My local hardwood dealer lists 5/4 mahogany at $6.50 a board foot. The
lumber yard stuff works out to $2.87 bd. ft. To buy the same amount of
wood
(includes a 4 x 4 x 8') would have been $100 more at the wood dealer.

Is this the same mahogany?

Hi Ed,

Philippine mahogany (luan) is often sold as "mahogany," with no further
identification. Other than for outdoor furniture, it's primary uses are
pallet wood and crate wood. It is functionally the same for outdoor
furniture, but doesn't have the patina properties (like turning a
jaw-dropping cinnamon brown after a year or two) of genuine Honduras or
Cuban mahogany. Is it a tad on the yellowish/creamy side, versus pink?

It should work fine as a garden bench.

Humbly submitted,
O'Deen