TAKE A SEAT
When it comes to garden furniture there must be a balance between style and substance. Chairs or benches need to look good, but they also must be comfortable to sit on, otherwise they’ll never be used. “The key really is to think about how you’d like to feel when you’re sitting outside,” says awardwinning garden designer Lisa Cox ( LISACOXDESIGNS. CO.UK). “A simple wooden bench against the house wall could be all you need to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning sunshine, but if you want to sit out and read a book for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon then you’ll probably want to feel a lot more comfortable, much as you would if you were spending time indoors.” If you have a big enough garden, consider adding a couple of different seating areas – maybe a comfy bench or swing seat and a small dining set, helping define your space and create “zones”. If you have the space, consider a swing seat (two-seater swing set costs £146 from Wilko) as well as something more formal where you can sit and enjoy a bite to eat (fourseat steel rattan effect set from Wilko costs £375).