Most patio sets come with 6 or at most 8 chairs, well when was the last time you were at a party and only 6 people came - I hope you’re thinking, never. Between family and friends and their kids the numbers quickly mount up and so you really do need to consider this when planning your garden layout.
The answer to this problem is to build a small garden wall. A 6ft long wall, approx 18” high, topped with a few cushions for luxury, will offer seating for 4-5 adults comfortably, and what’s more it’s there all year round, so even that occasional bright crisp morning in January when your patio set is safely stored away, you will have somewhere to sit while talking to a friend for a half hour.
Such a wall can serve a number of other more practical purposes too, like a retainer on a sloping or split level site or a raised shrub bed to add interest, or provide screening. Of course these walls can be constructed in anything, however Tobermore do have a number of products, just perfectly suited to the job. Secura Lite or Secura Minor are ideal for retaining or for raised beds and Garden Stone Walling is just the job for a standalone feature, be it straight or curved. They’re actually pretty cheap too in comparison to digging and pouring a concrete foundation, purchase and laying of blocks and facing and capping with stone or brick work. The fact that, these products are constructed with mortar free joints and that they require very little skill to assemble make them the perfect DIY project.
The most important things to remember are:
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Height: min 450m, max 550mm
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Length: depending on how many people you want to seat, sometimes 2 shorter walls work better in symmetrical designs
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Depth: Top of wall should be approx 300mm deep to allow for comfortable seating, even a block work wall capped in Tobermore Copping Block works well
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Position: ideally in direct sunlight for as much of the day as possible