The clocks will change in just over 8 weeks! That's very good news for people who love the outdoors and making sure their garden is a haven for summer. Here are 5 things that the CENA outdoor kitchens team are excited about for spring 2020:
Less rain (hopefully)
Yes, this really might be stating the obvious. It’s the UK, it’s winter so of course it is damp out there! However, it really does feel as though it’s been raining forever, and the stats do back this up. Autumn 2019 was the fifth wettest autumn on record and there was exceptional rainfall in the Midlands. Storm Ciara this past weekend dropped up to a month and a half’s worth of rainfall in just 24 hours, along with some delightful 97mph gusts. For those of us who love spending time outside and enjoying our gardens, that sort of weather really puts a dampener on things. Here’s hoping for either cold, frosty weather or some warm sunshine on the horizon soon. Anything but rain.
Cracking on with landscaping projects
Once that ground dries out a little more and the days are longer, it’s high time to get any landscaping projects underway! The earlier you can get cracking with landscaping, the sooner the project will be finished and ready to enjoy (hopefully coinciding with the arrival of summer and some hot weather!). Need a little advice on where to position your BBQ or kitchen, here's some advice from our expert. CENA has plenty of outdoor kitchen projects that are poised and ready to go. Time for this exciting phase to start once the weather plays ball.
Outdoor dining
As soon as the evenings are lighter, it’s time for Brits to wheel their BBQ out and put a new gas bottle or charcoal on the shopping list. Come spring, the CENA outdoor kitchens team will be among them. It was estimated that the average British family would host 6 BBQs last summer and the keenest alfresco cooks would head out to cook in the open air 12 times. An outdoor kitchen mean you can be totally impromptu with alfresco cooking and there’s no need to dive inside for ingredients. An integrated fridge and sink means washing up and making drinks is a breeze...
Planning summer planting
The mild weather we’ve had so far this year means that some varieties of perennial plants which we normally see emerging much later in spring are already sprouting! The plus side is that will make it easier to remember where they are located so you can plan a truly spectacular summer planting scheme around them! The last weeks of dark evenings before the clocks change present the ideal time to research plants or seeds you need to buy… then it’s time to head off to the garden centre! If you’ve got an outdoor kitchen or BBQ area don’t forget to include some pots and planting around the patio to delight your visitors once summer arrives.
More record-breaking heat?
2019 was a warm year! We saw the warmest winter day on record (21.2°C recorded at Kew Gardens on the 26th of February) and the hottest ever UK day on record. Do you remember that day? It was a scorching 38.7°C at Cambridge University Botanic Gardens on the 25th of July. Do you think 2020 will deliver a summer with more record-breaking heat? Hot sunny days are lovely for enjoying the garden, but if the heat is a result of climate change then we’re not keen to look too kindly upon them.
