Wicker Patio Furniture Has Evolved From The Garden Classics of the Past

Woven furnishings, both indoor and outdoor, are called wicker. For examples, view Wicker Patio Furniture from Family Leisure here. They can be made of any material that can be woven, including many grasses and leaves. The material we are most familiar with, however, is rattan. The Belmar Wicker Dining Collection from Woodard is pictured left as an example.

Rattan is not indigenous to the United States, but has to be imported from China, Malaysia, Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Harvesting rattan is an arduous process; workers have to travel by foot into the jungle to cut down this climbing vine. The vines can reach lengths of 600 feet and can be more than 4 inches in diameter. Once it has been harvested, the vines have to be manually transported out of the jungle, often on the worker’s back. Natural, or rattan, wicker has been around for ages and, even though it rises and wanes in popularity, it remains a constant presence in home furnishings. The advent of synthetic wicker has resulted in a surge of popularity for utilizing wicker furniture outdoors.

Synthetic wicker, made of vinyl or resin, is weather resistant, making it perfect for outdoor applications. The Serengeti Wicker Dining Collection from Woodard is pictured right as an example. Consumers are able to bring the hominess and character of wicker into their outdoor spaces without worrying about wear.

Both natural and synthetic wicker is hand-woven, a very long and laborious process. A single wicker chair can take about 3 days to complete; a wicker sofa can take an entire week. Natural wicker is usually woven over a wooden frame; synthetic wicker is woven over an aluminum or steel frame. View Wicker Patio Furniture from Family Leisure here.

QUICK TIP: When shopping for wicker, check to see that the weave is even; you should not be able to determine starting or ending points.