Well this has to be a first, a rustic hosepipe holder from the very practical useful stuff company. Their site is packed with great gardening gifts and some well priced picnic ware, should the summer ever happen. This £12.50 creation is a great antidote to the green plastic holder which currently graces every garden.

Posted by Carole

Biomelifestyle is a website name which fails to stick in my brain, which is a shame because it's products are truly green and wonderful. It's one of the few stylish eco-friendly sites, that has really creative goods. This garden set is not exactly cutting edge, but it's one of the best starter kits I've seen. For £62 you've got every green gardeners desire from recycled plastic trug to bottle top waterers - a great start to a more eco friendly life.

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

Now I need to buy this nifty pressure washer from Homebase. The kids are currently sliding off our steps in a ski-like fashion, so for £34.99 I could do a quick 1800 watt pressure wash with my 6 metre hose and save myself broken limbs and £5 -not bad for a half term purchase. Might just postpone the deed until all those trick 'n' treaters have slid off our front steps..hee hee hee....

Posted by Carole

ELC has funked up and shed it's slightly worthy air for a more caring, sharing one. This Pink rake and hoe trolley comes with a hoe, trowel, 2 rakes, dibber and watering can. Plus a rather fetching trolley to hold the gardening tools - shames my current bucket holder. It costs £10 and is aimed 3-8 year olds, but most ages would muck in where water and mud are present. Lots of Easter items also on sale - could make an alternative gift to chocolate.

Posted by Carole

I have a soft spot for the Re-found Objects site. It's simple and honest with an eclectic range of recycled and reused products for the home. These garden tools are a great product to recycle as they are robust and practical with a distinct whiff of vintage. Most of the tools start from £24, while the hand tools start from £12. While you're there take a peek at their planters and vintage watering cans.

Posted by Carole

This hand woven gardeners basket comes in 2 sizes for £15 from Traidcraft . They've been helping poor people win their share of word trade since 1979 - thankfully it's currently very chic. As you pop a trowel and seeds into your shiny new basket, you'll know it was made from an organisation working with mainly rural women in Bangladesh which offers adult literacy classes and day-care for children. You'll also be supporting Fair Trade fortnight which ends on March 11th. Beats a trip to B & Q or John Lewis.

Posted by Carole

If like me you’d rather have pink fingers than green ones then this charming gardening set from SandEdge.com is for you. The essentials are included, but the little extra inclusions are what make this a gardening set with style. You get two cute pairs of gloves (one suede, one cotton) some pink daisy seeds, some pink plant pot labels and a tube of hand crème all for £33.

It’s almost as if it was plucked straight off the set of Stepford Wives – I love it!

Posted by Kerry

I've never given ladders much thought, but this one caught my eye at Greenfingers . I love the fact that it's collapsable and has a manual lock for each tread. It extends to 3.3m, yet collapses down to just 78cm and weighs only 10kg due to its anodised aluminium construction. This makes for incredibly easy transportation and access to awkward locations. No wonder Telesteps have won several design awards, it's not cheap at £179 (reduced from £199) but we are talking about a ladder for life.

Posted by Carole

Given this hot weather, I think our lawn mower will not make it out of the cellar as we now have a patch of staw for a lawn. I do need this Bosch hedge trimmer though for £44.99 from Garden Cut. Not only will it be delivered free to my door, but should you find the product any cheaper (and can prove it) then they will beat it. Trouble is have I enough energy in this heat to cut the hedge?

Posted by Carole

There is something terribly English and solid about Plantstuff . Based in Shepton Mallet, they stock a small and carefully selected range of outdoor goods, like these pocket secateurs for £29.50. Yes, you can get them for as little as £5.99, but like me will find that they have a very short and rusty life. If you want garden products that you'll end up leaving in your will, then look no further.

Posted by carole

Bloomsbury Stores stock a great range of modern classics and contemporary products for indoors and outdoors. These eye-catching floral utility knives have 3 positions and cost £5.95. Once you have this pretty and useful tool you will have to buy the 6 -in -1 flowered up hammer, screwdriver, pliers, tape measure...the lot really. I love these and want them to brighten up my tool box right now.

Posted by Carole

With the Bank Holiday looming it's time to tackle those weeds and plant those herbs. So take advantage of this offer - a 5 piece stainless steel tool set reduced from £24.99 to £19.99 at Homebase This offer is only available online and will take 2 days to deliver - so don't blame your lack of work on a lack of tools and get ordering now.

If lounging is more your thing, then their Poppy Arbour is reduced from £229.99 to £199.99 and will shade you from the sun or provide cover from the rain - which of course it will do as it's a Bank Holiday!

Posted by Carole

It's not exactly bbq weather, but should the sun make an appearance then you need to be ready. This Weber Smokey Joe Gold Grill is a portable kettle grill , with a lid & bowl made from heavy -gauge steel with porcelain enamel to prevent rusting. It costs £60 and can be sourced from DealTime which also provides 5 reviews of the item as well as a price comparison check. The site has a seriously massive selection of appliances, hand and power tools - over 1,300 items popped up in the sheds and storage section! All a bit overwhelming, but also a good overview.

Posted by Carole

Go on admit it - when no-one's looking you've taken the fork out of the cutlery drawer and used it to turf out a weed. Ok - so it's not just me. Well now it's time to get some serious tooling done and DIY Tools has to be your first pit stop. It's when I realised on page 3 that I might as well have been looking at alien body parts that I had to admit to myself that I really didn't know my fork from my shovel. It's scary but enjoyable at the same time - go on and log on.

Posted by Carole

Fair and Weathered is a site which makes me feel a tinge of green jealousy mixed with I want. It's named after it's creator Philip Fairweather who has the enviable job of traveling around the globe to source beautiful and unusual home and garden products. I was surprised at how reasonable the prices were. The featured Hungarian panelled box bench is £220 whilst the bird cages come in white or cream, square or round, £30 or £35 - minus the bird of course.

However like a lot of these sites she fails to mention where and from whom did these exquisite products come from? If only to salve my conscience, I would like a little more history on the items, just to check that a child in Borneo hasn't slaved for a year so I can park my butt on a distressed looking piece of wood. I suppose if you fancy a piece you can always email her or arrange to meet and chat. I mention this because there are quite a few things I like the look of.