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How to make your garden a place to entertain all year round
After what feels like endless chilly months, the weather is finally starting to warm up, and we're ready to begin spending more time outdoors. However, we're firm believers that there's no need to stop spending time in your garden, even when the weather is far less pleasant. A few savvy adjustments to your outside space could allow you to continue spending time outdoors year-round, and even hosting friends out there–it’s just a matter of making a few tweaks and changing your mindset. Shelter, warmth and light are the key words in planning a versatile space for outdoor entertaining, and you can provide these elements in the most simple forms or spend a bit more to incorporate long-term design changes in your garden.
Shelter
A sense of enclosure is all-important for an area you are entertaining in, to impart a sense of intimacy as well as provide shelter from the elements. Plant an instant hedge from Hopes Grove Nurseries or commission a handmade willow screen from Somerset willow specialist Jay Davey. Then add an overhead sail canopy to protect you from the rain. SD Sails make bespoke sail canopies to suit your site, or choose from the rainbow colours of Kookaburra sail shades from Primrose.
Perhaps all you’ll need for a shelter is a simple gazebo, and once you start your research you’ll realise how much choice there is, from basic canvas gazebos that can be put up in minutes, to more permanent wooden-framed structures with integral roofs. Cheap and cheerful pop-up gazebos are available aplenty from House of Tents. For something with a little more style and longevity, choose the 4m Bell Tent Plus from Boutique Camping. It's big enough to arrange a decent amount of garden furniture underneath it for a covered seating or dining area.
If you have the budget and are prepared to create more integral spaces within your garden, you could consider a new terrace with a wooden gazebo or pergola. If you’re really buying in to the concept of outdoor living, then you could build your dream outdoor kitchen underneath, from somewhere like Grillo. Just adding a pizza oven and a trestle table could do the trick. Wood-fired or gas pizza ovens are available at many price points, from the portable Ooni Karu 12 Multi Fuel Pizza Oven to the Gozney Dome.
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Warmth
Staying warm is crucial if you want to enjoy an extended season (or evening) in the garden, and a fire pit creates plenty of atmosphere. You can’t beat the traditional Kadai fire bowls which come in sizes to suit your garden space, or choose the Delta Fire Pit from Arada stoves. Stylish options can also be found at Cox & Cox or Graham & Green. You could even build a stone or brick outdoor fireplace with chimney to sit at the end of a canopied outdoor room.
However if you are outside night after night, the quickest and most efficient source of heat is from an electric patio heater such as the Heatlab range from Primrose, including hanging, wall-mounted and free-standing lamp-style heaters. Herschel have a similar range of infrared heaters. Other low carbon options include fires fueled by bio ethanol, which is produced by the fermentation of vegetable matter. Eco Smart Fire offer a range of ethanol-fuelled wall-mounted fire places, fire tables or fire boxes with a sleek modern look.
Keep cosy on late summer evenings with wool blankets, and invest in a comfortable sofa from Rowen & Wren to relax on.
Light
Creating the right ambience with clever lighting is key to a welcoming outdoor space. You might be lucky enough to have an existing greenhouse or conservatory that you can transform into an impromptu dining area. Hang a Wickham Candle Chandelier from Jim Lawrence above a table and you have suddenly created a magical dining space that can be used in all seasons. You can buy off-the-peg garden lighting from outdoor lighting specialists such as Lighting for Gardens or commission a lighting designer like John Cullen Lighting to design a comprehensive lighting scheme for your garden. Original BTC also have a wonderful selection of wall lights, pendants and portable lamps that are suitable for outdoor use.
We're big fans of solar garden lights, as they're sustainable and convenient, as long as you remember to place the lights in full sun during the day to charge. Create a party atmosphere with solar-powered festoon lights from The Solar Centre or a more intimate, cocooned feeling with an outdoor table lamp like the Eva Solo Sunlight Small Solar Light from Made in Design, arranging several lined up on a table. For a more traditional look, invest in a reproduction antique hanging lantern or globe from Jamb to create a wonderful centerpiece.
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Heal's have a good selection of outdoor lamps and lanterns in different materials to co-ordinate with your outdoor furniture and garden style, from modern glass and metal designs to colourful options. Or for natural candlelight, arrange a cluster of candle lanterns in different sizes around your seating area.
