Author: katie.lacy@letsgetcoffee.co.uk

Hate gardening but would like a welcoming outdoor space? You’re not alone. Here’s the good news; with very little effort and even less gardening know-how you can have a beautiful garden perfect for relaxing on your outdoor table and chairs and partying all summer long (and beyond). Here’s how.

Ditch the grass

If there is one aspect of a garden that causes anxiety for the non-gardener, it is the vast expanse of lawn that requires regular mowing. Ditch it in favour of a practical patio or decking, making sure you get details such as lighting and varying floor levels for interest.

Make more of seating

Regardless of how big or small your garden is – or whether you are a gardener or not – you will want to spend time relaxing, napping, reading and socialising in your garden. And that means outside furniture such as a small garden table and chairs. However, don’t just opt for one type of seating. Different seats offer different possibilities such as rattan garden loungers for a summer’s afternoon nap in the garden or a comfy bamboo garden bench for enjoying the sunset and a cocktail or two.

One focus

Gardens can be a cacophony of colour or they can be of a minimal design, with minimal updating and care needed. If the latter does it for you, opting for a singular colour and plant is a perfect choice. In other words, once the hard landscaping is complete, you arrange your outdoor furniture around pockets of planting, maintain the same plant and colour throughout. It gives a fantastic designer appeal to your outdoor space and can be changed each year if you desire.

One raised bed

Raised beds are a gift. They offer a defined pocket of flower and plant growing space that is super easy to plant up and maintain. You don’t need a lot of gardening know-how when it comes to plant choice – your local plant nursery will help – but opting for ‘safe’ choices such as the ever fragrant and quintessentially English lavender is perfect for around seating areas and the al fresco dining area too.

Or opt for shrubs

Evergreen shrubs are a delight. They thrive in almost any soil, only requiring a quick prune in spring to contain straggling growth. The rest of the time you have a garden bathed in green and perfect for relaxing and entertaining.

Paving & pots

If all else fails, a courtyard style garden with ‘patio and pots’ is not only hard to get wrong but perfect for everyone, gardener or not. Use pot plants full to the brim with colourful bedding plants (you renew these each year and takes no more than compost, plants and watering through the summer) to create areas for different garden activities. A garden dining set for dining works best by the house but the outdoor sofa works best in the sunniest spot of the garden. Make sure to add some outdoor storage to keep the cushions handy when guests come over.

Fake it

You’d be joining the hundreds of non-gardeners and gardeners alike in enjoying a carpet of lush green grass that requires no upkeep and no mowing because it is artificial grass. Perfect for adding pops of green to everything from the garden to the roof terrace, faking it is certainly an option…

The sun will (hopefully) shine this summer, and when it does, entertaining friends and family in the garden is something many of us do. A pool party is perfect – your guests can keep cool and have fun at the same time. Pool parties are not just for kids, however. Adults love them too! Better still, you don’t need to spend, spend, spend to have a good time with a pool party.

Save money on digital invitations

With the pool party date set, you need to make sure your guests put it in their diary to join you. Ditch paper invites – good news for your budget and the environment – and text invites instead or send out an e-invite using email. If you are super tech-savvy, start a private group on one of the many social media platforms inviting guests to your pool party.

Get the outdoor garden bar stocked (and ask for contributions).

Perhaps the most singular expensive aspect of hosting any party, summer pool parties included, is a well-stocked outdoor garden bar. From wine and cocktails to non-alcoholic fruit punches your budget will really start to feel the squeeze.

Ask people for contributions – most guests will be happy to bring a bottle of two for the outdoor garden bar, as they will to bring dishes for the patio table.

HINT – short on glasses? No problem! Opt for recycled paper cups that can be tipped into your kerbside recycling container.

Outdoor seating-savvy

Pool parties are great fun, but an influx of guests bring some logistical headaches. One issue can be seating. Plastic chairs are all well and good but they aren’t always the most comfortable, and from an environmental point of view, they are not the best option either.

If you have a dining bench, then bring this out too, great for kids when they’ve finished in the pool and for storing stuff like towels and other bits and bobs.

As well as dining chairs with your outdoor dining table, there is a range of outdoor seating options such as the relaxing seat offered by sun loungers. Rattan is an eco-friendly and sustainable material that is easy on the budget too. A pair of rattan sun loungers with a matching low table is great for the garden, especially pool parties.

An excellent investment when it comes to versatile outdoor seating is an outdoor sofa. There are all kinds of shapes and sizes, including an L-shaped outdoor sofa. With a pool party, wet seating can be problematic but not with the showerproof cushion covers of the garden sofa set or garden bench.

Don’t forget to have plenty of patio chairs around the patio dining table too!

Zone your garden

Making your guests comfortable is the sign of a great host, and for a garden or pool party, the expectations are no different. Zone your garden so your guests can enjoy different spaces and interactions. From informal, lounging areas to eating areas with an outdoor table and chairs, create spaces that are inviting. You may want to consider dry and wet areas too!

