Are you ready for the big reveal?

The garden glider is open for business. I inadvertently included a sneak peek on Sunday, but now it’s official.

The glider came with a seat cushion which is thankfully removable. I picked up a couple of toss pillows at Target, perfect for an afternoon nap. The cushions are a bland grey, but they’re covered in that outdoor material the squirrels abhor.

I made that up. They probably love the pillow fabric, but for now we’ll pretend otherwise.

Gliders, unlike swings, glide back and forth instead of arching in a curve. I had a chair glider when I nursed both of my babies and loved it. Gliders have a smaller footprint than a rocker, so that’s also a plus.

The area under the half-umbrella looks and feels great. We ordered a replacement cover for the umbrella last year, but due to COVID, it took months for it to arrive. The umbrella fit is looser than the old one, but nothing can be done for it now. I like the way the green blends into the garden. The umbrella collects debris from the orange tree, so the darker color will help disguise the dirt.

With the glider assembled and in place and the new umbrella cover overhead, I changed my mind about the small blue tables. I’m using a round table instead. I’m going to paint the top of the blue tables with chalk paint, but I’ll leave the legs the faded blue. I’ve moved the tables close to the hose bib, where I’ll use them for my assorted watering cans.

Here’s what the area looked like before with the tattered umbrella and swing.

Here’s what it looks like now:

I like the cleaner lines, the color of the wood, the arched back, and the extra space around the glider. The swing legs took up a lot of room. It’s now easier to walk around the glider to rake leaves from the gravel.

I’m so pleased with the way it all came together.

As for the squirrels, I’ve presented an offering behind the glider. I hope it does the trick.