With the clocks going forward and spring in the air, we can all anticipate those lazy, hazy days of summer that are just around the corner. But before we get there, there’s some work to be done yet. Now the winter’s over, there’s no excuse as it’s no longer too cold to get out there and do some work.

In fact now is the perfect time to cut back the hedges, weed the flower beds and get the lawn in order. It’s also an ideal time to give the decking a coat of teak oil to protect it, or get the jet washer out to blast the winter grime off the paving stones on the patio. Although your back garden might look pretty grim and unwelcoming just now, a couple of days’ work will bring it all up to scratch in no time.

And once you’ve cleared away all the grime from winter, you can assess whether you want to replace your outside furniture. If you go down to any DIY store or supermarket at the moment, you’ll see aisles devoted to summer garden fun. Parasols, tables, chairs, sun loungers, barbecues and inflatable pools – it’s all there and ready to be purchased!

There are plenty of cheap dining tables suitable for outdoor use, and plenty of expensive ones too. The amount you can spend on outdoor furniture is staggering. Before you decide what to buy, you have to weigh up the amount you’re going to spend with the amount of time you’ll realistically be able to sit outside and enjoy the furniture.

If you have two areas that you use to sit outside it might be a nice idea to have two sets of furniture – a dining table set for proper meals, and somewhere with loungers and a smaller table just to hold your book or your drinks. Glass coffee tables can be ideal, as they withstand the weather fine, and just need a quick wipe down every now and then. Again, it’s best to buy from the outdoor furniture aisle, but there are some tables that are designed for indoor use that can be used outside.

Even though you may not feel like doing the hard work to get your garden in order just at the moment, when  you’ve done it you’ll be able to sit back and relax when the real summer sun arrives.

Did you know you can buy a bubble for your garden?

This is a hard clear plastic structure that allows you to spend time in the garden at any time of year, staring up at the stars and very much being “at one” with nature … well, almost! Crucially, there’s a nice hard, plastic clear lining between you and the slugs, spiders, mice, foxes and whatever else makes its way into your garden at night.

All you need now is a little cheap furniture to put in there, and a sofa bed from the sofa bed sale and you’re all set. Who needs a house any more – why not live in the garden!?

But seriously folks … if you have sufficient room in the garden (and you really don’t need much) a garden bubble can be a great idea to make the most of the outdoors and to encourage your kids to do the same. And the kids will love it!

Just do a search on Bubble-tree and you’ll soon see what we’re talking about here; the designs are amazing and you can opt for a tree house instead if you have room in the garden.

It really does seem a great way of getting further into nature if you have the right sort of garden environment to begin with.

These seem set to make a real impact on the market if they can get a toehold. Also, products like this look likely to be copied and/or replicated, as creative garden ideas become gradually more fashionable in a post-recessionary environment.

Time will tell, but whatever way you look at it – modern technology is gradually allowing us to take our living areas into the great outdoors; so embrace the revolution and get in a bubble!

For many people having a conservatory built is a reasonably big expense. But often, once it’s done  they find that they don’t really use it enough to justify the cost. Often, this can be because a conservatory gets too hot in the summer and is too cold in the winter.

These problems can be easily solved, by putting in some decent conservatory blinds which provide shelter from too much sun during the summer. They also help to make the room feel cosier in the winter months, but what will really make the difference is putting some form of heating in the conservatory.

You can easily do this by buying one or two plug-in oil filled radiators. This is probably the simplest and most economic heating option. You only switch them on when you need to and they quickly fill the room with heat. Most come with thermostats and with a timer you can set them to come on at certain times during the day.

The other reason people don’t use their conservatories much is often because of the way they are furnished. You need to decide whether the conservatory is there as an extension of the garden or an extension of the house.

To get more use out of it, you might want to set the dining table up in there so that you use the conservatory every day. However, if it’s too far from the kitchen, you’re unlikely to want to walk every meal through. If that’s the case, you might be better off buying some nice furniture to go in there. Of course you can get garden furniture – like rattan chairs – but it may be a better idea to buy a couple of fabric sofas so that it feels like an extra living room and has year round appeal.

