Wooden Garden Furniture

by Martin Young of Sitting Spiritually

Where to site new garden Furniture 

When I made my first garden swing seat. I had  a specific place in my garden in my minds eye. However the more I kept considering the orientation of the Sun particularly at the time of year its used most the more I kept changing my mind. I did in fact move it four times until I found a place that both looked and felt right. So my advice is to create the place to make permanent any garden furniture after you`ve purchased and tried it out there.

Colours for corners 

Now you may not fully embrace the culture of Feng Shui and may be a little skeptical as I was, but have you noticed how certain colours seem to work in certain places?

So as a rule of thumb -

North - Natural wood, blue, grey, green

North east - Grey, silver, terracotta and yellow

East - Green, blue, yellow and natural wood

South east - Green, blue, natural wood 

South - Red, green, natural wood 

South west - Yellow, terracotta,silver and grey

West - Silver, grey, white, terracotta and yellow

North west - Silver, grey and white 

In my own garden I`ve tried to apply these rules to both furniture and plants. Try it, it works.

Maintaining the colour of furniture 

You may be happy with the faded effect of your hardwood furniture but they will benefit from a springtime rub down and application of teak or a propriety garden furniture oil.

Pine furniture can look great in Cuprinol garden shades and you could even go as far as maybe considering the above colour wheel .

Red in the South I hear  you cry, try it you could be surprised.

Oak and chestnut look great with a recoating of Raw (Not Boiled) linseed oil diluted 50/50 with proper turpentine.

You may have some of the cast iron and timber furniture, here try Hammerite spray on the metal and Cuprinol garden shades on the wood looks great.

Buying new furniture

Please do your bit for the environment and please think long and hard about the origins of some of the hardwoods used or at least look for plantation grown.

Finding time to sit 

I`m one of these silly people that get up ridiculously early in the morning and I`ve sited a swing seat that catches the first rays of the summer morning sun. Just to sit, to think and visualise the day unfolding makes it seem to feel better and you won't be surprised to learn that I have one in the east which catches the last rays just to relax and consider the day.

Do try to find some time to just sit.

After many years in senior management Martin Young has returned to where his career started - as a carpenter and joiner. And with a RHS Certificate in Horticulture, he decided to combine his passion for gardens and wood. At his rural workshop near Lyme Regis in Dorset, Martin designs and builds unique garden swing seats to an exceptionally high standard.

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