You know those Victorian-style wrought iron garden chairs – all curly cues and roses? I’m not a big fan of them. Despite their diminutive size with miserly seats not much larger than a dinner plate, they can weigh a ton. And as much as they’re designed to enhance a garden, beckoning guests to stay awhile, no one except a masochist would actually sit on one. No, I like what my sister-in-law gleefully refers to as Big Ass Chairs. Whether you possess a large derriere or not doesn’t matter with these distinctive pieces of outdoor furniture. They’re all about making a big statement – generous proportions and loads of character. Here are some fun examples:

The comfy stone arm chair and sofa set

A stone arm chair and matching sofa at Chanticleer in Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

I had the pleasure of sitting on the sofa of this handsome stone living room set in Chanticleer last summer. You almost expect the seat ‘pillows’ to give a little as you sit down but the stone had been warmed by the lovely spring sunshine so my brief pause there was as comfortable as can be. And very, very Instagram-worthy.

The Game of Thrones thrones

A trio of large wooden garden chairs under rustic pergola at Chanticleer, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

These three out-sized thrones, erm, chairs made of dark stained wood look like they just materialized from an ancient meeting place for feuding kings. The back of each chair towers over the seated occupant, providing a nice back rest as well as shield from traitorous arrows. Despite their monolithic-ness, they’re actually quite comfortable, positioned for a commanding view (sorry) of a large lily pond.

If you’d rather be the only royal in your garden, by all means have a single throne. What I love about this one is that it works double-duty as seating and garden sculpture with its graphic split back.

The fanciful veg-inspired park bench

The carved wood park bench overlooking the vegetable garden at Chanticleer, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

The proportions of this carved park bench are big but what makes the larger impact is its back featuring a large pumpkin flanked by bunches of giant radishes.

An aptly proportioned chat bench

A one-of-a-kind two-seater bench at Keppel Croft Gardens in Big Bay, Ontario.

I love any opportunity to look back at the pandemic with a chuckle. Here’s a prime example. Carved from a single log, two seats are appropriately positioned for social distancing.

The huuuge chaise longue

An extra large covered chaise longue in a suburban garden in Toronto, Ontario.

I love how this piece of outdoor furniture puts the extra in just about everything: size, comfort, luxuriousness. You can pretend you’re Cleopatra enjoying a siesta (I know – mixed cultural references but you get my meaning) or invite a friend…or two.

The giant log loungers

A three-seat garden bench carved from a single log, seen at Canada Blooms, Toronto, Ontario.

For anyone who loves chainsaw sculptures (they’re a big thing where we live during winters in Fernie, B.C.), why not carry on the theme with garden seating carved from one single humongous log. Mind you, you’ll have to figure out extra carefully where you want to place the piece once it’s ready because you ain’t moving this baby again.

A combo lounge chair and garden seat carved from a single large log, seen at Canada Blooms in Toronto, Ontario.

This lounge chair and seat combo, also carved from a single log might be a good option if you have a tad less room in your garden.

Clearly, when it comes to finding just the right sized seating option for your garden, you can go as big as your budget, garden and imagination can take you.