As the exclusive UK distributors of an elite range of high quality outdoor showers and taps, Ingarden repeatedly supply architects, landscapers and garden designers, with their range of showers and taps that are purposely designed for use outdoors.

Many of these are designed to mix hot and cold water supplies, making them the perfect addition to any garden, swimming pool or pool house.

They are supplied from a Dutch dealer who uses only the very highest quality materials, including Marine Grade 304 brushed stainless steel and high quality hardwood and each design is guaranteed for five years.

A variety of designs are available including both wall mounted and free standing:

• The free standing design comprises of a mixer tap, fixed shower head and additional flexible hose ready to be plumbed into floor level pipe work.

• Featured here is the Garden/Outdoor Shower in Brushed Stainless Steel, Wall Mounted. Single Feed. Dimensions; Pole height - 119.5cm. Length of shower-head pole - 38cm, shower head - 20cm. Priced from £350.

• This wall mounted design is one of the only designs available on the market that allows both hot and cold water to be supplied directly to the shower, via two separate feeds. The shower comes with a fixed shower head, hot and cold taps and additional flexible hose

• Cold water supply showers also offered by Ingarden, can easily be adapted to provide a controlled temperature, by simply adding a mixer valve, which will combine hot and cold water.

To view the Ingarden range of outdoor showers and taps, please visit their new website to be launched soon.

Tel: (01732) 832299

How would you like to cut your lighting bills by as much as 75%, yet still have an attractive lighting scheme.

Here are some tips from Sally Storey, (Design Director at John Cullen – Britain’s leading lighting company) to help you avoid possible pitfalls.

If you are thinking of redecorating, then now is the best and cheapest time to install more efficient lighting before you start.

The future of energy efficient lighting lies with LED fittings, which can last for as long as 20 years. They appear more expensive than regular products, but over their lifetime will more than make up for the initial outlay with energy savings.

John Cullen’s brand new, next generation Polespring LED downlight, sets new standards for energy efficient lighting. It uses just 12w of energy and gives you the equivalent of a traditional 50w halogen bulb at a fraction of the running costs. With its improved colour rendition and clarity, it is suitable for lighting throughout the home – even for paintings and other artwork.

If you don’t like compact fluorescent light bulbs, then replace traditional light bulbs with energy saving IRC (infra-red coated) bulbs. They come with all the usual fittings and give out the soft and attractive light we all recognise and love. A 40w bulb will give you 60w of light output – still helping you to keep your bills down.

Make sure all your lights can be turned off with the flick of one switch; if you have to turn lamps off individually, you will end up leaving them on even when you are not in the room.

Sensors are also an effective way of ensuring that lights are only used when they are needed. They are particularly useful in corridors, bathrooms and gardens, as well as in areas in the home where children (or adults) regularly forget to turn off the lights.

Good task lighting, such as a desk lamp or reading lamp by your bed, means that you don’t need to have the whole room lit up just to work or read. The new floor-standing 4w LED Pocket of Light floor lamp provides a well-directed beam of light, which won’t dazzle the person next to you. It is ideal as a freestanding task light by a bed or a sofa.

Finally, don’t think energy efficiency is all doom and gloom. For the first time ever, you can transform a roof terrace for as little as 7w, or bring your garden to life at night time with just 60w – no more than just one traditional light bulb! So get planning before the summer!
Prices: LED Strip Streamer, £72 per metre; Polespring LED, from £110;
Plaster Flat, £132.

For further information about John Cullen Lighting, please visit the website.

Stockist Enquiries: Tel: (020) 7371 9000

Wood burning stoves and open fires are making a comeback, due to concerns about ever increasing energy prices and people looking for more eco friendly ways to heat their homes.

Wood burning stoves in particular, are more environmentally friendly and cheaper than regular heating methods, especially if you season and prepare the wood yourself:

Slow burning and smokeless fuel is produced when wood is allowed to dry naturally and weathered over time.

A sturdy log store is needed to store and season the wood, but it can make a striking garden feature, and by gradually stocking it up during summer, you can provide enough free fuel for the entire winter!

The robust British made log store featured here, is constructed from high-pressure treated wood, making it much harder-wearing than it might otherwise be. It is delivered in flat pack form and can be erected easily by one person.
Available online from GreenStamp priced at £275.

These log stores are made in the UK from the finest quality timber, all with FSC certification every process from harvesting, debarking, rounding, profiling and machining, is undertaken with the highest level of care and precision by a highly skilled workforce.

To view Green Stamp’s extensive collection of garden log stores, please visit the website.

Tel: (01637) 854717

The Playhouse Company is offering some really attractive seasonal discounts on some of their playhouses, with guaranteed delivery and installation before Christmas, if ordered before the 30th of October.

The Company’s workshops are busy all year round, creating wonderful playhouses to delight children and parents alike. (Just like Santa and his elves)

The Christmas offer applies to four of their standard and most popular playhouse designs and will ensure endless hours of healthy play and pleasure that will last way beyond Christmas day:

Offer 1 SAVE £600 on the 6’ x 4’ Cottage (pictured here), which features cedar shingle roof, window boxes, stable door with diamond shaped window, letter box, two shutter windows and is fully painted. Normal price £2,100 down to £1,500.

