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31 articles

Swing seat garden benches give you food for thought

30/03/2010 17:36 PM

Garden benches are designed to be an elegant addition to an outdoor area and also to provide a comfortable place to sit and pass the time. And if you’re choosing a garden bench with relaxation in mind, you might find yourself looking into swing seat garden benches. We can’t deny that even the sight of a swing seat puts us in mind of a restful afternoon.

Once you’ve settled on the idea of a swing seat garden bench, you’ve still got a variety of swing seats to choose from, each with their own style and features.

For example, you can choose a swing seat garden bench with or without a canopy, or a frame-only swing seat with a canopy available to purchase separately. If you’re planning to put your swing seat garden bench in a shady spot, you may not want a canopy above the seat. However, if your garden bench is destined for a sunny spot, then you might prefer a swing seat with a canopy, or else you can use your garden bench in conjunction with a parasol or a shade sail.

The widest choice in terms of swing seat garden benches surely has to be in style. The swing seat garden benches in Rawgarden’s range are varied enough to suit any style of garden or terrace. From the ultra-modern Contemporary Hardwood Swing Seat to the rustic design of the Gulliver’s 3 Seat Oak Swing Seat; the chunky Alexander Rose Farmers Pine Swing Seat to the refined lines of the Alexander Rose Karri Swing Seat.

And if that’s not choice enough, how do you feel about having a side shelf for your drinks and snacks? Because with Rawgarden’s garden benches, you even have a choice about that!

Say a few words with your garden bench

24/03/2010 09:18 AM

There aren’t many items of furniture that commonly come with an inscription or plaque, so it’s nice to see that more people are choosing to add a few words to their new garden benches. Most of us will have seen memorial benches with an inscription or plaque written by loved ones to remember a friend or family member. And increasingly we are seeing other events marked in this way.

The timeless qualities of a garden bench make it a great choice as a gift, and many of our garden benches are bought to be given as presents. For celebrating an anniversary, wedding, retirement or any number of other events, the garden bench is an ideal choice. And in these situations, the giver will often choose to add the name of the recipient, the date or the event in the form of an inscription or plaque to the bench as a reminder of why it was given.

Perhaps you’re considering buying a garden bench for your own garden. There’s no reason why you also can’t add a few words to your garden bench. A line from a favourite poem or song can really set the scene for anyone who comes to take a seat, as well as making your garden bench personal to you.

Of course, your garden bench won’t be truly personal to you unless it’s the perfect style to suit your tastes and the area for which it’s intended. However, with the vast choice of garden benches available at Rawgarden, we’re confident that this won’t be an issue! From traditional garden benches to the eye-catching styles of swing seat, our range is designed to provide for all tastes.

How garden benches can make your garden grow

10/03/2010 09:02 AM

If we told you that garden benches could make your garden grow bigger, you’d probably be doubtful. And it sounds fairly fanciful, we admit. Okay, so we’re not talking actual square metres, but with strategic thinking and careful placement of your garden benches you can make a real difference to how big your outdoor space feels.

If you’re hoping to give your garden a more spacious feel, the first thing to consider is whether there are any areas that you’re simply overlooking. Shrubs and trees around the border of a garden can easily grow out to the point that a corner is hidden or rendered unusable, and the best thing to do in this situation is simply to make a feature of it. All you need to do is put agarden bench in a half-hidden nook and it can be transformed into one of your garden’s best features.

Secondly, garden benches can be used around the perimeter of the garden to give an illusion of more space. If the places where people are sitting are right at the edge of the garden, they will have more space in front of them and so the whole area will seem bigger. On the contrary, by bringing paths, garden features and garden benches away from the edges of a large outdoor space, it can make it seem more compact.

And finally, from a practical standpoint, if you choose a storage bench for your garden then you’ll make it easier on yourself to keep cushions, garden furniture covers and other garden ‘bits and bobs’ out of the way. And by keeping your garden tidy and free from clutter with a garden bench, you’ll make the garden seem all the bigger.

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You’ll never be short of a seat with garden benches

15/03/2010 09:22 AM

Large outdoor areas are often used by their owners for more than just one purpose, whether those owners are householders or businesses. While most days might see your large lawn or terrace left as an open area, on other days the area may be spruced up in preparation for some kind of event. And if you have a troop of garden benches waiting patiently in the wings, then transforming your outdoor area from a useable and attractive lawn or terrace into a ready-to-go events venue is a cinch.

In many large outdoor areas, you’ll see garden benches positioned around the edge. It makes the whole area useable and ensures that you’re never far away from a seat. However, having all these garden benches nearby also means that when you do have an event to organise, seating is one aspect you won’t have to worry about.

With garden benches you can create a perfect venue for weddings, creating your own comfortable ‘pews’. According to wedding planners, growing numbers of marrying couples are choosing to stage their ceremony at their own home or the home of a parent, and using garden benches is a great way to keep a degree of comfort and a traditional seating style while enjoying an outdoor ceremony.

