I can't wait until the weather gets warm enough here to start sitting outside with my morning coffee, and maybe if I had one of these Rotating Sphere Loungers that day would come just a little bit sooner. It's kind of a "tent meets gazebo" contraption, plus a healthy dose of contemporary styling. Designed as a large sphere made up of 10 individual half circles, it's advertised as not only a lounging area but also a dining and a sleeping area -- and besides offering a comfortable outdoor living space it's sure to catch the eye of your neighbors. £6850
Last month we picked up on an article in the NY Times on how observatories are a new trend in many luxury homes. An outdoor alternative is the beautiful Porter Garden Telescope from Telescopes of Vermont. The cast bronze reflecting telescope is a bit of astronomical history, it was designed in the 1920s by astronomer and scientist Russell W. Porter. The telescope has a working sundial and the mirror and eyepieces of the telescope can be removed and stored in a custom mahogany box so the telescope can stay outside all year long. Each one is individually cast, hand-finished bronze and stand 70" overall including the marble pedestal. It sells for $59,000.
If your garden needs a posh makeover the pricey pots of Pennoyer Newman are an excellent place to start. The small company specializes in garden pots, birdbaths, statues and pedestals cast in resin stone and based on antique designs. The designs are all weather resistant. One of my favorites is this Parthenon plaque container. The designs are copies of a frieze on the west side of the Parthenon and were made before the practice of taking impressions of the building was banned. This pot measures 20"H X 26"W X 26"D and sells for $750.
Do you want to relax and enjoy a lazy summer day, but you can't sit still for worrying about the environment? In the Sling by Ting, you can satisfy your need for relaxation and feel confident that at least at that very moment, you are part of the solution, not the problem. Made from end-of-the-line seat belt webbing that would otherwise end up in a landfill, the sling is as eye-catching as it is environmentally friendly. Designed by Inghua Ting, this durable and weather-resistant hammock is available in six colors, including my favorite - orange. $578.
I seem to be finding all the items with tongue twister names lately, but it's worth the risk of sounding like an idiot when their looks are as fun as their names (plus you guys can't hear me trying to read them out loud). Enter the Yo Yo Elmar Flototto Floor Lamp, which will bring to your home the vibe of a large Yo Yo sitting on the floor. The cord wraps around and forms the "string" for the Yo Yo and allows you to roll the lamp anywhere you might need light. Designed by Caterina von Matern and Lisa Lindstrom, it's suggested as great in the garden (outdoor safe?) or as an art piece indoors. $317.98
I'm a sucker for accent pieces that find a way to blend the whimsical energy of happy childhood memories with a dose of maturity for the adult I am today. These stainless steel pinwheels from Chiasso take the breezy fun from days past and mix it with a healthy dose of class and durability by creating them of lightweight stainless steel. I think they'd make a fun summertime addition indoors or out, and considering the average plastic pinwheel goes for $2 or less, these are actually a little pricey at $15 each.
There are many nice outdoor showers out there, but this one, the Waterfall Shower by Jane Hamley Wells, is especially appealing to me for some reason. I'm not sure if it's the fact that it gives the feeling of standing under a waterfall in the tropics or the sheer organic simplicity of the design, but I want one. Standing over 7 feet tall, the teak back panel and base platform is accented only by the single cross-style handle. Add in the sheet of cool water cascading down when the shower is in use and I think it's almost pretty enough to just be appreciated as a water feature, whether you use it to clean off and cool down or not.
In some places gardens and live plants are a luxury that just isn't realistic because they need soil, water, and most of all they need lots of room. In cities especially, where the green would be most prized amidst the concrete and tile, is where plants and flowers are the hardest to grow, right? Maybe not.
Using a system that allows plants to grow without any soil, The Vertical Garden by Patrick Blanc allows for natural living beauty in the otherwise most uninhabitable of places: the very walls of buildings, indoors or out. Watering and fertilization are automatic, so it's almost completely hassle free. Patrick Blanc has created customized living walls all over the world.
I wonder how my landlord would feel if I had something like this installed in my apartment?
With warm weather comes picnics, outdoor barbeques and days at the beach. And who doesn't love to eat and drink with friends while you soak up fun under the sun? Or is it soak up the sun while having fun? Regardless, while you are out be sure not to spill your drink, or better yet the bottle of spirits, by using Red Envelope's Steady Sticks. Made of rust-resistant stainless steel, you get four holders for your wine glasses and the fifth holder is for your wine bottle. The heavy-gauge allows it to be embedded in a grassy patch or at the beach. At this price ($30) you could buy multiple sets to accommodate all your guests.
A fire pit is one of the best outdoor accessories you can have on a cool night, whether you want to cozy up to it with a loved one or gather around it with friends. Pits that use real wood have an authentic feel to them, but the smell and smoke often keep people away, rather than inviting them in . The River Stone Gas Fire Pit has the look of a real wood-burning fire pit, but is powered by gas and turns on a roaring blaze (40,000 BTUs of heat) with the touch of a button. The aluminum frame and fiberglass body require no maintenance and make the fire pit safe for all types of yards, patios and decks. Price: $800.
The loss of a bird feeder to the squirrels - something every bird feeder-owner is familiar with - means that a replacement is in order. Most anti-squirrel feeders are, to be honest, ugly. The Feed Bird Feeder makes no guarantees about is squirrel-deterrence abilities, but the design alone is easily worth giving it a change. The feeder was designed by Gary Cruce as a companion to his Nest birdhouse. It is made of bent European Birch laminate with a clear window and is weatherproofed by a high quality oil. Price: $85.
My rain gauge looks vaguely like a piece of lab equipment, shaped like a large test tube and designed to be mounted on fence or other post. This rain gauge is far more elegant than the commonly found industrial designs, with a flaring glass cup atop a tall spike that can easily be slide into the ground in a garden. It would look great with a climbing vine wrapped around the base, or simply amongst tall plants, acting as a functional accent piece. It measures in both milliliters and inches. Price: £43.
Yacht fans and gardeners alike will enjoy this handcrafted Yacht Planter. The weatherproof outdoor windowbox is molded from fiberglass and has the streamlined look of a real - albeit small, at just 40" x 12" x 9" - ship. The rub rail color and waterline strip are customizable, but the body will be white regardless of the accents. A final option, if you prefer to use the box indoors, is not to have the drainage holes included, which will prevent leakage onto the carpet or flooring if wall-mounted in a room (or cabin). Price: $230.
It's still too early to head out and plant anything outdoors for spring, but with Smith & Hawken's Large Cloche with Saucer, you can get your seedling off to a good start in the comfort of your own home. The miniature terrarium is ideal for starting seedling when the weather outdoors is less-than-ideal. The mouth-blown glass bell keeps the soil warm and moist, as well as creating a visually pleasing display for the plants it contains. It measures 13 3/4" x 13 1/4". Price: $70.
Ski resorts aren't the only ones that can make their own snow. SnoWonder is "the most amazing man-made snow on the market," and is very similar to real snow in appearance and feel. Unlike the snow made by machines at ski resorts, SnoWonder is made with more than just water and low temperatures. The product was originally developed in Japan for use in indoor ski and snowboard parks and is is a nontoxic plastic based powder that, when combined with water, will expand, as snow, to 50-100 times its original volume. The snow can be used on any surface, with the exception of untreated wood, and is ideal for holiday decorating because it will last last for months indoors. It can also be used outside, although it is recommended that it not be used in direct sunlight, as the only thing that will make this snow vanish is evaporation. A spritz of water from time to time will keep it light and fluffy all year long.