Offer 2 SAVE £800 on the 7’ x 5’ Cottage, which features cedar shingle roof, scalloped fascia, window boxes, standard door with diamond shaped window, letterbox, two shutter windows and is fully painted.
Normal price £2,800 down to £2,000.

Offer 3. SAVE £200 on the 5’ x 3’ Cottage, which features cedar shingle roof, straight fascia, window boxes, standard door with heart shaped window, two windows and is fully painted.
Normal price £1,100 down to £900.

Offer 4. SAVE £1,500 on the 5’ x 5’ Double Platform Play Den,
which features four windows, cedar shingle roof, stable door with heart shaped window and is fully painted.
All on a double platform with steps and a slide.
Normal price £6,500 down to £5,000.

The Playhouse Company’s expert staff has over 20 years experience in designing and building bespoke children’s playhouses.

Their playhouses, castles, tree houses and play equipment are all individually designed, built and installed to the highest standards by their craftsmen.

To view the Playhouse Company’s extensive ranges of children’s playhouses, please visit the website.

Here are some additional home lighting tips from Sally Storey, Design Director of John Cullen Lighting:

Fireplaces

• A fireplace can resemble a gloomy large black hole in the summer without a cheerful fire to light it, but all you need to bring it back to life is two plug-in highlights that can also create an immediate uplifting impact all year round. (Square Highlight, £93 from John Cullen).

• Fireplaces with architectural features look particularly good when up lit, so consider using a 5 amp circuit, so that the lights can be switched on by the door.

• Also recommended is to add two small 1w LED up lights in the hearth. (Lucca, £97 from John Cullen).

• If up lights aren’t recessed into the hearth, make sure they blend in as much as possible with the fireplace.

• Up lighting a fire surround works particularly well when you have a painting hanging above it that is lit with a down light, which helps to balance the overall effect.

About
John Cullen Lighting, founded in 1981, is Britain’s leading lighting specialist and offers a complete service for all aspects of interior and exterior lighting.

Sally Storey took over as Design Director from John Cullen in 1986. She is one of the world’s leading lighting experts having written three books on the subject. She has since been joined by fellow Design Director Lucy Martin and is supported by a team of ten designers.

All John Cullen light fitting designs are manufactured in Britain.
John Cullen Showroom Address: 561-563 Kings Road, Fulham, SW6 2EB.

To view the truly inspirational John Cullen lighting designs, please visit the website.

Stockist Enquiries: (020) 7371 9000

Are you searching for a way to keep your larger garden furniture protected from our unpredictable British weather, when your shed and garage are already full?

Your valuable garden patio sets, or your cherished BBQ need to be kept clean and in pristine condition, ready for next summer.

Camelot Outdoor Living has launched their new 2011/2012 range of garden cover products, which provide the ideal protective solution.

The new collection features durable, strong all-weather protection covers made from lightweight polyester fabric.

High quality stitching and reinforced seams ensure years of protection, against most of the problems, including:
UV damage; Rain damage; Pollution; Frost damage; Bird fouling; Dirt and grime and Falling tree sap.

The covers come in a great range of sizes and shapes, to address all of your different garden accessory needs.

Prices start from just £7.99 for a parasol cover to £49.99 for a three-seater hammock cover.

Also available are covers for patio sets, BBQs, hammocks, parasols, cushions and tables, there really is something for everyone.

Drawstring bags are supplied for easy and handy storage when not in use. Camelot don’t sell their products direct, but they are all available from good garden centres.

For further details about the Camelot Garden Covers range please visit the website.

Tel: (0121) 504 2700

Whether you are sunbathing or al fresco feasting, why not relax with a dining set from the Oliver Range from Metal Design Furniture.
Enjoy the optimum in comfort and easy living on this stylish and refined range of garden furniture to bring some joy to your garden this summer.

The Oliver Range includes an elegant lounger, which is just the thing for unwinding after a long day’s work, or to doze upon during a balmy sunny evening; the Oliver lounger is both waterproof and resistant to sun rays and comes with removable and washable padded cushions.

• The Oliver Garden Set is ideal for outdoor living and summer get togethers with friends and family. A really chic addition to your garden, it is constructed from tubes and sheet metal, anti-rust treated with cataphoresis and powder coated.

• Perfect for both indoor and outdoor use, the PVC caps, which cover the chair leg bases, efficiently protect the flooring.

• Both the frames and padded cushions are available in an attractive choice of colours to suit all tastes.

Prices.
Oliver Garden Set of Six - £775.
Oliver Garden Chair - £69.
Oliver Garden Chair with wood arm rests - £89.
Oliver Garden Table - £145-£289.
Please visit the website, to view the entire Oliver Garden Range of furniture
Tel: (0208) 144 6621

The security experts at Yale have thoughtfully offered the guidance below, on how best to secure your valuable garden contents, as thefts from grounds are becoming much more common:

Many of us don’t realise the high value of the items we leave in our garden, and the fact that they’re mainly left unsecured means they’re easy targets to thieves. To make it worse, home insurance policies often don’t cover thefts from gardens and outbuildings.

