If the nightmarish past couple of years has taught us anything, our gardens are the perfect setting for entertainment even when the temperature begins to drop. Pre-pandemic, we would have hurried inside as soon as we saw rain clouds gracing the sky, but now rain, frost, or hail, nothing will stop our chances of having a good time. And when it comes to ensuring our outdoor spaces are in top shape, a reliable tree service Greensboro can be our best ally, keeping our trees healthy and our landscapes beautiful year-round.
Armed with a few savvy adjustments to your outside space and mindset, your garden should stand up against the harshness of the UK weather so that you can continue hosting gatherings and entertaining your friends all year round.
So long as you have ample lighting, shelter, garden furniture and warmth, you should have no trouble providing outdoor entertainment all year round, yet it’s up to you if you’d like these changes to be temporary or permanent. If you have landscaping trees in your garden, you should also consider seeking professional tree trimming services. Periodic tree trimming helps keep trees healthy and aesthetically-appealing.
From insulated garden rooms and fire pits to solar-powered fairy lights and heaps of blankets, we outline some suggestions below to make outdoor entertaining easier all year round.
Garden Rooms
One of the key aspects you’ll need to make your outdoor entertainment efforts successful is shelter, providing protection from the tumultuous British weather and creating a sense of intimacy between you and your guests. Depending on how much you wish to spend on season-proofing your garden, there are a variety of options you could choose from.
If you’d like a cost-effective solution, you could consider investing in one of the wrought iron gazebos, parasols, or a sail canopy, which are readily available at low cost from online marketplaces like Amazon or at your local garden centre.
These are good for a temporary solution, but over time the weather can cause garden accessories like this to diminish in quality, meaning that you’ll have to replace or bin them. However, if you’re prepared to spend a little more on a permanent solution, you could consider looking at garden rooms like the ones by 1st Choice Leisure Buildings.
From outdoor offices and potting sheds to garden workshops and insulated garden rooms, you can find a range of leisure buildings fit for various purposes, whether entertaining, working, exercising and more. Consider visiting their website to learn more about their garden rooms and how they could help make year-round entertaining easier.
Outdoor Lighting
One of the biggest problems with hosting garden events all year round is how quickly the natural light fades in the colder months. Let’s face it; munching on barbeque food is lovely, whether it’s light or dark outside, but it’s only enjoyable if you can see what you’re putting in your mouth! Therefore, outdoor lighting is another excellent investment to make.
Fortunately, there are loads of outdoor lighting options on the market, no matter your taste or budget, so you’re bound to find something suitable for your outside space. Whether you’d like to keep your styling traditional and arrange a selection of portable lamps in varying colours around your patio’s seating area, or if you’d like to go for a more whimsical look and hang weather-proof fairy lights around the borders of your garden – you’re bound to find something that is functional and stylish. Keep in mind that most lighting options will attract insects, specially at night, so you may want to call a mosquito control service to make sure this doesn’t sour an otherwise enjoyable evening.
One popular option for garden owners is solar-panelled lights which boast many benefits for homeowners and their gardens. Plus, like other outdoor lighting options, they come in various styles and sizes, so you won’t have to sacrifice style for convenience! So long as you remember to put them outside to charge during the daytime, you’ll have light no matter which season your hosting in!
Fire Pits
Another essential part of hosting guests is ensuring they’re warm, which can be challenging if you intend to entertain them outside. Fortunately, there are a variety of permanent and temporary solutions to keep your outdoor space warm all year round.
If you’d like to keep costs down, consider investing in an electric patio heater, infrared heater, or eco-friendly options like ethanol-fuelled fire boxes or tables. Yet, this doesn’t include the cost of purchasing fuel to keep them warm! Plus, if you’d like more heat (or a cosier look!), you could buy a couple of knee blankets or weather-proof cushions, which you could hide underneath a water bottle or two.
On the other hand, if you don’t mind spending a little more money on a more permanent (and stylish!) option, you could consider forking out for a fire pit, fire table, or fire bowl or even construct your own outdoor fireplace. These accessories are a little more hard-wearing and add style to your outdoor space, making it an even more suitable area for hosting guests.
Outdoor Dining Equipment
Another way that you can keep your guests warm is by putting food in their bellies! Just because summer is over doesn’t mean we still can’t dine al fresco, so invest in outdoor dining equipment and get that grill sizzling. From outdoor pizza ovens and traditional barbeques, you can find a range of outdoor dining equipment to keep your outdoor kitchen burning throughout the year.
With outdoor pizza ovens, you can treat your guests to homemade bread and pizzas or with a fire pit; you could serve up delicious curries and paellas, which are bound to keep your guest’s tummies full and warm long into the night.
