If you have a veranda or a patio, you will probably have some furniture that you use in that area as well. There is no doubt that you have a wide choice of furniture for your garden to choose from, and sometimes it can be difficult to get it all organised in the best possible way.

We’ve all been out shopping and spotted something for the garden that we really like, and so we buy it on the spot. Unfortunately we haven’t taken the time to measure it or really think about where it will fit in! The best way to make sure this doesn’t happen to you is to plan your furniture carefully before you buy it.

The first consideration is how big your garden is. Do you have more than one area that you could use to place furniture in? Some people like to save their bigger pieces of furniture to use on their veranda or patio, as well as keeping another area of their garden free for something a little more intimate and peaceful.

In this case you might find that instead of going out and buying a brand new large garden table and chairs, what you actually need is a small bistro set for the bottom of the garden. By considering what your needs are you will find it much easier to organise your furniture in a way that will ensure it is used much more often.

The main rule is not to buy anything else until you know exactly what you have at the moment. If it helps, bring every single piece of outdoor furniture you have into the middle of your lawn – you might be surprised by how much you really do have! This is particularly the case if some items are kept in storage during the winter, or for most of the year. It isn’t uncommon to forget about some items altogether.

This exercise can also help you to see how various items fit in with the layout of your garden. For example, if you have fences all around the edges of your plot and you have stained them all green it might look a little odd if you have another shade of green furniture that clashes with it. Consider placing it elsewhere or re-staining the furniture if you can.

Don’t forget about other items of garden furniture as well, such as statues or bird tables. These all count towards the final look of your garden and you might find that the little oasis you are planning with that bistro set at the foot of your garden looks even better with a bird table placed nearby as well.

You should always consider all your options before arranging or buying new furniture for your garden, even if that means putting it in different places to see how it looks before making your final decision. This will take some time to do but the end results are well worth it, because you will end up with a garden that you love to be in.