Outdoor Garden Benches

With spring already here, this is a great time to stop and enjoy your backyard a little more. I don't know about you, but looking at my bare, deserted, sad looking garden all winter long was enough to make me want to get out and do something about it.

And of course, I don't like all work and no play, so I decided to look for some way to enjoy my work in the garden, and looked at some of the wonderful garden benches out there. And oh, my: did you know how many styles there are? There are lots of bench types, like wooden benches, beautiful iron benches, curved benches you can set around a tree, and even storage benches, so you can tuck away you gardening gear once you are done for the day.

Get inspired to find your own garden bench, where you too can stop and sit for a while, to drink in the beauty of your garden, relax, or spend some time with a loved one.

If buying a bench is not an option, you can definitely build your own bench with recycled materials you already have, or some you can find easily. This would make a great weekend family project.

Some ideas for starter bench materials to get your juices going:

• a tree stump cut up in sections
• large rocks you pulled out of your garden
• old, beat up furniture from your home
• car/tractor tires
• wood left over from other projects