How to get your garden summer ready

With temperatures starting to rise across the country, back doors are being thrown open as Brits prepare their plots for summer. Whether you have acres or a simple balcony, check out the eStore for a range of green-fingered ideas that will elevate your garden and your future travels. Mail on Sunday gardening expert Martyn Cox reveals his top picks for the season…

Afternoon pizza party

Forget about burnt bangers and enjoy a pizza party on the lawn. The Ooni portable pizza oven (£300) is a great-looking piece of kit that can be fuelled with wood or charcoal, and contains a thick baking stone to deliver crisp bases. Dine in style with a Heating and Plumbing waterproof picnic blanket (£155), left, while serving guests a slice of home-made margherita from graphic print bamboo plates (£38 for 4) made by Poketo as part of its eco-friendly tableware range.
Where to buy: Selfridges (up to 14 Avios/£1)

Make a splash

A water feature will add movement to a static space and attract wildlife, while its sound will drown out unwanted noise and create a relaxing summer mood. Gardening superstore Crocus (up to 10 Avios/£1) has a range of ‘plug-in-and-play’ features to suit every style of garden, from its classical RHS Wisley water feature (£499.99), right, based on a Roman urn to the contemporary good looks of the Dancing Leaves Water Feature (£429.99), made from copper-coloured metal. Add water, switch on and chill out.
Where to buy: Crocus (up to 10 Avios/£1)

In the night garden

There’s no need to retreat indoors once the sun goes down. Make the most of warm summer evenings with family by gathering around a firepit. Etsy (2 Avios/£1) has a large range of models, including the stylish Hex-T (£235-£280), which is made from durable steel and looks good even when not in use. Enjoy a sweet treat by toasting marshmallows over its embers with a set of telescopic premium roasting sticks (£20), left, and stay cosy into the early hours by draping a pure Shetland wool blanket (£95-£110) over your shoulders.
Where to buy: Etsy (2 Avios/£1)

A place to sit

If you have a small patio, balcony, terrace or something equally compact, then choose furniture that is the right scale for your space. Head over to M&S (up to 5 Avios/£1) and you’ll find the Lois Coffee Table (£99), a retro style piece made from powder-coated steel that’s available in several colours. The matching Lois Garden Armchairs (£119 a pair) are light, airy and comfortable, with steel legs and a circular rattan seat. M&S offers a ten-year guarantee that this furniture will last, so you can buy with confidence.
Where to buy: M&S (up to 5 Avios/£1)

Fun in the sun

Make the most of summer by turning your garden into a fun place to play. The Plum Discovery Mud Pie Kitchen (£269.99) from Robert Dyas (1 Avios/£1) will keep youngsters entertained for hours with its sink for making mud pies and built-in planter. Provide some shade with the Charles Bentley premium parasol (£299.99), which has a 3.5m wide adjustable head. The additional concrete base (£69.99) will keep it secure. Older kids and adults will enjoy playing Mightymast giant stack and tumble tower (£49.99), left, based on classic block-building game, Jenga.
Where to buy: Robert Dyas (1 Avios/£1)