How to entertain in your urban garden this summer

Sandra Slawinski 25th June 2021 0 comments

My urban is a very small concrete pavers north east facing urban patch I care for more than I can explain. I made it into an oases, a retreat, an eden if you like, where everyone is welcome to power down and enjoy!

I love entertaining at home but having a party outside brings a whole range of specifics requiring particular attention.

Here my 7 tips for a great outdoors summer party:

 

Keep the food simple! It’s is kinda a general rule of mine when entertaining but especially outdoors. You want to be mindful of size of plates when your guests will be perched or standing. How easy will it be to use a knife and fork, and how hot will the food be by the time they bite into it.

Screen from the sun and shelter from rain. Not everyone likes to sit in the high-noon sun so ve a parasol nearby. And in Belgium, rain is a given, I always ve aback up plan.

If you entertain at night, a chill may be in the air. I recommending having blankets and wraps available for your guests, easy to help themselves.

Have a designated bar area set up for self-service. This should be an easy to grab from location outdoors and easy to re-stock when needed.

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When the sun sets, what lights will you switch on? Candles are great but will need protection form the wind and if a small space is crowded I recommend sticking to electric fairy lights and garden lights.

If seating is limited, consider adding a few stackable stools to a corner for your guests to grab when needed. Add pillows to a patch of gras for comfortable lounging or perching on a wall.

Music is for me a no-go during outdoor entertaining, as I want to consider my neighbours and unless a sit down affair, nobody will really hear it anyway.

Most of all, ENJOY! Having friends and family over is such a blissful joy, it would be sad not to take the time to enjoy it to the fullest

 

 

 

Created, written and photographed by Sandra Slawinski without commercial agreements.