But garden benches can help you out with more than just weddings. If you’re able to host an event at home, you’ll almost always be in line for a significant saving. Indeed, buying in furniture especially for the event will often turn out cheaper than hiring a venue, and you get to keep your new furniture afterwards! This goes for all sorts of garden furniture and accessories, from garden benches to picnic tables or gazebos.

Highlight your favourite spot with a garden bench

09/03/2010 15:07 PM

Everyone has a favourite spot of their garden or terrace. And when it comes to your home or your business, the chances are that you’ll know every spot the best, and your favourite area probably isn’t the most obvious. This is why you’ll often notice agarden bench that is situated in a spot that wouldn’t otherwise have caught your eye.

Many people choose a garden bench as the perfect means to highlight a place that could otherwise be overlooked. And it’s easy to see why. The garden bench is a discreet item of garden furniture that, when you sit on it, leaves little for you to do other than enjoy the moment. Whether that’s chatting with the person sat next to you on the garden bench, gazing at the view or just enjoying the peace. A garden bench steals nothing from the moment, and simply acts as a reminder to enjoy it.

As a feature for your garden, the garden bench is unique. It draws attention to a particular spot in a stylish and appealing way and manages to combine aesthetic appeal with practicality.

And the choice between garden benches is as varied as with any other sort of garden feature. Whatever the size of the spot you have in mind, the chances are we’ll have a garden bench for you that will fit both in dimensions and in appearance.

Relax outdoors with garden benches

08/03/2010 14:02 PM

Considering what a versatile piece of furniture the garden bench is, it’s surprising how often it’s overlooked as just a place to sit for quiet reflection.

Naturally, many garden benches are much-loved by their owners for serving just this purpose; providing a quiet spot to enjoy a good book or a seat from which you can appreciate an appealing outlook. There’s no question that garden benches suit this role perfectly. However, that’s not to say they are restricted to it, and we think that garden benches can also be one of the best items of garden furniture for more sociable times.

After all, a garden bench provides seating for more than one person, and in that respect can be seen as a type of outdoor sofa. Arranging a couple of garden benches to face each other over an outdoor coffee table makes it the perfect setting for enjoying a chat with friends.

And when you’ve got a few garden benches in your garden, you find yourself able to easily and quickly accommodate guests. Say you’re having a barbecue or fire pit party. You can simply pull up two or three garden benches and you immediately have a seating layout that’s practical and conducive to easy and companionable chat.

And if you intend to have a number of garden benches for occasions like this, why not choose a selection of different types so you can take advantage of their various features. For example, you can include one of the longer models of garden bench to make sure you’ve always got plenty of seating room, alongside a practical storage bench to ensure you’ll have somewhere to keep your outdoor cushions. Throw in a quirky and comfy swing seat and you’ll have the best garden bench collection in town!

The life cycle of a garden bench

01/03/2010 15:12 AM

If you’ve read any of Rawgarden’s thoughts on garden benches before, you’ll probably have picked up on the fact that we see garden benches as something you’ll potentially have for life. Like a favourite watch, which can see you through decades of your life and always looks great, even as the rest of your outfit changes with passing fashions, so we think a garden bench can shine all through its life.

We don’t mean that your garden bench should be kept in exactly the same spot for all the time you own it. It’s a robust piece of furniture and can hold its own in all sorts of areas and serving all kinds of purposes. A garden bench may start off in its traditional role as a place to sit and admire a view, but through its life it may be used for many different things.

For example, a garden bench can be part of a stylish outdoor dining set; all you need is an outdoor dining table and you’re away!

Similarly, there’s more than one garden bench in Britain that started off as a seat but has since transformed into a garden shelf. It’s not always an intentional step on the part of the owner, but using a garden bench as a surface for anything from potted plants to a watering can is a practical step. Leaving those items there, until the purpose of the garden bench changes from seat to garden shelf, is a fairly common stage in the evolution of a typical garden bench.

Some people have gone even further in making their garden bench part of their garden, by using it as a trellis for climbing plants. Best suited to garden benches with backs, this can contribute towards a very pretty corner of your garden or terrace.

But regardless of how you use your garden bench, it’ll always be just as much of a treasured part of your garden as it was on the day you got it.

Think you know garden benches? Think again!

25/02/2010 17:22 PM

Say “garden bench” and many people will immediately think of a typical park bench. It’s quite understandable, since the classic garden bench design is the one that’s most familiar to us. It’s a practical and hard-wearing choice of garden bench, and is deservedly the most commonly seen.

However, we all have different tastes and what looks good in a public space might not suit your garden or terrace. Fortunately, garden benches come in as many shapes and sizes as any piece of garden furniture. Even amongst the traditional designs, you have the choice between straight and curved benches. The latter are great in compact areas and are a nice twist on the familiar garden bench look.

