Garden

As the warmer months begin to loom on the horizon, our thoughts naturally turn to relaxing days and evenings spent outside in the garden with a barbecue and good company. Even on the warmest of days, however, a chill can appear once the sun goes down, and you might be considering getting some kind of outdoor heating so you don't have to take your gatherings inside when evening arrives. Instead of a gas or electric outdoor heater, a chiminea is a great choice that not only provides an energy efficient and eco friendly source of heat, but also makes an attractive feature to gather around with friends and family.

Sometimes known by its slightly less attractive name of “mulch”, it is exactly what its name says – chips of wood and/or bark. Bark, mulch or wood chip is a fantastic and natural addition to your garden beds. Scatter a layer of it over the top soil and you will give the soil an added natural chemical-free layer of protection.

As we approach Spring, Britain remains in the grip of winter (at least it does here in Lancashire where it snowed heavily just this morning). Nevertheless, the chilly weather won’t last forever. Once March is over, the weather should start to get warmer once again. In other words, you have just over a month to get ready for spring

They're the perfect outdoor heat source in the cooler spring and autumn months, but that's far from all that a chiminea is useful for. With the right technique it's possible to cook almost anything you'd put in the oven outdors in your chimenea. But get it wrong and you could find your sausages charred and your chicken pink, so read on for our top tips!