Seating in the Garden
Debbie Teashon
Rudell and Jay Hegnes garden, Gig Harbor, WA
Gardens are meant for plants, yet hardscapes, garden art, and furniture all make the garden exciting to view and use as an outdoor space. A garden without a place to sit misses the opportunity for relaxing in the garden.
I am always amazed when I tour a garden that has no place to sit. Where do you park yourself and enjoy your creation? For me, a garden is a place to rest your soul and it begins with a great seat! Use attention-grabbing chairs or benches as focal points in the border, or align them for great views of the garden.
I once heard that having a wall or hedge behind you keeps you from feeling vulnerable when you sit. Arrange your outdoor furniture where you feel most comfortable. Place a solitary bench in a secluded area of the garden when you wish to pray, meditate, or just zone out. For comfortable space when having a gathering of friends and family, group chairs around a fire pit or low table.
Garden seating doesn't need to be expensive. Use flea market or garage sale finds that you can repurpose. Scrub, polish, or, paint an item and bring into the garden. Add pillows or cushions to your seating area in outdoor fabrics and you've made yourself a charming destination place that is a fun place to visit and relax.
In the Northwest, I've had the privilege to visit some great properties, with excellent examples of how to sit still in the garden, that I share with you today.
Driftwood bench in the Albers Vista Garden, Bremerton, WA.
Multiple benches for viewing sweeping vistas in the Albers Vista Garden, Bremerton, WA.
Ornate metal chairs that dress up this deck in the Brown garden, Snohomish, WA.
Metal chairs and bistro sets are charming as well as useful in the garden. Merlot garden, Portland Metro area, OR (left) and Schroeter garden, Gig Harbor, WA (right).
Seating with a view of Mill Pond, Astoria, OR.
Bench by Mill Pond, Astoria, OR.
No matter how you furnish your garden, the seating helps the sitter view the garden from a new position. Armentrout garden, Portland Metro area, OR. (left) and Paschall/Steward garden, Vashon Island, WA (right).
Bench under an arbor in the Mitchell garden, Portland Metro area, OR.
Bright cushions on benches add lively elements to the garden. Jackson Meadow garden, Olympia, WA.
Pillows on this cozy bench swing in the Roberge garden, Snohomish, WA.
Asian style in the Patty and Leonardt Pecchenino garden, Gig Harbor, WA.
Wooden bench and rattan chairs ensemble in the Baker/Livengood garden, Portland Metro area, OR.
Charming front porch using adirondack chairs. Schmidt garden, Snohomish, WA. (left) and Teashon garden (right).
Impromptu seating with rain-splattered, retro metal chairs in the Roberge garden, Snohomish, WA.
Adirondack chairs with cushions next to fire, in Kerkely garden in Snohomish, WA.
Seating around the fire in the Marta Meadow garden, Portland Metro area, OR.
Seating around a fire pit in the Schmidt Garden, Portland Metro area, OR.
More Seating Options:
- Seating in the Garden
- The Hot Seat
- Of Wood Grain and Driftwood
- Mosaic, Stone, and the 'cretes
- Sit Your Derrière Down at the Beach
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton
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