Our garden benches come with and without backs and armrests, each option suiting a different sort of purpose and space. While a backless garden bench may not be so comfortable for relaxing on, it is particularly versatile and is great to pull up to a picnic table for extra seating.

And if you’re still not sure how much choice there is among the garden benches that Rawgarden offers, we suggest you take a look at our swing seats. From the enchanting rustic-style swing seats to the clean lines of our contemporary hardwood swing seats, there really is a swing seat option to suit any type of outdoor space.

So if you’re thinking about getting a garden bench for your outdoor area, remember that there’s a perfect garden bench out there whatever your requirements are. Just check out our selection of garden benches to see what we mean!

A garden bench is the perfect gift for a gardener  

22/02/2010 12:53 AM

When someone has a hobby that absorbs a lot of their free time, it can be difficult as a friend or relative to choose a present based on that pastime. After all, they know their subject so much better than you do, and if you do think of something then there’s a good chance that they’ll already have it!

However, if the person you’re choosing a gift for is a keen gardener, then we might just have the perfect gift for them: a garden bench.

A garden bench is an item that you might not get around to buying for your own garden. It’s not as necessary as a lawnmower, nor is it one of the first essentials you buy for your outdoor area like a picnic table or a barbecue might be.

However, a garden bench situated in a peaceful spot of the garden can quickly become one of the most frequently used and best-loved outdoor items you have. And for a gardener, a garden bench can be more than simply a spot to sit.

It’ll be a much-needed rest stop on a hot day, and something to pop their gardening tools on when they’re not using them. And for the proud gardener, a garden bench has great value as an unobtrusive and elegant ornament. After all, an important part of gardening for many people is creating a space that’s attractive and practical at the same time. And what better way to combine practicality and style than with a good-looking and comfortable garden bench?

Have you seen a garden bench indoors?   

12/02/2010 12:53 AM   

At Rawgarden, we have always championed the versatility of our garden benches. They’re charming to look at and useful in so many ways, who can blame us for loving the many different faces of the garden bench? So imagine our delight when we started spotting example after example of the common garden bench – indoors!

There tends to be different rules for outdoor furniture and furniture, and it’s obvious why. Outdoor furniture has to be durable in a way that indoor furniture doesn’t, and the vast majority of indoor furniture wouldn’t last outside for any time at all. However, if you follow the latest trends for home interiors you’ll see that a few examples of outdoor furniture have made their way indoors, and garden benches are leading the way!

The rustic, farmhouse look has changed the face of many households in recent times, and indoor garden benches help to create this look perfectly. A garden bench in place of a sofa might be pushing things a bit far, but a garden bench in the entrance hall of a house looks stylish and bang up-to-date.

Similarly, using a garden bench as a shelf in a hallway or kitchen can be an effective and practical decoration. A garden bench will look great flanking the kitchen doorway, and it’ll be large enough to hold a flower pot at one end and still have cushion for somebody to rest their feet at the other.

Using a garden bench indoors opens up a range of design opportunities. And, if you tire of your indoor garden bench, you know exactly where you can move it: back to the garden!

Make the most of a small area with a garden bench

09/02/2010 11:11 AM      

If you have a balcony or small roof terrace, your biggest challenge in decorating it is often the limitations of space. If there’s room, you might choose a picnic table or a set of café furniture to turn the space into a practical spot to use and enjoy.

However, it may be that the space you have available is a little tight for people to sit around a table. If this is the case and yet you’d still like the area to look good and be enjoyable, a garden bench could be the answer.

The main advantage of a garden bench in this situation is that it doesn’t need to be in the centre of your terrace or balcony, like a table and chairs do. You can position your garden bench right against your wall and it’ll look great. What’s more, the view from the garden bench will give the illusion of more space, since the terrace or balcony will lie in front of you.

And the space you save means you can add a few decorative elements without overcrowding the area. For example, you’ll have more space for plants around the edges of your terrace, improving the outlook from your garden bench even more.

If your balcony or terrace is long and thin, then you can choose one of our longer garden benches which will allow a few people to sit and enjoy the view at one time, so making the most of a difficult space.

Or, if you want to be especially space-efficient, you can choose a storage bench. This will give you a comfortable place to sit as well as a roomy and practical storage solution.

A garden bench is a gardener’s best friend

27/01/2010 12:12 AM   

It probably comes as no surprise that all of the Rawgarden team love to spend time outdoors whenever we get the opportunity. However, out of everyone, none of us is as hardy or perennial in our outdoor habits than the gardeners.

Just as ‘proper’ surfers can be found out in the sea on the very coldest days of winter, so long as there’s a good swell, so gardeners can be pretty fearless as they take on the elements in order to cultivate and maintain the perfect garden. And we’ve heard it from a very reliable, green-fingered source that the unassuming garden bench can in fact be a gardener’s best friend.

