Cleaning the Summer House

Posted on February 12, 2011 by admin

As the season begins to change and winter turns to spring many people start the annual tradition of spring-cleaning their home, revamping rooms and generally tidying up. This is also important for the summer house too. If the summer house has been closed up all winter it will need to have a little love and affection to make sure it is ready for summer. It is a good idea to get all the furniture out when the weather allows and give it a good brushing out. This will get rid of the winter debris that may have accumulated, plus get rid of the cobwebs. If furniture has soft furnishings it is a good time to give them a wash if necessary and make any repairs. Doing this now will cut down the work later as it will only mean a quick tidy round when you first use the summer house for 2011.

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Care for your Wooden Gazebo

Posted on February 10, 2011 by admin

If you have a wooden gazebo there are a few things that are worth keeping in mind to ensure it remains in good condition for many years to come. Just take a look around the gazebo and keep in mind the following check list.

  • Wooden structured Gazebos should not be allowed to absorb additional moisture due to restricted air flow therefore make sure you do not add to much organic matter to plants etc. close to the structure as this can increase the land height and restrict airflow.
  • Prune or cut back trees and shrubs close to the gazebo so that they do not contact the wood
  • If you have shutters – on good, dry days open them up to circulate the air
  • Look for any immediate damage to the timbers and rectify as soon as identified

Check the suppliers recommended maintenance advice if you do notice a problem. Catch the problem quick to prolong the perfect condition of your gazebo – and carry out the check list at regular intervals during the different seasons.

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Summer in the Gazebo

Posted on February 10, 2011 by admin

Summer, a time of sunshine and fun or as in the last few years’ rain, rain, rain! Planning for summer is always great at this time of year as we cannot wait for the warmer weather and enjoying the garden once again. What will we do if it rains, rains, rains again! Having a beautiful, thatched, wooden garden gazebo has been our saving grace. It has offered the shade when the sun does come out and the shelter when that summer rain attempts to spoil the day.

The gazebo has become an intrinsic part of summer living – you can bet when you invite friends round for a BBQ the rain will come. The gazebo is now easily decked out as a beautiful outdoor dining area, so even if the menu changes from the BBQ specialities, the enjoyment of the summer food can be enjoyed al-fresco. Planning for the summer –we can’t wait.

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Garden Offices in the UK

Posted on January 26, 2011 by admin

We recently read a wonderful story about students beginning to study outdoors more often. It was very interesting to read how gardens became the focal point for study as it provided a tranquil space away from the indoors study. It was just a nice tale about not being able to concentrate in hectic indoor environments and how escaping to the garden was always a saving grace and became a pivotal aspect to success.

This is exactly what an outdoor pavilion should provide – a tranquil stress-free area and a hideaway with a calming atmosphere. There was a thatched gazebo featured in the story with windows positioned to view beautiful areas of the garden, top of the range heating and luxurious furnishing this was more than just a normal retreat in the garden. For busy households, an outdoor space in the garden also offers that peaceful retreat, somewhere to read, play music or just doze while the world goes by all around.

Why not take a step back from your usual work environment and consider a garden office? With optional accessories like garden heaters and shutters, your year round escape is only a few steps away.

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Crown Tudor Gazebo

Posted on January 15, 2011 by admin

The spectacular Crown Tudor Gazebo has been a real favourite during the last couple of years. Its conception and design was in response to customer enquiries for a smaller gazebo that could fit into any garden or corner plot. Some customer gardens did not have the space for a large gazebo and even those that did it was requested that a small gazebo that could be hidden away was preferred. The Original Cedar range of Crown Tudor gazebos continues to be a popular choice as it is such an aesthetically superior design and extremely versatile.

With open side design and space for seating a family or a group of friends around a centre table the Tudor is perfect for entertaining. Consider the Tudor for a summer garden where life can slowly slip by whilst enjoying a cup of morning tea or a more lavish evening meal. Trim the Tudor gazebo with beautiful scatter cushions and try a vase of freshly cut flowers for the ultimate in outdoor living.

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Mesh Nets for Your Garden Gazebo

Posted on January 12, 2011 by admin

Here is a great idea to prevent the insects spoiling your time in the gazebo during the summer months and more so on the hazy summer evenings. Insects can be a real problem and there are a number of insect repellents that can successfully reduce the nuisance insects – but many do actually kill them. This day and age killing insects is not really a sensible thing to do – as we all need to encourage a diverse range of insects into our gardens. This is especially true if you have a thriving garden with plants and fruit growing.

