Make your garden a party venue, not just for the King’s Coronation but also for the summer. Any outdoor space extends our homes and offers scope for all sorts of al fresco entertaining. You don’t need to invest in expensive furniture or lighting. Just use what you’ve got or improvise. Stage a garden party on a budget, challenge your friends to do the same and have one a week over the summer instead of going to the pub or coffee shop or wine bar. It makes the most of your outdoor space, saves money and provides the perfect setting for a summer of parties. Here are five great ways to create a garden party venue fit for the King!
Tables and chairs
I don’t want to mislead you, but you don’t even need tables and chairs to stage a party. You can use bales of straw and cover them in fabric, blankets or throws – make sure the fabrics are washable. These could make extensive seating areas, just use enough to cater for your guests. You could turn a stack of pallets topped with a sheet of plywood into a useful table. Or ask around. You might be surprised how many wall paper tables are lurking in sheds.
If you party is small for just a few people, then bring out the chairs from indoors. Arrange them near a garden bench to double the seating and remember that people can perch on low walls, sit on steps and find other places to rest when needed.
Colour and vibrancy
Now simply add some colour. The easiest way to do this is to use table cloths, throws and cushions. A bright tablecloth over your pallet table will transform it from an industrial style stack into a useful area for trays, plates and food. Colourful blankets and throws will cover over any type of seating making it more comfortable to sit and adding some vibrancy to the setting. And then add your cushions. Just a few on seats will add comfort for the users and bring the whole space to life.
Floral decorations
Pots of flowering plants can dress a patio, lift a dull corner and add beauty to the scene. You don’t have to buy more, consider picking a few posies to decorate the table. You could make floral bunting using larger leaves tied with flowers or line the path with jam jars of stems and flowers. Pick them a day or two before your party and place in water to condition them so that they look their best. If you’ve got plenty of flowers and foliage, make a garland to drape around the table or to hang across a wall.
Homemade cakes, treats and summer cordials
Save money and make your own food. A pack of flaky pastry rolled flat, covered with pesto then rolled back up and sliced into rounds will bake in the oven into delicious savoury bites. You can even make your own pesto from home grown basil, nasturtium leaves, kale or wild garlic. Make hummus from chickpeas and serve with home-made bread or flat breads. But don’t forget the cakes. Sweet and savoury, they are the magnet to bring your visitors and the magic for making memories.
If you make your own liquors and wines then a party is a great place to share them. But you can also use up some of your frozen fruit to make summer cordials or go elderflower scrumping and turn the flowers into delicious elderflower cordial.
If you have a good supply of herbs like mint or verbena these too can be transformed into the basis for summer drinks.
Light it up
Make sure your Coronation Party has longevity and keep it going into the night. If you garden setting is close to the house you can add a few extra lights to the scene. Solar lighting is another great way to illuminate the garden and add soft ambient light to the party. Or you can use simple battery powered fairy lights, but bring them inside if it’s wet.
Use candles with care. Each one should be safely ensconced inside a jam jar to keep the flame away from flammable material. Or use special garden lanterns to transform the table and party with soft lighting.
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