Grove Animal Polyester Cushion - Olive

This outdoor cushion carries a hand-painted watercolour Highland cow, wide-eyed and shaggy, set against a soft olive green ground scattered with orchard fruit and leaves. It measures 43 x 43cm, the standard square scatter size, and is made from 100% polyester. The fabric is UV and water resistant, which is what makes this cushion an outdoor piece rather than an indoor one dressed up as one: the print holds its colour in sunshine and the cloth shrugs off showers and the odd spill.

It is built for a garden bench, a patio chair or a corner sofa on a covered veranda, and it works just as happily brought back indoors for a country kitchen or a snug. The olive ground is a genuinely useful backdrop colour, sitting well with natural wood, cream throws and terracotta pots. It belongs to a wider Grove range of country animal cushions, so the Highland cow can be grouped with the hare, the pheasant and the hedgehog for a mixed outdoor arrangement, or left to stand alone as the character piece on a plain seat.

The face of the cushion carries the print; the reverse is plain, in a matching deep olive. It has a knife edge finish, the flat squared-off seam you see on a simple scatter cushion, and a zip closure so the cover can be taken off. Polyester is quick to dry and does not hold water the way a natural fibre would, which is exactly what you want on something left outside between uses. Bring it under cover in hard weather and it will keep its looks across the season. Pair it with the other Grove animals for a set, or let this one bit of quirk do the talking.

Can this cushion really be left outside?

Yes. It is made from UV and water resistant polyester designed to withstand sunshine, showers and spills, so it is suited to a patio, bench or covered outdoor seat.

Does the cover come off for cleaning?

It has a zip closure, so the cover can be removed. Polyester dries quickly and does not hold water the way a natural fibre does, which helps it recover after damp weather.

What is the reverse like?

The printed Highland cow is on the front only. The reverse is plain, in a deep olive that matches the background of the design, so it looks tidy from any angle.

How big is it?

It measures 43 x 43cm, the usual square scatter size, which suits a garden chair, a bench or grouping several together along a sofa.

Can I buy the matching animals?

The Grove range includes other country animals such as a hare, a pheasant and a hedgehog on the same olive ground, so you can build a coordinated outdoor set.

Should I leave it out in heavy rain?

The fabric resists water and shrugs off showers, but bringing it under cover in prolonged or hard weather will help it keep its looks across the season.