Gardening can be back-breaking work, as any gardener will testify. However, there are many aspects of gardening that can be carried out much more comfortably with a garden bench. A garden bench can make a handy and portable potting bench, and a seat from which pruning and other general garden work can be done more comfortably. Backless garden benches are particularly versatile and easy to move around, so are ideal for this purpose.

With a storage box garden bench, you can take the garden bench’s practicality one step further and use it to keep your gardening equipment in as well. It’s got the perfect storage capacity for a few garden tools, your gardening gloves and even some compost and spare plant pots.

And, of course, for many gardeners the garden bench’s most valuable contribution is its elegant appearance and comfortable seating. Just like all the furniture classics, the garden bench has never gone out of fashion, and we think it’s a welcome addition to the garden in more ways than one.

Choosing a style of garden bench

25/01/2010 18:58 PM

When you think about it, there’s really no such thing as an average garden bench. The sort of garden bench that you might see in a park will be different to a garden bench in the back garden of a countryside cottage, which will be different again to a garden bench you might see in a beer garden.

So when you’re choosing a garden bench for your outdoor area, you’ll have plenty of options with Rawgarden’s range. You’re likely to be balancing the practical demands of the space you have with a stylish and fitting appearance, and so you need a wide range to choose from to make sure you get the perfect garden bench.

There are a few matters to bear in mind in terms of practicality. For example, garden benches come in a range of sizes and even shapes to suit different spots. If you have the room and the requirements, we have garden benches of 2.4m in length. If you think that might dwarf other elements of your outdoor space, there’s plenty of choice among the more compact garden benches. Right down to a 73cm backless bench, for the snuggest of spots.

A browse through our garden benches reveals just how varied the range is. While some are striking examples of a smartly designed garden bench fit for the grandest lawn, others have a much more casual and relaxed feel to them.

Most garden benches have backs, but not all, and the same is true of arm rests. Most are straight, but we also offer curved benches. And so the variations continue, with glider benches and storage benches accounted for in Rawgarden’s range, and a choice of materials including pine and a whole selection of hardwoods such as teak, oak and mahogany.

So we don’t think you’ll be left searching for your perfect garden bench after looking through our range. You might have your work cut out picking between them, but if you ask us that’s part of the fun!

Stuck for a retirement present? Try a garden bench

18/01/2010 08:59 AM

Many of our garden benches are sold to businesses or homes that are just looking to add attractive and practical seating to their outdoor area. And the reason you so often see a number of garden benches dotted around a large open lawn or terrace is that they fit this purpose so well. They’re easy to look after and, with Rawgarden at least, they’re available at bargain prices.

However, the garden bench traditionally has a place as a gift. It can be given to celebrate anything from a birthday to a promotion, but more often a garden bench is chosen for one-off events, since it’s a gift that has some symbolism.

And at Rawgarden, we think that one of the most suitable occasions to celebrate with a garden bench is the retirement of a friend, family member or colleague. A garden bench is the ideal marker of a new era, since it’s a long-lasting and durable piece of garden furniture that will be around for many years.

When you give a garden bench as a gift, it’s usual to add a plaque to the bench with a few words about the occasion that’s being marked. Again, this makes it a particularly suitable gift for retirement, as it marks a milestone.

On top of that, and most importantly of all, it’s a practical gift for anyone who enjoys the outdoors! A garden bench requires very little looking after, but gives a great deal of pleasure. To look at and to sit on in a quiet outdoor spot, a garden bench takes some beating. So we think a garden bench is a gift that anybody would be delighted to receive.

Keep your garden bench connected

13/01/2010 09:51 AM

In most gardens, the role of a garden bench is to provide a place to sit and a way to add some interest to your garden. In other words, it serves as a practical seating solution as well as an attractive garden feature.

So, we think planning how your garden bench will fit into your garden is a matter worth giving some thought.

One way is to connect your garden bench to the rest of the garden by setting the bench beside a path. As well as the practical benefit of this, in that you can reach your garden bench without walking across the lawn, it also presents the garden bench as an attractive garden feature.

If you don’t have a path, an alternative would be to create a gravel area in which the garden bench can sit. This will frame the bench and it also means that you won’t suffer from bare patches of ground in front of the garden bench, which can result from the added wear and tear as people walk to and from the bench.

There are other ways you can frame your garden bench. You can flank the bench with potted plants, for example, or choose a spot in the shade of a tree. Either option can show off your garden bench in a subtle and stylish way.

And if you’re still stuck for ideas of where to put yourgarden bench , just take a step back from the situation. There’s no right or wrong way to go about planning your outdoor space, so trust your instincts and you won’t go wrong.

