Coastline Treasures

Everyone has a favorite spot in their home, some have more than one.  For some people its a certain place on the couch.  For some its a arm chair.  Others its their bedroom.  One of my favorite spots is in my garden.

My parents bought wooden garden furniture to furnish our backyard; included in that furniture was a swing.  That swing, in the cool, shaded corner of the backyard, was my favorite spot.  I would spend hours sitting out there just reading a book and taking in the serenity of the birds chirping and the calm breeze.  When I need to escape, I think back to that swing.

The patio in your backyard is a great place to entertain guests or just relax.  But unless you enjoy sitting on cement, garden furniture is a must.  Unfortunately, patio furniture can be very expensive.  Building your own furniture is a great and easy way to save money.  With a quick trip to your local home improvement store, you can build yourself a great patio set.

A table with benches is a great simple piece of furniture for your yard.  And all you need to build your own is the wood, basic tools like a hammer and a drill, clamps.  Once you have your materials, its time to begin building.  Start by building the table.  Cut each piece to the size you want it.  Then build the base.  Once the base is constructed, secure the table top.  Now move on to the benches, the basic idea is the same.  Make sure everything is securely fastened to avoid breaking. 

While building your own furniture may take more time than just purchasing it, you will be saving a significant amount of money.  Also, the endeavor is a great family project.

Wooden garden furniture adds a beautiful place to sit and relax outdoors while being very durable and low maintenance.  Wooden furniture has natural chemicals in it that protects it from the weather.  It naturally secretes water that flows through the wood to protect it from water damage in the rain.  Other benefits to wooden furniture are that it won’t splinter or get soggy in rainy situations and it had the ability to withstand insects.

Wooden garden furniture has an interesting history.  Because of its durability, it is one of the oldest forms of outdoor furniture.  In colonial America, the furniture was often built from remittance of ships.  Because the garden furniture was more sought after in these times, having wooden furniture was seen as a sign of wealth.  Today, because the furniture is created from uncultivated timber, wooden garden furniture is a large contributor to the sustainability movement.  Adding wooden furniture to your garden not only adds a great touch to your garden and helps the environment.

You spent time and money picking out wooden garden furniture for years of enjoyment.  Like all woods, care needs to be taken to ensure that it will last and stay looking beautiful.  Wood is natural and there is a natural process in its aging; left unattended the wood can turn grey or even black in color.  At the beginning of each season examine each piece and evaluate its condition.  Keeping it sanded and sealed will help preserve the wood and maintain its beauty.

The weather affects wood in that it will cause the wood to expand and contract.  The expansion and contraction can cause cracks and ultimately split the wood.  It is best to store your wooden garden furniture in a shed or garage for the winter.  During the spring and summer season bring it outdoors for enjoyment.  Just remember direct sunlight can be damaging to the furniture so it is best to store it in a shady area of the garden. If it rains where you live, you might want to cover it with a breathable furniture cover making sure that the water drains off.  These are just a few tips that will help to extend the life of your furniture.

Summer is just about here, the weather is warming and the days are getting longer.  We have more time to go outdoors and sit and relax after a day’s work.  How is your garden set up?  Do you have rooms or areas to relax?  As you walk though your garden are there places to stop and listen to the birds or just to sit and ponder for a moment?  Adding wooden garden furniture is a natural choice.  Wood works well with any décor and looks natural tucked into the garden.  Do you have an arbor?  Add a wooden chair to invite you to stay for awhile.  How about the shade tree?  It’s a perfect place to plant a wooden bench.  The more areas there are to sit the longer you will stay.

 Make these areas special.  Add a stool to encourage you to put your feet up and stay for while.  Adding some colorful pots with seasonal flowers will decorate these ‘rooms’ as will adding colorful cushions and throw pillows that you can sink into.  Adding wind chimes will create some music for your yard.  Do you like birds?  Add a birdhouse to encourage feathered friends to stay to enjoy your company.  Taking the time to create an enticing yard will give you hours of great pleasure.