Aluminium Garden FurnitureGarden Furniture Design

I think it’s fair to say most people consider garden furniture to be primarily for use in spring and summer; the times of the year when the weather is nice enough to allow you to sit outside. Or, as is the case in England, nicer than it is in the other times of the year, so we may as well make the best of it! Read the rest of this entry »

Bonfire night approaches and it’s about time too! All year long I wait for the one time when we get to celebrate rebellion and the courage of people who stand up for what they believe in, no matter what grisly fate may befall them. In my opinion, this country could really use a good dose of this old fashioned courage; there’d be no expenses scandal if the MPs knew we might blow them sky high!

Of course, the reason I am reminding you of bonfire night is that many people forget the damage that bonfires can do to their garden furniture. Merely having your garden bench too close to the fire can warp it permanently and dry the wood out awfully. Paint will flake off and the wood can even start to splinter and char! When it comes to plastic furniture, it doesn’t take a genius to realise that hot fires and soft plastic chairs don’t mix…

Another very, very important thing to remember is the effect that bonfires have on aluminium furniture. Although it is fairly resistant to bending and warping, aluminium furniture can get VERY hot if it is too close to a fire! Believe me, few things will ruin your bonfire night quicker than sitting on a burning hot metal garden chair! Be wise; keep the garden furniture far away from the flames…

In a wake of a series of robberies, including that of an iron garden bench in Exmouth last week, it falls to me to warn you that even your garden furniture is not safe in this desolate age…

I know the credit crunch is affecting everybody and I can understand that sometimes people resort to crazy means to get by; but stealing a wrought iron garden bench?!  How is it even possible to make a quick, clean getaway with a hunk of garden furniture that normally takes at least two people a fair amount of effort simply to move from one side of the patio to another?

Believe me, I have moved enough garden benches in my time to know exactly how tricky this would be. This leads me to the conclusion that this was definitely a team effort, which is a worrying conclusion to draw!  It suggests there are teams of criminals wondering the land, intent on (and capable of) stealing your garden furniture!

I’ve always said chaining your benches and flowerpots to the ground ruins the free aesthetics of the place, but I’m starting to wonder whether this is a risk we can really take!