Relax with sustainable garden furniture
If you're planning on spilling out into the garden for food, drinks and general chilling out this weekend but don't yet have the furniture, there are plenty of green and ethically produced products designed specially for outdoor living. Here are some you might want to check out. Follow the jump for our rundown of eco-friendly garden must haves for the summer!
1. Sustainable teak sun lounger set
Teak is your best option for garden furniture, as in the garden or on the patio, it will last a lifetime. But to ensure the teak has been sourced responsibly it should have the FSC mark and ideally be made from reclaimed timber, like these solid, comfortable loungers by Hen & Hammock. If you can't stretch to the £715 price tag, you may want to check out their fun range of handmade FSC certified beech deckchairs, available in a range of colours.
2. 'lawn' chair
This one is really only for those willing to wait, but the results look well worth it (provided you don't mind your garden looking a bit like Telly Tubby land!)
A chair made out of lawn, the 'Grass armchair comes in a self-assembly flatpack: each pack contains 14 corrugated cardboard frames and 100g pack of grass seeds. You will need about 240 litres of soil, to fill in the frame. First find the right spot, because obviously once the armchair has grown you won't be able to move it!! You can put up to 20cm of gravel with in the frame then the soil. Spread the seeds evenly using only 4/5 of the bag of seeds. Press them in and water slightly so that the soil is humid. Don't forget to water the armchair every day...
You can buy the 'terra chair' for £59 at Lazybones.co.uk
3. Solar parasol
A great little invention for outdoor dining, parties or trips to the beach, this 'solar' parasol does its job of protecting you from the sunlight during the day, then stores up energy for use at night in a solar panel screwed on to its top.
When night falls on your dusk soiree, the energy is converted to light, via a sprinkling of LEDs mounted on the umbrella's spokes. This creates a beautiful, star-like light effects that wil be bright enough for those crucial activities like opening the next bottle of wine. $99 at Lowes
