A spot to relax makes garden more inviting> Furniture need not be elaborate to be comfortable

All gardeners do not tackle gardening projects with the same ideals, ideas or zest, but one thing is for certain: When the work is done, we all need a comfortable place to rest to enjoy our handiwork.

For me, stopping to pause is more than a chance to notice what is immediately in my presence. Indeed, there is my fledgling container garden which stimulates my enthusiasm far more than its limited beauty should, as do my blossomless zinnias and the first bloom on my bachelor’s button.

There are innumerable creatures that tempt the senses as well. On this clear morning, though I do not see them through the leaves, I can hear a chorus of birds in the trees around my house. There are chickadees, robins, grosbeaks and many others I can’t identify by song. I hear the neighbor’s rooster and, farther on, a flock of passing Canada geese honking a morning greeting.

And then there are the silent beauties of this early morning scene — ones I would never have noticed if I hadn’t taken the time to sit, watch and feel. Above my right shoulder, a slice of moon is visible high in the southwestern sky. On the horizon to the east, the sun is peeking over the hills. Within five minutes, the bright orange sliver has become a glaring ball.

As if they were waiting for this cue, the birds start to appear: a mourning dove on the telephone wire, a chickadee at the sunflower seed feeder, a purple finch waiting its turn perched on the limb of the pine.

Most gardeners enjoy the greater outdoor scene, naturally incorporating a resting place into the garden layout or design. Lawn chairs on a deck or patio are perhaps the most common resting places.

Attractive and functional, patios and decks extend the home’s living area. Both are important elements of landscape design, providing a smooth transition from the “hardscape” effects of a house to the “softscape” effects of the garden. Decks and patios provide the perfect environment for a container garden, which also can soften the transition from home to garden.

Decks and patios can have built-in resting places, too. Wooden benches with planters at each end are relatively easy and inexpensive to construct. They may function to define the boundaries of the deck or patio, as well.

Most decks and patios are indeed extensions of our house. Sitting there, we view the landscape as through an invisible window. The garden, the lake or ocean, or the rolling lawn may be the focal point. But for those with a large landscape, resting places can be a destination. Meandering paths through the woods provide a mysterious and exciting trip for a visitor, and what better way to end a short stroll than with a place to rest.

During Victorian times, it was popular to have a naturalized portion of the landscape that did just that. People who had the resources to establish such a landscape often designed and constructed elaborate paths through wooded areas, ending with a pleasant “tea house” — a gazebo for resting, socializing and eating. These paths often accentuated natural elements, such as waterfalls or brooks, by meandering close by, tempting the senses of the passer-by.

If building a patio or deck isn’t feasible, many other options can be as satisfying; resting places needn’t be elaborate or expensive to be functional and enjoyable. Look to the landscape for ideas on materials. Natural elements such as wood and stone are plentiful and inexpensive. A chair chiseled out of an old stump or log, or a smooth, flat rock provide adequate rest for the weary gardener.

Resting places can be cleverly concealed among the plants so they don’t take too much from the beauty of the garden. Alternatively, handmade or antique benches can be used as a focal point.

Resting places are essential parts of the garden. They cause us to take pause, to appreciate all we’ve worked for and what we haven’t had to work for — the fine gradations of pastels in the morning sky, the wonders of bird song, the wind in the trees, and all the subtle beauties that lie in nature.

It comes as no surprise that life is so much richer, having noticed these things.

Diana George Chapin is the NEWS garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, c/o Maine Weekend, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329. Selected questions will be answered in future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.