Benches are for enjoying your landscape

July 30, 11:27 AMBackyard Living ExaminerJane Gates

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Add a bench to your landscape garden (Photo by Jane Gates)

It is amazing how much you can enhance the design of a landscape by just adding a bench. Benches say “Welcome. Have a seat and enjoy yourself!” You can place a bench in your garden and transform the whole feel of the area.

Placing a bench by the entry to your home gives you a spot to set down anything you are carrying so you can open the front door. It hints that guests should make themselves comfortable. Or you can fill a bench with flowers so it becomes a display with character.

Nestle a bench in the shade of a tree to invite a cooling rest. Or set out an ornate bench in the rose garden to offer a formal place for viewing. Place a bench handy to a water feature to encourage watching fish or splashing water from a fountain. Hide a bench in a wild garden to beckon you into cozy place to read a book, or use a bench to divide one part of the garden from another. Even small gardens can benefit from a bench that is cleverly and artistically positioned.

Then there is the question of the bench itself. Go for the traditional iron and wood bench if you aren’t sure since it will fit in almost any situation. Rustic benches blend in nicely with woodland or natural styled landscapes. You can buy one or construct your own from hunks of wood, tree trunks, branches or driftwood. Or try a stone bench. A rough hewn chunk of rock can look natural or will blend in nicely with a contemporary landscape design. Try wrought iron for an English or Southwestern styled garden or slip in a bench inset with brightly colored tile to decorate a Mexican theme.

You can use a bench to accent the style of your garden or you can shop for a bench that captures your imagination and build your garden around it. And you can always buy a simple bench and drape it with outdoor fabrics and pillows to create your own effects. Benches are for enjoying your landscape. Have fun deciding which bench you want to use and where you want to position it in your garden. And if you have the space use several benches -- the more, the prettier!