Keep your garden benches secure with ground anchors

11/01/2010 09:42 AM

It’s an unhappy reality that these days we can’t be complacent about leaving outdoor furniture in a public or unprotected place. Many organisations that buy garden benches for their outdoor areas will be aware those benches may be vulnerable to theft and vandalism. Luckily, Rawgarden has just the answer.

We don’t think you should take chances with your garden benches, and with our anchor kits you won’t have to. With soft ground anchors as well as concrete ground anchors, we offer you extra security for your garden benches whatever ground they’re on.

With our concrete anchor kit, all you need to do is to drill a hole into the concrete and pop a 16mm bolt into the ground. The garden bench attaches easily with a few one-way screws. The soft ground anchor can be bought with or without an installation tool, which you’ll need but only have to buy once as it can be re-used.

We think that ground anchors are well worth the purchase for the peace of mind they provide, and they can be used to secure picnic tables as well as garden benches.

Using ground anchors with your garden benches also has safety benefits. Sturdy and stable as they are, with boisterous children there is always the chance that a garden bench could be toppled over. For the good of your garden benches and for the safety of all that use them, garden bench ground anchors are a simple precaution to take.

Garden benches fulfil many purposes in your garden

06/01/2010 08:42 AM

Or ‘How to use your garden bench ’.

It may sound like we’re explaining the painfully obvious. In fact, yes, it definitely does. But the beauty of an outdoor furniture basic such as a garden bench is that its simplicity betrays the many uses it can have in gardens or on terraces.

Let’s start with the obvious: a place to sit. When you’re in the market for a garden bench, the chances are this is the first thing on your mind. All you really need to consider is how many people are likely to make use of the garden bench , and you can decide whether you need one or more, and how big they should be.

Many people also consider adding some garden benches to their outdoor area as part of the landscaping process. A wooden bench can accent points of a garden, fulfilling a purpose that’s more ornamental than functional, but valuable all the same.

And finally, putting our practical hats on for a moment, it’s possible for your garden bench to play yet another role in your outdoor area – storage! Granted, we’re specifically talking about our beautiful storage benches which incorporate a large storage box into their design.

Perfect for outdoor cushions, garden games or simply your general garden bits ‘n’ bobs, a storage bench is an attractive addition to the garden in its own right, as well as doing its bit to keep the rest of the garden tidy.

Our garden bench prices mean you can stock up!

04/01/2010 09:42 AM

If your outdoor area is on the large side, there’s a good chance that your garden bench order will be for a number of benches, rather than just one.

If you have a big garden then you might want to dot a few garden benches around the border of the lawn. If you’re buying on behalf of a business and you feel your outdoor space would benefit from some seating, then one solitary garden bench often won’t cut it.

At which point you may be put off, writing the idea of garden benches off as a nice idea but just too pricey.

Happily for our customers, Rawgarden’s range of garden benches includes benches to meet all budgets. This ensures our quality garden benches are accessible to different types of customers, including private individuals and businesses, and for all sorts of needs.

If you want to splash out on a bench for your garden or as a special gift for a loved one, then our range extends to the luxury end of the spectrum.

Alternatively, if you’d prefer to keep the cost of your garden bench down or you need to get your hands on a number of garden benches, then our bargain prices mean you’ll still have a wide choice of high-quality and individually beautiful garden benches to choose from. 

And together with the bulk discounts and special offers Rawgarden offers on their products – with savings of up to 25% off quantities of five or more on picnic tables and garden benches – buying a few garden benches doesn’t need to be a financial headache.

Extend your seating capacity with long wooden benches

30/12/2009 09:42 AM

Wooden garden benches can provide a uniquely unobtrusive form of seating for any outdoor area. There aren’t many pieces of furniture that can look equally well-placed centre stage in the middle of a lawn or park area, and out of the way against the wall of a garden.

The simple purpose of a wooden garden bench is to provide seating, whether that’s in a recreation area, together with picnic tables in a picnic spot or simply in the middle of a public area where people might want to stop and take the weight off their feet.

And when you want to extend the amount of seating your outdoor area currently offers, you have a couple of choices. You can either invest in more wooden garden bench, and with Rawgarden’s low prices, this option is surprisingly easy on the wallet. Alternatively, you can look at the different sizes of wooden garden bench that we’ve chosen for our collection.

The length of a standard wooden garden bench is generally 4 to 5 feet, roughly 1.2m to 1.5m. However, Rawgarden offers a range of different sizes taking into account the different spaces you’ll want these benches to fit into, as well as the number of bottoms you’d hope to comfortably sit on them!

If you’re after a larger bench, you’ll be delighted to hear that we have wooden benches of 2.2m and 2.4m respectively. And if you take a look, you’ll see that even among our larger benches, you still have a choice in style as well as size.

