The good weather turns thoughts to outdoor furniture, says ISABEL MORTON

THE SUN IS shining, the birds are tweeting and I’m feeling a tad giddy and skittish because there’s a sniff of hope in the air – we might just be fortunate enough to have a decent summer this year and enjoy a little outdoor living.

Deep down I know it’s unlikely and, although I was disappointed last year (and the year before that), I can’t help but indulge in a little wishful thinking.

I was assailed with an attack of outdoor fever, which came on rather more forcibly than usual when, a few weeks ago, I visited a friend whose garden was immaculate.

Apart from the fact that there wasn’t a weed in sight and her lawn looked like it had been washed, styled and blow-dried, she had sophisticated black tulips growing in abundance and a smart border of flowering chives with which she casually decorated the delicious organic salmon, steamed English asparagus and hollandaise sauce she served us that evening.

Such perfection immediately put her in number one place on my hate-list.

Another friend, always high up on the same list, admitted that the only way to keep on top of things in your home and garden is to entertain regularly, as there is nothing better than a deadline to give you the motivation to get things done.

She’s planning a number of alfresco occasions over the next few months and is confident this summer’s weather will be magnificent. Unlike my occasional bouts of interest in the outdoors, she has been working hard on her garden since last autumn and the results of her efforts are now beginning to show.

She was eager to replace her motley selection of old garden furniture and I was encouraged to join in her search. But remembering my mad Mediterranean moment last year when, sick of looking at layers of varnish pealing off my teak garden tables and chairs, I spent hours sanding down every item prior to giving them a few coats of lilac/blue paint, I suggested she think long and hard before investing in high maintenance timber furniture.

But, I needn’t have worried as timber garden furniture, along with timber decking, is now out of fashion.

Once labelled as a nation of “decklanders”, by David McWilliams, we are no longer under the illusion that we are living in a semi-tropical climate and now admit that our timber decks were dangerously slimy and slippery, our sun loungers seized up from lack of use and the canvas in the deckchairs became rotten and disintegrated after one short summer season.

It’s hardly surprising that Irish people have latched onto maintenance-free exterior rattan furniture which, up to recently, was exclusive and expensive and only available in designer stores, but which is now mass-produced and available everywhere, including in supermarkets.

While it can be ordered online it’s always nicer to try before you buy, particularly with furniture.

Made from PVC, which is woven over a rust-resistant and anti-corrosive aluminium frame to look like traditional rattan conservatory furniture, it is weatherproof, hard-wearing and fade-resistant, and can be easily cleaned with a garden hose.

Although PVC rattan can be made in a vast number of colours, the range available in Ireland appears to be mainly restricted to neutral colours, such as beige, tan, chocolate or black and accessorised with cream or beige seat cushion pads.

I have seen brilliant white and a strong blue rattan in the south of France but, as these colours would look far too bright and garish here, it’s probably just as well that they’re not too easily attainable.

Apart from dining outdoors we are now being encouraged to relax outdoors in the comfort of an exterior version of the classic three-piece sittingroom suite.

The standard outdoor set consists of a two-seater sofa, a pair of armchairs and a matching coffee table with a glass top, as the rattan is not a completely smooth surface on which to set down glasses or plates.

Prices vary quite a bit between the smart interior design shops and the chain stores, such as Marks and Spencer and Dunnes Stores. The best value we’ve discovered to date is from a company called Epoch (epoch.ie), which we came across at the Interior Design Fair in the RDS last weekend.

Apart from its prices, which appear to be very competitive, the company’s products come with a 25-year guarantee.

Although, as delivery takes three to four weeks, it might not suit people who fear that our summer may be short-lived and are determined to have their garden furnished by this weekend.

And, having been tempted myself by a two-seater swing bench that cost €499, I too will be bitterly disappointed if, by the time it arrives, my dream of gently swaying to and fro beneath the summer sunlight is shattered.