Welcome Guests - Back Into The Garden

Styling ideas and final flourishes to make the catch-up with friends and family even more special

- Michela Colling

Drinks trolley, £450; Skye lantern, £35; jug and stirrer, £45; glasses, from a selection, all The White Company

SET UP A DRINKS STATION

Even the host with the most needs a break to enjoy the party, so stock up a drinks station and let guests help themselves. Premix a cocktail, stash spare glasses and back-up bottles underneath and don’t forget the ice! A bar cart is not only a glamorous touch but easy to move as guests follow the sun or shade. Style it up with a lantern or outdoor lamp for a pretty glow as the sun sets.

PARTY READY

Hammered Amber jug, £37, Amara. Wooden leaf salad servers, £55, Rose & Grey. Bee napkin holder, £14, Next Home

LUSH LINE UP

Swap a blowsy bouquet for potted plants in a variety of sizes, from seedlings and succulents to larger trailing plants, allowing them to ramble down the centre of the table. Mix in fragrant potted herbs for a double sensory hit, or tie a sprig to a napkin as a simple place setting. Offer edible seedlings, from your garden to theirs, as keepsakes. For any kind of display, low-level vases and pots won’t block the view, but allow conversation to flow across the table.

Tiller tablecloth in Stone, £115, Daylesford. Recycled glass