Why do we love spending time in the garden? For leisurely walks, for a calm, pacifying vacation and the opportunity to enjoy the surrounding nature. Many elements of furniture and decor create coziness and comfort on a suburban area, one of which is a garden bench.

Landscape designers skillfully use garden benches to ennoble the summer cottage and create complex compositions. Therefore, when choosing the ideal bench, which will meet all the requirements, it is necessary to take into account the features of the site, the architectural style of the house and the functions assigned to the garden bench.

Content

1. Garden bench decoration of a summer cottage  video
2. The best place to place a garden bench
3. Multifunctional, mobile or stationary garden benches  video   video
4. A variety of garden benches: advantages and disadvantages of materials
   • wooden garden benches
   • metal garden benches
   • stone garden benches
   • plastic garden benches
   • combined benches for the garden
5. Tips for choosing the style and color of the garden bench

Garden bench decoration of a summer cottage

In park and garden art, benches have always been not only a place to relax, but also an important element of garden decoration. They complement and continue the general architectural composition of the suburban area, the main element of which is the house.

The arrangement of the garden should be approached in the same way as the design of the house. All items should be as comfortable, practical as possible and in harmony with the surrounding landscape. After all, the garden is the same house located in the open.

Today, the assortment of garden benches is very diverse; they are made from various materials, different styles and shapes, and are also equipped with additional functions.

When choosing one or another model of a garden bench (you can buy it ready-made or on order), it is necessary to take into account a number of basic criteria:

• beautiful appearance of the bench should harmoniously fit into the overall design of the garden;
• ease of use in advance you need to consider the location of the garden bench;
• safety is an important parameter, especially when there are small children in the house (the bench should not easily turn over and have visible defects);
• practicality is good if the bench does not require special care, and the material is resistant to temperature extremes and adverse weather conditions (rain, snow, hail, wind gusts);
• the service life directly depends on the quality of the work performed and the materials used.

The best place to place a garden bench

Before buying a bench, decide on its location. This is important, because there are situations when you bought the first bench you liked, and then it turns out that there is no suitable place to place it, or the style of the bench does not correspond to the landscape direction of the garden.

Of course, the installation of a bench provides for the presence of recreation areas on the site, which add to the originality of the garden. The most successful place to relax is a quiet, cozy place in the garden, which offers a beautiful view of unusual plants or interesting sites.

Garden benches are also appropriate along long paths or where they end. After a leisurely walk, it will be nice to sit on a beautiful bench. More often benches or benches along the tracks are placed in areas that have a large territory.

To install a bench on a lawn, it is necessary to provide for the presence of a geoframe or a special mesh (spreads on the surface of the lawn to prevent its trampling). However, it is better to put a garden bench in a paved area.

A bench located near a green hedge, a decorative arch or near an artificial pond with a fountain or a waterfall will look great (nobody has bothered watching the water yet).

Inveterate gardeners will be able to rest on a bench with a back located closer to the garden plot. Near the entrance to the house you can put a waiting bench on which you can receive guests or place bags with purchases.

The location of the bench may also depend on the season: it is better to put the summer bench on the north side of the site or position it in the shade of branching trees, and the autumn-spring bench in the place where the sun's rays most often drop in.

In order to determine the optimal place to install the bench, you can sit on a chair or rocking chair in different places of the garden (about two hours in each place) so it’s easier to understand where the most comfortable and pleasant is.

Multifunctional, mobile or stationary garden benches

  If we consider benches according to their functionality, then we can divide into two types:

• benches designed exclusively for seating;
• benches that can be used for seating and practical purposes (dining or desk, swing, gazebo, etc.).

An interesting option for multifunctional benches are transformer benches, which can be easily turned into a desk. The bench is divided into several sections, each of which is movable. Such a model is suitable for practical people seeking to save space even on a garden plot. If necessary, you can place a laptop on an open bench top and work not in a stuffy room, but surrounded by nature.

For a small plot, a garden bench transforming into a dining table will be an excellent solution. Despite the small dimensions when folded, it is quite roomy and you can safely receive guests at such a table.

It is very convenient if there are several drawers in the bench in which you can store children's toys, household items, books or magazines.

Recently, swing benches made of various materials and having different shapes have become increasingly popular. It is very practical if the bench is equipped with a canopy that protects from rain and sun. A swing-bench will help you relax after a working day, and will bring a sense of romance and harmony into the surroundings. Such swings will be appreciated by small gardeners.

Garden benches for summer cottages can be installed permanently, it will always be on the site, so the requirements for its strength are high. The bench must maintain its original appearance in all weather conditions, so more often the basis for their creation is metal, stone or the strongest wood species.

A mobile folding bench or bench is an option for those who do not spend much time in the country. At the time of departure, it can be hidden in a house or garage, as the models have a folding mechanism. Some folding benches are so compact that they easily fit in the trunk of a car.

