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There has been a lot of discourse about summer the heatwave in the media today, with Government ministers contradicting themselves. If we are all still stuck with this heat in the UK, there is no reason you can’t have a months-long summer holiday in your garden. Here are my best tips on making that happen.

Get a swimming pool

When it became evident that all of my holidays were going to get cancelled last summer, I did something ten-year-old me would have been so proud of; I bought a swimming pool. Not only did I spend many a lunch break floating on a lilo reading The Fountainhead, but it was also cool because when we were allowed that speck of freedom a friend’s kids got to come over for a swim too. This is the exact swimming pool I got, but there are plenty of deals on Amazon if you look around. If you buy one early enough they can be cheap. One top tip I have though is not to use the pump that comes with the pool. They are terrible quality and your pool will go green in the blink of an eye. We got a separate pool pump and it saved us time and effort cleaning it all of the time.

Get a hot tub

Despite the swimming pool being the best thing I have ever purchased, the feeling was not mutual among the rest of the household because it “ruined the grass”. However, I am not about to spend an entire summer with no water to lounge around in on my lunch break. So there has been a compromise; a Lay-Z-Spa that fits on the patio. No grass can get ruined and no mud will be trodden through the house. As per my previous advice on the swimming pool situation, I am going to purchase one fairly early in the year. I have been looking at this one, as 4 – 6 people sounds about enough space for me and one other person without them being too physically close to me.

Raise your BBQ game

One of the things I love about a villa holiday is finding some random butchers in whichever company you are in and whacking out the BBQ. A lot of people think that you can only BBQ if the weather is hot and sunny, but you can BBQ in any dry weather. Last summer, I got a new BBQ, and I BBQ’d everything in sight. if we had any form of meat with a meal, corn on the cob, or peppers, that’s it, it was BBQ’d. You can up your game with some of these great BBQ recipes. Food you can east outside in general is always a winner as well, check out my fried chicken recipe for something to go with your BBQ’d food.

Upgrade your outdoor living products

Being on holiday (at least to me), means chilling around the pool drinking something out of a posh glass or cup. Instead of having the same cutlery, glassware etc, why not treat yourself to some fancy outdoor cups and plates. You could spend the entire summer pretending to be an influencer in the Love Island villa!

Set aside set time for the garden

If you think about it, you set aside an entire week or two weeks for a summer holiday, so why not set yourself aside some time to enjoy your garden? I’m not suggesting you book an entire week off because let’s face it if you do that the weather might betray you. But you could set aside a whole weekend to do nothing but sit in your garden and read a book, blissfully unaware of any work pressures or stresses.

Get a wood burner

Unfortunately, the Great British summer tends to let us all down a bit when it starts getting dark. It’s always disappointing having to end the party just because it has started to get a bit chilly. This is why I love my chimenea. As soon as the sun goes down you can whack it out and start burning and you’ll be warm enough to keep the party going all night. Granted it’s a bit of a rubbish replacement for being naturally warm of a night-time, but at least it works.

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