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- 14th September 2018
How to Love Your Garden
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Have you been following the new series of Love Your Garden? Then you may have spotted a few great products you recognise…
Several of our suppliers have been helping out deserving guests on the show, including Grange, Forest, and Protek. Check out the images and descriptions below, then pick your favourites and head over their product pages. With elbec, you can create your own outdoor masterpiece and really learn to love your garden.
Forest Henley Summerhouse
Starting off the new series with a bang, the wonderful garden renovation aired on 24th July featured a beautiful Henley Summerhouse from our supplier, Forest.
This top quality build features a robust tongue and groove construction, pressure treated timber for a 15 year anti-rot guarantee, and large toughened glass windows to let plenty of light in. It’s strong and secure, as it can be kept safe with a key lock, and its attractive hexagonal design looks good from every angle. What’s not to love?
Painted in contrasting dark and light colours, this Henley really stood out as the focal point of the garden. For more information and to order your own, click here.
Grange Portico Arch
A stylish and sturdy choice of trellis archway, the Portico Arch from Grange was a great addition to the first episode of the show. Its pressure treated timber comes with a 15 year anti-rot guarantee, and it has plenty of space for climbing plants and hanging baskets, so you know the Love Your Garden team made a great choice.
Interested in finding out more? Head to the product page by clicking here.
Protek Paint and Woodstain
Episodes 2, 4 and 6 featured some great treatments by our supplier Protek. In particular, 14th August’s instalment included their Silver Fir Woodstain & Protector, and we know you noticed the striking Royal Exterior Teal paint in Fiona’s garden on 28th August. Check out the huge range of beautiful colours from Protek that we stock here.
Grange Sleepers – ‘Sawn Railway’ and ‘Rounded Garden’
Love Your Garden loves sleepers! Particularly sleepers from Grange…
Episode 1 of this series featured Sawn Railway Sleepers (you can view the product page here), while in Episode 5 the team used Rounded Garden Sleepers (view the product page here).
These sleepers are great for adding low borders to different parts of your garden, creating raised beds, or even forming small walls. They’re attractive and robust, and all come pressure treated with 15 years anti-rot guarantee.
Forest Overlap Pent Shed
Tucked away next to Pat’s sewing room in Episode 3 was a neat little shed from Forest. Simple and compact, the Overlap Pent Shed is great for making use of little corners, as the Love Your Garden team proved.
It’s also got pressure treated timber and 15 years anti-rot guarantee, so it’s designed to last. Interested in one of your own? Click here for more information.
Grange Fencing – ‘Closeboard Panels’ and ‘Contemporary Vogue Panels’
Grange’s fencing has helped more than one Love Your Garden guest to a perfect outdoor space. On 7th August we saw their Closeboard Panels supplied to Pat, and the following week their popular Contemporary Vogue Panels were featured in Roisin’s new garden. Very stylish!
To find out more about the Closeboard fencing, click here, or for more information on the Contemporary Vogue fencing, click here.
Forest Shiplap Pent Large Outdoor Store
Another example of great garden storage from Forest, the Love Your Garden team installed their Shiplap Pent Large Outdoor Store for Irene’s charity donations. This is a brilliant, compact alternative to a conventional shed, and we think it’s an excellent choice.
Want something like this for your garden? Click here to view the product page.
Grange Elite Lattice Trellis
A versatile product that can be both feature and fence, Grange contributed several 6ft square panels of their Elite Lattice Trellis (plus the gravel boards and posts) to Jim’s lovely new garden in Episode 7.
Pressure treated to last longer with an environmentally-friendly system, and coming with an anti-rot guarantee that lasts for 10 years, this is a great choice for climbing plants and boundaries alike.
Click here to see the panels Jim has in his garden and explore our website for a variety of sizes of this excellent trellis.
Catch up on Love Your Garden on the ITV Hub now!
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- 30th August 2018
Grandad Fred’s Greenhouse Tips
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Grandad Fred is a familiar face around our showsite, appearing regularly to help tend to the plants in the Elite Greenhouse. Today he’s sharing his top tips for greenhouses, so read on for some nuggets of wisdom…
Tip 1: Cut up a pair of tights to secure plants to canes
The stretchy fabric is ideal for tying plant stems to canes to keep them growing upright, and you can get plenty of ties from a single pair of tights.
