Tips for Entertaining Guests in Your Garden

Tips for Entertaining Guests in Your Garden

There’s no better way to spend the summer days than hosting garden parties. With COVID-19 restrictions lifting, we should be able to meet our friends and families in our gardens very soon! So, if you’re planning on entertaining guests in your garden over the next few months, take a look at our tips to make sure everything runs smoothly.

• Plan for the occasion

The first thing you need to think about, is the occasion. Are you hosting a surprise birthday party? A casual family barbeque? Or a quick afternoon tea? Whether you have 2 guests coming or 20, every garden gathering requires a certain level of planning.

Having a plan and getting things organised in advance will help you relax while entertaining guests. There’s nothing worse than realising that you’ve run out of milk for the coffees after your guests have arrived, so plan ahead and think carefully about the guests that are coming and what they might like/need.

A great way to organise your gathering is to create “to-do” lists that you can refer back to during the planning process. Ticking things off as you go along will make you feel more prepared for your guests’ arrival, especially if you’re hosting an important event like a gender reveal party that needs to go off without a hitch.

• Plan your activities

There are often times at garden parties when awkward silences creep in. This might be because the guests don’t know each other very well, or maybe because the booze hasn’t quite kicked in yet. Of course, if your planning a sophisticated meal at a beautifully set table with a few close friends, drinking wine and catching up about life might be the only ‘activities’ you need to plan. On the other hand, if you’re planning a children’s (or adult) birthday party, you might want to put a bit more time and thought into the activities for the event.

A treasure hunt, a piñata, a paddling pool, or some outdoor group games can make all the difference for a children’s party, while drinking games and a make-shift dancefloor can really transform an ‘adults only’ garden party. Planning some fun activities ahead of time will help to keep your guests entertained all day long!

• Plan for bad weather

While British summer can be wonderfully hot, it has a tendency to turn cold and wet very quickly. This is great news for the plants, but not so great news for you and your guests who are trying to have a nice time in the garden.

A great way to get around the bad British weather is to make sure your garden is equipped with a space to take shelter. Garden rooms are a great option because they provide the perfect amount of shelter without forcing you to move your whole party inside the house. With the doors open, you can still give your guests a ‘garden party’ atmosphere, but nothing will get wet.

In some instances, you might be entertaining guests in your garden throughout the day and into the night. Even during summer, the evenings can get a little bit chilly. So to prepare for this you could, invest in some cosy outdoor blankets, prepare a fire pit or invest in a garden room heater. These thoughtful little touches will make your visitors feel comfortable regardless of the temperature.

So there you have it, a few tips to help you host amazing garden parties this spring/summer!

Guest Article.