With an enforced lockdown in place, there’s never been a better opportunity to get out into the garden and enjoy your own little piece of green and pleasant land. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a garden – so there’s no excuse not to spend the summer in yours!
Of course, it’s difficult to enjoy a garden if you can’t do so from a position of comfort. And for that, you’ll need the right garden furniture. It should look the part and match the surrounding garden, but it should also be practical enough to be used for multiple summers. Let’s take a look at some candidates.
Pouffs
You might think of a pouff as something that you use indoors – but if you get something that’s water resistant, they’ll fare just as nicely outdoors. They can serve as footrests and seats, making them a great means of adding flexibility to your outdoor seating plan.
Hammock
If you’ve got two suitable trees between which to string a hammock, then there’s no excuse not to do so. But even if you don’t, there’s nothing stopping you from putting a couple of poles up and enjoying the classic sailboat luxury item.
Table
If you don’t have a suitable table to tie your patio together, then you might find that mealtimes are a bit of a struggle. There are metal tables, plastic ones, and timber ones available, in a whole range of styles and price-points. The right table will not only make a great centrepiece for your patio, it’ll serve a practical purpose, too. Allocate your garden-furniture budget accordingly.
Garden Bench
A garden bench makes a great addition to those secluded garden spots that you’d like to take the time to settle down and appreciate every so often. Site them away from the main seating area, and you’ll have a nice alternative getaway. Cox & Cox provide some high-quality examples that’ll provide your garden with that all-important lift.
Swing Seat
Occupying a similar category to Hammocks are swing seats. They swing freely, giving a slightly weightless feel, and they provide a bit of visual interest. That said, they aren’t quite as mobile as some of the options we’ll mention.
Throw Cushions
Just as a few throw cushions will provide some aesthetic cohesion to an indoor living space, they’ll do the same thing to an outdoor one. Get a few waterproof cushions and pick a curtain that’ll accent the existing furniture.
Barbeque
If you’re going to be doing a lot of outdoor cooking, then you’ll want to make sure that your cooking equipment is up to scratch. That might mean installing a fixed barbeque, or it might mean simply installing a few short tables to make things easier.
Canopy
The warm weather isn’t going to be a constant fixture, so it’s worth having some form of shelter, under which you’ll be able to hide when the rain makes an appearance. A parasol might do this nicely, but there are larger marquee tents and even dome-shaped, igloo-style summer shelters, too.
Deckchairs
Deckchairs are an item that can be easily crammed away and brought back out whenever the need arises. They’re also mobile enough for sunbathers to move around as the position of the sun changes over the course of a given day.
Rattan Furniture
Rattan isn’t technically wood – it’s a kind of flexible vine. As such, it can be woven into all kinds of eye-catching shapes, but it’ll still deal with rainwater nicely. Get a high-quality item and it’ll be a highlight in your garden for many summers to come.