Your rattan, Charles Taylor or Lifestyle garden furniture looks fantastic and is ready for some relaxed al fresco dining or catch up drinks with friends. You might have a parasol to keep the sun off or a gazebo to stay dry under, but what about when the wind picks up? How can you create a wind break that still looks great alongside your garden furniture?
1. Decide on natural or artificial
There isn’t a wrong or right here, with both options having pros and cons. The former, including hedges, shrubs and trees obviously looks natural, but will take a while to grow, develop and then look after. Artificial options, such as fences and walls, can still look lovely and can be created quickly. Alternatively, you can combine both and create a fence or trellis to support climbing plants like ivy or honeysuckle.
2. Let a little air through
The best wind breaks allow some air through, as this avoids turbulence up and over your windbreak. Hedges and shrubs will let the breeze through the leaves, but if you’re going for artificial, consider fencing instead of a wall.
3. Think about height
As a rough rule of thumb, a wind break will offer a wind shelter distance of 8-10 times its height. So, if you only want shelter for one corner of a small garden, you don’t have to build a skyscraper!
As well as providing some respite from the wind, windbreakers can also be a screen for areas of your garden you want to conceal, like bins and oil tanks. If well placed, they can offer privacy too.