With great company, food and drink to share, along with a great pool, your pool party this summer will go with a swing.

When May arrives, it ushers in warmer temperatures and is also the start of the bank holiday season. With two public holidays in May, it is the perfect time to plan a garden party. But how can you give yours a party vibe?

Get out the cushions

We’re seeing more choice when it comes to cushions suitable for the outside furniture. Bright and vibrant colours and patterns make for an instant party vibe, a visual welcome too for when your guests arrive at your garden party.

Add extra cushions to your outdoor sofa and garden benches too. Why not opt for large outdoor floor cushions too, great for kids to lounge on?

The small details have it

With one eye on environmental impact, you’ll want to add accessories that are bright and fun but don’t cost the earth. Manufacturers are creating amazing paper pom-poms, ideal for hanging from pergolas, or the outdoor garden bar and fencing to add detail to your garden. Check the packaging for instructions, but most paper accessories and trimmings can be recycled at the kerbside.

Dress the table

Just like you make a super-stylish effort with your dining room table, do the same with your outdoor dining table.

A pretty table covering is a great base from which to build the rest of the table. Stick with the bright colours, opting for the on-trend flower patterns on table covers and napkins that designers are using this summer.

Add pots of flowers to your table too, along with candles arranged in an informal pattern across the centre of the outdoor dining table. You could also add small pot plants too, perfect for making the most of nature.

Invest in outdoor seating

If you enjoy hosting spring bank holiday garden parties, you’ll need to consider investing in outdoor seating that performs time and time again. As well as an outdoor dining bench, consider opting for an extendable outdoor dining table with plenty of dining chairs to accommodate your guests.

Patio chairs work well too, especially to create for informal seating areas. A rattan sofa is also an ideal purchase – great for dressing up with colourful throws and cushions – as well as a garden sofa set, complete with low-level coffee table for cocktails and coffee! Don’t forget to add shade to some seating areas too for those guests needing a break from the sun.

Games and socialising

The best parties are those that seem to flow effortlessly, but as any great party host will tell you, it takes a lot of background work to make it happen.

And that means having plenty of things for your guests to do – lawn party games from giant ‘Jenga’ to the more raucous ‘Twister’ game – to spaces that are for socialising. Food is always the big draw at any party, as too are the drinks. Serve cocktails and fruit punches from your outdoor garden bar.

A big welcome

And finally, as with any party, the summer garden party vibe is set from the moment your guests arrive, so make sure that the welcome is personal and warm.

The days are longer and warmer which means one thing – spending as much time in the garden as you can? Creating an outdoor space that everyone can enjoy, and that has enough outdoor storage is not as hard as you think, especially with these great tips…

1 Spring clean

Just like indoors, when you feel the warmth of the late spring sun, get to work spring cleaning your garden. From emptying pots to getting rid of rubbish and clutter, to digging over borders, start your preparing your garden for summer by making sure it’s tidy.

If you have a garden sofa set, now is the time to whip off the cover and give it a brush or vacuum to get rid of any cobwebs and sheltering insects. Use warm water and a gentle detergent to give it a new lease of life and following the instructions on the covers, give them a gentle wash too.

2 Give each corner of your garden a job to do

For too long, we have seen the garden as only useful when it is a wide open space of lawn and flowers. But turning your garden into a living space with ‘rooms’ or zones will mean you get more use out of it.

For example, establish a dining zone for al fresco meals. As well as being close to the house of BBQ and pizza oven, you also need a firm base. Consider adding a patio, making sure you build one as big as you garden can accommodate so you can enjoy the patio table with plenty of room to spare.

A ‘quiet’ zone is also great for kicking back and relaxing, and this is where rattan outdoor furniture really comes into its own. Able to withstand all kinds of weather, with sumptuous cushions, it’s perfect for sinking into to enjoy the sunset after a long day.

3 Small garden? Focus on HOW you’ll use it

If you’re not gifted with acres of garden space, you won’t want to stuff it full of furniture and pergolas simply because it will stop you truly enjoying the garden. If you have a smaller outdoor space, choose the outdoor furniture that serves your main priority for using your garden. For example, a simple garden bench is perfect if you enjoy lounging in the garden. If you want to eat outdoors, investing in a folding patio dining set is a perfect choice – simply fold it and store it when not in use. 

4 Summer garden party ready

It doesn’t take much to give your garden a quick and easy overhaul ready for the summer garden party and BBQ season. Aside from fragrant blooms, you need to make sure you have garden furniture that is versatile, practical and stylish.

For informal get-togethers, an outdoor garden bar is surely the winning choice? With a pleasing style to it, it wouldn’t look out of place alongside an impressive rustic style 6-seater dining table. Get even more guests around the table with a dining bench, a brilliant addition to your home and garden.

And finally, let the romantic in you come out with plenty of scented flowers and climbing plants for shades of the pergola and soft lighting that invites people to spend as much time as possible in the garden.