During the warmer seasons of the year, families naturally gravitate towards the outdoors – the fresh air, warm sunlight and serenity of nature appeal to most and thus most people are always on the lookout for convenient places to enjoy at least a small part of nature.

So it’s no surprise that home gardens are a very popular choice – they are a perfect way for families to spend time closer to nature while still remaining just a few steps away from their home. On warm summer days, the garden can become such a great place to spend time that it can begin to seem like an extension of the house and even act a replacement of the living room.

And just as any living room, it just wouldn’t be complete without furniture – it’s an essential part of making your garden comfortable and convenient for all family members to gather and spend time on.

But how do you choose furniture for the garden?

Furnishing your garden requires a different approach than furnishing your home, but it can be just as easy and enjoyable – here are five tips to make the job easier for you:

1. Make a Plan

If you want your garden to look beautiful and not like something out of a bad timeshare commercial, it’s probably a good idea to invest some time into the planning process – the few hours you spend crafting a preliminary list of ideas and requirements for your garden furniture will yield great results in the long run.

Have a discussion with your family discussing what would your garden to have – answer questions such as how many different areas you want? How will you be mainly using the garden? How much time do you plan on spending there?
There’s a lot of potential in almost any garden, so you have to decide early whether you want a simple bench and table setting or will you also want to have a hangout area, perhaps dining options, or even a place to throw parties.

2. Opt for Waterproof Furniture

Although there are many possible outdoor furniture options, it’s almost always a better idea to opt for materials that have longevity and are at least somewhat resistant to the environmental factors that it will have to withstand for months at a time.

Scrambling to store all the furniture every time you see clouds passing through is not a really preferable option unless you have too much time on your hands, so perhaps ensuring that your furniture can withstand at least some of the natural weather conditions that come with being outside will make your life a lot easier, and the outdoor furniture experience a lot more pleasant.

3. Make Comfort a Priority

One of the main reasons people opt to furnish their outdoor areas is because they seek to have a place where they can comfortably spend their time outside. Therefore it makes very little sense to become too practical or stingy when buying the furniture, because while the 50 percent off white plastic chairs may look like a great deal at the time, when you actually put them in your garden and not want to sit on them ever again, the returns of investment can become much slighter.

After all, you’re buying the furniture for enjoyment of the outdoors with your family, so naturally being comfortable using the furniture is essential. And, whether one would like to admit so or not, aesthetics don’t come last, either.

4. Ensure Enough Shading Options

It can get quite hot in the sun during the summer days, and if you don’t have a place to hide from it, even the seemingly perfect day to be outside can become unbearable.

And while that might not mean building a roof over your garden, one umbrella might not cover it either. Of course, natural shade is always preferred, so if you have a tree that gives you shelter from the sun during the hottest hours, perfect. If not, perhaps even a couple of well-placed umbrellas might do the job.

5. Consider Storage During Off Seasons

Even if you get the most durable furniture out there, it still might be a good idea to put them away, even if just for the winter. In many parts of the world the weather during cold seasons can be quite unpredictable and harsh, so over the course of months some damage might be done even to the sturdiest pieces of furniture.

Of course, finding a place to put all of the furniture may be difficult, but at least protecting it from direct effects of wind and precipitation can be enough to give the furniture a few extra years.

Author Bio:
This article is written and provided by Jeremy. He works with Seats Plus – a family owned & operated business that supplies quality outdoor seating and aluminum furniture for over a decade.