Memories of the 60's and 'The Prisoner' TV programme. The NEST is a great retreat from the world.
NEST is made from all weather synthetic wicker on an aluminium frame so it can be left outside all year round. It is a 1.5m sphere than can be suspended or stood on four legs. It comes with a super comfy weather resistant cushion,
We gather Ian Botham took a fancy to one at the Hampton Court Show in London this week.
www.ampersandlifestyle.co.uk £1999.99
Last spring my small, 5m x 5m, garden was empty soil surrounding the newly built deck and rill. We had moved into the new build the year before but had waited until winter to start the hard landscaping. Planting started last spring incorporating lots of organic matter into the planting holes. Now twelve months on plants have matured and we have our own green oasis.
The walls are now softened with flowering climbers including Clematis armandii and Hydrangea petiolaris. The main planting consists of grasses, shrubs and perennials. The rill was designed to allow hot feet to be cooled in summer and bottles of beer to be chilled, whist giving a soothing sound as the water falls into a lower tank. The noise also helps deaden any noises outside the garden.
There is still plenty of work to do but we are pleased that the strong deck design has worked well with the in depth planting.
A tea garden is a great asset to those that like herbal tea. Mint and lemon balm make delicious herb teas ( simply cover a sprig of leaves with hot water and leave to infuse for five minutes). Both these plants are thugs and can easily take over a garden but when confined to a container they are easy to keep under control.
Chamomile tea is made from the daisy-like flowers - choose 'flore plena' which has more petals and less bitter.
We've found a great window box thats just right for growing a tea garden. It's nickel-plated powder coated in a super green. It stands out thanks to its plain functional style.
A lazy afternoon in the garden. Good friends. And freshly cooked pizza, hot from the oven.
Few things are more enjoyable.
It’s made from a unique ceramic material that retains heat to create the perfect pizza
cooking temperature of over 350˚C. Using either seasoned wood or charcoal, it’s ready
to cook in just half an hour and gives 2 hours of cooking time before you need to refuel
(although surely everyone will be full by then!).
Handmade in South Africa, this pizza oven is exceptional quality and, with its glazed finish, oak
handles and zinc coated steel stand, you’ll love the way it looks as much as the way it cooks.
£249 not including delivery
THE AFRICAN IMBAWULA
On the balcony or veranda, on board the yacht or at the beach. Wherever you go, take your Imbawula
with you (pronounced Im-bough-oola).
Handcrafted in Africa by local craftsmen, the Imbawula is made using a special kiln fired ceramic.
The unique design, handed down from generation to generation, creates an efficient barbecue which
uses less fuel, gives a hotter fire and is easier to clean.
To make your Imbawula even more practical, it’s supplied with a sturdy stand. The cooking
grill is stainless steel, which makes it easier to clean and longer lasting and we supply a
black iron wok to give you even more culinary options. The wok can be used for stir frying
or as a lid for roasting, smoking or keeping food warm.
This portable and versatile barbecue not only cooks to perfection, it also makes an attractive
centrepiece. Available in vibrant ‘Earth’ and rich ‘Ocean’, the glazed finish is simply beautiful.
As each is hand crafted, the colours will vary on each piece, making them individual works of art.
The Imbawula is a wonderfully sociable way to cook and entertain. Just make sure your friends
don’t sneak off with it; make them order their own!
£75 0ffer price not including delivery
The Lay Z Spa as featured on The Gadget Show. Perfect for small spaces- takes up to four people to relax or party.
www.lazy-spa.co.uk £284.99 inc. free delivery
The 'Mini Cube' from www.thedesignhouse.dk is powder coated or nickel galvanised with a cast iron grill.
This must be one of the best designed small bbqs. Perfect for table top cooking allowing diners to cook their own food and become really involved with the meal preparation.
The Lifestyle Stainless Steel Electric Cooler from www.keenbbq.co.uk £259.99.
A stylish way to keep drinks cool when global warming finally strikes urban Britain.
The HOT WOK concept - a different way to cook outdoors. Its a nice alternative to grilling since the kitchen is moved outside and so everyone can participate in the food preparations.
With HOT WOK cooking you get the best from Asian style cooking with crispy vegetables and juicy tasty meat. The HOT WOK range consists of outdoor cooking units including gas burner tables and kitchens as well as a range of amazing burners, cooking pans and accessories.
THE BCK SOLAR COOKER
The BCK Solar Cooker is foldable and portable container used for cooking food outdoors. It requires only water and sunlight. When set up, the cooker is conical in shape. The conical reflection shield reflects the sun into the centre of the cone, where a black cylindrical container collects the heat. After about 45 minutes, the temperature of the food is around 90 degrees Celcius........the size of the cooker is very small: 250mm in height and 130mm in diameter.
dutchtub
dutchtub - boundless bathing
dutchtub reflects a most refreshing input to the worldwide outdoor-bathing culture;
It’s a natural wood-fired hot tub with a modern flair in a gorgeous, functional and bizarre simple design.
With its fast natural heating system and its low weight one can easily take the dutchtub to any place you like and use it as long there is water and wood. The extremely durable materials reflect its high quality.
It’s a hygienic and therapeutic product with a high fun-factor.
The dutchtub is a reaction to a society where questions have arisen about lifestyles and about products that are independent and self-supplying. More and more people are turning towards the use of products with simple functions and responsible design. The dutchtub is not a question of luxury but of the quality of the function. Thus the dutchtub frames the essence of open-air-baths-tubs and embodies a decadent function brought back to a temperate luxury. The main goal of dutchtub is to inspire people to go out and experience ‘boundless bathing’.
And this is how it works: After the tub has been filled with water, the fire is started in the basket which has been screwed in the spiral. The water inside the spiral heats up from the heat of the fire. The water gets hot and starts to rise in the spiral. Like this the water will flow automatically through the spiral, circulating from the bottom to the top. The natural heating system will easily heat the 700 litres of cold water in just two-and-a-half hours up to a comfortable 37°C all while cooking you meal in the included custom wok. After reaching the right temperature, one can maintain this temperature through adjusting the basket in the spiral, which determines how much flame is reaching the spiral.
dutchtub is not just a hot tub, it’s a state of mind.
