How to Make Better Use of Your Garden for Entertaining

Isn’t it wonderful to be able to entertain guests in the garden on a long summer’s evening? It must surely be one of the biggest delights of summer. You can contain the mess in the garden, ensure that the kids aren’t disturbed, and have an enjoyable relaxing evening with your nearest and dearest. If you want to make the experience even better, read this guide on how to make use of your garden for entertaining.

Fencing

Fencing is important if you want to avoid disturbing the neighbours. A brick wall or high fencing will give you privacy and it will also help to contain the children or animals your guests may bring with them. To help to keep the noise down and to make sure that your garden looks wonderful, plant some wall-climbing plants and flowers.

Patio

A patio area is essential if you want to entertain outside. This prevents your guests from getting their feet muddy or damaging your lawn or plants. It is also easier to arrange seating around your patio area.

If you don’t already have a patio, then you should consider installing one. You will want your guests to be comfortable so if your patio is too small for entertaining then you could consider extending it. This will have the added bonus of making your garden lower maintenance too.

The upkeep of your patio is essential, so ensure no loose paving slabs or uneven parts that your guests could hurt themselves on. A twisted ankle could ruin their night and accidents can happen easily on unstable flooring, especially if you are planning to serve alcohol.

Seating

If your guests are going to spend most of the evening sitting down, you need to ensure they are comfortable. Think about how you are going to entertain. If you are likely to host dinner parties, then you will need to invest in comfortable chairs and a matching table or two so that your guests have plenty of room to eat. If you are more likely to invite them over to relax in the daytime, then a few sun loungers will encourage them to chill out.

BBQ Area

There is no point inviting people over to sit in the garden if you are then going to spend most of your time in the kitchen cooking for them. You won’t enjoy the experience and you will feel anti-social. Set up a BBQ area on your patio and you will have the best of both worlds as you won’t need to leave your friends to do the cooking. Usually, the BBQ area is a social space with guests standing around it to chat. Make some salad dishes before they arrive, and you can do the rest of the cooking outside.

Roofing

Nothing puts a downer on a garden party in the UK than a sudden change of weather and, unfortunately, this isn’t something you can control. However, you could consider adding a roof to your patio area so that you don’t have to cancel or move inside if the weather doesn’t hold up. Corrugated roofing sheets make a great roof for your patio area and these roofing sheets don’t have to be expensive either. Corrugated roofing can look stylish, and it can be a wonderful place to hang lanterns or fairy lights so that your guests can see well and feel cosy in your outdoor space.

Install a Hot Tub

If you really want to spoil your guests (and yourself) you could consider adding a hot tub. These are very trendy, and you can make effective use of them. They are less expensive to run than a pool and will fit into all but the smallest gardens. This will give you a beautiful place to relax in the hot weather.  Don’t forget to tell your guests to bring a swimming costume though.

Add a Summer House

A summer house is a fantastic addition to any garden, and it is multi-purpose too. You could use a summer house as a home office or an additional room in the daytime and convert it into a party venue for the evening. Adding a bar to the corner of the room will give you somewhere to store alcohol and glasses so they don’t clutter up your kitchen and your guest have somewhere to sit if it is raining.

If you only have room for a small summer house, don’t despair. You can still utilise it as storage and keep your additional furniture in here when it is not in use. Setting up your music in this area will protect your neighbours from the noise, making them less likely to complain the day after.

Entertaining in the garden is great fun and this easy guide will help ensure that you make the best use of your space.