Saturday May 19 2012
Gardening Archive
TheVillage Gardening
The heart of the garden
Posted on April 14 2011 at 12:34:31 0 comments
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Make the best use of your patio this summer. . .
An old Worcestershire saying suggests that “when the blossom is bright then so will the summer be” and, like many of these old country sayings, they so often come true.
If the blossom trees, be they fruit or ornamental, around the gardens of the area are anything to go by then this is going to be a summer for eating out if ever there was one! Eating out in the garden, that is.
As household budgets are getting squeezed a bit, entertaining at home around your garden is a great way to entertain friends and family without spending a fortune.
The meal does not have to be cooked on the barbecue, though that does add extra fun and entertainment. It does not even have to be made from produce grown yourself – but that will really impress your friends!
The patio is the heart of the garden, like the kitchen is the heart of your house, so furnishing and decorating your patio – not forgetting some lanterns and planted containers – are just as important as the table and chairs and the barbecue. Just add a few friends, a bottle or two and you have the key ingredients for a very pleasant evening.
Garden flares, candles and lights all add atmosphere. They come into their own as the sun drops below the horizon – and to take the edge off the inevitable chill, a wood burning chimenea or a stylish brazier will bring a warm glow to your party.
Candles in storm jars on the table reflect and “magnify” the light so you can see what you are eating and who you are talking to! Flares and other candles around your patio and garden will bring areas alive with light.
For the best effect, group them in threes in a key location – beside steps or close to a favourite plant or container. Low voltage and good solar lights make a great alternative, and are simple to install too.
Keep your menu simple: fresh asparagus from your garden, dripping with butter, is easily done on your barbecue. A fresh crisp salad is so easily grown in your own garden, no matter how little time or space you have – salad leaves are so quick and easy and tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are easier to grow than you probably think.
When your meal is over and the chimenea or brazier is throwing out some warmth, push your chairs back and sprinkle a few water-soaked herbs (rosemary is one of the best for this) on to the cooling barbecue for that evocative Mediterranean smell – you can almost believe you are there!
To help you get the planning for your summer of eating out just right, pop down to Fresh@ Burcot Garden Centre where there are many new and unique designs and ideas which you won’t find everywhere. One of the great “finds” for this summer is the furniture collection from Ivycast.
This beautiful, stylish range of cast aluminium furniture originated in Canada over 30 years ago and Fresh is one of very few outlets in the UK to have it. From a simple sofa to an elegant oval shaped table to seat 10, it offers quality, style and value that you will not find anywhere else.
Fresh @ Burcot Garden Centre is your Worcestershire Source of gardening Grow-How and the place to get everything you need for your garden this summer – from bedding plants for your baskets and tubs to furniture for your patio.
And if it is inspiration you need then remember: Fresh @ Burcot Garden Centre is the place where garden ideas come naturally.
Fresh @ Burcot Garden Centre, Alcester Road, Burcot, Bromsgrove B60 1PW
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