European Homes and Gardens 

June/July 2003

by Teri Brown

 Choosing garden furniture used to be simple.  The once-basic French wrought iron table, wooden or cement benches and a birdbath are no longer the norm.  Things have changed.  Now there are many choices in garden furniture and accessories.  For those who wish to give their garden a European flair, the choices are even more tantilizing.

"It's surprisingly simple to bring a European ambience into your garden," says Darren Schmahl, garden designer and owner of The Copper Leaf Garden Store in Niagrara Falls, Canada.

Schmahl has plenty of experience with European gardens; he graduated from the John Brookes School of Garden Design in England and has been helping others design their gardens ever since. While Schmahl himself doesn't favor a certain style of furniture, he suggests people take a cue from the interior of their homes.

"As a designer, I would recommend choosing a style (or combining styles) which best suits the home and homeowners," says Schmahl. "It is important to establish a connection between the home and garden. Think of it as the 'room outside.'"

Whether you choose garden furniture with clean Scandinavian lines or intrivate wrought iron furniture in the French tradition, it's hard to go wrong with classically-designed garden furniture.

The accessories used with the furniture can affect how the style comes across. For instance, wrought iron can lend an austere, formal touch to your garden or it can be softened into a French romantic style with a bright floral tablecloth and a pitcher of flowers.  The spare style of Scandinavian furniture can be used in a purely modern garden or given an oriental flavor with a few Japanese sculptures.

 "Many different garden designs can be created with the same type of furniture, it just depends on what accessories you are using," says Schmahl.

Elizabeth Schumacher, owner of Garden Accents in West Conshohocken, Pa.,  believes that furniture styles can be mixed, but cautions against going too far.  "Americans live in a melting pot and have become comfortable with mixing styles in our homes and gardens," says Schumacher. "It is possible to become too comfortable and create a ridiculous clash - such as using a Japanese lantern next to an Italian cherub."

Schumacher thinks the key to using different styles is to create various areas with different moods of feelings. "If that is not possible and you really want to mix Scandinavian simple wood featuring sleek lines with something heavier and more ornate, like French cast iron, it would be best to limit the more ornate pieces to accents," says Schumacher.  "Rather than mixing the ornate pieces directly with the wood, places them in a seperate small grouping in a prominent spot."

To add a European feel to your garden, Schumacher suggests that showcasing a French blue or yellow in the color of a bench or chairs is a popular way to add a French look.  Contemporary sculpture from Europe and elsewhere mixes well with streamlined furniture.

Using natural stone in walkways or patios lends your garden a Europena feeling of permanence. French wrought iron furniture on a stone patio can help even a newer garden look as if it has been there forever.  Hand-crafted pieces of antiquity and vintage garden sculpture with character can mix with your garden furniture to achieve an elegant look.

 "Americans admire the long tradition of gardening in Europe and love all sorts of European antiques and fine reproductions," says Schumacher.  "These can add a wonderful settled look and sophistication to their gardens."