Once the mercury starts to rise and daylight hours become longer, it is pleasing and enjoyable to make the best use of your garden and spend time outside making the most of warm balmy evenings. There is nothing nicer than sitting outside with a group of friends, taking turns to keep the barbecue going and relaxing over a glass of wine or a cold beer.
It can be relatively inexpensive to turn a corner of the patio or the bottom of your garden into an area for entertainment and socialising. Make sure you choose stylish but comfortable outdoor furniture. Wooden benches and chairs can be made more comfortable with the addition of pretty floral or brightly patterned seat pads. If possible, make sure this area of the garden has a supply of electricity to allow more light once darkness sets in – especially important if you are still cooking and eating well into the night. There are plenty of pretty outdoor fairy lights available to buy from good DIY shops and department stores and these will help to create a party mood for any event. Likewise, coloured tea light holders or lanterns dotted around the area will also help to create a relaxing ambiance.
Patio heaters are considered rather controversial by many but, if you are keen to keep guests warm to enable you and them to sit outside for longer, you can buy a wrought iron fire basket or a clay chimenea where you can burn odd cuts of timber and dry wood from the garden.