With expensive barbecues, garden furniture and kids’ toys often left unsecured in our gardens overnight, it makes sense to invest in affordable and easy to use security solutions that will keep them secure.

Padlocks are ideal for securing costly toys and play equipment, as well as smaller garden tools. Yale offers weatherproof padlocks, which are specifically designed to withstand the great British weather all year round, even in exposed locations such as by the sea.

You may want to consider extra protection for your more valuable items. An anchor used in conjunction with a padlock and cable would be ideal to secure any garden furniture such as tables, chairs and benches. Anchors are also great for securing high-value items in your shed, such as a lawnmower or jet wash.

You can also secure expensive items such as barbeques, which are often left out in the garden overnight, to a heavy fixture using a steel security cable and a padlock. Yale’s steel cable is two metres in length, but can be lengthened by connecting two or more cables together with padlocks.

The featured Yale Home and Garden Padlock Set, consists of 3 x 51mm weatherproof padlocks and 4 keys, now available from a selection of major retailers and locksmiths from only £14.99.

For more information on the full range of outdoor security products from Yale, please visit the website.

HomeSense stores across the UK are offering an enormous choice of picnic hampers and melamine picnic ware, in bright vibrant colours, soft throws and durable cushions, to help you enjoy the great outdoors this summer.

With everything you need that is practical as well as good-looking, for you to produce the perfect picnic anywhere, from the garden to the countryside or on the beach.

According to Marianne Richards, HomeSense Style Advisor, “Glamping is definitely the new camping. With many people choosing to spend their summer holidays in the UK, Wimbledon looming and more boutique festivals on the horizon than ever, glamorous camping is the activity du jour.

Do it in style with an eclectic mix of plastic flutes, tumblers, bright plates and trays, as well as durable cushions and seat pads in every colour you can think of. And don’t forget the pure wool throws, should picnic days turn chilly.

Pictured here are:

Glamping Tent priced at: £39.99.
Throws from £19.99; Outdoor cushions from £19.99; Blue lamp £29.99; Dinosaur toys from £14.99; Wooden chair £39.99.
HomeSense are presenting lots of picnicware, throws and outdoor cushions, all at up to 60% off high street prices! -

Typical selection.
Colourful plastic tumblers from £2.99.
Brilliant melamine picnic plates and serving bowls from £2.99.
Exciting cool bags from £14.99 and gorgeous picnic hamper baskets from £19.99.
Outdoor cushions from £14.99 and throws from £19.99.
Director-style outdoor chairs from £14.99.

About
HomeSense launched in the UK in April 2008 and has 24 stores across the UK.
The company operates a unique “off-price” concept, which offers quality and branded homeware for less than the recommended retail price.

To find out more about the HomeSense collection of stylish picnic ware, please visit the website.

The Outdoor Toy Company, has announced the launch in the UK of  ‘the-swing’ – an award winning range of high quality lifestyle swings for the home and garden.

Included in the range is a novel multi-child swing, which can safely carry as many as 10 children simultaneously.

The stylish Dreamliner range of ergonomically designed lifestyle swings, provides:

• The ultimate in relaxation and a contemporary alternative to the traditional sofa.

• An ideal focal point to any contemporary garden or patio.

• Added to this, is a range of therapy swings, particularly designed for use in pain relief and rehabilitation techniques.

• ‘the-swing’ offers a range of swing seats suitable for children and adults, whether it‘s a trendy alternative to a hammock, a fun outdoor activity for the young, or a way to promote health and well-being, there is a swing to suit everyone!

• The feeling of weightlessness created by swinging is exciting and exhilarating and has been proven to increase energy levels and reduce physical stress.

Paul Jameson at The Outdoor Toy Company explains, “There are many emotional and physical benefits associated with swinging, whether it’s to help a child from as early as six months with eye development, focus, coordination and balance, or to increase concentration, ease neck and back pain, help with meditation, burn calories, or engage muscle groups in adults, swinging really can be beneficial for anyone”.

Of German manufacture ‘the-swing’ is comfortable, stylish and robust:

• Every swing is height adjustable and comes in a variety of sizes and colours plus the fabric is machine washable.

• Each swing can be attached to a standard swing frame, using the supplied standard fixing ring.

• The swing can also be fixed indoors into ceilings and wooden beams and outdoors into tree branches.

• Prices start from £198.00.

Pictured here is the The Dreamliner Standard - an ergonomically designed S-shape swing that can be adjusted to create different seating angles, making it perfect for reading or just relaxing.

The swing has extra-wide 40mm webbing and comes in one size. Priced at £313.85 ‘the-swing’ will provide endless hours of fun and relaxation!

For further details about ‘the swing’seat ranges and accessories, please visit the website.

Tel: (01276) 855600