To make the most of your outdoor space, choose seating that lets you enjoy it at different times of day – and that can cope with unpredictable British weather. Aim for a mixture of fixed (a circular bench built around a tree will have shelter from both sun and rain) and portable pieces (lighter-weight chairs, which can be folded away under cover or picked up and moved easily to another spot). Weatherproof the timber with paints and woodstains in quiet garden colours, or enjoy the natural silvering of bare oak. Remember that metal legs will prevent chairs and benches from rot if they’re left standing on wet ground. Rattan is weather-resilient (rattandirect.co.uk) or try weatherproof wicker (kettler.co.uk) for woven chairs and sofas that can sit out all year. Match your seating with practical tabletops. A scrubbed pine kitchen table will create an outdoor desk on a terrace; wire-brushed zinc and patinaed metal add bistro style for summer drinks; upturned crates and chunky tree stumps are perfect for children’s tea parties.
Create the perfect place in a corner of the garden to sit and daydream
PORTABLE OR LIGHTWEIGHT garden furniture is especially versatile, allowing you to follow the sun or set up camp when and where your garden is at its best
HEAVIER, SOLIDWOOD pieces like these chairs, which are bulky to move, are best sited on hard landscaping or on a permanent site where they can live outside all year. Find similar Adirondack armchairs at Barlow Tyrie (teak.com)
FOLDING BANDSTAND CHAIRS (below) are perfect for an alfresco lunch and can be softened with homemade or bought tie-on seat pads to make them more comfortable. Reinforce your theme with tableware and flowers in similar colours
SUPPLEMENT GARDEN FURNITURE with more durable pieces from the house during a dry summer spell. Here (left), some inexpensive moulded plastic chairs have migrated outdoors to cater for guests and join the all-weather teak pieces
LOGGY CHAIRS can be found in interiors stores (try tikamoon. co.uk for rustic rattan), antiques shops or made bespoke. The organic look makes them particularly appealing outside
A TEAK BENCH is an investment that will gently turn from warm red to a pale silvery wash. Use a scrubbing brush and soap (not detergent) to maintain this pale patina, rather than teak oil
OLD FRENCH METAL FURNITURE needs to be repainted every few years to optimise its life. Use a wire brush and sandpaper to strip off old paint, then apply a metal primer and metal exterior eggshell
A CIRCULAR TREE SEAT has a sense of romance and can be found in both metal and wood. A bespoke version fitted to the size of your tree might be an easierto-source option
A FOLDING DAYBED, decked out like a rosy bower with frilled and floral cushions, and positioned beneath old-fashioned quartered pink climbing roses, makes a lovely spot to sit and daydream