I had to point you in the direction of Beth Steven's website because it reflects a solid selection of classic contemporary pieces for the home. Lots of the usual suspects like Joseph, Normann Copenhagen, Eva Solo and Alessi. But she's also picked up on a summer theme which was abundant at the recent Spring Fair at the NEC,which is garden wall art. This tree piece along with cow parsley and bubble art was in hot demand. She has yet to put a price and availability date on her collection, but it's promised to be coming soon...

Posted by Carole

As our house is still a mess of boxes and paper, I'd like to own this bobbin string just so I could pretend that there was order in some part of my life. £16.50 would buy me this antique bobbin with brass fittings and fllled with a large ball of twine in either red, green or natural. There are quite a few desirables at Willow and Stone which would give any girl a sense of calm and order in the midst of caous.

Posted by Carole

I should have featured one of their many stylish anglepoise lamps at the Gunpowder House. But I could not resist this enticing brown leather punch bag for £75. Not only would it look great in the garden, but it could save you a fortune in neurofen and slammed doors. All that teenage angst and anger could be channelled into a good beating of the punch bag. Why hasn't every home got one ?

Posted by Carole

Well so far only my wrapping paper and tags have been ethical, so I need to get shopping at the Ethical Superstore for this £7.99 paper potter. A perfect way to use your old newspapers to make seedling pots which are bio-degradable. Tons of ideas for high impact, low energy gifts.

Posted by Carole

What a great idea, create a series of gifts which combine something for the garden with an edible or gluggable companion. Glut has a package for every occasion, this sloe gin case contains a bottle of Plymouth's finest with 3 sloe plants and some recipes to inspire. Apparently this is how we will shop in the future, just assemble what you think I need - so not a bad place to start.

Posted by Carole

Given that I seem to be on a constant welly hunt these days, I should join the club and get some too. It makes obvious country sense to team my wellies with an insect boot jack for £10 from Plantstuff. Ok, so I've only ever seen them at country B & B's too, but Hackney has got a lot of green spaces. Plantstuff has lots of not so twee items too.

Posted by Carole

I don't know much about flowers, but I do know I love passion flowers. They appear delicate and tropical yet are hardy and very canny in the way they shut down over Winter and re-emerge in the Spring. We used to have them in our Brixton garden and I miss them enough to want to see them re-appear in Hackney. I'm going to order mine from Gardening Express as they have a good reputation for the quality and variety of plants. Not sure I'll be planting them right now, as I'm wilting, so a plant would never thrive in this heat.

Posted by Carole

Natural Collection have just been voted 'Retailer of the Year by the readers of The Observer in their Ethical Awards, and what a good choice they've turned out to be. Husband-and wife-team Julian & Jo Spencer have applied an ethical and ecological approach to everyday household and outdoor goods we need and purchase on a daily basis. The gardening section is stuffed with feeders, planters, solar lights, potions that don't kill the cat next door, some neat butts and composting bins.. you get the idea. I've chosen this natural hemp string which costs £4.95 - £12.95 as a small but practical place to begin turning my garden greener. It's part of their vast hemp range, t-shirts, weighing scales, bicycle? It's a one - stop ethical shop, time for me to chuck out the last remaining chemicals lurking in the potting shed.

Posted by Carole

Are you faced with a lawn which is dying before your eyes and wondering what you can do? Then log onto the love the garden site. It's quite blatantly dedicated to promoting 5 well know garden brands, but in the midst of this has some great advice and tips. And if this wonderful (but boy is it hot) sunshine continues, then our plants are going to need some serious resuscitation without the use of water or a miracle. What I want to know is has anyone tried to siphon the water out of their bath into a water butt below? Let me know.

Posted by Carole

The sun has finally come out and you've noticed you need a bit of colour in your garden. Then Head for the Fulham Palace Garden Centre near Putney Bridge. Not only can you purchase a great selection of plants, from African Violets to 10 ft palms, but all the profits will go to the Fairbridge. charity, which helps disaffected inner city youths. While you're at it why not join the garden centre society for £20 per year and attend a series of garden events to inform you about what's new and happening in the plant world. Alternatively roll up with your empty planters or window boxes and they'll plant them up for you. Not bad for a days trip to a garden centre.

Posted by Carole

If this rain continues I will be forced to buy myself a pair of these stylish wellies from £24.99 from Wellie Art. They are determined to make this prolonged damp spell a bit more bearable with their wild and imaginative rain accessories. Your wellies and brollies can also be moving art with a selection of art impressions from Warhol to Degas embossed on your wet gear.

Or you could order an emergency pack of ten ponchos for £5.30 (in bold single colours) or this fetching George Cross poncho for £7 for a pack of ten (man thankfully not included). Not sure that Tescos will approve of them, but it could prove handy if you're watching the matches on an outdoor screen.

Posted by Carole

Inherited a concrete garden and haven't got the muscle to swing a pick-axe? Why not turn it into an open-air art gallery? Susana Grabowska has sent us these pictures of her artistic garden in Hastings. She has used old pots of paint to create the pavement art and turned discarded cuttings into statues. If you live in the area and would like her to liven up your concrete, you can contact her on sjgrabowska@hotmail.com.

Posted by Ros

At the end of this month Wiggly Wigglers launch their first book about how they renovated a tired old garden at Blakemere into a fantastic haven for wildlfe. Bringing a Garden to Life reflects the ethos and materials which are sold on their site, composters, bug boxes and wild flower plants to name a few. You can meet the creators on June 1st at the forthcoming Hay Festival and see their theories in practice in the wiggly garden they are building on site.

Posted by Carole

Ok so it's another patio set, but I just have to remind you about the Greenfingers site as it's aim is to provide you with 'inspiration for your garden' and it does just that in a very practical and earthy way. This powder coated wrought iron
Beauchamp Patio set is surely a bit of a bargain at £99.00.

Green fingers also has a very practical and helpful advice. section, which is easy to access and understand. Meanwhile for all of you like me out there who fail the basic test of producing and maintaining a hanging basket, then quickly order your Hanging Basket Care Kit from them for £4.50 and pray for some rain.

Posted by Carole

For once I hope the weather people are seriously wrong about the water situation because we've just laid a new lawn. If, like us, a water butt is an essential item for this Summer, then why not make it a recycled plastic one. This one from even greener holds 190 litres and comes with a stand, rain diverter kit and lid - it costs £35. If this looks hideously big then why not opt for a mini butt which holds 100 litres and costs £30.

While David Cameron and Gordon Brown battle it out to see who is the greenest and fairest of them of them all - get your water butts from the recycle now site along with your wormery and recycled garden trug for all those nasty weeds. The site also allows you to enter your post code and do a quick check on what your council collects and when. Maybe like ours in Hackney, they've just introduced a waste food collection scheme which thankfully removes the need and guilt of a compost bin.