I mentioned last week that I have a new garden table, so here’s the story. The old (and it was very old!) picnic table was well beyond its sell-by date. The wood was rotten and the centre of the table was sagging. Sitting at it risked getting splinters – it was time for a replacement. 

I scoured the internet looking for something I liked and came across outdoor tables constructed with industrial legs. I liked the rustic look, with the modern twist that the steel legs provided and it seemed to me that it would suit my garden, which isn’t a sophisticated place. I knew my husband would prefer to build one, so I started to gather information – however, this was going to be my project…something I started to regret as the weeks passed. The tabletop I liked most was made using scaffolding boards but I decided against that as I would have to order online and didn’t want to risk getting something I didn’t like. So I settled on Scandinavian Redwood from a local supplier, recommended by my brother-in-law. Eventually, the wood, legs, paint, oil and other sundries had been ordered.

Now I have to admit, that I initially thought this would be a straightforward job, not something that would rumble on over 6 weeks. It was very much a joint effort between my husband, our son and out-of-my-depth me. I had no idea how much work I’d have to put into it myself. I painted the legs to prevent the raw steel from rusting, sanded and oiled the table top and two benches multiple times. I was so glad when the wood reached the stage that it wouldn’t take any more oil and I could stop.

My husband worked at putting all the pieces together, a task made more complicated because the steel top of the legs had to have extra holes drilled into them to hold each plank of wood. I hadn’t thought of that. Our son dealt with the final detailed sawing, he routered the sides and corners of the wood and guided me along with a huge amount of advice. He was (still is) busy building an outdoor office in his own garden, so all the time he spent helping out was greatly appreciated.

Finally, the project is complete and standing in the garden. I’d call it a labour of love, but I have to admit to getting quite bad-tempered at times when it seemed everything was going wrong!

Inevitably, this is Scotland and the weather has, to put it kindly, gone downhill. So the table is sitting alone out there, and not a plate or cup or saucer has been placed on it. It’s waiting there, untouched, ready to get loaded up with whatever I can rustle up (I’m a poor cook!) in the kitchen. And even though that sunflower vase I bought for it hasn’t been put to use yet, I can deal with that, it’s just a rather nice decoration for now. For the moment I will look forward to enjoying lunches with family and friends, even if we need to throw on some jackets or hide under an umbrella! Think positive!

The new tablecloth, runner and bright picnic ware are still indoors. I’ve also had to buy some brightly coloured individual cushions since my youngest granddaughter told me that she needed more comfort!

For those of you who like dimensions, the table is 1600mm in length and 900mm wide. We made the benches the same length as the table. The wood is 33m thick and it’s standard table height. It’s also very, very heavy!

That’s my new table – and I love it. 😊 Thanks for reading!