Thanks to the COVID-19 Pandemic, meeting people and doing things outdoors has become the norm, no matter what the weather is.
Now that things are looking brighter in terms of COVID cases and the new vaccine, life will hopefully return to normal in the not-so-distant future, however as nothing is certain it might be a good idea to prepare for more outdoor socially distant gatherings.
Even without COVID, entertaining outdoors can be far more fun than staying inside, as long as the rain stays away then a bit of wind and cold never hurt anyone. So, what do you need to do to get your garden ready for entertaining?
Tidy Up
First of all, you’ll want to start with the obvious, trim the bushes, mow the lawn, rake the leaves and generally tidy it up. This is something you’ll have to continue to do all-year-round which is a good thing anyway.
Keep on top of your garden so that it will never be a big job and it will always be looking nice. This way you can have a last-minute party and won’t have much to prepare.
Plants and Flowers
Having a few plants and flowers will make your garden look pretty so if you are entertaining guests you’ll have less of a need for decorations. You could also plant something like a Portuguese laurel, which is also known as Prunuslusitanica and is an attractive evergreen plant that forms a thick hedge.
Being evergreen it offers year-round screening, wind protection and noise reduction which is perfect if you’re planning on throwing parties. Also, the Portuguese Laurel has received the reputable Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society.
Seating
When you’ve got people coming round, they’re going to want somewhere to sit, so having a seating area is vital. Depending on how big your garden is you could have a table and chairs as well as a corner sofa.
If you don’t have room for this, then foldable garden chairs that you can put away when you’re not using them would be ideal. You could also go a bit retro and use milk/beer crates as seating for the night.
Music
Entertaining outdoors requires a certain atmosphere and one that music can provide. As Martha Stewart said, “music can make or break the party.” So, if you think you’ll make use of them then getting outdoor speakers in your garden is a great way to get the party started and to keep it going all night – as long as you invite the neighbours.
Heating
If you’re going to be entertaining all year round then keeping your guests warm is extremely important as having a load of cold guests won’t be much fun for anyone.
*Outdoor heaters are a great option, a fire pit adds a focal point and will keep people warm too and then, of course, you could provide your guests with blankets to wrap up in and warm food and drink. Get them dancing as well and the temperature won’t be an issue.
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