Why we love our oak garden benches

18/12/2009 09:42 AM

For many of our customers, one of the most appealing features of a garden benchis what it represents. A garden bench is in it for the long haul; once you have one in your garden, you’ll probably have it for years. And this is also what makes garden benches such a popular choice to buy as gifts or in memory of a loved one.

So it’s little wonder that many of our customers opt for an oak garden bench. We know the oak tree as a symbol of strength and longevity. From a practical standpoint this means that oak is a strong, beautiful and hardwearing wood from which to craft garden benches.

Whether you’re choosing an oak bench as a gift, for a memorial bench, for your own use or on behalf of a business, you’ll be looking for a strong and practical wood for the purpose. And if you look at our range of garden benches at Rawgarden, you’ll see that our oak benches have a unique rustic style which we know will look as good in an urban setting as it will in the middle of a lawn.

And if you are buying an oak garden bench for a gift or in memory of a loved one, you can always add a wood inscription or include an engraved brass plaque for a personal touch. If you let us know your message, we can take care of the rest on your behalf.

Why are garden benches so popular with businesses?

12/12/2009 09:42 AM

A simple garden bench is often a great addition to a garden or terrace, and if you’re buying garden benches on behalf of an organisation, you’re sure to find they get plenty of use. They can be used for seating in an outdoor dining area, or they can simply be dotted around a garden, courtyard or any other outdoor space to give people somewhere to sit and relax.

If you walk past a row of garden benches in a public space, you’ll more often than not see some people sat reading their books, some taking the opportunity to have a bite to eat, and others just taking the weight off their feet. Something you can’t help but notice about garden benches is that once they’re in place, they rarely go unused.

We find that many of our garden benches are bought by hospitals, colleges and schools. In other words, places where a large number of people spend a few hours or days at a time. The outdoor spaces of facilities like these usually have to fulfil a number of roles. For example, they often have to combine an outdoor eating area with a general recreation area.

Garden benches are particularly well suited to these types of areas. And combined with a few picnic tables, they will help to create an attractive and versatile area that can be used as a dining area and a general recreational area, and that’ll only require the minimum of maintenance to keep clean and useable.

And of course it helps that with our bargain prices, organisations can afford to stock up on whatever outdoor furniture they need without breaking the bank!

Curved garden benches are perfect for those tricky garden spots

09/12/2009 09:42 AM

If you’ve browsed through our garden benches before, then you’ll know that they’re anything but humdrum. There are garden benches to suit practically any taste and requirement you might have, and we’d bet there are a few you haven’t even thought of.

To take an example, you might have noticed that we’ve included curved garden benches in our range.

You’ll see plenty of curved garden benches dotted around in spacious public areas and large gardens as they’re an attractive and comfortable alternative to normal park benches.

However, there are certain spots where a curved garden bench is simply the ideal choice. If you have a small garden, you might want to buy a garden bench so you can create a quiet spot to sit and enjoy the day. Curved benches may not be that different in size to standard garden benches, but their shape means you it will suit a snug spot beside a flower bed perfectly, without giving the impression of overwhelming the area as a traditional bench might.

Our curved benches are ideal if you have or you’d like to buy a round picnic table. As part of a dining set, curved garden benches around a round picnic table make an attractive and sociable outdoor dining set.

At Rawgarden, our curved garden benches are made from teak. This makes them a great choice for outdoor use. To keep your curved teak bench with its original honey colour, you can use a sealer to preserve the wood. Otherwise, you might prefer to let it naturally mature to a silvery-grey colour.

Have you thought about a mahogany garden bench?

30/11/2009 09:42 AM

Our customers love our mahogony garden benches, and they’ve proved a popular choice with our private customers as well as with businesses. It seems that whether somebody’s shopping for their own needs or for those of their business, they think that a mahogany garden bench is a good choice. And we would have to agree.

At Rawgarden, we stock different sizes and styles of garden bench and we’re proud to have a range of woods to choose from in our selection. Mahogany is one of the most sought-after woods for all sorts of indoor and outdoor furniture. And we certainly think it’s a worthy alternative to the always-popular pine, and to teak and the other hardwoods.

Mahogany has a luxurious and recognisable look to it, which certainly adds to its appeal. And we think you might be surprised at how affordable our mahogany benches are. You might even have ruled out mahogany as too expensive for your budget. If that’s the case, think again!

We have mahogany garden benches to suit every budget, so we’d strongly encourage you to look at all the garden benches within your price range before you make any decisions.

Like all of our garden benches, mahogany benches are easy to look after. If you want the wood to retain its original deep red colour, you can by using a timber treatment. Otherwise, many people prefer to let it naturally mellow to a silver-grey colour.

To keep your mahogony garden bench protected from the elements you might want to invest in a garden bench cover. These are cheap to buy, easy to put on and take off, and they mean that whenever you want to sit on your garden bench, it’ll be clean, dry and ready to go.

What makes teak garden benches so popular?

