Remember the Gardens

“Remember the gardens, as we all came from there,” bard Jonasz Kofta used to sing years ago. The song contrasted the beauty of nature with the products of civilisation, including the ubiquitous concrete. To this vision of a concreted world another one, of a world made of plastic, can be added. This material can be seen everywhere, at every latitude and longitude of the globe. But it seems the most offensive in gardens.

Gardens, parks, green squares, open-air cafés and bars, all green spaces in general, are places of rest, relaxation, meetings and fun. They should please the eye with their natural beauty, and plastic most certainly does not qualify as such. Of course, it is a versatile material, relatively inexpensive. That is why we are surrounded by plastic chairs, tables, decorations. A commonplace view, no longer attracting attention.

Is this the way it should be? This question must be considered rhetorical as in the context of the previous paragraph the only answer to it is “no”.

If you have a garden or even its substitute such as a balcony or terrace, try to make it a space where you can relax. Even the smallest green area requires furniture. There is a lot to choose from but what about the choice of materials used for furniture manufacturing? Plastic prevails. OK, let’s agree we discard it. So we are left with wood and stone. Beautiful. Wood requires proper maintenance, stone needs to be handled skilfully (it is quite easy to damage).

Other equally recommended materials than can be used outdoors are composites. They withstand variable weather conditions well. They do not deform or discolour. With minimum effort you can enjoy maximum usability. Composites can be used for table tops, seats, windowsills or shelves that will be placed both in sunshine and in shade. They can get wet, are durable, do not weather. Yet another advantage is the fact that we can freely combine colours and shapes, creating our own Eden.

Let’s be honest, composites require some caring for, too. But no specialised expensive preparations, repainting or other particular treatment are necessary, all you need to do is keep them clean. How to do it, what cleaning agents to use – this will be discussed in our next blog entry. I will honestly tell you about my long-term experience of using composites at home, on a terrace, in a garden.

This entry is focused on providing you with some tips on how to arrange your green spaces. Whichever solution you choose to implement, remember the poet’s words.