Garden parties always feel a bit risky in the UK, don’t they? The weather seems to do whatever it wants regardless of how many hours you’ve spent planning a get-together. We had a garden party (not like the Queen, it wasn’t that fancy) for Laurie’s 30th and despite threats of rain, we were pretty lucky with the weather. Fast forward to my 30th and it rained all day long so we ended up trapped indoors and I was sober (public service announcement: don’t bother having a birthday party when you’re pregnant, it’s no fun watching other people get drunk).
Ember’s birthday usually falls on the bank holiday weekend in August and I love the idea of having a party in the garden to celebrate. But I also hate the idea of having a houseful of miserable children thanks to bad weather, so I am yet to commit to such a celebration.
The weather is glorious today, however, so it’s the perfect time to start daydreaming about summer barbecues, garden parties and afternoons spent drinking cold beers in the garden. This beautiful sunshine has caught me unaware and my garden is in no way ready to be used just yet (why does it have to go from winter straight into summer? Can’t we have a few weeks of spring first to clear the garden and get things ready).
Here are five things you need for the perfect family garden party:
1. Enough seats
Right? There is nothing worse than a party with inadequate seating. I like to be seated. I hate standing awkwardly around the edges of the party. And when you’re outside and the ground is likely to be mucky, this seems especially important. You can find seating to match any budget. You could fill your garden with quality teak garden furniture or opt for a simple stash of picnic blankets and cushions. As long as people can be comfortable, they won’t mind what they end up sitting on.
2. Entertainment
Don’t panic, I’m not talking about an all-singing-all-dancing magician to entertain the kids at your party, but if you’re planning on inviting children, you’ll need something for them to do. If you have a climbing frame or swing set, that will probably do the job. A teepee set out on the grass will keep kids entertained, as will ball games, tennis rackets and a sandpit. You probably don’t need to buy anything new for this, just look at what you already have in the house. Even just a box of chalks and some toy cars could keep younger kids happy for a while.
3. A tidy garden
Your friends and family probably aren’t going to be snobby about it, but nobody wants to sit next to a bag of rubble all night. And I say this as somebody with a collection of rubble bags in her garden. Our garden is a work in progress and it is always a little more building site than family garden. I’m always in the process of moving concrete slabs or dismantling something, so it’s hardly the perfect setting for a party - especially one with small children. Luckily, it’s easy to tidy around things and make things look presentable. Bags of rubble can easily be hidden under a table if you drape a tablecloth over it. A garden party is actually the perfect excuse for a clear out, so make a few tip trips and get rid of the things you don’t need.
4. Things for all the weathers
Well, it’s the UK, isn’t it? It would be a bit crazy to plan an outdoor party without at least a few umbrellas in the house. You can’t have a UK garden party without a wet weather plan. You will need to think about where you’re going to hide out when it rains. And you’ll also need to be sure you have plenty of sun cream in the house because it’s inevitable that a few families will turn up without it and then panic when the sun comes out. And, since this is the UK, you should probably also have a sledge handy for in case it snows, just to be on the safe side…
5. Food and drink
It’s just not a party without a decent offering of food. Barbecues are the obvious choice, I love nothing more than eating barbecue food when the sun is shining. And a decent selection of drinks is a must-have, You’ll also need to make sure you have enough room in the fridge so people can cool their drinks - nobody wants to drink a warm beer on a hot day. A tub filled with ice will do for cooling beers in the garden.
What are your garden party must-haves?
This is a collaborative post.
Photo by Ben Rosett on Unsplash