Advice needed re seating area under neighbour's tree

[Stringervest]

We are having the garden redesigned. The cost is horrifying so we need to get this right. The area that gets the sun for longest is right under a neighbour's (magnificent but somewhat irritating given the tiny size of our gardens) 100 year old beech tree (which is to the north, hence no shade from it). There is a shed there currently but that will be moved.

We are used to dealing with the constant crap the tree drops, but I assume bird poo will be a problem for the seating area. We are considering a pergola over the seating area, to create a zoning effect and also to grow climbers up, but that won't protect from bird poo unless we put a Perspex sheet over it, which I think will filter sunlight and constantly be grubby.

Any advice on set up, materials etc? I don't want to put the seating area anywhere else as I'm set on having a sun trap so mitigation advice is what I need please!

I why don't you just get chairs that you move there and then put them away (or somewhere else) when you've finished?

@astersugar love the living roof idea. We are considering it for the new shed. However it will shade the seating area entirely and if we are going to do that we could choose a location for the seating area which has less sun but is not under a tree.

@Clymene we might need to do that. Our garden is very small with limited storage space and no garage. We want to maximise space for kids hence planning to have the smallest shed possible. The idea for the built in bench seating is that it would do away with the need to store chairs and actually add storage space inside the benches.

I know, I know, I can't have it all.

We have seeing out all the time under a huge bay tree of our neighbors. We have the bench and table in a specific spot. It turns out all the birds like to sit on one main branch. This creates quite a neat spot in which you wouldn't want to sit. I have planted a camelia and a hydrangea in the firing line. And amazingly the furniture stays very clean when in this position. We have worked around it. Bit it does mean I get the last of the evening sun and can still listen to the birds with minimal risk of being popped on. It may not help but maybe worth checking if you also have any spots the birds like.

Have you looked at those canopies that extend and retract? So it could be covered over to protect seating area and wound back for when you wish to sit in the sun.

@Slightlydustcovered this gives me hope! Particularly as the seating will be very close to the tree trunk and I'm thinking the birds will want to sit on the narrower, further out perches. I am going to study them.

@ChoiceMummy I like the sound of that!

I have a sail shade set quite high up (maybe 8 foot?). Doesn’t block the sun / does help with the bird poo situation

You are entitled to trim back the neighbours tree : and if it’s that old I doubt it would do it any harm. If you do that maybe look up the best time of year to prune it

We have a seating area under a tree and yep bird poo is an issue so we had a canopy made. It isn’t fully waterproof as that brings an issue of water pooling unless you keep the canopy really taught. The birds do tend to sit on a specific branch and poo catches the edge of the patio. We have it tied to the tree one side which I appreciate you can’t do but we have it at a steep angle so not fully shaded.

Their tree really needs to be confined to their own garden. You really don't have to put up with this!

The sail shade looks lovely. If you could have something as high as possible, and at a slant, so that it's high at the front and slopes down towards the back (like your shed) then hopefully you'd still get lots of sun? If you have nothing above you when you're sitting out then there's always a chance of getting bird poo on you, not just the furniture.

We have a similar issue and going for a sail shade / prune back the biggest branches combination. I love trees and love sunshine but there’s no other way to mitigate the bird poo issues.

How about incorporating the tree branches as part of the design? You could also grow a clematis into the tree for flowers and interest. I attach some pics for inspiration.

Get covers for the seating and just fold them away when you want to sit there. They aren’t expensive. It’s outdoors, there’s always going to be a bit of muck involved.

All those pps saying the tree should be chopped, or you "shouldn't put up with it"....

I normally agree that a large growing tree shouldn't be planted close to a boundary or in small gardens.
But if it is a large, mature beech tree then the tree has probably been there a while!
It will probably have been there when op and the other neighbours bought their houses. It may even be older than the houses and the garden boundaries.
Mature beech trees are gorgeous and of great value to wildlife. Unless they are causing a danger or are unstable they should be left alone - not hacked to pieces to make gardens look tidier.
The outdoors is supposed to be a bit dirty.

OP, I would go with furniture that can be put away or furniture that can be hosed down a couple of times a year (like metal furniture). Cushions etc can be taken in. See how it is, and if bird poo is an issue whilst you are sitting then maybe a parasol or sail.

Sorry just realised that the age of the tree is given in the op...
100 years old!
It could be even older.
Don't know how old the houses are, but every single one of the neighbours bought their house knowing that there was a large mature tree there.
Its entirely different to someone today deciding to plant a large tree near their garden boundary (which would be inconsiderate). The tree was there first. Before the currrent occupants moved in, maybe even before the houses were built.
Can't believe some people want it chopped down, what weird priorities.

No real advice but this reminds me of the time when I took my youngest camping with all her friends. We set up, sat down on the picnic bench in the shade. One of the other mothers had sent a load of delicious food so we ate that. As I put the massive fruit salad in the middle of the rabbles, kids all oohing and aahing as it looked so nice, a pigeon above in a branch did a massive plop dead centre of the bowl. It was bright purple as the bird had been eating the purple berries in the tree. The reaction from the kids is still one of my all time favourite comedy moments.
Maybe don't eat nice meals under the tree OP or get those glass domes for sure....

I thought the same as @Paddingtonsmarmlade, one of those tables where the chairs tuck completely underneath? Then you just need a cover to pop over the top. I appreciate that benches with storage beneath would accommodate more cushions etc, but benches wouldn't be comfortable to sit on for long (ime). Something like this where all the items stack inside. You can buy water resistant covers in varying sizes so that might work.

I would also want to make the most of the tree and try to incorporate it in your garden design, maybe hang lanterns from the branches if they are low enough. Festoon light strings from it across your seating area, maybe some pretty bunting.

I feel your pain, we had our garden landscaped a few years back and while it was worth every penny, it was still a bit ouch...

@MintyMoocow

Leave the trees alone, poor things! It’s a garden, not a front room.

Agree. Tree was there first.

Once a climber is established it should mitigate most of the bird waste.

Bench seating isn't very comfortable for more than 10 minutes. A bistro set or outdoor armchairs you can move from place to place might be more useful and cost effective.

Could you get one of those decorative spinning bird deterrents to hang next to your table and chairs? The birds could still use the tree but may be discouraged from your seating area?

Put a big sheet on the floor weighted down. Leave it for a week. Have a look at where the bird poo has fallen. You could then plan seating away from the worst areas or look at having just a cover of some sort just for the worst bits. It might not be as big a problem as you think, so you need to investigate first.

I'd redesign a shed and have a summer house type thing with bifold doors and a little deck area at the front.

Oh wow, I've been in hospital with my son and come back to so many replies! Thank you. Interesting that people are saying bench seating won't be comfortable for more than a few minutes. I hadn't thought of that. I had my eye on something like this

If you're going to relax out there at the end of the day you need something with back support -- something that comes up to shoulder level, not the middle of your back. Ask me how I know....

That's why folding chairs you can move, spray clean with water, etc. are probably a better investment. Benches, unless they are the park style with a taller solid back support, are for perching on for a few minutes.