Garden parties signal the beginning of summer. As soon as the flowers start to bloom and the sun dapples through your doors, you know it’s time to crack out the Pimms and wipe the dust from the BBQ. Garden parties signal the beginning of summer. As soon as the flowers start to bloom and the sun dapples through your doors, you know it’s time to crack out the Pimms and wipe the dust from the BBQ. Summer is just all about garden parties. Simple or swish, there are some basics which are fundamental to any garden party. Here is run down of what you’ll need, whether you’re planning to impress or opting for the understated looking.

A place for mingling

There’s a reason guests flock to the kitchen at any house party: it’s where the food and drinks are and is a great place to mingle. For this reason, you need to provide the same sort of set up in your garden. A good place to start is garden furniture. CapitalGardens.co.uk is a good place to look for good quality furniture if you don’t yet have any. Garden furniture is an essential party piece, as it’s where drinks can be mixed, canapés and nibbles laid out and a place for glasses to be rested. Make sure you position your table in a non intrusive area, so it’s easily accessible to everyone but won’t cause a block when it comes to the food rush.

Choose a theme

Like all parties, it is a good plan to decide on a main theme. This way, it is a lot easier to plan menus, drinks and decorations. Really fun themes are Hawaiian, 60s or classical. For a Hawaiian theme, think fun cocktails, grass skirts, bright flowers and a fresh Hawaiian based menu. Automatically, your party has real focus and makes it a lot easier for you to plan for. Similarly, choosing a classical theme makes planning just as easy. Plenty of wine, sheets, grapes, bread and olives and your garden will be mistaken for a symposium.

Create a list of guests

Creating a list of guests is ultimately the easiest way of establishing how much food will be needed. Unless you want people to bring their own drink (BYOB) then you will have to have a serious think about how much drink you should buy. This should also include soft drinks, mixers and plenty of jugs of water. If you are starting your party during the day and it’s particularly hot, water will be must or you’ll have a lot of dehydrated guests on your hands! On a side note, once you have sort out who to invite, a nice touch is to design your own invitations.