28/11/2009 10:44 AM

You may have noticed that at Rawgarden, we like to give our customers a wide range of products to choose from. Our garden benches are no exception. As well as all the different shapes and sizes of garden bench, they are also available in different woods.

We’ve got a few different hardwoods to choose from, as well as pine benches that have been specially treated and built to give them an equivalent lifespan to hardwoods. Among the different hardwood options are a number of teak garden benches, and we find these always prove popular with our customers.

Teak is naturally hardwearing which makes it a good choice for the sort of furniture that’s going to be out in the elements, like garden benches. It can withstand being left outside in different climates and all throughout the year.

When a teak garden bench is left outside in all weathers, you’ll see it matures to a silvery grey colour. This change is only cosmetic and it doesn’t mean your garden bench is any less strong.

You can always apply a sealer to your teak garden bench, which will keep it the same honey colour it arrived in. This works by providing protection from the sun and preventing fungal growth on the wood. You can also protect it and keep it clean by investing in a garden bench cover.

On the other hand, like many of our customers, you might prefer the silvery grey colour the teak naturally takes on.

Celebrate a long-lasting relationship with a long-lasting garden bench

18/11/2009 11:24 AM

Assuming you’ve cleared the first hurdle and actually remembered that it’s your anniversary, the next test is your choice of gift. We’ve all been there and we know the drill. It has to be special, memorable and significant. So, if you’re racking your brain for ideas and all you can think is ‘socks’ (advice: don’t), can we suggest you consider a garden bench?

When you need to find a gift with that extra something, a garden bench can often be the answer. It qualifies on every level. It’s practical, of course, and a garden bench is always a good-looking addition to your outdoor space. But there’s more to it than that.

It’s partly because a garden bench is often used a symbol for thanks or recognition. For example, when an organisation presents a garden bench by way of thanks or when a family buys a garden bench in memory of a loved one. So we already know there’s a bit more to a garden bench than a handy bit of furniture.

But there’s also what a garden bench represents. It’s a place to sit together, today and for years to come. The durability of a garden bench has two purposes here: it symbolises a long life together, and it also makes the bench a very practical bit of furniture for your garden!

And to add an extra personal touch to your gift, you can always add a wood inscription or include an engraved brass plaque. Just let us know your message and we’ll be pleased to arrange everything for you.

There’s more to our wooden garden benches than meets the eye

17/11/2009 10:07 AM

You’d be forgiven for thinking that one garden bench is much like any other. Roughly the same size, similar shape and they’re all made of wood.

However, take a minute to look around Rawgarden’s wooden garden benches and you’ll see that there are all sorts of quirky differences between them.

We have a few backless benches to choose from. These are probably our most versatile type of wooden garden bench. They look great beside a picnic table, and you can keep a few in the garage to bring out for extra seating when you’ve got friends over. Alongside the house, a backless bench can even act as shelving for ornaments and plants.

For ultimate relaxation we have glider benches, and even two-seater glider benches that come with a drinks holder between the seats. If you haven’t sat on a glider bench before, we can thoroughly recommend it as a great way to relax, and a fun twist on the normal garden bench design.

For purely practical purposes, there are countless uses for a storage box bench. It has room for outdoor furniture cushions, garden furniture covers or even garden games.

If you look at our wooden garden benches carefully, you’ll even see that some of them have a curved back for lumbar support as you sit on them. The thing is, we anticipate that you’ll be spending plenty of time on your wooden garden bench once you have it, and we think being able to choose the most useful, attractive and comfortable wooden bench for your needs can make all the difference.

Choose a special place to remember your loved one with a memorial bench

11/11/2009 10:07 AM

When they have suffered a loss, some people find comfort if they can attach some of their feelings to a meaningful spot. This can be anything from the grave of a loved one to a roadside memorial, or a favourite spot that your loved one had, or that reminds you of them.

Over the years, memorial benches have helped many people in this way. Putting a memorial bench in a special spot can serve as a loving reminder, and a place to just sit and think. And, of course, you have the option of choosing a few words to be engraved onto a brass plaque and fixed onto the bench.

Some people like to just have a person’s name on their memorial benches, perhaps with the dates of their life. Other people like to add a quote or a thought of their own. There are no rules when it comes to choosing the words for the engraving of a memorial bench, and we can only suggest that whatever you think is best, probably will be.

If you decide that you would like to buy a memorial bench, we are pleased to be able to offer a range of styles and also a variety of different woods, so we hope that whatever you think you’d like, we’ll have a memorial bench that will be just right.

We also have different sizes of memorial benches, so you can find the perfect bench for the spot you have in mind.

Which wood is best for your garden bench?

11/11/2009 10:07 AM

The beauty of a wooden garden bench, and what makes it such a popular choice to give as a gift or for your own use, is that a garden bench is a sturdy piece of furniture that will be in your life for a long time.

