|
||
|
To guests, a party just seems freer, happier, and more memorable out of doors. With imagination, and the right amount of planning, it can seem that way to the hosts as well - a collaboration between the landscape and the event that keeps family and friends returning year after year. Planning an outdoor party for a large group begins with choosing a sheltered site big enough and pretty enough to become a centerpiece in its own right. Select the location based on the best your site offers naturally - a well-kept lawn, a handsome stone terrace, a courtyard paved with bricks or raked gravel. Set your table between a pair of young trees, under a pergola heavy with grapevines, or in a corner of the garden framed by flower beds and climbing roses. A neatly trimmed hedge or a terrace wall can also help frame a table in an outdoor expanse. In the absence of natural shade, set out wide canvas umbrellas or a canopy for protection and definition. Roll in tall planters filled with staked jasmine or honeysuckle to filter the sun as it lowers in the sky, and place a pot of flowers at each of the four corners of your dining area to clearly set it off and keep the space green and leafy. Remember that what gives an outdoor room its charm is a sense of enclosure. When planning an outdoor party, the time of day is as important to success as the location or menu. Daylight hours are perfect for lingering over a lazy afternoon meal and enjoying the last rays of the sun. Integrate an informal game of bocce, badminton, or croquet into the day, and provide a clever storage solution for the respective racquets, balls, and nets close to the court or playing area. Lay down rows of smooth, painted stones on grass or gravel as an all-weather border to define a game's boundary lines. Galvanized metal tubs make handsome storage containers for everything from cold drinks and ice to sun hats and flip-flops. When they empty out at day's end, the tubs come in handy for collecting stray game pieces or bringing tableware indoors.
|
|
|