RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin 21-23 April
OUT OF THIS WORLD – CREATING YOUR IDEAL OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE IF YOU LIVE FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS, YOU WON’T WANT TO SPEND ALL YOUR TIME INSIDE FOUR WALLS. MAKE A BREAK FOR THE OUTDOORS AND CARVE OUT YOUR VERY OWN ROOM IN THE BACKYARD – NO EXTRA ROOFING, DOORS, WALLS OR WINDOWS REQUIRED!
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hat could be better than fresh air, comfortable surroundings, family and friends, and the glories of nature? While the kitchen or living room in your home may be more commonly known as the ‘hub of entertainment’, more and more Irish people are now looking to their gardens to dine, entertain and spend quality time with their families and friends. GETTING STARTED Award-winning garden designer and founder of The Garden Design Shop, Michael O’Reilly, says: “The garden has become an entertainment zone and the classic interpretation of a good garden design is to bring the indoors to the outdoors – introducing art into the garden, furniture, dining areas, sunrooms, along with beautiful planting beds.” Michael, alongside his team of multi-award winning-garden and landscape designers, will be providing free one-to-one 15-minute garden design consultations at the Outdoor Living
Space at the permanent tsb Ideal Home Show. Michael is a strong believer that a well-considered garden design can improve all aspects of life. “Designing a garden needs to begin with a strong concept and at the Show we can advise you where to start with your outdoor space. People need to plan over the phases of their life. For a family with young kids, you could be looking to incorporate a play area into the layout; for a family with kids who’ve flown the nest, you could be looking to adapt and update your space. “An attractive garden design can improve your wellbeing, lifestyle and property value, as well as your carbon footprint – if you have a lovely garden, you won’t want to travel away as much!” VIBRANT IDEAS The Outdoor Living Space will be vibrant with new ideas, with something to interest all preferences and needs. Families with young
Garden Play
children should drop by and speak to the Garden Play team, who will be showcasing and advising on outdoor play equipment. “We can help to plan a play area into the garden design for people, no matter what size your garden is,” says David Callaghan, General Manager at Garden Play. “Safety is an important factor for us and we can best advise on the safety aspects of the equipment and also discuss customisation – in the sense that if you have a child with special needs, we can adjust the unit to suit them.” LONG-TERM BENEFITS For those looking for a garden for the long-term, then it may be worthwhile to visit Irish Recycled Products’ stand, which will have a range of outdoor furniture manufactured from recycled plastic – from seating to decking – on show.
John Tierney, CEO of Irish Recycled Products, says: “In Ireland, we have a damp climate and using furniture made from recycled plastic is ideally suited for this climate because it doesn’t soak. It won’t take any water, so it’ll never rot. “This can be convenient for the homeowner because it doesn’t need any maintenance, painting or sanding – it just needs occasional cleaning. You can leave the furniture out all year round. Not only are you helping to protect the environment by using this material, but you’ll also be getting value for money.” So, whether you’re building your garden from scratch or simply looking to spruce it up in time for summer, visit the Outdoor Living Space for inspiration on how to create a garden that not only looks out of this world, but plays a big part in your world.
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