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We are very pleased to announce that we have new stock in of all our Grandelight planters!  Even though the weather hasn't been very cooperative this summer, demand for the square modern black planters and the tall tapered black planters have been very popular and we unfortunately were out of stock on these planters for about a month.

The black Grandelight range of planter pots are made from crushed granite and marble and a fibre mesh.   This gives you a modern and stylish planter that is lightweight and functional.  The black finish gives you a statement piece for your garden with the granite and marble speckled throughout.  Frost resistant and complete with a drainage hole for use outdoors in your garden, on your patio, or on your deck.  The Grandelight planter pots can be used indoors as well with the addition of a pot liner bag, or a planter tray.

The Grandelight range of planters are available in the popular cube and tapered shapes, as well as the more classic egg and vase shapes.  Ranging from 20cm in diamater all the way up to 120cm high we are sure you will find a shape and size to suit your garden's needs.  Don't forget our limited time discount code of HERBS2012 to get an extra 15% off at checkout as well!

View the range of Grandelight Modern Black Planters here!

Five top tips to make your garden stunning:

Want to make your garden stunning and more enticing to be in?  Here are our top tips for adding the “wow” factor to your garden.

Height: go for a variety of plants and shrubs that add varying heights to your garden.  Adding different heights will draw your eye around the garden and get you to see more of what is available.  Think about adding features such as garden statues an arbor or a small pond. Use pillars to raise statues or planters above the height of planted beds for added effect.

Colour: seasonal colours will always put a smile on any face.  When planting look at patches of colour and the timings, plants that add immediate colour, will die off over summer so look for seasonal plants in order to enjoy the garden all year round.

Maintenance: be prepared to keep working at it.  Keep weeds down by adding mulch or stone dressings to open beds or around plants, keep edges trimmed and lawns mown. When planning your garden, look for shrubs and plants that are easy to keep, hardy and will just get on with being beautiful addition.

Planters: if you don’t want lots of beds but want to add plants and shrubs, use planters and tubs.  Don’t limit them to the patio or deck, they are easy to change, add splashes of colour and can draw your eye to particular spots within the garden.  We like to see clusters of different sizes with different plants in, or use the same planter and plant to create a uniform line drawing your eye long a path or edging a deck. Great examples of planters can be found here.

Lighting: don’t restrict your stunning garden to daytime use only.  Invest in good lighting, for your garden, highlight features such as the pond, any garden statues and of course add mood lighting to the patio or deck area.   Don’t be restricted to floodlights or the standard solar garden lights; use hanging lanterns to add individuality to your garden.  Today there is also the availability of light up garden planters. These are great plastic planters that are fully functional, but have the added bonus of having weathproof lighting built in adding a striking addition to your garden.

With summer ever beckoning to us and a welcome break of sunshine to get us all in the mood, thoughts are turning to our gardens!  Neglected after six months of being left alone, overgrown and possibly looking uninspiring what can you do to bring the garden back up scratch and ready for use for the summer?

These are our recommendations for a quick garden makeover:

Edges: Cutting the lawns can be an instant lift, but the edges often get neglected, so make sure that all the edges, the bits where the lawns and garden meets the fence, the path and the straggling tendrils that leach into the beds are all neat and trimmed.  Invest in an edging tool and where the lawn meets bed, think about laying edging strips such as logs or brick pavers to neaten it all off.

Dressings: if you do have exposed beds then applying mulch or stone to the surface as a dressing has a dual purpose; not only does it make it look much more presentable, it keeps the weeds down as well.  Most garden centres stock different types of dressing, from bark mulch to pea grit or the currently fashionable chipped slate.

Paths: if you have a long garden, then consider adding a path to wind down the garden.  The simplest methods often work the best and a curving path will draw you eye to the furthest path of the garden.  Our top tip is to lay a hosepipe down in a snake like fashion and follow the curve, dig out the top surface and use smaller paving slabs to create a stepping stone effect and fill the surround with small stones.  Don’t stick the path straight in the middle of the lawn either, let the path draw you around the edges of the garden by positioning it to one side and maybe crossing the garden further down. Think about adding lighting close to your path.

Planters: Planters transform any garden by being really easy to position, replant and add some depth. If you aren’t a huge gardener but like a splash of colour or have a flat garden and needs to add some features, then planters are an ideal solution.  From small patio planters to more architectural styles, planters make adding colour, shrubs and interest to any garden. There are some great planter examples here.

Patio/decking: Possibly the most used feature of the garden, we love our patios and deck areas.  Make sure that they are clutter free, clean from mossy growth and all safe.  Well placed planters in corners can prevent any hard edges and add shape to angular shapes and add plants that are colourful and inviting.   The furniture we add can also make a huge difference, whilst many of us use the patio as a summer dining room, adding more informal furniture such as an outdoor suite, can really transform a garden and inspire you to get out there more. Black wicker garden furniture creates a stylish addition to your outdoor living space