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I love to lounge about, lie down, spread out, get comfortable and relax in my garden with friends in the evenings and at the weekend. Of course, the main purpose of garden furniture is for sitting or dining on, but furniture can also help to style a garden, give it a destination point and bring an important sense of direction to the design. Although good-quality garden furniture can be expensive, it will “upgrade” an average-looking garden, whereas furniture at the lower end of the price scale will have the opposite effect and often be the first place the eye will rest, especially in a small space.

Historically, garden furniture designers have too often taken their inspiration from the standard park bench, making their wares as strong as possible instead of aiming for comfort. Park benches are fine to sit on for ten minutes or so, but they aren’t what you’d call inviting, even if you add a cushion or two. Fortunately, the industry has finally twigged that garden furniture can look good and feel good. There is now a huge choice of stylish yet comfortable merchandise, made from a range of extremely durable materials, some of which can be left outdoors all year round.

When buying furniture, make sure you first measure the space you have to avoid feeling squeezed in. Remember that dining tables and chairs will need plenty of additional room for you and your guests to move freely between. Hammocks, alfresco tables and chair sets, garden sofas, steamers, loungers, outdoor cushions, outdoor bean bags and chill-out mats can all be bought online or at the local garden centre, and many of the big DIY stores and flatpack retailers have moved into this area to keep competition keen.

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