Mesh nets that fit around the open spaces of a gazebo are a great idea – they keep the insects out, whilst allowing them to benefit the garden (no need to kill them) – prevention is better. Installing mesh nets is quite simple using a hook and eye fixing system. This coming summer, enjoy summer evenings in the gazebo with friends and successfully yet in a eco-friendly way, keep out those unwanted guests. Alternatively, a well positioned fan or eco friendly citronella candles can also keep insects at bay.

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Garden Pavilions Benefit from the Smoking Ban

Posted on January 10, 2011 by admin

Start thinking ahead and get your business off to a flying start for 2011. Many Pubs and Hotels are realising the benefit of installing a pavilion in the garden. The trend began a few years ago when the smoking ban in public places came into force. Forward thinking public houses and hotels began the trend of having a landscaped garden together with a gazebo to retain custom as the ban began to hit the trade.

The trend is set to continue too, as many pubs and hotels have found that having a warm outside garden pavilion is popular with all customers – whether they smoke or not. Many report that their investment in the garden has been repaid by moving from the original idea for an outside smoking area to that of a dedicated wedding hire pavilion. If your establishment has the space for a garden pavilion it may be just the thing to boost business for 2011.

From small gazebos to large 18 seater pavilions, Crown Pavilions have the classiest examples of garden buildings to suit your pub, hotel or garden.

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A Winter Wonderland – Winter in the Gazebo

Posted on January 4, 2011 by admin

The UK weather is extremely unpredictable but during the winter months a heated gazebo can be perfect to enjoy the outdoors, watching the wildlife or just purely for some fresh air.  Heaters are however wasted in open sided gazebos when the temperatures really drop.  There is however a solution – shutters.  A gazebo fitted with shutters becomes a secret, winter wonderland.  Shutters create an area of privacy but more importantly help keep the heat in.

If you are totally committed to outdoor life why not think about ways you could continue to use the gazebo throughout the winter, by creating a cosy area.  There is nowhere better to enjoy a hot mug of soup or a luxurious hot chocolate.  A gazebo should not be just for summer.

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Building a Gazebo in a Small Garden

Posted on December 17, 2010 by admin

Well the answer is a resounding yes!  The notion of oversizing in small gardens is definitely vogue.  Garden Designers are applying the notion of oversizing in confined spaces making it a very contemporary gardening design option.  Just take a look at some of the designer gardens at this year’s Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows – top designers used oversized structures to form focal points in smaller spaces.

The whole concept of oversizing in the garden is exactly for that purpose, to form a focal point.  So yes, you can have a wooden gazebo in a small garden; it will act as a focal point and can help increase living space for smaller properties.  A gazebo is an ideal structure to create the contemporary, oversized garden feature– and is also great for those that are not keen gardeners, as it fills the garden with a luxurious area to entertain all year round.  Foliage and flowers in a small garden can easily be achieved by growing in pots and planters – therefore maintaining a beautifully adorned natural feel to the garden – without all the hard work.

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Where to Find Fine Examples of Gazebos

Posted on December 10, 2010 by admin

Gazebos have been a popular addition to many stately homes and country houses for many years, centuries indeed.  Positioning a gazebo in a garden setting is the crucial aspect that reflects the enjoyment of the structure for the years ahead.  The historic gazebo designers and landscape gardeners had a real knack of perfectly positioning a gazebo in terms of the picturesque views for the beholder.  Investigating historic sites, stately homes and country houses will give you the inspiration and confidence to perfectly position a garden gazebo taking account of the surrounding area and focal points.

Visit the following wonderful historic gardens and observe how the gazebos were strategically erected taking in views of the best the garden has to offer:

  • Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal near Bath has wonderful gardens and claims the gazebo also known as Anne Boleyn’s Seat boasts the best views of a garden ever!
  • Great Chalfield Manor and Garden in Wiltshire is still home to Major R Fuller’s family and has delightful gardens that include a beautiful gazebo in a romantic setting.  The house and gardens were filmed in the making of The Other Boleyn Girl.
  • Rievaulx Abbey in the Ryedale Valley, North Yorks is a stunningly magnificent example of Norman ruins.  The deliberately positioned gazebo provides an opportunity to gaze at the mesmerising views.

Take heed from history!

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