If you have read other articles on this site, or if you have your own tunnel, you will know that a polytunnel is the perfect place to grow your own food. But a polytunnel can be far more than just a growing area. A polytunnel can also offer a low-cost alternative to a summer house or recreational shed, a place to relax and unwind in an outdoors-indoors seating area. And it does not have to be either-or. A polytunnel, even a relatively small one, can be used both for food growing and recreational space. To inspire you to turn a polytunnel into a safe haven for relaxation and enjoyment, here are some ideas for your outdoors-indoors seating area:
One cheap and cost-effective way to gain raised planting beds and seating areas for a polytunnel is to construct them from old wooden pallets. The pallets can be used to create bench-type seats below vertical gardens, stacking shelves or trellis, and raised beds for easy gardening. The cheap materials mean that you could really go to town, filling your polytunnel with a sort of pallet palace, filled with plants, that will also be the perfect place to take a break.
If space really is at a premium in your polytunnel, you may not want to take up any of the ground space with seating. But have you considered thinking upwards? A hammock to sit or lie in on a warm, sunny day could be the perfect addition to a bulging polytunnel, allowing you to repose above your plants. A hammock is the perfect seating solution for a polytunnel that is fit to burst, a place to relax in your green oasis of calm.
Comfortable garden furniture comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and some of it is ideal for a polytunnel in which you also want to grow some food. Wicker furniture can be sturdy and looks good, which is why it is still such an enduring garden furniture favourite. An additional benefit of wicker garden furniture is that in addition to providing somewhere to sit, it can also be used as a support structure for climbing or vining plants at the same time. By allowing peas or other plants to climb your wicker chairs, you can really make the most of every inch of space in your polytunnel. If you grow willow, you could even have a go at making your own amazing wicker structures.
