Walk the garden at the hours you actually live. Morning coffee wants east light and a little shelter from wind. Evening conversation wants the last warmth of a wall. Once the seat is right, plant to frame that view, not the other way around.

• One primary gathering table, then a second solitary perch.
• Cushions that can disappear into a dry store in thirty seconds.
• A surface for a glass and a book — even if it is only a wide arm.
• Planting behind the back so you feel held, not exposed.

Materials should be allowed to weather. Teak, stone, powder-coated steel, linen in a clay color. If a piece looks nervous about rain, it will never become part of the garden.