Rosie Irving shows you how to design a comfy lounger and ingenious ice bowl
It will soon be time to put down our garden spades and trowels, relax and enjoy the beautiful flowers that are springing up all around us.
There is increasing evidence that exposure to plants and green space, particularly our gardens, is beneficial to both our mental and physical health. A Japanese study discovered that looking at plants not only reduced stress and sadness but also lowered blood pressure and muscle tension.
A great way to relax is to sit on your own home-made lounger looking at the latest edition of Amateur Gardening with a thirst-quenching sorbet or ice cream served in a delightful home-made flower ice bowl!
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How to make a super simple low level pallet lounger
It’s important that we make enough time to be outside relaxing as well as gardening and here is a way to create a satisfying and thrifty lounger made from our old friends, pallets!
What you’ll need
12 x 2.5cm (1in) screws 8’s
6 x 2cm (3/4in) screws
3 x butt hinges
2 pallets (ideally identical or very similar in width)
1 extra piece of pallet wood approximately 80cm/31.5in long x 9cm/3.5in wide
Sharp–bladed handsaw
Screwdriver or impact driver
– While not essential, it’s better visually to use two identical pallets if you can.
– One will be used for the back support, the other for the base. A good height for the back support is 80cm (31.5in) so you’ll probably need to remove part of the pallet as I’ve done here using a sharp-bladed hand saw.
– Join the back support to the base using two of the hinges as per the pictures below.
– The last thing to do is add a piece of wood to the back support as per the picture. This enables you to adjust the angle of the back support.
– Add cushions, one of my reclaimed wood side tables to place your drink and flower ice bowl on, and then treat yourself to a guilt-free, lounging session with your favourite gardening magazine and, for a few magical moments, all will be well with the world!
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How to make flower petal ice bowls for ice cream
Here’s how to seriously impress your friends by serving chilled desserts or ice cream in a pretty flower petal ice bowl.
All you need are two different sized freezer-safe bowls, water and a handful of stones or gravel.
Pick white or brightly coloured flower heads and petals of different sizes (without the stems) and place in the larger bowl, pour water over the petals and place the smaller bowl in the centre of the large bowl on top of the water.
Weigh the smaller bowl down with a few (cleaned) stones or gravel and place in the freezer for a few hours.
The smaller bowl should come out without a struggle. Turn the larger bowl upside down in the sink and run water over the base for a short time to release it from the bowl. Cold water will suffice. Place it back in the freezer until you’re ready to serve the dessert, using a tea towel to remove it from the freezer to avoid fingers getting stuck to the bowl!
You can follow more of Rosie’s thrifty adventures on Instagram @rosieposieirving
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