•MAKE A HOUSE A HOME
There’s no need to head inside once the sun goes down. Try some of our simple tricks to extend the evening and your living space
Ideas to ensure your garden is the place to be after dark this summer
CREATE A SHELTERED SPOT
An all-weather covered area means you can stay out, even on a drizzly night. If you don’t have a permanent structure like a wooden gazebo or summer house, a pergola can be adapted with a waterproof material or plastic cover. Position chairs beneath the shelter, then bring out the blankets, hot drinks and a pack of cards so the family’s focus remains outside.
RELAX BY THE FIRE
Gather family and friends around a cosy firepit and create a focal point for activities with the family, such as toasting marshmallows. Founder of Kindwood, Taylor Gathercole, tells us how to get the fire started. ‘Build a small pile of tinder then stack the kindling over it in the shape of a tipi. Keep adding more until it takes on a solid structure, then add the firewood against it. Leave a space in the wind’s direction so air can flow, and you can access the kindling to light it.’
ILLUMINATE THE GARDEN
Create varied levels of lighting by hanging fairy lights or festoons along fences, or create a canopy across a seating area. Lanterns and rechargeable outdoor lamps are ideal for table tops and ground level lighting, or for a magical twinkle, wrap micro lights around trees. For both a practical and pretty effect, use uplighters or spotlights for pathways or borders. Smart lighting, such as Philips’ Hue, can be controlled via your phone and its strip lighting can be fixed along pathways or garden structures.
PLANTS FOR EVENING SCENT
Enhance the sensory experience around chillout zones or along pathways with plants that release their scent at dusk. For a pergola or archway, go for climbing plants such as evergreen jasmine or honeysuckle. In borders, pathways or containers, pretty dianthus and delicate hesperis work well alongside night scented phlox, which are ideal for well drained rockeries too. Night scented stocks work brilliantly in hanging baskets.
DINNER BY CANDLELIGHT
If your table is set up in the middle of the lawn, use stakes for an illuminated perimeter. Create a real inside-out feel by hanging rechargeable pendant lights above the table, beneath a tree or pergola. For an atmospheric glow, place tea lights along the table in simple glass vases and jars that have tall sides to prevent candles blowing out. If the scent of citronella candles is too strong over dinner, Lakeland’s Thermacell Halo Patio Shield is scent-free and repels bugs.
INDULGE IN A SPA
Create an outdoor spa zone in your garden. Inflatable hot tubs start at around £300, ideal if you want to try one before investing in an acrylic or fibreglass model, which cost from £2,500 (try Royal Tubs or Urban Cedar). Wood fired tubs (from £1,600, Sauneco) don’t require electricity as the heater is fuelled by dry wood. The antibacterial properties of wooden tubs avoid the use of chemicals, but will require frequent water changes.
HOST A MOVIE NIGHT
Use a projector for the ultimate outdoor cinema experience (choose one with at least 3000 lumens). Peg up a white sheet on a washing line then add weights to the corners of the sheets – or use a wall as your screen. Then all you need are a few comfy seats and blankets handy in case the temperature drops. Don’t forget the snacks!
SLEEP UNDER THE STARS
Create a glamping-at-home experience, whether it’s just for the evening or an overnight stay. Style up a tipi or tent, draping string lights either side, along with bunting or tassels. Add throws and cushions, covering the ground sheet with rugs or even duvets and an airbed for total luxury. If the kids are relaxing while the adults chat, link up a phone to a portable speaker, for story time via Audible. Or get them hooked on star gazing with apps such as Star Walk 2.
OUR EXPERT SAYS… ❝CELEBRATING A SPECIAL WEEKEND? LOOK FOR A LOCAL HOT TUB HIRE, BUT CHECK ACCESS TO THE BACK GARDEN ISN’T RESTRICTED. THEN SIT BACK AND WATCH THE SUNSET WITH A GLASS OF BUBBLY ❞
MICHELA COLLING, STYLE EDITOR