Most of my garden seats are made from ‘found materials’; concrete blocks, stumps, slabs of stone and bits of timber I deem wide enough to sit on.
My impatience when I have a notion to create a new one knows no bounds. Fortunately my aging muscles seem to rise to the occasion. I cannot bear to wait even five minutes for help. Whenever I walk by this giant slab (excavated from some long forgotten location). I marvel that I was able to lift it onto the supports. I should hide those ugly paver columns, in fact I’m sure I did, but something must have died,
Stumps make perfect seats, especially if the chainsaw has made a clean slice at the right height. It’s always sad when a tree has to go, but at least there can be a lovely memento. The one below comes into its own in autumn, when it’s surrounded by one of nature’s colourful carpets.
‘Faith Seats’ are a special feature in my garden. One must have faith that the spiders in the stumps are asleep, and are not deadly Funnel Webs as some people insist they are. My associate Editor Des sometimes ‘fishes’ for them.
I’m not the only one to use my seats. Our resident Wonga considers the one below one his very own. It’s his woodland wooing seat.
Clearly a successful courtship.
When the wongas are absent I get a chance to use the bench seat myself. It’s a good spot for reading, and watching all the other birds,
This seat below is often used as a table by a currawong.
My chamomile seat wasn’t a great success. It was in the wrong position, with not enough sun.
I was inspired to create it during a visit to Sissinghurst.
WINTER
In July, fragrant Daphne flowers behind a stone seat. It’s a pleasure to sit here in the winter sun. This is the only ‘store-bought’ one I have.
I also have a pair of chairs rescued from a council throw-out in Bondi. They are made of iron and surprisingly durable rubber strips. So far they have survived several years of sun and snow.
At AFL football final time in early spring I decorate one of the chairs in the colours of my team, the Sydney Swans. Fortunately, camellias are in full bloom and look great threaded through the rubber.
Editor Des is pictured swatting up on gardening. His little friend is being kept quiet with a chocolate bar.
It’s true, most gardeners don’t spend enough time just sitting in the garden, and I don’t either. Well, except when the lavender and roses are in flower.
HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED!
Oh dear, I think it must have been an omen that a self-seeded potato recently grew up through my lavender seat. If I have to face isolation during this dreadful virus I will at least be able to supplement my diet with spuds, pine mushrooms and parsley.
Oh Pauline. I have just wandered around your garden admiring the various seats and plants. I feel inspired to get home and see what I can do in my Irish garden which is exposed and where there is nearly always a breeze – mostly a cool one too. Actually mostly a very cool one bordering on cold! Thank you for sharing your bit of paradise!
Lorraine
Thanks Lorraine, well it gets very cold here in the Blue Mountains too. We call our village of Blackheath ‘Bleakheath’.
You live in a beautiful part of the world. I hope you find a sheltered spot or two for your seats.
What wonderful little sanctuaries – although I’m tempted to think you must be continually sitting down ‘on the job’! I especially like the memorial to your dear mum Myra. My favourite image above is the final one of you among the lavender and blue hydrangeas. Funnily enough, we had a repeat of ‘Ladies in Lavender’ on TV over the weekend just gone. I watched it of course – yet again!
So true,
Gardeners don’t spend a lot of time sitting in their gardens.
When we do , it makes it even more special those quite moments enjoyed.
I wonder sometimes why Gardeners have so many sitting places.
Possibly for all the visitors to the garden to enjoy.
Editor Des and the birds appreciate a seat and it’s good you find time to enjoy as well.
I think we just like the aesthetic appeal of seats, June. I had a dozen or so at last count. I think Des and the birds use them more than me to be honest.
I saw a shiny bluey black bird – medium size eating whole white correa flowers in my garden – near Mudgee
Sounds like a male satin bowerbird Bronwyn.