Garden Furniture Guide

Garden furniture can make your backyard, patio, garden, veranda, poolside, or deck considerably more enjoyable. Common garden furniture items include Chairs, Chaise Lounge Chairs, Rocking Chairs, Tables, Benches, Serving Carts, and Hammocks. Common garden furniture accessories include Umbrellas, Cushions, and Landscape Lighting. The furniture items can be broken into materials and styles

Wood - Derived from trees, which can be very eco-friendly if using FSC certified wood or environmentally detrimental if using non-sustainable woods and toxic solvents. Durability ranges from great to poor, depending on quality of furniture. Refinishing and cleaning are required to maintain appearance.

Metal – Common metals are cast iron, stainless steel and aluminum alloys. Cast Iron can rust, and is coated with paints intended to provide a protective barrier. Stainless steel is normally a non-structural aspect. Aluminum alloys are frequently used in less expensive items, and are significantly lighter than cast iron furniture items. Most metal items are durable, if they are kept clean and recoated with protective finishes in suggested intervals.

Resins/Plastics – Least expensive option, and typically least appealing as well. Durability ranges from very poor to very good. Generally, the lighter the furniture item the less durable. The material being used as substitute wood decking is being used now in garden furniture. These are very durable, look like wood, and need virtually no maintenance other than the occasional wipe down. They are expensive, but hassle free.

Chairs – The conventional chair. They can vary from a compact version styled after café or dinner table chairs to a large one such as an outdoor version of an armchair. Chairs are the most common garden furniture item.

Chaise Lounge Chairs – This is what you see surrounding most pools. They allow you to stretch out your legs, and have adjustable sections to go from lying flat to having your upper body propped to 90 degrees.

Rocking Chairs - Similar to a conventional chair, but they have curved sections of the bottom to allow rocking. Not only is it soothing to rock, it also provide air movement against your body which is nice on a warm day.

Tables – Next to chairs, these are the most common furniture item. Common varieties are picnic tables, dinner tables, and end tables. They are most commonly used for dining, but end tables are commonly pair with other chairs for the purpose of holding small items like drinks.

Benches – These are not as common, but provide economical and compact seating for many people. Smaller benches are also nice additions to gardens, such as under a tree or amongst a flower garden. They are typically very solid, withstand the weather well, and are favorites of millions of park visitors each year.

Serving Carts – These handy, mobile items provide additional work and serving surfaces for entertain, grilling, cooking or vegetable/fruit harvesting. There are many variations, from small to large. They normally function similarly to a wheel barrel or garden cart, where you tip them slightly to allow rolling on wheels. When you set them down, they become stationary. Some models feature big wheels suitable for rolling over rough terrain.

Hammocks – Common at beach settings, hammocks provide a comfortable, relaxing place. They are more popular in recent years, and can be found in cloth and net varieties. They range from compact single person to large multi-person. Freestanding hammock stands are available, allowing them to be set up anywhere.

Umbrellas – These provide shade on those hot days, or protection from light showers. There are freestanding versions, but the most common fit into purposely cut holes in tables. They normally are unaccompanied by a counterweight for the ground, but this is a great accessory for the umbrella. Even if the umbrella is compacted, it can still tip over in a breeze. This can damage the umbrella, table and surrounding items.

Cushions – These are essential to the enjoyment your outdoor furniture to the fullest. They frequently come with furniture items or sets, but can be purchased at many places. The advance in outdoor fabric technology has allowed for many textures and colors of fabrics to come available in recent years.

Landscape Lighting – This can allow you to be able to really enjoy the outdoor furniture into the evening by giving you just enough light to see. There is an incredible variety of landscape lights to choose from. The more common varieties are rope lights, which are even sold as sets to fit into an umbrella, solar path lights that stake into the ground, and spot lights for areas. Other lighting items include flame torches that burn a fuel source. These provide additional ambiance to an outdoor area, and can even provide insect repellency if an appropriate variety of fuel is used.

Garden furniture can range dramatically in quality, so doing proper research is necessary before purchase.  There are many online retailers that sell furniture, but not much beats touching, sitting, and seeing in person a piece of furniture.  Consider a wide number of stores when searching, such as home goods stores, multi-item retailers, garden supply stores, and home & garden stores.  A good way to find a great price is to find an item in a store you like, and then research it online to find the lowest price.  Many stores offer price matching, and will frequently match a price you find for the same item somewhere else.  This could allow you to get the same price as an online retailer has, but be able to pick it up and use it that day.