I am having a wicked hard time finding the benches that will work for me, aesthetically, in the Boston area. I have previously had wonderful rustic cedar bent-branch pieces made, but even with blocks to keep the legs off the ground, they disintegrate after some years.

The cast iron ones tend to look a bit too Victorian frou frou-ey for me, though the fern design ones might have some use.... The Faux Bois cement ones can be VERY cher because they are such a labor. But even then, I'm not sure the cement used for Faux Bois- can withstand the freeze/ thaw cycles of our z.5 winters (-15 degrees). And for some reason (i am being sarcastic here) no one seems to want to make faux bois w/ fiberglass (nasty stuff to work with, I'm told.) SOOOO, has anyone, by chance, seen faux bois furniture that has withstood z.5 or colder temps? Maybe a botanical or private garden you have visited?
I much appreciate your input!
mindy