Throwing a Garden Party: The Ultimate Guide

For some people, their backyard is their private sanctuary, a place where they do not have to socialize and can instead lay back on the lounger and lose themselves in a good book. Conversely, others prefer to hold social gatherings with their friends, have afternoon barbecues with family, and even drink into the night in their garden, and if you fall firmly into the latter category, then this guide is for you. 

[image: pexels]

Make Sure Your Garden Looks the Part

Even though those closest to you in your life just want to see you and are not going to be bothered if the weeds are overgrown and the patio stones need cleaning, if you intend on a summer of garden parties, it is still time to concentrate on aesthetics. 

Start by contacting professional fence and deck builders in Edwardsville IL to ask for a quote for a brand-new shiny fence to tie everything together and provide all the privacy you need during the garden party – particularly important if you have children attending. You want something secure to keep everyone safe. You can then pressure-wash the garden slabs and walkways and tidy up overgrown plants. There is plenty to be done in terms of housekeeping in the garden, and the sooner you crack on, the better. Remember, once you have done a thorough job for the first party of the year, when it comes to hosting the second party of the year, there will be less to do in the garden so long as you maintain it regularly. 

Focus on Guest Comfort

Presumably, if you are going to all the effort of holding a garden party, however formal or informal it will be, your guests will be spending more than a couple of hours outside.

It is for this reason that you should focus on the comfort and happiness of your guests and protect them from anything that could interfere with their enjoyment.

Small investments that make a huge difference in this context include the following:

• Providing suncream for anyone who has forgotten theirs

• Ensuring there is a good amount of shade in the garden as well as sunshine

• Placing citronella candles or gels around the dining area and next to the back door

Provide Simple Yet Delicious Food

Unless you are holding a barbecue party and, even better, your partner or other friend or family member is the one doing all the cooking, try not to give yourself too much to do in terms of food preparation and cooking.

Instead, look for cold selections of meats and cheeses, salad mixes, and ready-made potato salad and coleslaw; basically, all food you can simply remove from the fridge when you and your guests are ready to eat. 

This way, you can simultaneously throw a perfect garden party and actually have time to enjoy the day yourself too. 

Music & Lights

These days, the sheer range of solar-powered lights and lamps for the garden is impressive, and as such, any garden party would benefit from a few boxes of simple string lights being arranged around the perimeter of the space.

Furthermore, and especially if you intend on your garden party going through to the evening and night, you could also look into purchasing a multi-purpose indoor and outdoor speaker, which you can play any music on your phone through Bluetooth.