Bodnant Benches

I honestly think Bodnant Garden in Wales might be one of the most beautiful gardens I've seen. Here are just some of the benches I spotted at the weekend there...

This was incorporated into the bridge so you sat over the river, very clever design.



Can you spot the bench hiding in the jungle?



I have to say some of the benches were just a little too grand for me ...



...but there were plenty of these simple ones dotted around.



But speaking of grand, I wonder if my staff would like to give me a bench?



There was plenty of water around, and benches from which to admire it.



And the perfect circle round the perfect tree. I do like these circular benches.



I wondered if these stone benches incorporated into the front of the house were what gave the inspiration for the bridge bench above. And if you look further up the terrace you can see the family benches and table - let me tell you there were similar seating arrangements on the other side of the house too, so you can catch the sun rise and set. These people are clever at making their lives beautiful - I think that's what makes the garden such a success.



And what is it about an arch that makes a bench look cheeky?



Finally, there was a newly hewn tunnel under the road to get in and out. I liked these benches which seemed to fit in with the stone completely, even if they don't seem all that welcoming.

Bench on guard...

Seen at Ightham Mote.

Some benches at my allotments...

I like to think this tank is full of beer, and the owner just sits there at the end of a hard day digging, but it looks a little too unsavoury for that!



This is my ideal allotment. S/he's obviously made this bench, there's a hen house and a very ditzy shaped greenhouse too.



OK, not exactly a bench, more a chair but it looks so welcoming. I might have to write here.



The most 'serious' bench I could find. One day I will be this organised.

Sometimes simple is just perfect ...

See the world from your bench

I hope Gardenhistorygirl won't mind that I've stolen the image above from her blog (do visit, do visit, straight away, I promise you won't regret it, apart from the work that will sit there undone while you read and read).

Anyway, the photo is actually of a model of Kingsnorth Gardens in Folkestone, done in the 1950s. It's the work of a Mr and Mrs Grace who lived just opposite the gardens, and is a faithful reproduction, "complete to the smallest detail, including tiny trees, curving paths, fences, gates, lawns and even tiny fountains which actually play."

I've been thinking on a slightly bigger scale. What if you created a miniature of the whole little world around your bench. Then you could just put out your foot and squash whatever country is annoying you. Pick up your watering can and, whoopsadaisy, there's a rainstorm. Or sprinkle flower seeds where you like. And happiness, and gold coins.

OK OK, I know I'm getting carried away now...

Benches from RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Confession time. I'm afraid your bench correspondent failed on many many counts yesterday. First of all, I carefully charged up my camera, even nearly missed my train because I ran back to get it from where it was still charging, only to find I hadn't put it in my 'small going round Chelsea bag', and it was still sitting with the remnants of my packed lunch and the notes I'd been working on. ANYWAY resourceful as ever I turned to my brand new iPhone, and hey, only 10% of battery left. What can I say, it's new. I'm still playing with it.

However, enough excuses. On with the benches I did take, and the exciting bench trend I spotted.

Which is .... cue drumroll ... HANGING BENCHES...



Now, I know these aren't exactly new, but there seemed to be a lot more than I've seen before. Look this seat is even hanging from its own metal tree. Actually far less tackier than it sounds...



But apart from this excitement, benches remained as they are best. Peaceful, a little bit hidden ...



and sometimes with some words for added contemplation...



But perhaps best of all were the benches on the edge of the show - those around the edge of the Royal Chelsea Hospital itself, home to the famous Chelsea red-coated pensioners. If you look carefully you can see two, sans their uniform, sitting watching all the dresses go by and - I love this - very deliberately on the one bench in the shade on possibly our most beautiful evening yet this year.

A bench with personality

Found in the middle of the busy shopping precinct in Tunbridge Wells. I love how shoppers can sit here (on a non rainy day) and wonder a little about Pam.

Perfect English village bench

This is in the middle of Ticehurst in Sussex, which also has a brilliant second hand bookshop and cafe btw. Worth stopping for cake if you're passing.

(Just a pity about the very prominent bin)

Bench book...

Now I'm not normally a slow reader but it was about a year ago that Garden Monkey sent me a book all about benches, The Garden Bench by Mirabel Osler and I've just realised I haven't posted about it. S/he'd lightly mocked the idea that anyone could be interested in a whole book about benches, but having kept it close to hand for months now, I think it could even be a series. Forget about the other Pavilion ones, The Garden Path by Patrick Taylor or even The Garden Gate by Rosemary Verey. WE WANT MORE BENCHES.



(The one in the top left-hand corner of the rather blurry photograph above is made of stocks, btw. Anyone any idea where that could be?)

I've been trying to find out a bit about the author, Mirabel Osler, but even her Wikipedia page is brief. I do have her book, Secret Gardens of France hiding away on my bookshelves though (and I'm excited to see from Amazon that it is now worth over £100. Garden Monkey won't be getting that one back in a reciprocal swop.)

Anyway there's something about this little bench book that makes me think of secrets too, and perhaps that's why I love benches - they're public and yet become remarkably intimate. How many people always refer to a certain bench as 'ours' or 'mine' for instance?

This paragraph about a living bench makes me wish I had a big enough garden to play:

For years I have longed to make a 'living' seat. Willow would be best - the common crack willow (Salix fragilis) which strikes so easily. Pieces pushed into the ground at strategic places would take root in a flash and be pliable enough to be plaited. The back and seat could be woven into a kind of lattice work. Leafless in winter, how pretty in spring to see one's garden seat coming alive with slender leaves and catkins. But even more daring would be to try to make a living seat from wisteria, where a high back would curve over, absolutely sagging with flowers and scent. That vision is wildly heady - pruning would be a nightmare. More enterprise, gusto, daring and imagination should go into the planning, designing and siting of seats from the moment that the first border is planted.

Oh how much I would like to sit on a wisteria bench...

Benches at Penshurst Place