From bunting to box cushions: accessories to set the scene
Accessorise your garden as you would an indoor room, with fabrics, lighting and other pretty and practical trimmings. Pile cushions onto chairs, benches and waterproof-backed picnic rugs. Sling a hammock between trees, put up a parasol to shade you from the sun and keep a supply of extra blankets for chilly evenings. Stock up on outdoor games – croquet, badminton, skittles – and toy boats if you have a pond to sail them on. String coloured bunting and twinkling fairy lights through trees, and along fences and verandas (for battery lights, try powerbee.co.uk or protecttheplanet.co.uk for solar-powered) and illuminate paths with lamps planted in pots and borders. Then create little lanterns by setting tealights in jam jars and binding the rims with wire or twine handles. A swing hung from a stout branch makes a useful shelf for lanterns and drinks, as does a well-positioned stepladder.
Accessorise your garden as you would an indoor room, with practical and pretty trimmings
BUNTING signals a summer celebration outdoors like nothing else. Hang from trees above a table or beside a seating area where it will catch the breeze and make an occasion feel special. Ribbons or lanterns will have a similar effect
BOX CUSHIONS with handles are particularly useful to take out into the garden to soften seats or for lounging on a picnic blanket or ground sheet. A striped upholstery braid has been tacked on these to create a handle. Outdoor fabrics provide a weatherproof option
INDOOR CUSHIONS and quilts can travel outside to make a decadent spot to relax on warm days when the ground is dry. Sturdy box cushions or bench seat pads can double as a small mattress on the grass
PORTABLE or fold-down seating is ideal for impromptu gatherings. Chairs (including directors’), stools and deckchairs can all be hung up in a shed or garage when not in use
LANTERNS instantly create a sense of occasion for an evening supper party. They can be used on a table to illuminate the setting or hung from trees to light the way for guests
FESTOON LIGHTS have the nostalgic quality of an oldfashioned fun fair or seaside boardwalk and give useful ambient light around the garden or above a table
FADED FLORAL fabrics make great tablecloths, napkins or tablemats in a garden, where they can be complemented by accessories and freshly picked flowers
OLD CRATES can serve as little side tables for an informal picnic or barbecue (below). Add a striped tea towel as a cloth and, for seating, large floor cushions combined with rugs or blankets and a waterproof groundsheet
JAM JARS can make magical lighting to dress tables, top walls and line paths for an alfresco soirée (right). Recycle attractive jars, washing them first and removing the labels