How to Get Your Garden Barbecue-Ready This Summer
There are few activities the British love more than a good barbecue.
As summer rolls around, families up and down the country will be wheeling out the barbecues from their sheds, stocking up with meat and veggie alternatives at the supermarket, and crafting the ultimate summer playlist, all in anticipation those warm sunny days spent outdoors.
Others yet will be getting their gardens into shape, pulling up the weeds, cleaning paving stones, and repairing seats ready for friends and family to come over. Getting your garden cleaned and decorated can make your barbecue extra special, both for hosting parties and for everyday lounging in the sun.
In this blog, we've created a useful guide to getting your home barbecue-ready this summer, with garden BBQ ideas, tips and tricks on maintenance and planning. Read on to find out more!
Weeding the garden
Let's start with the basics. After winter has breezed through and spring brought all kinds of bloom to your garden, it's time to start tackling those weeds! Pull out the gardening gloves and shears and start pulling up the weeds on your patio up by the roots. A clear and tidy patio will look great for your visitors and it'll keep any thorny weeds or nettles from throwing up any sharp spikes. If you're facing any tough weeds that are wedged deep in the cracks between paving stones, consider using vinegar or baking soda as natural solutions for driving them out.
Mow the lawn
There's a whole lot of people out there who can't get enough of the feel of trimmed grass beneath their feet on a summer evening. Cracking open the lawn mower to cut your grass is the quickest way of getting your garden looking in tip-top shape, ideal for moving the party out onto the lawn for BBQ success. This also gets rid of any nasty weeds that are still about and can help keep insect numbers down in the spots where you'll be eating. Better yet, as an added bonus, regular lawn maintenance can keep your grass looking fresh, green and inviting for all other outdoorsy pursuits too.
Maximise seating arrangements
Depending on how many people you intend to invite to your barbecue, you'll need to bring out as many seats or seating alternatives as you can to ensure everyone has a space to kick back with their burger, hot-dog or halloumi. Take some time to plan out where to put your seats in the garden and don't be afraid to grab some chairs from inside for when the BBQ garden party rolls around. If you have a smaller yard that might not fit actual seats, you could go for a more rustic and quaint feel with some good old picnic blankets and cushions so that people can kick back on your (freshly cut) lawn.
Bring out the lights
It's hard to find a garden decoration quite as magical as fairy lights - the clue after all, is in the name. Hanging up a set of fairy lights, or indeed any other kind of lights, can give a beautiful and cheerful glow to your barbecue event as the sun goes down and the evening sweeps in. Their presence, along with the intoxicating warmth of a summer night, offers a relaxed atmosphere that helps your party wind down. Try to go for lights with a warmer light temperature - you could also consider going for environmentally-friendly solar powered batteries that charge up in the day and turn on automatically by night.
Get painting
With the cold weather of winter, we can all be forgiven for not feeling the need to paint the outdoor areas. After all, the nights are longer and few of us are out spending any real time in the garden. When spring, summer and barbecue season come round however, it's time to bust open the paint brush and cans, don your overalls and get to painting. Be sure to turn the hose on the walls before you paint - you could also consider sprucing things up with a new colour scheme. Also, it can be worth getting the kids involved for some family-based outdoors fun (and the chance to sit back while they do all the work!).
Invest in a good music system
What is a barbecue party without any quality music? A tinny phone speaker playing quietly in the background is no substitute for some proper audio technology to keep the tunes going. A wireless system works best here, both for input and output - Bluetooth capability will let you change songs quickly and easily through a phone, laptop or tablet, while portable speakers can be positioned around the garden for your own surround sound setup. Remember to keep an eye on your volume dial however - your neighbours will thank you for it!
Those are our tips for getting your garden and home set up for barbecues this summer! Good luck and happy barbecuing!
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