Planters to pools

Art

Sarah Caswell has recently returned to her first passion – botanical art. This is her first year at Chelsea and she is exhibiting her paintings of upscale vibrant florals in acrylic on canvas or natural linen, such as “Icon” (2010). Many reach a length of three metres – a dozen times larger than most botanical watercolours. She recently undertook a commission to paint 36 pieces for The Oriental restaurant on the P&O Superliner Azura.

www.sarahcaswell.co.uk, average price £2,000

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Reflective sculpture

David Harber’s reflective stainless steel construction undergoes 20 levels of polishing and takes up to six weeks to make. “Torus” is supported on a hidden foundation tube which allows the piece to be rotated by hand to give an ever-changing aspect that reflects and distorts the surrounding environment. A hidden light housed within gives an ethereal glow after dark.

www.davidharbersundials.co.uk, from £13,800

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Swimming pool

The new swimming pool from natural pool company Biotop looks like a conventional pool but it doesn’t need the chlorine or other toxic chemicals to keep its water clean. Instead, it is designed to be cleaned by neat biological filters and pumping components that can be concealed below ground. Not only does this type of pool take up less space than many natural pools, but the running costs are about 25 per cent less than that of a conventional, chemical pool.

www.biotop-natural-pool.com Pools start at £35,000

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Planters

These hardwood planters have a detachable front panel that allows potted specimens to be wheeled into position. The planter is also bottomless so it can be positioned around already established trees to add a new focus. Trees and shrubs can be planted directly into the earth through the pot, promoting root growth and making a plant less likely to topple over. A frame can be installed from which to suspend pots – keeping water and damp away from the wood and allowing you to change your plant display at will.

www.squarerootplanters.com, from £450

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Lawnmower

John Deere is the world’s biggest producer of agricultural tractors and has the largest range of lawnmowers on the market. The company spends $2m a day on research and design, and any gaps in their range are quickly plugged.

The new X155R ride-on lawnmower is designed to cut and collect grass over areas of up to 6,000 sq m. The mower has a large 300-litre grass collector as standard and the engine is powerful but quiet. A waterproof high back seat can be adjusted to suit the operator and a mower deck (which holds the cutting blade) and chassis are both constructed from thick steel for strength and durability.

www.deere.com, £3,375

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Chainsaw

Bosch’s cordless AKE 30 LI chainsaw has a 90-minute rechargeable lithium-ion battery, enabling the saw to power through 100 pieces of 10cm x 10cm wood in one charge. The blade length is 30cm long and will cut timber up to 25cm thick. When stored, the battery will stay charged ready for use when required. If you hit a knot while cutting (the saw can kick back towards you), the “kick-back brake” stops the machine 30 per cent faster than current safety regulation requirements. The absence of petrol means that fumes and noise are kept to a minimum when working on trees and in confined spaces.

www.bosch.co.uk, £359.99

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Razorsharp telescopic tree pruner and saw blade

Spear & Jackson’s telescopic tree pruners are ideal for pruning large and mature trees. The anvil cutting blades are treated with a rust-resistant coating and are made from carbon steel to stay sharper for longer. The lopper head can cut branches up to 2in in diameter and can be interchanged with a 14in hooked saw for larger limbs. Aluminium handles finished with non-slip grips make the pruner light and comfortable to use and can be extended for a 97in reach.

www.spear-and-jackson.com, £59.99

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Plant hunters

Sue and Bleddyn Wynn-Jones of Crûg Farm Plants are modern-day plant hunters who specialise in rare plant species. For 20 years, they have travelled to far-flung areas of Asia and central America scaling mountains, volcanoes and hidden canyons – even dodging bandits to seek out new plant species. They have introduced many plants that are new to science and have several introductions for the show, including Disporum cantoniense v. y-tiense, from Vietnam and named just last year.

www.crug-farm.co.uk, £15