All the more reason then to be sure you make the right decision when it comes to choosing your garden bench! But have you considered which wood will be best?

Rawgarden’s wooden garden benches come in a range of different woods, so you’ll have plenty of choice. Hardwoods, as the name suggests, are hardwearing, and this is what makes them such a popular choice for use in all kinds of construction and furniture. Rawgarden’s wooden garden benches are available in a number of different hardwoods, including teak, oak, albizzia, iroko, mahogany and karri.

All have their individual attributes, and it may be that you choose your bench based on the colour of the wood, from the reddish-brown karri or mahogany woods, to the yellowy-coloured wood of Iroko. But be assured that for all their different qualities, all of these hardwoods share durability and attractiveness.

Our range of wooden garden benches also includes pine benches. Although it’s a soft wood, when properly treated pine has a long lifespan. And since our timber is kiln-dried and pre-treated to category 3, our pine garden benches have a lifespan of at least 10 years – even more with an annual sealer or protector treatment.

Furthermore, the design of the furniture takes into account that pine can crack over time, so this won’t affect the durability of the garden bench.

Backless garden benches: the most versatile bench?

06/11/2009 10:07 AM

Of all our outdoor products, the backless garden bench must rank among the most versatile. A backless garden bench is the kind of item that you can have a few of in the garden, each used in quite a different way, and without it looking at all out of place.

For example, you might have a backless garden bench in a quiet spot of the garden. This fulfils the normal garden bench role: somewhere to sit, read, and relax.

You might have another backless garden bench or two beside your picnic table, providing a bit of extra seating. And if you have rectangular tables, then you can line them up alongside backless benches end-to-end and create all the seating and dining space you could need!

You could also need a practical bench to sit on as you weed the garden, or to use as extra worktop space beside the barbecue. You know what we’re going to say: you can use a backless garden bench for this!

Finally, you have plenty of shelving and tables indoors with no better purpose than decoration and organisation, so why not outside as well? A back door can be flanked by two backless garden benches, each acting as a shelf for pot plants, a Moroccan-style lantern, a watering can, or anything else you can think of.

You can paint them, decorate them with lights, you can sit on them, you can work on them. So if there’s a piece of garden furniture you can think of that’s more versatile than a backless garden bench, we’d like to hear about it!

Getting the most out of your garden bench

04/11/2009 10:07 AM

The simplicity of a garden bench can also be its downfall. A garden bench is recognised as such a staple of any garden or outdoor area that it’s all too easy to plant your garden bench in a suitable corner, and there it stays for years to come.

We think that you can do a lot worse than to have a long-lasting and hardwearing garden bench in a peaceful corner of your garden, or a few garden benches dotted along the terrace of your home or business.

However, there are also plenty of ways to give your garden bench a regular makeover which can give the whole area a different feel.

For example, you’re having some friends over in the evening and want to create a bit of a party atmosphere in your outdoor space. Start by tying some wild flowers to your garden bench and draping a string of fairy lights over the back, and straight away you have a magical looking feature, as well as some extra seating!

Or imagine that summer’s on its way, and you want a fresh, beach look. Try painting your garden bench sky blue and adding a white cushion. Straight away, you have a beach-style corner to give your outdoor space a whole new feel!

And from a practical standpoint, remember that there’s no law telling you that benches are always for sitting on. If there’s a time of year when you don’t need so much seating, why not use one of your garden benches as a shelf for a few plants, lanterns or watering cans? You’ll have an instant rustic-style feature, and this works a treat for garden benches with arm rests and backs as well as backless garden benches.

Why a garden bench will make a gift to remember.

03/11/2009 10:07 AM

When you think of a garden bench, you’d be forgiven for instantly thinking of memorial benches. After all, we’ve all seen a garden bench with a brass plaque and stopped to find a message of remembrance.

And recently, we’ve found that the exact same qualities that make garden benches a poignant and uplifting memorial to a loved one are now making them a popular gift to mark all sorts of other occasions.

When it comes to buying a wedding present, for example, the bride and groom will often have already equipped their home with all the usual household basics. So you might be looking for something that shows you care, that marks the day and that the couple will have to enjoy for a long time to come.

We can’t think of many gifts that satisfy all of these criteria, but a garden bench is one of them. Perhaps it’s because they represent something sturdy and long-lasting, and because there’s a garden bench to please all tastes and to suit all outdoor spaces.

You don’t have to choose a brass plaque for your garden bench to make it a great gift, but if you do then you can say whatever you want, from a message expressing your sentiment to a simple name or date. We will engrave the plaque for you and fix it onto your choice of garden bench.

It can be a birthday, a house-warming, a Christening, a retirement or something altogether different. Whatever the occasion, we think a garden bench might just be the idea you’ve been racking your brains for.

But we do advise that before placing an order for that perfect garden bench, you check they’ve got somewhere to put it!