travel mugs and a couple of Kenko flat white sachets. They’re perfect for a quick brew en route. Justin has sugar in his coffee, and has taken to putting two spoonfuls into his mug before putting the lid on it. One day, the lid is going to pop off and scatter sugar all round the inside of the rucksack.

When I think about what condiments and additions we generally need on a trip away, the 7-piece set would be the best fit. We’d need somewhere for all the aforementioned sugar, salt & vinegar, ketchup, chilli sauces, chutney and the like.

  1. Camping/picnic organiser: £8.18, eBay
  2. 7-piece condiment set: £14.60, eBay
  3. Travel condiment set: £24.99, Amazon

shop travel condiment sets

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Travel condiment set
Travel condiment set
£24.99
7-piece condiment set
7-piece condiment set
£14.60
Camping/picnic organiser
Camping/picnic organiser
£8.18
Travel condiment set
Travel condiment set
£24.99
7-piece condiment set
7-piece condiment set
£14.60
Camping/picnic organiser
Camping/picnic organiser
£8.18
Travel condiment set
Travel condiment set
£24.99
7-piece condiment set
7-piece condiment set
£14.60
Camping/picnic organiser
Camping/picnic organiser
£8.18
Travel condiment set
Travel condiment set
£24.99
7-piece condiment set
7-piece condiment set
£14.60
Camping/picnic organiser
Camping/picnic organiser
£8.18
Travel condiment set
Travel condiment set
£24.99
7-piece condiment set
7-piece condiment set
£14.60
Camping/picnic organiser
Camping/picnic organiser
£8.18

Price Points: Everlasting lighters

Everlasting lighters | H is for Home

I love all kinds of gadgets, so when I happened across everlasting lighters I thought, “Those are really practical and so cute!”.

#1 and #2 both resemble boxes of matches; however, the ‘boxes’ are reservoirs that you keep filled with lighter fluid and the ‘match’ is a permanent wick similar to one you’d find in an oil lamp. The Match Lite was modelled on the vintage 1960s Japanese Mitsugiri permanent match box and lighter.

Unlike a wooden match, these matches can be used hundreds of times on a single tank of gas. And also unlike a traditional box of matches they ignite perfectly well if left abandoned in a dusty drawer for years and years. One person reported finding one belonging to his granddad that was bought 40 years prior – and sprung to life on the first attempt!

The ‘Friendly Swede’ works by a different method to the other two. The shorter ‘key’ is struck along the length of the longer rod. It’s similar to the caveman approach of striking of a pair of flinty rocks together to produce sparks in order to ignite a tangle of dry twigs or leaves.

All three are tiny enough to pop into the pocket of a rucksack or waterproof coat and forget about it – until it’s retrieved in an emergency scenario such as may happen when you’re at a festival, wild camping in the wilderness… or just having a barbecue at home and you can’t find any matches!

  1. Permanent metal match box and lighter: £2.49, eBay
  2. Vintage 1970s Match Lite striker lighter: £11.58, Etsy
  3. Steel ferrocerium stick with striker: £17.99, Amazon

shop everlasting lighters

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Steel ferrocerium stick with striker
Steel ferrocerium stick with striker
£17.99
Vintage 1970s Match Lite striker lighter
Vintage 1970s Match Lite striker lighter
£11.58
Permanent metal match box and lighter
Permanent metal match box and lighter
£2.49
Steel ferrocerium stick with striker
Steel ferrocerium stick with striker
£17.99
Vintage 1970s Match Lite striker lighter
Vintage 1970s Match Lite striker lighter
£11.58
Permanent metal match box and lighter
Permanent metal match box and lighter
£2.49
Steel ferrocerium stick with striker
Steel ferrocerium stick with striker
£17.99
Vintage 1970s Match Lite striker lighter
Vintage 1970s Match Lite striker lighter
£11.58
Permanent metal match box and lighter
Permanent metal match box and lighter
£2.49
Steel ferrocerium stick with striker
Steel ferrocerium stick with striker
£17.99
Vintage 1970s Match Lite striker lighter
Vintage 1970s Match Lite striker lighter
£11.58
Permanent metal match box and lighter
Permanent metal match box and lighter
£2.49
Steel ferrocerium stick with striker
Steel ferrocerium stick with striker
£17.99
Vintage 1970s Match Lite striker lighter
Vintage 1970s Match Lite striker lighter
£11.58
Permanent metal match box and lighter
Permanent metal match box and lighter
£2.49

Get the most out of your garden with an outdoor kitchen

Get the most out of your garden with an outdoor kitchen

You may love entertaining and already have a beautiful barbecue set up in your garden. But you can really take things to another level by adding an outdoor kitchen.

Why limit yourself to simply grilling up some food when you can construct full meals from starter to pudding? You’ll never want to cook indoors again when you set up the perfect outdoor kitchen. And when the temperatures are soaring there would be no reason to heat up your home that you are trying so hard to keep cool.

In this article, we’ll go over several ideas on how to transform your grill area to a functional outdoor kitchen.

Outdoor concrete sink on a stone pedestal

  1. Add a sink

If you have a patio right outside your door to the garden, then see if you can add some water access to the outside. This is much easier when you have a kitchen right on the other side of the patio as you can then open the wall and use the incoming water pipes for this.

When you have a sink outside, you become completely autonomous and can get a lot done without running back inside every few minutes.

You can then use this water source for other garden fixtures to add to the atmosphere. Something like a small water fountain is a great addition to any outdoor space but in a kitchen it can be a game changer. Check out Soothing Company for some ideas.

Outdoor bar area with living wall

  1. Make a shelter

No matter where you decide to set up your kitchen it could use a shelter. Add a roof over the area so you are able to cook in any weather. If the sun is beating down on you while you’re standing next to a grill, then this will make things uncomfortable. And rain can’t stop the party if your cooking area is covered.

There’s also the benefit of being able to add some of the fixtures of an indoor kitchen to the outside if it’s covered and even has a wall on at least one side. Things like shelves with pantry items or a refrigerator will be protected if you have some type of covering.

Herbs growing in terra cotta pots

  1. Grow some herbs

There’s nothing better than using fresh herbs in your cooking. The scent and brightness of the basil, parsley or rosemary can liven up a dish in many ways.

When you can simply reach out and pick some right off of the bush, then it simply doesn’t get any better than that. Growing herbs is dead simple and they don’t need much room if you have limited space.

Outdoor bar area with glass drink dispenser containing citrus punch

  1. Set up a bar

Be the centre of attention by adding a bar so your friends can enjoy a cold adult beverage while also watching you cook.

Rather than simply a few chairs laid round a small table, you can make it far more comfortable to eat and drink when there is the appropriately sized bar on which to lean.

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