Springtime weather gives ample opportunity for outdoor gatherings. When you, the gracious host, have to pull double duty as BBQ chef, many of your guests will no doubt join you in the backyard. You may have an entire house full of fine art but at a BBQ, it's your yard that needs to dress to impress.
1 Invest in so......me outdoor furniture. Even if they're just simple benches, try to have seats for everyone.
2 The lowly mosquito can be the bane of any evening BBQ. Anyone can buy a citronella candle but a few citronella plants will impress your more botanical friends. Rosemary also repels bugs but it can be hard to keep, especially in damp climes.
3 A nice shady spot will go over quite well if the day gets hot. You can set up a canopy or pavilion of some sort or take the natural route if you have some good shade trees.
4 Conversely, some of your guests might be the sun-worshiping type. Give them a comfy place in which to work on their tans and they'll be bronzing away.
5 Surely you don't want everyone clustering about on your limited patio area. But what if it rained yesterday? No one wants to slog through the mud. Encourage your guests to explore the garden with easy-to-use flagstone or gravel pathways.
6 Mulch, mulch, mulch. It contrasts with the colors and helps prevent weeds from sprouting up in between your flowers, keeping all eyes on your favorite specimens.
7 Set out some hummingbird feeders and birdseed to attract some avian entertainment. They sing, they dance and your guests might even like to feed them.
8 Keep it colorful. Try to schedule your BBQ so your most impressive plants are in bloom. Take the azalea bush, for instance: a riotous explosion of purple and pink flowers at the right time of year, but the rest of the time it is just a forgettable green bush.
9 A garden can be so much more than plants. A pond adds a new aquatic element to your garden. Eventually you may even get some frogs in there to duet with their feathered counterparts. Be careful that the mosquitoes don't adopt it as a nursery, though.
10 Have an interactive garden. Your BBQ will be memorable indeed if the food you serve comes right from the backyard itself. Forgot to buy tomatoes for the hamburgers? Is someone's baked potato missing something like...chives, perhaps? Why, they're right over there. Pick, wash, slice it and serve. Bon appetit!
To learn more on gardening, visit Master Gardening. Be sure to check out their great garden tools, decor, supplies, and composting products.
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