Of course, mobile benches are not a defining element of landscape design, their main advantage is mobility. More often they are made of plastic or have a steel frame and a wooden seat.

A variety of garden benches: advantages and disadvantages of materials

wooden garden benches

The most popular material for creating garden benches is wood, which has a warm texture and good performance. Wooden garden benches will decorate any summer cottage, regardless of its style.

Often, gardeners make wooden benches on their own, as wood is easy to process, unlike metal or stone.

It is better to choose garden benches created from tree species resistant to decay: larch, hazel, cherry, oak and conifers. A street wooden bench must be covered with paint or varnish to protect the material from environmental influences and insects.

Depending on the territory of the garden and the location of the planned recreation area, wooden benches of various shapes are chosen.

Large manufacturers often offer collections of garden furniture made from wood. The cost of finished products directly depends on the value of the wood used. It should be noted that the high cost of wooden benches is perhaps their only drawback.

metal garden benches

Garden benches made of metal are particularly durable and durable. This option is perfect for using the bench all year. An additional plus of metal benches does not require complicated care (it is enough to periodically treat them with an anti-corrosion mixture).

A bench made entirely of metal can make the space heavier and look uncomfortable or heavy. Therefore, as an alternative to metal benches, more airy, patterned forged benches are often installed.

Forged products are now at the peak of popularity among summer residents and owners of country houses. Bent metal benches will look good in an open space, against the background of a green hedge, by a pond or just in front of the house. Depending on the landscape design of the garden, you can choose all kinds of patterns.

To give comfort to wrought iron and metal benches, soft pillows and mattresses are often laid on them, which are attached with decorative ropes to the bench seat. A warm mattress is an indispensable thing in spring and autumn, when even on cloudy days you want to spend more time outdoors.

stone garden benches

Adherents of solidity and practicality often prefer stone garden benches for giving. An inexpensive option is the manufacture of benches from raw stone. A more expensive option is the finished model of quartz, colored or white marble, coarse granite. Such benches will last several decades.

The main advantages of stone benches: durability, reliability, durability and aesthetic appeal. Although, it should be noted that benches made of cold material will not fit into any landscape design of a suburban area.

Most often, garden benches made of stone are performed without a back, in the form of benches.

plastic garden benches

The most affordable, economical version of plastic garden benches. They have several advantages:

• ease of construction can be easily transferred from one place to another;
• profitability;
• a variety of colors is important for harmonious combination with the overall design of the garden;
• there are collapsible models that are convenient for transportation.

Plastic benches have some disadvantages:

• low decorative and aesthetic properties of plastic;
• less durable compared to benches made of other materials, which explains their short life.

It is better to refrain from buying a bench made of cheap plastic. Such material is highly flammable, releasing substances harmful to the human body into the environment.

combined benches for the garden

In summer cottages and garden plots, you can often see combined benches combining the positive qualities of different materials. The most popular combinations are wood + stone and wood + metal. In such combinations, wood adds softness to the structure, and metal and stone of the necessary strength. Combined models look quite impressive, and they will certainly attract the attention of guests of the garden plot.

Combined garden benches made of stone and metal are expensive, and they are rarely seen in summer cottages. Perhaps also because from staying in the garden I want to get the maximum comfort and warmth that a natural tree emits.

Tips for choosing the style and color of the garden bench

It is better to reflect on the appearance of the garden bench even at the stage of designing the landscape design of the site. So it will be easier to choose and harmoniously place garden benches on the site. Photos of successful options for combining benches with various styles of the garden plot can be viewed in various specialized magazines or on the Internet.

Here are the main tips for choosing the style and colors of the garden bench:

1. A garden designed in landscape or rustic style is better suited for garden benches made of logs.
2. 
3. Cast-iron benches in combination with a white background of plants are an essential element for the Art Nouveau garden.
4. Forged benches are suitable for gardens filled with vintage accessories or furnished in a formal style. Simple models, without frills, patterns and carvings will look appropriate in landscape design in the style of country. You can artificially age the forged products, then they will be a great addition to the garden in retro style.
5. Unprocessed stone benches look as natural as possible in landscape-style gardens, although some find such benches somewhat rude. Gardens with a classic landscape design can accommodate carved stone benches.
6. White, blue and green benches look best in the garden. White color contrasts perfectly with the surrounding greenery, but it is quite easily soiled; spots after rain and dirt will be noticeable on it.
7. Many experts in landscape design consider dark green colors a universal option for a garden bench. Such a bench will be in harmony with any floral arrangement.
8. Red color will advantageously emphasize the beauty of the garden bench and highlight it as the main element of garden design.

The summer season is in full swing, so a comfortable garden bench, an interesting book, a pair of bright pillows, the aroma of flowers and birdsong are the perfect option for a summer vacation, which will allow you to escape from everyday worries.

Author: Sergey and Svetlana Khuentsov

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