Benches for Relaxing in Your Garden
People sometimes miss the most important point of a garden. They are there to be enjoyed and nothing helps this more than a place to take a moment.
A well planned garden will not only include walkways but also lots of seating. The idea of this is to provide a good and comfortable place to stop, sit, and smell the roses. In the classical gardens of the past, heavy stone benches were common fixtures in most gardens. Often the stone slab benches complimented the ornamental statues and decorative plaques giving the garden the look of a Greek temple. This style was more a concession to form than an attempt to provide comfort. Modern garden benches have kept this classical flavor while addressing comfort.
Modern garden benches have gotten away from heavy stone slabs for the most part. They were never really designed for comfort and did not encourage the sitter to remain long and relax. The idea behind most modern benches is to do just that; encourage a lingering stay in the garden. Although the slab style remains, more and more benches are being made with curving backrests that allow more comfort and ease of sitting.
Wood seems to have been replacing stone in many garden benches. The drawback of wood in the past was the fact that it weathered in the outdoors. Stone was favored for its durability. New methods of weatherproofing wood have made this a moot point. The lighter and less expensive wooden garden benches have been able to rival stone for longevity.
Still, an important consideration in garden design is the overall concept of the garden. Formal gardens that make use of classical decorative wall plaques and statues as accessories still would find slab stone benches more harmonic. Woodland type gardens would favor wooden benches. If the concept of the garden is rustic, the less formal benches would better match this.
Modern garden benches have made use of modern materials and protective methods to create a wide selection of options for garden design. Regardless of the concept of your garden, remember that the important part is that benches are an important element. A garden, modern or classical, is meant to be enjoyed. A comfortable bench conjures up and image of a sunny day, a good book, and a time to relax and reflect. You should take your inspiration from the Japanese Zen rock and sand gardens that made the location of a single seating feature one of the most important elements in the design. The designers of these gardens understood that a garden’s worth is measured in how much it can be enjoyed and viewed in comfort.
