Brilliant garden accessories including gardening bags and garden string

If you read my recent article about BBQs (tips and products to help you create the perfect BBQ), you'll be ready to find out about some of the most popular items in the Garden Accessories Range. There's nothing like sitting down to relax in your garden and being able to admire how great it looks, but this unfortunately means you'll also need to spend a bit of time tidying up the leaves from the lawn, decking and so on (this product will be useful for clearing up in front of your house also).

Unless you're lucky enough to have some help, walking around the garden collecting garden waste with a plastic bag blowing in the breeze can seem like a hard and frustrating job. The ‘Handy Hoop’ is a brilliantly simple & easy to use product which holds the bag open to fill easily. Just open the hoop & clip in the refuse bag & close the hoop to secure. Its is as easy as that. It's a robust, time saving device for speeding up one of the more thankless garden tasks.

What are you going to do with all that garden waste though? If you’re looking for extra storage for all those collected leaves and garden debris, look no further than the ‘Pop-Up Bag’ – this garden bag has a top cover, zipper & hard base it’s ideal for storing such items and perfect for use as a carrier for taking to the recycling centre – the zipped top prevents leaves & grass from spilling out whilst in the back of the car!



The unique spring design means it holds itself open and collapses down for compact storage & transport. With padded handles, tear resistant tarpaulin fabric and tipping handle for easy emptying it’s a hard working item, you’ll wonder how you managed without it!

The hard base provides extra strength & stability, and it’s very hard wearing. It opens to 45cm tall, has a 37 litre volume and 25kg load capacity. These garden jobs just got easier!!


If like some of our customers you've been looking for Garden Twine, now back in stock is String in a Tin - Garden String, which means you have to look no more! Featuring a tin with a very useful cutter on the lid, it contains approximately 80 metres ( 260 ft ) of garden twine. It's also a really useful item to have in the house with thousands of uses and is available in green and white.

See the full Garden Accessories Range with new products being added all the time.

Time to get out the BBQ?!

Is Summer finally here? Let's hope so, but even when the sun is selectively appearing and disappearing BBQs are usually on the agenda for many people. It's true that if you don't start making the most of the current good weather and having them soon you may miss out completely! So all you BBQers out there here are some tips and helpers to keep you going.

Many people keep to what they know - sausages, burgers, chicken... and perhaps even a potato!! For all these people the Quickachips Oven Proof Basket is not only great for preventing soggy food in your oven, but also great for BBQs because it gives you control over your cooking: no more losing kebabs, sausages or vegetarian food to the coals! It's also freezer & dishwasher safe, so cleaning won't be a dreaded job! Don't forget when cooking chicken to leave the skin on when possible because it will keep it moist, and if cooking steak do the same as you would in oven - leave it to rest for 10mins or so before serving. Also remember to brush your meat with olive oil before placing on the  BBQ to prevent it from sticking.

For the slightly more adventurous why not try some fish on there too? I'm not a huge fan of fish cooked in the oven, but on the BBQ it takes on the lovely smokey taste which is what we all love. Monkfish and tuna are good to start with because they are quite meaty and hold together very well. Cook them in oiled tin foil with herbs. The same for vegetables - not everyone wants large amounts of meat just because it's a BBQ and potatoes, peppers and other veg are delicious when cooked in oil with herbs wrapped in foil (par boil the potatoes first). Want a different type of salad to go with it? Just open up a tin of mixed pules/beans and mix with some pre-bought salsa, sweetcorn, peppers, onion (I also add cucumber) for a lovely salsa salad that's super easy to make and goes brilliantly with red meat.

Dreading cleaning it all at the end? This doesn't have to be such a horrible job because the Dishmatic Steel Scourer is ideal for cleaning BBQ's, Grills, Hot Plates, Steel Pots, Pans and more! With refills available this fillable wand dispenses liquid through a long lasting knitted mesh of high grade stainless steel. It protects hands and saves time.

If you want your BBQ to last through many Summers to come make sure you cover it when not in use to protect it from rain, dew & dust and prevents rusting so prolonging the life of your barbecue.

This BBQ Cover is ideal for summer use, overnight cover or winter storage. It has brass eyelets for secure & easy fixing, tie cords, a waterproof laminated finish and is U.V. treated for extra long life.

Perhaps all those BBQs are making you think your garden could use a bit of tlc too, so later I'll be going through some great products to help you care for your garden area also. Enjoy!

Wasp Zappers and more!

