Summer garden makeover ideas with T J Hughes

Aren’t we having the most glorious summer at the moment? I’m writing this post with the windows open and the sun streaming in, and I’m thinking I really must sort out some shade for my laptop screen so that I can write out in the garden. I’m desperate to make the most of the season when it’s so glorious out there – particularly after the extra-long cold start we had to the year!

Spending more time outdoors in the garden always gives me a little nudge to spruce up our outdoor space. I’m not talking full-on landscaping projects here – it’s way too hot for that – more the kind of jobs and improvements that don’t take much time, but make a real impact. Things like deadheading flowers, filling a container with colourful bedding plants, and adding a new garden accessory or two can make such a difference.

To help me give our garden a summer lift, I’ve been taking a look at some products from the T J Hughes range of garden accessories. There’s a great selection of outdoors products to choose from, including furniture, tools, storage, heating, outdoor cooking and decorative finishing touches. The prices are really good too, with lots of bargains to be had.

Here’s my selection of products from the range to give you a little taster of what’s on offer.

Insect Hotel, £8.99

This insect hotel is a brilliant little product that will instantly make your garden more wildlife-friendly. It’s also perfect for getting the kids more involved in nature and what goes on in the garden.

Designed to provide a home for bees and other insects, it can be fixed to a wall or fence, or simply stood up somewhere out of the way where it won’t be disturbed.

It’s great that there are lots of different sizes of hole in this hotel, as that means you can provide a habitat for a wide variety of visitors. I think it looks really nice too.

We’ve attached our insect hotel to a garden wall; anywhere between 1-4 feet off the ground and facing as close to south as possible is ideal. Now we just need to wait and see who moves in!

Whitefurze 49cm Window Box, £5.99 and Saucer, £1.00

One of the easiest ways to give your garden an instant lift is to plant up a container with colourful bedding plants. I’ve chosen this smart Window Box and Saucer to add some colour to our patio.

I’m going for a modern, minimalist look with my containers at the moment, and I love the neutral grey colouring and simple shape of this window box. You’d never guess that the price is so low!

There’s also a really good practical feature. A built-in water reservoir at the bottom helps stop your plants from drying out, which is a real bonus in hot weather. The matching saucer allows you to minimise water run-off, and I think it gives a lovely, neat look too.

At 49cm wide the window box is generously sized, so I’ve been able to pack the plants in. It’s ideal for an outdoor windowsill, but it will also look fab on a low garden wall.

Garden centres, DIY stores and supermarkets are full of low cost bedding plants at this time of year, so you’re spoilt for choice in terms of the look you go for. I’ve chosen petunias which will bloom for weeks, and a lovely sunflower to give it real wow factor. What do you think?

Wooden Pin Wheels, £2.99

The kids always love to choose an accessory or two for the garden, and these fun spinning wheels are great for adding colour and movement to a container or border.

They take seconds to assemble; you just push the strong plastic stake together and attach it to the back of the wooden wheel, and you’re ready to go.

I was pleasantly surprised at just how big and well-made these are; they’re in a different league to the usual plastic windmills you find at similar prices.

I love the effect created by the pattern when they’re spinning too – take a look at the video to check it out!

Potting up a container of fun flowering plants is a great gardening project for kids to have a go at, and in my experience it always goes down well if you can add a little finishing touch. I think these pin wheels would be perfect.

Roma Rattan Solar Floor Lamp, £19.99

If you like the idea of spending more time in the garden on warm summer evenings, but don’t have much in the way of outdoor lighting, this solar floor lamp is a great option.

I love the fact that it’s solar powered; there are no electric cables to trip over, it costs nothing to run, and there are no restrictions on where you can position it.

At 68cm tall it’s quite big, which means it gives out lots of light, and also has real visual impact. I think it’s perfect for positioning next to a couple of relaxed chairs. The rattan effect is created using matte black plastic, which looks very contemporary and will also be pretty weatherproof.

This lamp takes about six hours to fully charge, and as you can see it gives out a really lovely glow. It’s perfect for relaxing with a glass of something cold on a balmy evening.

There you go: four ways to spruce up your summer garden with some great value products. This really is just a small selection of the garden accessories available at T J Hughes, and it’s well worth exploring the full range, which you can find in-store and online here. Whatever you have in mind for your garden this summer you’ll find plenty of inspiration!

Which T J Hughes garden products could give your garden a lift this summer?