Outdoor living

Big huge thank you to all of those who attended the master classes these last few days, it was a fabulous weekend full to the brim of inspiration and I am always so inspired and animated having spent two days with a great bunch of people who are as obsessed with interiors as me! On top of that a new truck loads of flowers arrived, beautiful pink blossom, big fat Dutch roses in the softest pinky lilac, bundles of peonies, hydrangeas all of which look amazing in store, I have to photograph and get on line asap so everyone can see. The weather in London has been amazing, hotter than the Med I here so yesterday we pottered around the garden in pj's not even leaving the house, apart from a super early trip to Columbia and ended the day with lamb on the barbecue which I marinated in herbs and a beer or too, heavenly! So with the weather being fabulous still, I thought I would write a few words on gardens if you don't mind. Why is it that garden furniture is so boring? I'm peeking out my window and fearing I might piss off the neighbours by saying this but am wondering why so many gardens are a bit neglected. I don't mean plant wise I mean furniture and lighting wise. Bog standard garden furniture that does little to lift the spirits plonked in the middle of the garden and that is about it. No vases on tables no lighting anywhere, I think we all need to be a tad more inventive, easy for me to say I here you cry and yes it is, I immerse myself in all things interior every single day but a degree of it must, I  say come from thinking outside of the box. For instance I've upturned big trunks of wood and apple crates and used them as coffee tables. I've plopped flowers (oops fake ones) in jam jars and scattered them throughout the garden on these sweet little tables. I've got chairs everywhere under the lilac, a twosome by the jasmine, another couple of loungers by the outdoor fireplace, two little upright things under the bay trees at the back on and on I could go. I put indoor lights out and simply replaced the bulb with a freezer one (withstands all sorts of temps even in the depths of winter) and I’ve lit the garden to feel like another outdoor room. Glass baubles hang from trees, furniture is a mixture of super cool lounging and rustic vintage, plant pots are big bronze numbers from home base or woven wicker and almost every plant is scented. Quite easy no? It is very much like designing a space inside all about layering. The more layers, three dimensional little vignittes you create the more interesting your space becomes. I leave you with a fabulous outdoor LA space from Lonnymag.com and whilst we might not all have spaces as large or fabulous as this its a pretty good example of layering at its best!