Sitting pretty

'What is life, if full of care we have no time to stand and stare?' So said Welsh poet W H Davies – and it's a good motto for gardeners. Take time out to simply enjoy being in the garden you've so lovingly created.

Seating in the garden slows the pace, providing a spot to pause and take in the view, and there's a great range of benches and chairs in our garden centre. Here are just some of the designs.

Formal wooden seats: including the ever-popular Lutyens bench, these well-crafted early 20th century designs look fabulous in country gardens.

Wrought-iron: a Gothic design popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with ornate backs and scrolled arms, these look wonderful in Victorian-style gardens.

Contemporary style: clean lines, minimalist shapes and cool colours mark out modernist benches and chairs in sleek wood or moulded plastic - perfect for chic city gardens.

Tree seats: built around the trunk, these octagonal benches enhance the tree as well giving you views around the garden.

Adirondack chairs: American-designed wooden chairs made for comfort, available in natural teak or painted.

Please ask a member of the Lakeside team for more information and advice about choosing chairs and benches for your garden.