You’ve been waiting all winter for this and it’s finally here! It’s time to start planning your spring and summer gatherings in your backyard, but there is a lot of work to do before your first guests arrive. In today’s article, we’re going to cover some of the top best practices of how to prepare your home, garden, and backyard for an amazing season of outdoor entertaining. Be ready for your guests to be speechless, at first. Then they will be giddy with conversation as they enjoy your fantastic entertaining space. Enjoy.
Provide As Much Shade As Possible
With the summer shaping up to be a real scorcher, it’s best to be prepared to help your guests beat the heat with shade. You can tackle this in a number of ways, but some of the ways we recommend are the following:
Add large umbrellas to your outdoor tables
Install privacy toppers to your fencing (this allows for more shade and helps to keep the neighbors from prying during your soiree)
Install a pergola over your patio or deck
Install canopy shades between your house and nearby poles, or trees. You can also DIY this if you’re in a pinch by using old sheets or thrift store sheets that fit the theme
Set up several free-standing shade umbrellas (cheaper than many alternatives)
Have A Clearly Defined Cold Drink Station
Speaking of beating the heat, you will want to provide your guests with a robust cold drink station at a very accessible spot during the party. It can be as simple as an array of coolers with plenty of ice and drinks or as complex as setting up a wet bar area on a cart or built into your deck. The choice is yours, but it will really go a long way to help keep your guests cool, refreshed, and merry!
Freshen Up Your Outdoor Furniture
It’s not time to necessarily replace every piece of outdoor furniture and cushions that you have, but it’s a good idea to really give them some TLC to get them presentable for guests. Check your cushions and pads for stains, sun spots, and tears. If they are beyond repair, then it is time to replace them with a new and fun color. Wipe down and wash all of your furniture as well to get the winter grime and dirt off of them and make them look new and inviting to your guests. It’s a low cost way to get your backyard looking swell again.
Install Music Stations And Lights
It’s just not a party without a little music being played in order to help lubricate the conversation wheels. Set up a few wireless Bluetooth speakers around your backyard and connect them to your favorite entertainment playlist and let it ride! Make sure that it isn’t too loud so that everybody can hear the conversations around them, but isn’t so quiet that your guests will think that it is coming from down the block. The same goes for lights! Buy a few strings of neutral or white Christmas style lights and drape them over your deck railing, or suspend them from a tree branch or line them along your fence. Go wild! A little mood lighting will really help to liven up any get together.
In Conclusion
We hope that today’s guide will help you be better prepared to tackle all of your entertaining this year. Enjoy your summer! Remember, no matter the time of year, there is always something fun to do around Boise and Meridian. I am happy to help with any questions about home and garden, buying, selling, real estate, and beyond! Give me a call today, I’d love to hear from you.
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