Anyone who has been out enjoying the sunshine will realise that wasps (and many other insects) are out and about too!  There are many ways to deal with the problem of wasps buzzing around but one of the most effective is a Wasp Trap Bag.

This bag catches & kills wasps in outdoor areas such as patios & decking and being in such a well used area in Summer it is safe to use in places where children and pets are, plus very simple and highly effective! Also of importance to many people - it won't harm the bees!

• Highly effective


• Easy to use - just add water


• Safe to use around children & pets


• Lasts for up to 3 months


• Will not attract or harm bees!

A particularly good insect repellent product to take away with you is the Insect Repelling Wristband.

These Bug Bands come in a variety of colours and really are the easy & effective way to repel mosquitoes, flies, gnats etc. Wear on wrists, ankles, belt loops or back packs. Why? Because they are:

• A natural & effective insect repellent


• Water resistant


• Deet free


• Safe for the entire Family


• Effective for up to 120 hours when kept in the resealable container

One happy customer recently said:

I have used this product before in India, Argentina and Italy and it definitely works for me. I either have no bites or the odd minor one which doesn't itch. I wear them 24 hours a day and I also use an antimosquito aftersun lotion. I have recommended them to a friend who always gets bitten quite badly and for the first time she has had a bite-free holiday.

See the full range of Insect Killers and Pest Control Products to keep your Summer pest free!

Is Summer finally here?

I know we can get a bit carried away sometimes when the weather suddently perks up and we all think it's Summer, but who can blame us with our recent weather? What matters is that for the moment it's hot, hot, hot. So, if you're a glass is half empty person you'll be thinking about problems with the insects!!!! If you're a glass is half full person you'll be thinking about BBQs (and should keep an eye out for our tips next week)... and whichever you are there's a chance you'll be thinking about your holidays!

To resolve your problems with the insects because of this weather check out our Insect and Pest Control Products. We've recently added some brilliant products such as the Window Fly Stickers which attract & kill the flies with the added benefit of no pesticides or odour. Each pack contains 4 individual Fly Traps which are attractive yet practical. They are easy to apply & remove and effective for up to 3 months. They are just part of our extensive insect & pest control range - see the whole range here: Insect & Pest Control Products.

Some people will no doubt have had a BBQ already, but for the no mess BBQ the Quickachips - Oven Proof Chip Basket is great for controlling your cooking: no more losing kebabs to the coals... and Dad will love them especially when it comes to cleaning it! I'll run through some great BBQ Tips next week, because with a bit of luck the BBQ weather may be here (or come back soon!)

For anyone thinking of their holidays, because lets face it the sunny weather does do that, have a read through my Holiday Tips blogs (How To Pack A Suitcase, Essential Holiday Items for your journey) to make sure you avoid any problems with packing and travelling. Also check out our Travel Accessories Range to make sure you have everything you need - you'll have to remember your toothbrush though!

Garden Bags

Don’t get excited but we’ve now started to see a few patches of sun… and my dog even decided it was warm enough to sunbathe in the garden for an hour the other day! So perhaps it’s now safe to move from cleaning and tidying inside the house and move to the outside areas also.

Not only does the garden need much needed TLC after the Winter months, but the front areas, such as paths and driveway can start to look a bit neglected with leaves collecting in the corners (and the front door needed a much needed clean too!) Why not start with the correct tools to make it a bit easier?

Like many I’ve spent a lot of time putting leaves and general garden waste into a bin bag, always frustrating and seemingly difficult, particularly on windy days, but there is a very handy tool which can now help. The ‘Handy Hoop’ is brilliantly simple & easy to use - just open the hoop, clip in the refuse bag and close the hoop to secure. It’s as simple as that. This time saving and robust device holds the bag open to fill easily!

If you’re looking for extra storage for all those collected leaves and garden debris, look no further than the ‘Pop-Up Bag’ – this garden bag has a top cover, zipper & hard base it’s ideal for storing such items and perfect for use as a carrier for taking to the recycling centre – the zipped top prevents leaves & grass from spilling out whilst in the back of the car!

The unique spring design means it holds itself open and collapses down for compact storage & transport. With padded handles, tear resistant tarpaulin fabric and tipping handle for easy emptying it’s a hard working item, you’ll wonder how you managed without it! The hard base provides extra strength & stability, and it’s very hard wearing. It opens to 45cm tall, has a 37 litre volume and 25kg load capacity.
Those garden jobs just got easier!! See the full Garden Accessories Range, with new products being added all the time.

I’ll be continuing the Spring tidy up both inside and out next week!