Gardening expert warns garden furniture mistake could risk serious 'decay'

04 May 2024 , 10:00

1279     0

Avoid leaving your garden furniture on grass, expert warns (Stock Photo) (Image: Getty Images)

This mistake might seem harmless, but could end up costing you a lot of money down the road.

Garden furniture is often quite a pricey investment, so you want to make sure that you get the most bang for your buck - and that includes the kind of care you take over the items to ensure that they have a long life. Many people might leave their garden furniture sitting on their lawn throughout the year unthinkingly. It's designed for the garden so you could easily assume that doing so would be pretty harmless.

However, an expert has issued a stern warning for anyone who leaves their furniture sitting on their lawn, explaining that doing so actually increases the risk of their furniture decaying much more rapidly - leaving you seriously disappointed this summer when instead of enjoying your green space you end up needing to fork out for new furniture.

The experts from Gardenesque explained - per the Daily Star - that no matter how swanky the outdoor furniture you invested in was at the point of purchase, leaving it on the lawn is a fast track for it decaying much quicker than you would want.

Ali Wooldridge - co-founder of the company - explained that leaving your furniture on the lawn can "ruin your furniture on an aesthetic level, but it will also lead to decay over time. Even furniture of the upmost quality won't be able to withstand prolonged exposure to damp and moisture."

Make 2023 your most productive year yet by using the 'intention' method

Instead, if you have a patio, that's where you should be placing your furniture, because it won't just be the furniture that suffers, but the lawn as well - leaving you with unsightly bald patches and stunting your turf's growth. You should also make sure that you invest in a high-quality cover to use on your outdoor furniture when the weather means you aren't likely to be sitting on it much.

"Furniture covers will also protect from leaves, dirt, and garden debris that may be blown onto the furniture," the expert explained. "Ensure that you regularly lift and waft your covering to allow airflow and prevent condensation, as this can lead to mildew."

If you prefer a shady spot when making the most of your garden, and want to tuck your garden furniture underneath a tree or large shrub to keep the sun's rays at bay, you can do so, but the expert warns you need to be prepared to clean your furniture much more often, to get rid of any fallen leaves and other kinds of debris and to keep it looking as fresh as possible.

Do you have a story to tell? Email: emma.mackenzie@reachplc.com

Emma Mackenzie