The list of raw materials for making garden furniture is extensive. I have used stumps, logs, branches, rhododendron wood, decking and pickets, fence boards, and beams. Most fastening was done with galvanized screws of various sizes, although the fenceboard seats and back are often attached to stumps and logs with shake nails. Besides superior holding power, screws and be removed if you want to change or repair a piece.

When searching for natural materials, such as branches and logs, look for interestng features, such as the folded branch in Rhododendron Bench #1 or the curving and S-shaped logs in the Native Woods Bench. Avoid the temptation to cut the forks of branches and tree--these pieces are very useful. Vary the thickness of branches in furniture, with the heavier pieces toward the bottom. Natural materials grow in ways that machinery can't reproduce, so make the most of their special features.

Many of my benches have a UV protective stain, although I have made several with the cedar left to age naturally. I have also left the bark on a few of the rhododendron benches and all of the tree furniture. Where possible, logs are suspened on rocks to avoid contact with the ground. Stumps are treated with wood preservative.