There are always plenty of furniture retailers like Harveys Furniture store that have different sales on throughout the year. Shop around online to find which styles you like and then wait for the sales time so that you can get a bargain.

Once you’ve transformed your conservatory into a more useable space, you might find that you spend a lot more time in there.

The ideal conservatory furniture this day and age has to be the well-insulated, super double-glazed type of place that is a joy to be in whether the sun is shining brightly and the windows, doors and roof vents are open – or the snow is falling and you want to get a good view of it all.

The reality is that many conservatories are more or less no go areas in the colder months. Either that or they cost a fortune to heat.

So if you’re having a conservatory built or you’re thinking about buying a house with one already in then try and build it for the winter – or test it out during the coldest weather when looking a place over. If a conservatory is a delight to be in in the winter – the summer will very much take care of itself.

And a good conservatory is a joy to be in on cold winter mornings. On a Sunday, it’s great to be able to relax, read the Sunday papers, enjoy a cup of coffee and chat to friends and family – even in December and January. There’s just something great being warm and dry in such an “open” feeling place in the coldest weather. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true if the conservatory isn’t up to muster for the winter; they can be very depressing places indeed.

This is all largely a function of price. But if your conservatory is warm and cosy and well glazed, then the furniture and decor are difficult choices in that they have to work in all weathers. Green is the ideal colour. It’s warm yet can also feel cool, goes well with plants which love the light – and works well with wicker / basketry etc.

Scour the furniture sale off-season though. You see lots of sofa sales all year round, these days, but right at the end of the summer season and in the early autumn, conservatory furnishings are usually at their absolute cheapest. And if yours is truly a year-round conservatory – what’s the difference anyway?

For people who love to spend time in their gardens, a conservatory that you can use as a dining room or extra living room is a real bonus. Spending time doing things like eating or just sitting and relaxing in a conservatory – which naturally is always on the back or the side of the house overlooking the garden – provides you with a real vantage point to admire the results of your hard work in the garden.

If you haven’t been using your conservatory as a ‘room’ before now, the likelihood is that it will have got filled up with stuff that doesn’t really belong there – outdoor toys, gardening equipment, maybe the washing basket and the kids’ bikes.  To make it a real room, you need to remove any clutter and put in some storage so that everything can be tidied away.

You might consider getting a couple of oil filled radiators if you don’t have any heating in the conservatory, as this will make it useable year round.  As a rule conservatories don’t need much decorating, but if yours is looking a bit tired, then a good spring clean will lift it.  If it’s wooden framed, you might need to touch up the paintwork, but if you have PVC all you’ll need is some hot soapy water to make it look like new.

Depending on whether you’re going to make it an extra living room or dining room, if you go down to any furniture sale, you’ll be able to buy a couple of sofas or a cheap dining table and chairs to go in your conservatory. You might want to choose furniture made of natural materials like bamboo to add to the garden theme.  Once you’ve got your new furniture in, you can fill the conservatory with your favourite potted plants to really make it the perfect mix of indoors and outdoors.

At this time of year many people’s gardens are looking pretty gloomy. The leaves have all gone, many of the plants are hiding from the cold weather and there aren’t really a lot of flowers on show. Unless you are a huge fan of snow and snowmen then you are better off indoors. For gardeners it is a funny time, waiting for spring again and aching to see things growing. If your thoughts have turned to summertime and you’re longing to be outdoors once more, use that energy constructively and plan your new garden for next year.

Gardening and landscaping is a great hobby. Turning your outside space into an extra room is a real skill and one which can change how you feel about your home and even the way you live in it. If you are hoping to make these kinds of improvements then one of the absolutely essential elements is to include an area for cooking and eating. Purchasing barbecues online is a great idea out of season as you may well be able to pick up a bargain. There are even offers to be had on materials for decking and children’s toys such as trampolines, so if you’re not short on storage space why not invest now.

Gardens are very much a social space, bringing together family and friends to rest, relax and play. Entertaining with food and drinks is very much a part of this and what better way than to get everyone round for a barbecue. If you are looking for guidance on what to purchase then look no further than Weber Barbecues, they have a fantastic range and are a brand to be trusted. Get your landscaping plans in place now and look forward to a summer of enjoying healthy, seasonal food and the delights of your brand new garden.