The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a fantastic place to spot new trends in outdoor decor which are exhibited on stands surrounding the gardens and displays.
If you are planning a refresh this Bank Holiday weekend, here are the key takeaways from this year’s Chelsea furniture and homeware ranges.
Multi-purpose shed
The ‘shoffice’ (shed used as an office) is as passe as working from home these days. Now these structures are spaces for entertaining, quiet time and dining on a table – that can double as a workspace.
David Hughes of Malvern Garden Buildings, which makes such upmarket sheds, said: ‘It’s not a shoffice, it’s an extra room.’ Malvern’s prices start at £16,145.
A desk is permissible – but only if surrounded by shelving filled with second-hand books, a Roberts radio and a record player in the style of a 1930s gentleman’s study.
If your dream is a round gazebo with a rustic roof that is a childhood den for grown-ups, Malvern also makes the Breeze House (from £12,859).
This is inspired by the British horticulturalist Gertrude Jekyll.
A copy of one of her works, such as Colour Schemes for the Flower Garden, would be perfect on the shelves.
If your dream is a round gazebo with a rustic roof that is a childhood den for grown-ups, Malvern also makes the Breeze House (pictured) from £12,859
Greenhouses
Such is the desirability of British Victorian style glasshouses (greenhouses to us) they have become the must-have for the Hamptons/Wall Street set in America.
Apart from nurturing plants, a greenhouse allows you to show off your design flair with hanging pottery and small statues.
The presentation of the Hampshire-made Alitex greenhouses at Chelsea epitomised this very British mix of the botanical and the quirky.
Figures and globes adorned the surfaces, alongside rare vegetables, organised by August Beth, head tutor of the Raymond Blanc gardening school.
Alitex greenhouses start at £19,500.
Cotswolds chic
At Chelsea, the Cotswolds aesthetic was the dominant furnishing look, with cushions in soft ambers, beiges, greys and greens that blend so well with the honeyed-coloured stone of this area.
M&S has a set of grey striped outdoor cushions for £22. Dunelm’s range in these elegant earthy tones costs from £8.
Much of the furniture to be seen at the stands of Neptune, Nth Degree and other companies was sturdy, with rounded edges and an air of permanence.
The prime example of this was the oak tables and chairs from Gaze Burvill.
The presentation of the Hampshire-made Alitex greenhouses (pictured) at Chelsea epitomised this very British mix of the botanical and the quirky
The work of this brand features in the Guy Ritchie Netflix hit The Gentlemen, which is set on the estate of a stately pile.
Gaze Burvill does a collection of furniture and planters for the National Trust. Prices range from £48 to £2,100.
Al fresco dining
This year the fashions in this culinary field are less industrial and more soft-edged.
Neptune’s new outdoor kitchen is Shaker-style, evoking the 18th-century religious movement – although the materials are extremely durable, thanks to modern wood and surface technologies.
The kitchen’s country look is emphasised by its name Broadway – after the village known as the ‘jewel of the Cotswolds’.
A blast of colour can come from the Charlie Oven, a charcoal oven handmade in Nottingham which costs from £4,750 and comes in various shades including orange and blue, although more subtle greys are available.
This piece, used by some professional chefs in their inside kitchens, delivers bread, BBQs, cakes, roasts and pizzas.
Going potty
If you like pots, go large. This was the message from Harrod Horticultural, which reported the keenest interest in the most substantial of its Southwold Round Planters which are made of steel, artfully aged to appear antique (prices start at £395).
Large planters
The attraction of large planters was illustrated by the Transient Garden, sponsored by estate agency Hamptons.
This was an oasis on a balcony, illustrating what you can create if you live in a flat, or are renting and need to move all your belongings frequently and easily.
Wherever you position your planters, fill them with smoky purple blooms if you want to be in vogue.
Bearded irises, ragged robins and other mauve and magenta flowers adorned the Lady Garden Foundation ‘Silent No More’ garden.
Zest for life
If you want to make just one change this weekend, know that the lemon is the outdoor decor fruit du jour.
Add some zest to your bistro set with a bowl of fake lemons from Cox & Cox (£22).
