It may seem hard to believe right now but the Met Office informs me we are still in with a chance of a heatwave during July and August!

So act now if you want to make the most of the sun - when it does finally appear - and kit out your garden with the latest furniture for dozing and dining al fresco.

Good starting points, as with many virtual shopping expeditions, are the 'department stores' such as Shoppers Universe and BigSave.

BigSave, for example, currently has a third off the normal price of a folding pine table with metal frame (£35.84 + £7.05 delivery) and matching chairs (£19.27 each + £7.05 delivery).

www.Dig-it.co.uk is an ultra-cool, easy-to-use site with a distinct designer feel.

I found a stylish folding hexagonal hardwood table and four matching chairs on special offer at £179.99, a funky bamboo deckchair (priced £29.99) and a caf-style table and two chairs, in pale green or blue with metal frame, at £49.99.

If you don't believe me about the sunshine, you could also invest in a patio heater for £199 (£100 off the usual price).

McCord, the well-known mail order company specialising in fashionable items for the home, has an excellent website allowing you to purchase online.

It's well designed and you'll find a great choice of dining furniture, arbours, steamers, benches and gazebos.

I particularly liked the Italian-designed Dino-Modo patio set with mesh-stamped metal armchairs and solid metal-topped table (£209).

The distinctive garden furniture of designer and manufacturer Tabula can often be found in other retailers' ranges. However, Tabula's own website carries a number of products not on sale elsewhere.

Small hardwood tables start at £80 and folding armchairs at £49.99.

For top luxury (and, in some cases, prices) look at the Indian Ocean Trading Co. site - their stunning photography will have your mouth watering in no time!

Finally, to really get in the swing of outdoor life, you'll need a hammock!

Try the Mexican Hammock Co., which provides an outlet for co-operative producer groups in rural Mexico.

Hammocks are available in standard size (1-2 people) at £49.95 and large size (1-5 people!) at £64.95.

The site is endorsed by Which? and, like all the sites listed below, uses a secure server.

www.shoppersuniverse.com
www.bigsave.com
www.dig-it.co.uk
www.gusco.com/edivisions.html (for McCord - or via www.shopsmart.com home and garden section)

www.tabula.co.uk
www.indian-ocean.co.uk
www.hammocks.clara.net