Style : GARDENS : Sitting Pretty

The way to lure people into the garden, away from the comforts of the house, is with a bench. Outdoors, a bench becomes a destination, an irresistible place to sit and ponder the wonders of the garden. For this reason, it should be surrounded with greenery or positioned for the best view.

Richard Mosbaugh of Statice Landscape and Design in West Los Angeles has a passion for garden benches. Most of the gardens he designs get several, and one has no less than five. All are sculptural built-ins made of stone or wood; “they’re usually clean and ready to sit on because they get watered along with the garden,” he says. Mosbaugh places his benches under trees so that they feel protected. There, they also stay cooler during the day and tend to not get dewy at night.