Choosing the Right Garden Furniture
Your garden, no matter what the size, is your own little get-away from the stresses of daily living. It could serve as the venue for impromptu family dinners al fresco or a place to entertain a small group of friends. It could be your children’s playground or your quiet nook for reading or relaxation.
Your garden could be full of blooming wild flowers or a niche for exotic plants. It could mimic the Zen-like quality of a Japanese garden or the more formal assembly of an English garden. The important thing is that your garden serves its purpose for what you intend.
In choosing the right garden furniture the first thing that you should do is look for spare furniture inside the house that is serviceable. If there is an extra wooden chair or table, use it and work around it in choosing the other pieces for your outdoor furniture.
What is your garden’s style? If it’s a hodgepodge of flowering bushes and plants, then mix-matching furniture styles are fine. If there is a space for a used hammock, set it up. If your garden has a formal setting, choose a style that will compliment the formality of the garden. Wrought iron and teak wood garden sets are good choices as is wicker.
Consider what you will use your garden for. If it’s for a children’s playground multi-colored chairs and tables are fine to use. If the garden is for informal dining and entertaining friends, choose a set that has a large sitting capacity. You can opt to buy several extra pieces and chairs to match the main set at the time of purchase.
Where in the garden will you put the furniture? Will the garden furniture be set under a sprawling tree? Will it be near the barbeque pit or by the pool side? The nearer the furniture location to your house, the more the furniture should match the architectural style and color of your house. The farther the garden furniture set is from the house, the more innovative and “adventurous” you can go in choosing a style.
Match the space you have with the garden furniture you purchase. You can’t very well put a 6 seat wood furniture set in the small nook unless you expand your garden with a new niche area designed just for your outdoor lounging needs. Visualize the garden furniture as it sits in its intended space and make a plan if needed. With a new plan you can have short term or long term intentions then implement your plan “as you go” or all at once.
Does your garden lack a perfect place for a new furniture set or is it just all dirt? Plan and build a new space using paving bricks or stones. These can be laid down right on the dirt but should be placed on a bed of sand or pea gravel for drainage. The whole job can be done in a single weekend.
Let your budget be your guide. Plastic or PVC furniture sets are cheap and functional. They come in a wide variety of styles and colors. Consider with Plastic or PVC sets the average life span is only 2 to 4 years. Aluminum and wrought iron furniture are durable but can be more expensive. You have a wide selection of styles in these materials as most home improvement stores will have a good selection to choose from.
The top furniture material is teak wood. This furniture is durable, classy and quite expensive. It will age to a nice gray color and does not need to be refinished every year. You can just hose it off with a concentrated spray head, let it dry and it is ready to use. You can ad cushions or use the teak furniture as is without any padding.
Ask the question of yourself; will your use be infrequent and short or will you lounge for hours. Knowing the answer to this question will allow you to consider the comfort level of the furniture you’ll buy. Try the furniture for size. Sit down and lean back. Relax and put up your feet. Slouch and then get up so you know how easy it is. Some low types of furniture are not so easy to rise from, an important consideration especially if you are “not as young as you used to be”. Test the furniture for coziness. Remember what it’s for. If it is comfortable and fits your plan, then get it!
The most important points to consider are these: get the furniture that fits your garden size, your comfort needs and your budget. Your garden can be a whole new addition to your home living area. Act now and you can be enjoying your new fully furnished garden living area by tonight.
