Spruce up your garden for summer

The better weather has finally arrived, and summer is just around the corner. It really is worth investing some time and money into creating a gorgeous garden to see you through the season, and if you source everything you need through easyfundraising, you’ll be raising valuable donations for your good cause too.

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Outdoor Living

Source a stylish garden table and chairs from Tesco.com (up to a 2.5% donation) and add some outdoor scatter cushions from notonthehightstreet.com (up to a 2.5% donation). A cosy throw or two from Wolf & Badger (up to a 7.5% donation) will take the chill off when the sun goes down and you can zone the space with an outdoor rug from Modern Rugs (up to a 3.5% donation). At the height of summer, a parasol or awning from The Garden Furniture Centre (up to 4% donation) will really come into its own, while, conversely, a garden heater from Robert Dyas (up to 0.5% donation) will be worth its weight in gold during our erratic UK summers. Decent lighting is a must – strings of solar lights from Lights4fun (up to a 1.5% donation) look pretty and are eco-friendly too,  or if you’ve got access to outside electricity, consider picking out a statement light from Lighting Direct (up to a 3% donation). Finally, appeal to the senses by planting some night-time aromatics such as jasmine or honeysuckle from Royal Horticultural Society (up to a 5% donation).

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Effortless Entertaining

Eating and drinking outside is one of life’s great pleasures. Everyone loves a barbecue and this is one area where it really does pay to invest. John Lewis (up to a 1% donation) stocks a super selection of top-of-the-range electric and gas models. Another top tip is to plant a pot or raised bed of herbs from Crocus (up to a 5% donation) near your barbecue area – this will emit amazing aromas and will come in very handy to flavour flood (don’t forget to include mint for your Mojitos!) Stock up on tasty meats, fish, vegetables and salads from Ocado (up to a £3 donation) or Sainsbury’s (up to a £2.50 donation) and you’re good to go.

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Garden Maintenance

Grass grows faster in the warmer months, so keep your lawn looking its best with a new lawnmower from Wickes (up to a 1% donation), and bring trees and shrubs under control with garden tools from Sutton Seeds (up to a 2.5% donation). If you didn’t plant any summer flowering bulbs earlier in the year, you can add instant colour by ordering a few trays of bedding plants from Gardening Direct (up to a 5% donation) and planting them in an eclectic mix of pots from Garden Trading (up to a 2.5% donation). Bring new life to fences by painting them in cool shades to complement your planting – try Wood Finishes Direct (up to a 2.5% donation) for supplies and pick up a pressure washer from Amazon (up to a 1.5% donation) to bring patios and decked areas back to life.

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Kid’s Zone

Get the kids excited about spending time outdoors at weekends and over the long summer holidays. A trampoline from TP Toys  (up to a raised donation of 3.5%)  is a real crowd-pleaser, and will keep them active too. If you’ve got the space, you could consider building a wooden jungle gym – eBay (up to a 2% donation) is the place to head to source bespoke designs.  Alternatively, turn a neglected corner into a playground with a swing set and slide from Early Learning Centre (up to a 2% donation). Smaller kids will love to cool off on hotter days in a paddling pool from The Entertainer (up to a 1.5% donation) – and add a sandpit from Mothercare (up to a 2% donation) to really bring the beach to your back door. Stock up on outdoor friendly toys too – water pistols, bat & ball sets or even a basketball hoop are all cheap and cheerful buys that will keep children of all ages occupied for hours at a time. Visit Very (up to a 3.5% donation) for a fabulous selection.

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Summer storage

Organise your outside space with plenty of decent storage. If space allows, a small shed is a great place to pack away garden furniture and toys once autumn approaches – (or when rain threatens!). Shedstore (up to a 1.5% donation) have excellent options to suits all requirements.