Under these circumstances I think of the bench as 'yard art', meaning that putting it directly in the yard means it has to look as fashionable as it does functional.
Before I plant plants I first place them where I think they will go (and generally always make adjustments). It was no different with this bench.The first place I thought of was on the lawn outside the garden proper but after a few short weeks the lawn under the bench started to die back for lack of sun.
Next I plunked it down in the middle of the Bishop's Goutweed. While it is not quite a field of poppies à la Wizard of Oz, I liked the sense of being completely surrounded this spot created. There was even already a rudimentary "path to nowhere" curving in that general direction.
My parents had some large paving stones they needed rid of and so a platform for the bench was quickly and inexpensively made to keep the Goutweed from completely engulfing the bench. 
According to Better Homes and Gardens "A curving walkway provides more visual interest than a straight path -- and accents the garden around it." Plus it minimizes how visible the concrete blocks used for stepping stones are; you can make a beeline from the house to the bench without having to stare at the functional concrete stones and then you get to travel through the garden and around the Peonies to get to it.Next year there will be Peony growing on both sides, hiding the path even further.
Eventually we repainted a portion of our home's exterior and painted the bench the same color with leftover paint. Love or hate the orangey-brown (we still flip-flop ourselves), it is a nice touch that they now coordinate.It will be quite exciting to see the plants grow up and around the bench with it already in situ next spring.
***Sharing with Fertilizer Friday
