Set a spell. Take a load off. Grab a
chair. Sure, you can just plunk yourself down on the grass (if you want to be eaten by ants...this is Florida). A garden is more than plants and flowers. It's a place to rest and enjoy birdwatching, a conversation, a cold beer on a hot day. It's my place to recharge my batteries every day when I come home for lunch.
Seating in our backyard has evolved over the 18 years we've owned this house. Wayne is an inveterate yard sale searcher. He has a yen for chairs and a great eye for a bargain. We have enough chairs in our house now to seat a full orchestra. We have chairs of various types
hanging from the rafters in the garage, waiting for new cane seats, or other repairs.
Three of the four rocking chairs on the patio were purchased from yard sales. Wayne bought the rush seat rocker from Cracker Barrel. We had it in the house until Sasha discovered that it was just perfect for sharpening her claws. Every other seat in our yard was found at a yard sale or for free, such as the nice chaise lounges our neighbor gave us when she moved. She also gave us the dragonfly cushions we used on the rockers. When the seating becomes too weathered, we use it as plant stands. Several chairs are now "orchid chairs". Two tractor seats are perfect next to the koi pond as is a tiki bench. The top of the bench was replaced with a piece of plywood. A picnic table was also found at a moving sale for just 20 dollars.
We are on the lookout for a hammock, or maybe I'll knit one! I'd love a rope swing or a glider. A good book for inspiration in garden seating is
Small Spaces, Beautiful Gardens
by Keith Davitt.
Too old and weathered for human butts, these chairs now hold orchids...
A squirrel is content on the teak bench found at a yard sale...
Citronella candles and rope lights at night...
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