Creating A Space For Entertaining This Summer

As we say a sad goodbye to spring and the last of those lingering Easter eggs, we look forward to what will hopefully be a hot, dry summer (fingers crossed). Summer is wonderful because of the warmth, the daytime relaxation outdoors, the ability to cook outside, and of course, the ability to entertain outside. There's something so wonderful about chatting with friends as the sun goes down and the sky becomes streaks of pink, purple and red.

Sharing a cocktail or two with loved ones as the birds sing and the warm summer evening starts to cool. It really is a wonderful thing. The only thing that might prevent it being quite so lovely, is if your home and garden really aren't prepared for entertaining outside. Overgrown shrubs, a lack of lighting, an uneven path leading bath into the house; it doesn't take much to throw plans to entertain outside to the side and instead opt for an evening in, missing out on all the ambience of of a gorgeous summer evening. But this doesn't have to be you. With these useful tips you'll be outside enjoying the summer nights in no time

Lighting Up The Party

This might seem silly, seeing as the nights are so much longer in the summer, however, once the light begins to fade, you have two reasons to have some lighting ready to go on. The first reason is ambience. The right lighting will provide a soft, beautiful hue as the sun fades and the stars come out. The second reason is safety. As soon as the light dips, navigating your way down steps, across paths and over plants is much more tricky, especially for guests who don't know your garden as well as you do. Fairy lights are a good option for both considerations because they are soft and romantic, they are cost-effective and they are easy to wind around plants, shrubs, trees and pretty much anything. There are plenty of well priced outdoor fairy lights to choose from on the market. You can even have fun making your own lanterns for them, like in this cool DIY ping pong ball lanterns Youtube video.

Interlinking Your Home & Your Garden

You might wonder why your home relates to entertaining in your garden, but it is actually integral to any outdoor occasion. First and foremost it is practical to have easy access indoors so guests can get to the toilet easily, so that you can bring food out and take empty glasses in really easily, and so you can easily move inside once you've had enough of being in the garden. Depending on your setup, it might be a good idea to look at patio doors. Bifold doors are a great option because they connect your garden to your home visually, closed or open, and because they allow for such easy access between your home and garden during entertaining. There are also lots of additional ways to link the inside and outside of your home including:-


1. Getting pot plants that are the same inside the home and onto the decking or patio
2. Continuing floor tiles from the kitchen or dining room out onto the patio
3. Continuing the colour scheme in the room nearest to the garden into the outdoor entertainment area

A space to cool down

Pop-up pools are a common site in the UK when the temperature gets high and we all want to cool down. Like anything the more you invest in a pool the better quality, longer lasting and more aesthetically pleasing it will be. When it comes to entertaining, the dream, of course, would be to have an in-ground pool. An in-ground pool, whether small or large, is sure to impress your guests, although you'll need a professional like those from https://premierpoolsandspas.com/inground-pools/fiberglass-swimming-pools/ to build it for you - it's not something you can DIY!

Warmth & Shade

We are only human after all, and so we are affected by the temperatures we are in. If you want to keep everyone safe and comfortable during both day and nighttime entertaining in your garden, it is a great idea to create ways to adjust the temperature. An area of shade is important and it isn't hard to create an adjustable area of shade if you don't want a permanently shady spot. Awnings are a good idea, or a DIY setup with material and permanent wooden beams could work really well if you are handy. With heating, you could get a patio heater if you want to invest in the easiest form of outdoor heating. Or if you're more about the ambience and the occasion, a chiminea or firepit could work well (and give you something to toast your marshmallows on to!).

Clean-up For The Win

Before you get going with any big home improvement projects to improve your garden parties, it is so important to deal with the basics. It is so easy to 'dress up' a garden that really could do with a bit of love and attention. It doesn't pay off though, as the garden will never be at its best, and some problems may be dangerous or might get worse. Do a complete garden survey and write down everything you want to get sorted. Also keeping up with basic maintenance throughout the summer is important such as keeping on top of the lawn with an efficient electric lawn mower.

Garden jobs to keep in top of - 

Fixing the fence
Dealing with bald grass patches
Repotting plants
Getting nuisance shrubs or trees removed
Relaying a cracked or uneven path
Fixing decking
Decluttering old toys, broken pots, piles of leaves and other debris
Washing down the tiles
Strimming all overgrown and uneven plants and hedges

Pest Control

With any outdoor space, especially when you are entertaining or a space used by children, you really need to keep on top of pest control. Summer can bring out things like wasps and a wasp sting will certainly create a dampener for al fresco eating or garden party. The same with pests such as rats and mice. While we can all take steps to reduce pests, if you have an infestation then calling in the professionals like critter stop is what is needed to ensure that no further issues arise.

Detail Is The Key

Often the key to entertaining outside is all about the detail. Little things like having a basket full of rugs, dotting candle lanterns around, offering hot chocolates and making people comfortable is all you need to make the night a success. Although the setup is important, little details that enhance the social situation are often the key to successful entertaining.


Remember, the more thought you put into your entertaining setup, the more you will get out. Be creative, enjoy yourself, and most of all, make the space your own, because after all, you'll be spending the most time in it, so it is important you and your family love it.

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