A garden is an ideal setting for entertaining.
A wedding is exquisite when vows are exchanged among the roses.
Garden parties and outdoor dining are superb.
To stage your garden for an outdoor party, wedding, or garden tour, begin approximately 2 weeks in advance with these 5 simple tips: Tip 1 - Make a Clean Start: Every yard accumulates a few tools and toys, so there's nothing like opening your garden to a lot of people to inspire a clean-up.
It's worth the effort because a clutter-free yard looks better and is easier to stage.
Focus on these common clutter traps: entrances, the garage and driveway, patios, and decks (including beneath the deck).
Store items you want to keep and give away or dispose of things you no longer want or use.
Tip 2 - Make an Entrance: Whether your property entrance is a grand gate or a simple walkway from the street, it should welcome guests and guide them into the receiving area.
If you don't have an entry structure (a gate or arbor, for example) you can define your entrance with plantings or containers that draw the eye and direct guests.
The containers need not be large or formal.
Place them on any available outdoor table or stand or hang planted baskets on hooks.
Tip 3 - Create Impact: If your garden lacks color or has obvious bare spots, fill in the gaps with plantings of colorful annuals or containers of blooms.
To get more impact from smaller containers, raise them to eye level.
The human eye tends to favor what is directly in the line of sight.
Hang containers on tree branches or hooks or place them on a bench or a garden wall.
To save money, borrow planted containers from friends or bring your houseplants outside.
Caution: Place houseplants in the shade to avoid sunscald.
Tip 4 - Primp Your Plants: If you only have time for 3 garden maintenance tasks, you should weed, stake up, and dead-head.
To easily remove weeds, scrape them over with a cultivator or hoe.
Dispose of large weeds or those with seed heads but you can leave small weeds to whither and vanish into the soil.
If top-heavy blooms have flopped over, you can still stake them up.
Once upright, their askew stems and blooms will straighten within a day or two.
To dead-head, simply look down the stem to the next bud and snip just above it.
If you do this a week before your event, you might be rewarded with a rebloom.
If you mow the lawn, do so a day or 2 before your event so the grass can 'heal'.
Newly cut grass can stain guests' shoes.
Tip 5 - Plan Your Space: Consider how your outdoor space will be used for a procession and a ceremony, for socializing and entertaining, food preparation and serving, and for eating.
Decide where guests can stand or sit for a ceremony.
When choosing a location for food preparation and serving, consider access to electricity and water, including access to the kitchen.
Choose a spot for garbage disposal that is convenient but not in the way of social activities.
For guests, identify the nearest washroom.
If you plan the use of your space, your event will run more smoothly and you and your guests can enjoy the fun.
A planning checklist will simplify the steps to stage your garden.
A free one can be downloaded from the author's website.