Garden Decor Blog

Considering the amount of time you no doubt spent deciding on your patio furniture, and the money you probably spent on it, it would be a shame to let it get damaged and weather-beaten over the winter. For a relatively small cost, you can greatly increase the life-span of outdoor furniture with a good set of outdoor patio furniture covers.

By patio furniture covers, we don’t mean tarps that that you throw over your table and chairs, but a pre-made cover of the correct size and material to protect your furniture from the effects of wind and weather, whatever your climate.

Some points you might like to consider before parting with your money are:

1. Breathability: This is important to ensure that moisture can evaporate to prevent mold and mildew from growing, keeping your outdoor furniture safe and dry in rain or snow. In less humid areas, this is obviously less of a concern.
2. Durability: You want your covers to be both lightweight, so they are relatively easy to put on and remove, but also durable so they don’t tear in normal use. UV treatment is an option that can help to prevent the covers from cracking under extreme temperatures.
3. Fastenings: Covers should protect your furniture from the ground up and be easily secured to your patio furniture with for example velcro or tie straps, or you might find an animal has set up house underneath it!
4. Size, shape and design: Covers now come in all shapes and sizes, including special shapes for chaise longue, gliders and various sizes and combinations of table and chairs. With upholstered furniture, the cover should protect not only the frame but the cushions as well. With patio table and chair sets, you can choose whether to cover them separately or get one large cover for the complete set.
5. Cost: How much to spend is a decision that should take into account the original cost of your furniture and how long you expect it to last. High quality wooden furniture, for example, can last for 10 to 15 years if properly maintained and protected, whereas without covers this time can be halved. If you have this type of furniture, it makes sense to spend as much as you can reasonably afford on covers. At the other end of the scale, it may be cheaper to simply replace a cheap plastic set each year than spend money protecting it.

Ultimately, the choice of garden furniture covers is usually a compromise between cost and durability. Shop around, compare prices and features before making your choice and you won’t be disappointed.

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What is the point of having a beautiful garden if you do not have a good vantage point to see it from? Setting a garden bench in the midst of your garden gives you the perfect place to sit, relax, and watch your garden grow. A garden bench is not only an inviting place to sit, it is also a beautiful visual addition to almost any garden.

No longer restricted to the traditional “public park” style, garden benches now come in a wide range of styles and materials.

Wooden Garden Furniture

A wooden tree seat makes for a beautiful feature in any garden. Not only do they provide a useful seat in the shade or shelter of a tree but they make a lovely flower bed where otherwise there wouldn’t be one. Usually made of wood, they come in pieces which slot together round a favorite tree and can easily become the focal point of a garden.

A teak garden bench is a traditional, beautiful addition to a garden. It is hardwearing and durable, with a warm finish that becomes even more attractive as it ages. Outdoor teak garden furniture will always be a popular and stylish choice for any garden design.

Aluminum Garden Furniture

Aluminum is an ideal material for outdoor furniture. It is strong, non-rusting, and retains its good looks through blistering summer suns, drenching thunderstorms, and vigorously romping children. Quality aluminum furniture is durable and can last for a decade or more. It is lightweight, making it easy to move, and requires minimal maintenance.

Cast aluminum is usually investment furniture. It is often so exquisitely detailed that it seems to have come from a museum. But, like tubular aluminum, it is also amazingly durable and easy to maintain. Quality cast-aluminum furniture can be costly and is not for the family that craves a new look every few seasons. But, if you acquire pieces over a number of years, you will end up with exactly what you want – an outdoor room that is second to none.

Outdoor Furniture Cushions

The very durability that makes wood or aluminum garden furniture such popular choices can also make it uncomfortable to sit on for very long! There is now a huge choice of cushions for such furniture, not only from the original manufacturers (which are often garish or very restricted in colorway). It’s definitely worth hunting around for cushions that fit the style and theme of the rest of your garden decor, and most come in standard sizes. If in doubt, measure your furniture before you go shopping.

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