Outdoor textiles

Thanks to science, we now have cloth that is both weather-resistant and comfortable for lounging. Time to get out into the garden

- Celia Rufey

Textiles and water have always had a complex relationship. While water washes fabrics clean, most are not equipped to cope with pouring rain outdoors. It's taken experiments across centuries to find ways around this inconvenient reality.

Early evidence comes from homes built from textiles, notably the yurt that has housed the nomadic tribes of central Asia for thousands of years. Yurts have now come west with their style appropriated for professional use, holidays, and even extra accommodation in gardens (woodlandyurts.co.uk). Nomadic tribes designed these circular dwellings, supported on flexible poles, to be put up and dismantled in an hour and carried on horses or camels to the next grazing site. Yurt covers were made from up to five layers of felted wool from the sheep, goats or yaks they herded, with a final layer of canvas. Tents are yurts' close relations and remain essential for housing armies during deployments, or for sleeping family and friends on holiday - as well as inspiring garden furniture that provides shade.