Tip 2: Spray green beans with water to help blossom the flowers
The extra moisture helps the delicate flowers to bloom as beautifully as possible, and means you’re more likely to end up with plenty of beans when the time comes.
Tip 3: When growing cucumbers, keep a washing up bowl of water underneath the pot
Cucumber plants must be kept in moist earth at all times. By making a hole in the bottom of the plant pot and sitting it in a washing up bowl of water, the earth in the pot will absorb the water as it dries out, meaning it keeps a constant moisture content. This allows the cucumber to remain fully hydrated, and therefore grow to its best.
Tip 4: Put a banana skin in the tomato bag for a sweeter taste
This is a great one for making the most out of the produce you grow. Banana skins hold plenty of nutrients, and tomatoes are able to absorb these from the soil as they grow, meaning your tomatoes will be far sweeter.
Tip 5: In hot weather, keep the greenhouse well-ventilated
It’s always important to keep your greenhouse well-ventilated so it doesn’t overheat, but this is especially true during baking hot weather like we’ve been having recently. This is to prevent your plants from drying out – remember to keep them hydrated too!
Leave the windows open while the sun’s out, and even try to keep the doors open if possible, especially around midday. Even better if you can add Elite’s automatic ventilation kits to the roof vents and louvre vents of your greenhouse, to keep the plants well-ventilated even while you’re not out there with them.
We hope you find these tips useful – thank you to Grandad Fred for providing them. Happy gardening!
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- 27th November 2017
Personalising your Playhouse
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Want to make your playhouse feel like home? When you buy a playhouse from elbec you can customise it to suit the children who play in it, and also to compliment your garden.
Paint is perhaps the most striking way to personalise your playhouse. If you need inspiration for a colour scheme, combining your children’s favourite colours will create a beautiful shared space that reflects their personalities. Make sure you use a water-based top coat, which will prevent weathering and prolong its life.
Why not give your playhouse a fun name to match its theme or let your child label it as their own den? A door sign is a less permanent addition that can still give your playhouse character.
Toys bring any playhouse to life, really making it a place to have fun. While children are getting used to the playhouse, introducing favourite toys will help them enjoy the new space, especially younger children. Extra decorations like bunting or other ornaments also make pretty customisable elements.
If you’re feeling bold and want to fulfil your child’s wildest playtime dreams, all of these personal touches can come together to make your playhouse a themed roleplay area. Playhouses with hatches, such as the Forest Basil Duo Playhouse, make great play cafés. Adding a play oven and table can help to make a game of ‘chef’ come to life.
For adventurous children, a jungle theme works especially well for raised playhouses, like the Forest Sage Tower Playhouse. Hanging vine decorations, green paint, jungle animal toys and binoculars can make the perfect explorer’s hideaway treehouse.
Our quirky Wild West Playhouse is the ultimate setting for a game of Cowboys and Indians. Finishing touches like a hobby horse resting on the veranda and a dressing up box with accessories could help the kids (and adults) get into character!
Dreaming of a more classic playhouse theme? If you decorate your playhouse to look like a miniature cottage, it will keep its charm for years to come. This will create a versatile playhouse to outlast children’s changing tastes and add fairy-tale fun to your garden.
Purchase your playhouse at elbec today and the joy of personalisation awaits.
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- 1st August 2016
Make Sure You Love Your Garden...
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Did you catch last Tuesday’s episode of ITV’s ‘Love Your Garden’? Once again many of the products we sell were featured on the show, demonstrating how our wide range of items can spruce up any garden. Last Tuesday, in episode 4, we saw Caroline’s garden divided into themed sections using the Grange Urban Garden Arch from our professional range. Previous episodes have presented other unique garden displays that illustrate the versatility of the products we sell and show how you can create your own special space outdoors.
Can’t decide on just one theme for your outdoor space? Our website features many of the products which were seen on the show and can suit any taste.
Grange Urban Screen 180cm & 120cm
Grange’s Urban Screen can be strategically placed to divide your garden into different zones that give you the opportunity to create various moods. The natural colour and sleek structure of the Urban Screen adds a modern touch that complements the natural surroundings of your garden.
Grange Urban Arch
The Urban Arch by Grange leads you from one section of your garden to another and adds plenty of character with its defining sharp lines. Want your Urban Arch to stand out even more? The Urban Arch is available in pre-painted colour options of Sage Green, Cornish Cream, Heritage Blue and Dove Grey.
