Summer garden inspiration

Get the garden guest-ready this summer, without calling in the designers

The sun is making a very occasional appearance, the evenings are stretching out, and there’s that familiar itch to get outside. You might even dare to entertain a few people, subject to an emergency garden glow up! Whether it’s a family barbecue, a few neighbours around for a drink, or simply making your outdoor space somewhere you actually want to sit, a little effort goes a long way. Surprisingly, a few smart and inexpensive ideas will have you embracing outdoor entertaining, Martha Stewart style!

Start with what you have

Before you spend a single euro, take stock. That plastic garden furniture that’s been sitting under a sheet since last October? Give it a proper scrub with warm soapy water and a stiff brush. You’d be amazed at the transformation. Faded wooden furniture can be brought back to life with a tin of garden wood stain available from any hardware shop for under €15 and a few hours on a dry afternoon.

Cushions and throws are worth checking too. If they’ve seen better days, charity shops are gold mines for outdoor fabric. An old picnic blanket thrown over a bench, a couple of mismatched but colourful cushions all add up to something that looks intentional, rather than thrown together.

Light it up

Nothing transforms a garden in the evening like good lighting, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Solar-powered fairy lights, which are of pretty good quality, are widely available in Dealz, Lidl, and Aldi. String them along a fence, wrap them around a shrub, or drape them above a seating area, the effect is genuinely mood enhancing.

Empty jam jars with a tealight inside make elegant table centrepieces. Try adding a handful of pebbles or a sprig of garden lavender and they look like something from a lifestyle magazine.

The barbeque itself

You don’t need a gas-powered behemoth to have a great barbecue. A simple charcoal grill does the job perfectly well, and if yours is a bit rusty, a wire brush and a coat of heat-resistant paint will have it looking respectable again. For actual cooking, keep it simple, jumbo sausages, marinated chicken thighs, and a few veggie skewers go down well with any crowd and don’t cost the earth.

It’s worth noting that supermarket own-brand charcoal is just as good as the pricier bags. Lidl and Aldi also run highly anticipated seasonal barbecue specials throughout the summer that are well worth keeping an eye out for. Yes, this is what floats our mid-life boat!

Greenery for less

You don’t need to replant the whole garden for your guests. A few well placed pots of geraniums or begonias, reliably cheerful, reliably Irish weather proof can completely lift a patio or path. Garden centres sell trays of very affordable bedding plants and they’ll flower right through to September with very little fuss.

If you have a wall or fence, a hanging basket filled with trailing plants adds colour at eye level and draws the eye upward, making even a small space feel bigger.

Set the scene

A tablecloth goes a long way. Even a plain white one lifts a tired garden table into something that feels like an occasion. Add a small bunch of flowers cut from your own garden and afew snack bowls and you have the makings of a lovely afternoon.

The truth is, people don’t come to your garden for the décor. They come for the company, the food, and the sense that someone made an effort. With a little creativity and a modest spend, you can give them all three whilst enjoying your own outdoor space in the process.

Now, fingers crossed for the weather.

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