Make Your Garden A Social Hub By Transforming It With These Tips

For many of us, our gardens are a labour of love. We spend our time tending to them simply because of the joy it brings us – and isn’t it wonderful to look back at your handiwork and feel a sense of pride? The only thing that comes second to that is having others enjoy your garden too. In fact, al-fresco entertaining has become more and more popular in recent years, with people beginning to see their gardens as simply an extension of their homes. If you enjoy hosting people at your house and also love gardening, why not combine the two? Creating a garden that is suitable for socialising takes a bit of planning out, but it can be done – and the only thing better than you enjoying your garden is everyone enjoying your garden!

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Open space

Just as small houses are difficult to entertain in, a cramped, overly busy garden can be a problem when it comes to having people over. Obviously, you can’t simply add an extra six foot onto the back of your garden. But what you can do is clear some space and even make it appear bigger. If you have a large bush that is overgrowing into what would be communal space, simply get a bit snap-happy with a hedge trimmer. You may also want to cut back your flower beds if they are especially deep to make way for more grass or paving depending on your taste. Also be aware of plant pots as a health and safety hazard. Having too many dotted about can not only make the garden look overly busy, but it can pose a threat for people, who may trip over them before they realise they are there.

Communal area

Unlike houses, gardens are not naturally built around social occasions. For example, most living rooms are designed around a fireplace, so that the inhabitants can position their chairs around said fireplace and socialise comfortably. With a garden, you have to be a little more imaginative. If you have a grass garden, check that the surface is suitable to put chairs on. A lawn that is too damp will only result in the chairs sinking down into it, so you may need to consider hiring an expert in lawn drainage. If you have a patio or decking, you already have a good setup for socialising, be it evening drinks or a summer BBQ. As night falls, make sure you have a roaring outdoor fire going – even in the middle of summer the evening can get pretty chilly. Fill a chiminea or fire pit with kiln dried logs to generate enough heat to keep the whole family warm.

Talking points

One of the great things about having people over to your garden is having your garden itself as a point of interest. No one wants to sit outdoors in a messy, unkempt backyard, evening if the sun is shining bright. Keeping your garden in good shape and adding enhancing extras – a particularly unusual plant or a water feature, for example – can help to make it a place where people want to spend their time in