Grange Fortress Driveway Gates
Do you remember how the ‘Love Your Garden’ team used the Grange Fortress Driveway Gates to maintain that feeling of privacy? The combination of the design layout with thick framework gives a contemporary feel without sacrificing the intimacy of your outdoor area. Individual attention is given to each of these gates thanks to their hand-assembly, so every gate has a personal touch and is made to an extremely high standard.
Grange Pale Infill Path Gate
Add some character to your garden with Grange’s Pale Infill Path Gate which maximises both style and visibility with its featured gaps. The simple yet classic design of the Pale Infill Path Gate has the ability to fit in with any garden and offer that extra security we all require.
So why don’t you go ahead and take a look at all these featured products on our website using the links below
http://www.elbecgardenbuildings.co.uk/grange-urban-garden-arch-pressure-treated/p4529
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- 6th May 2016
The Grange Contemporary Range
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Give your garden a modern look
Gardens, like people, sometimes get stuck in a rut and benefit from a ‘makeover’. It’s easy to bring a garden up to date and, using simple ready-made products, you can transform a tired looking patch quickly and inexpensively.
For example, a pack of Grange Contemporary fencing will give an eye-catching new look to your garden’s boundaries. Both sides of the fencing are equally attractive and it comes with a 15 year guarantee against rot. Or why not use the Contemporary fencing as a stylish screen in your garden? This would make a perfect excuse for visitors to explore and see what’s hidden behind the screen.
Perhaps they’d find a garden arbour from the Contemporary range which combines modern, straight slats with a classically curved roof. Pressure treated for longer life, the arbour is an ideal structure for climbing plants, as well as for reclining gardeners.
Another easy way to give your garden a new twist would be to introduce some Contemporary planters. Whether you opt for square, rectangular or tall planters, or a combination of all three, the planters come ready assembled and include a fitted liner. In no time at all you can fill a planter with compost and then enjoy planting old favourites or experimenting with new varieties of flowers or foliage. Strategically placed, a planter from the Contemporary range will liven up your garden and starting at £75 it’s an inexpensive way of creating a new look, quickly and easily.
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- 16th September 2015
Is September too early to begin buying Christmas presents?
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Bargain hunters will tell you that the middle of September is the ideal time to begin shopping for Christmas presents. It’s about now that many suppliers clear their warehouses. It’s when they mark down products for a quick sale in order to create more space for new stock.
Children’s playhouses are a typical September ‘let’s get rid’ product because there’s fewer opportunities in the autumn for youngsters to be outdoors, so there’s not as many sales. That makes a playhouse the perfect gift for the canny Christmas present buyer.
The Shire Lad’s shed playhouse at £99 from elbec is an excellent example of a give-away, not to be missed bargain. For under £100 your children will receive a Christmas gift with a difference. Watch their faces light up when they realise there’s a summer ahead of creative play in a well constructed building that’s all their own. OK, so they won’t notice that the Lad’s shed is made from high quality, treated softwood with lots of safety features, but you’ll know. And, painted in a suitable shade with curtains at the window and the playhouse easily becomes a ‘Lasses shed’.
The Lad’s shed playhouse comes flat packed so it’s easy enough to store until it’s time for Father Christmas’s elves to collect ready for delivery on 25 December. And with the easy to follow instructions, assembling the playhouse could make a great holiday activity for all the family.
So, no, September isn’t too early to begin buying Christmas presents. But be quick because the Lad’s shed playhouse from elbec is such a good price that it won’t be on the warehouse racks for much longer.
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- 8th September 2015
Give your garden that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’
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Looking for decorative fencing panels which remind you of a great holiday spent in France? That’s not as silly as it sounds.
Deciding whether to replace your fencing panels or squeeze in a sunshine break in France before the end of the Summer? It may be possible to do both with a range of fancy fencing from elbec named after French resorts, especially as the St Meloir, St Carne and St Lunairs fencing panels are currently available at a really hot price.
While you’re putting on the sun cream you can rest assured that the St Meloir panels have been pressure treated to provide protection against rot and fungal decay for up to ten years. With their elegant wavy tops and attractive integrated trellis, these decorative panels will let the sunshine into your garden for years to come.
Unlike some beach wear, the St Carne panels look great in any garden setting. They are smooth planed with dome tops and horizontal slats which have the natural beauty you get from using high quality wood.
