24 Relaxing Garden Nooks (Seating Ideas)

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For some of us, having a quiet place to sit and relax in the garden is the whole point of having a beautiful, outdoor space. These seating ideas come from various local garden tours and offer plenty of inspiration for your backyard.

For more also see 25 Planter Ideas for Porches and Front Gardens.

Lounge chair in a flower-filled garden nook.

Inviting Outdoor Seating Areas

Whenever I go on home garden tours, I always look for certain things: plants, trees, and shrubs that work wonderfully together (obviously), garden junk/art, and somewhere to sit and dream. Not that I plan to do that while visiting gardens, but there’s something about a seating area that makes a garden an outdoor home.

Some seating areas are purely decorative, using furniture that would be neither cozy or encourage napping.

Others go for complete comfort, setting a perfect scene for a good book and better nap.

Have a look and see which ones you like best. The one at the top of the post (which you’ll see again from another viewpoint at the end of this post), is probably my favorite. Comfortable, secluded, surrounded by sweet smelling flowers. Oh ya.

If you have a dreamy outdoor space you’d like to share, feel free to share it on the Empress of Dirt Facebook page.

1Lounge Chairs with Umbrella

This country garden had a blue theme running throughout it.

Taupe lounge chairs in the garden with blue pillows and an overhead sun umbrella.

This lounge chairs are in a garden where blue is used as a theme color throughout the space.

2Old Fashion Front Porch

There’s nothing like the shade of a nice big porch on summer day.

3Flagstone Patio

This garden is in a small town. The owner bought the property just a few years earlier and transformed it from plain to wonderful.

Yellow and blue make a strong, cheerful color combination.

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4Bistro Table and Chairs

I don’t know if you tell from the photo, but the flower pot is decoupaged with butterflies and wildflowers. Delightful!

You can get one-of-a-kind flower pots like this on Etsy.

5Pool-Side Patio with Wicker Chairs

If you’re going to keep your patio cushions outside, be sure to get water-resistant ones like these ones.

6Wood Chairs in Shade

This looks like the perfect spot to admire the garden and catch up on a good book.

7Rustic Shed with Long Bench

8Bench on Shady Path

This garden had long winding paths and lots of rest spots along the way with good, solid garden benches.

Baltic Garden Bench | Amazon

Garden bench with inlaid glass mosaic tiles.

Also see 17 Creative & Rustic Garden Bench Ideas for more ideas.

9Garden Bench with Sun Cover

I think this sun cover is calling out for vines!

10Shed Deck with Potted Plants

I’m a big fan of putting collections together for a bigger impact in the garden.

Here they have a nice collection of potted plants plus some old oil cans all painted black.

11Tree Branch Bench

I’m not sure if this one is sturdy enough for humans but it definitely looks pretty with the red flowers.

12Deck with Blue Theme

This bench provides storage, perhaps for cushions or some gardening supplies.

70 Gallon Storage Deck Bench | Amazon

13Garden Deck with Treasures

This garden was on a rural tour. It was quite unexpected to find so many plants and treasures on this deck next to the woods.

14Front Porch Gathering Spot

15Wicker Chairs on Porch

The designer who owns this home kept to a black/white/grey country living style theme.

16Deck with Shade Lattice

If you live in our region (Ontario, Canada), sun cover is essential.

We get hot, humid summer days and there’s no sitting outside unless you have a shady spot like this.

17Deck with Shade Lattice

I’m not a big fan of gazebos. I think they are too pricey and offer an awkward sitting area. But some gardeners dream of them so who am I to judge?

18Front Porch with Garden

This garden follows one important rule for great impact: make your borders deep and give plants room to breathe and grow.

19Red Chairs by Garden Pond

The choice of red for the chairs turns the sitting area into a lovely focal point next to the pond.

20Large Covered Patio with Wisteria

Always make your deck or patio bigger than you think you need.

Often people plan for a patio table and chairs but don’t think about having room to sit together and chat or move around.

While I’m ranting, porches on newer houses are always too small for any meaningful use.

Beware: American Wisteria Wisteria frutescens is invasive in some regions.

21Open Deck with Modern Chairs

22Covered Patio with Outdoor Kitchen

Lovely covered patio and how nice to have the cooking area built in with a sink and fridge.

Related: Gallery of Garden Art Easels

23Vine Covered Gazebo

Now that’s a good shady spot!

24Reading Nook

And here we are back at my favorite little outdoor nook from all of the garden tours.

Time to catch up on a book and have a nap.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