The art of sitting pretty in summer

Tricks that’ll ensure you make the most of your outdoor space during the balmy days ahead

We’re all going to be spending more time at home this summer, so it makes sense to transform our gardens into calm, attractive and comfortable outdoor retreats. A few simple changes will make a big difference to the way the space looks and feels, ensuring that it’s used often during the long, hot days and nights to come.

Updating furniture, installing lights, adding heating and introducing some of the right plants to brighten up seating areas will all help to make a garden more inviting, whether you want a space for enjoying alfresco meals, a private oasis for relaxing or simply somewhere to soak up the sun.

Start by making patios, decks and other seating areas more welcoming by replacing tatty old tables and chairs with stylish new furniture. An outdoor sofa set will get plenty of use and is ideal for informal dining if equipped with a coffee table. For more formal meals, select an outdoor table with bench seats. It’s important to keep furniture in scale with the available space, as a large table looks awful when hanging over the seating area. If there’s barely enough room to swing a cat, go for a bistro set, beanbags with a low table or cube dining set, boasting stools that tuck neatly under the table when not in use.

Stamp your personality on the scene with soft furnishings, such as rugs, throws and cushions. Choose pieces made from waterproof or water-resistant materials.

Outdoor lights are essential to ensure there’s no need to retreat indoors once the sun goes down. They can be used to set a relaxing atmosphere around dining areas and to visually divide a garden into different parts, along with highlighting the form of architectural specimens and marking the sides of a path. Having electric lights installed by professionals is out of the question if you’re self-isolating. Go for the next best thing: solar lights. There’s a massive range, including spotlights, post lights and even Victorian-style lampposts. All shine for up to eight hours when fully charged.

In my garden, solar-powered string lights have been wound around the trunk of a Chusan palm to accentuate its vertical form, and to draw the eye towards the night sky. Another set has been threaded along a bank of horizontal stainless-steel cables that supports the branches of a fan-trained fig.

Finish off getting your garden summer-ready by filling containers with seasonal plants for an exuberant splash of colour.

Pelargoniums, marguerites, bidens, busy Lizzies and a host of others can be combined in patio planters and pots, while trailing begonias, petunias and fuchsias are ideal for hanging baskets.

Use containers to frame the entrance to eating areas or to delineate a large open space. A group of pots arranged in graduating height will make a striking feature, while a solitary large pot with something impressive inside will create a perfect focal point. Plants in small pots are ideal centrepieces for tables.