You’ll catch everyone’s eye when you opt for St Lunairs diamond trellis fencing panels. These decorative panels will save you time as well as money because you can buy them ready painted in one of five colour finishes.
All of these French sounding garden fencing panels are made by Grange, a British company with 140 years of experience and a reputation for quality products.
So, before you pack your bags and head for St Meloir, St Carne or St Lunair, plan to come home to a set of attractively-priced, decorative garden panels from elbec.
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- 17th August 2015
Who’s Looking At Your Shed?
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Burglars love the holiday season when people are away from home. Thefts from sheds increase by around 25% during the summer months, according to one of the UK’s top insurance companies.
If you’re a shed owner it’s worth checking your insurance policy before you go on holiday because some insurance companies may not cover you for high value items such as power tools, bicycles, lawn mowers or garden furniture.
But even if your policy is OK, there’s no point inviting trouble and there are a number of ways you can reduce the risk of your shed being burgled:- Check your shed is secure and has an adequate lock
- Use non-returnable screws on hinges that show on the outside of the shed. Drill the heads of any screws that show so they cannot be unscrewed
- Use window locks on windows that open. If your shed has windows that you never use, why not screw them down so they don’t open
- Chain bicycles and ladders to secure anchor points that are concreted into the ground
- Use security lighting which is activated by sensors in the area around your shed and consider installing a shed alarm.
If you are in the market for a shed, then it’s sensible to think about security when you are looking at the options. elbec garden buildings takes security seriously and has a range of sheds which you could consider:
Windowless Sheds
Burglars are less likely to break into a shed if they are not sure what’s inside. Time is of the essence for a burglar; the longer they hang around the more likely it is that they will be disturbed. And of course they won’t want to waste their time breaking in to a shed to find there is nothing of value inside. Have a look at the following options from elbec:
Pricewise range- Wooden sheds are the cheapest option and many are windowless to prevent prying eyes. Wooden, windowless sheds are available from 3x2 ft to 12x6 ft
- Many metal and plastic sheds are windowless and have the added advantage that if someone tries to break in, they won’t be able to do it quietly!
Popular range- There are a number of windowless wooden sheds in this range, but most models also offer thicker wall cladding and stronger floors for extra security. The sizes available are from 3x2 ft to 8x6ft.
Professional range
These are amongst the most secure wooden sheds around and include such features as:- Concealed full length, factory fitted door hinges
- Windowless sheds at no extra charge
- Fully framed, ledged and braced doors
- Option for thicker wall cladding
- Specially designed security shed models with small windows
- Lock and key for most models
- Unlimited sizes
Follow our common sense advice and you’ll enjoy your holiday without worrying about your shed!
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- 10th August 2015
Wood, Plastic or Metal? Material considerations for your garden shed
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When it comes to choosing the garden shed that is just right for you, many factors such as price, size, maintenance and durability may be taken into consideration, all of which are significantly affected by a shed’s material. In the world of garden sheds, there is only one question on the tip of everyone’s tongue: wood, plastic or metal?
Wooden sheds
The traditional wooden shed has been the mainstay of British gardens for hundreds of years. Despite requiring regular maintenance, wooden sheds are easily customised both externally and internally thanks to the flexibility of wood. If you’re a purist willing to put time, effort and care into your wooden shed, it will be an attractive asset to any garden space.
Plastic sheds
However, there is a strong case to be made in favour of purchasing a plastic shed. Plastic sheds can be used as extremely effective storage spaces, while requiring no regular maintenance. They’re much lighter weight, than the much heavier wood or metal alternatives. While they should be placed in a shaded area, plastic sheds are long lasting, because they come with a high UV resistance and weather proof features.
Metal sheds
But plastic sheds are not the only alternative to the traditional wooden shed: metal sheds are becoming increasingly popular as a result of their bargain price tags, the ease with which they can be assembled and the little or no maintenance they require. In addition, metal sheds come with the best available sizing options, ensuring great value for money.
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Therefore, provided you’re willing to put in the time and care required, but wish to make storage attractive and want a garden shed which will augment the value of your property, then look no further than the traditional wooden shed.
However, the more contemporary plastic shed provides a maintenance-free, affordable and accessible answer to many storage problems. Users can effectively and easily store tons of items, all at a low monetary and time cost.
Alternatively, because they’re easy to assemble, very cheap and with the best sizing options available, look past the industrial exterior and a metal shed could be perfect for your garden storage needs.
