How to Prepare Your Backyard for Guests
It’s funny how we always forget what a state our backyards are in when we invite people around for a party, dinner, or any other social engagement. It isn’t until three days before the event that we remember the backyard is a jungle and has to be given a spruce up before everyone arrives. So where do you start?
Entertainment Area Maintenance
How’s your outdoor furniture doing? If you’ve invested in wooden furniture, now would be a good time to make sure it’s still in good condition and tighten up any loose bolts or fittings. If your tiles are looking rather dirty, break out your pressure washer and go to work (if you don’t have one already, look to hardware specialists like Ryobi to get you sorted). Give your entertainment area a solid cleaning and make everything look a bit more presentable.
Garden and Yard Care
This one may require a bit more time to accomplish correctly, but there are certain things you can get done quickly. Keeping the lawn mown regularly is a great way to control weeds and keep the grass coverage nice and even for people to walk around on. Prune back any unruly plants to keep the look of the garden nice and orderly. Water regularly, especially if you live in a drier area, to make sure the plants and grass are in good health.
Decorations
A great way to add a bit of character to your yard is to arrange a few decorations around the entertainment area – a pot plant here and there, maybe some decorative tiles on the floor, even an ornate clock on the wall. Find something that speaks to you and add it to the yard if you think it will help. You could even do something creative to your backyard speakers like adding LED lights for when you’re playing background music.
Lighten Up
Speaking of lights, ensure that your backyard is properly lit for when night begins to fall and guests start to find it harder to see. You don’t want them wandering around your backyard in the dark and falling into the gardens. There are a number of ways to shed some light on the area; candles are inexpensive and add a lot of atmosphere, while solar lights give off a dim but prolonged glow that should provide enough light to see.
Food Prep
Part of any decent gathering is a proper cook up. Make sure all of your food prep facilities are working and ready to go. Clean off the barbeque and make sure it’s got plenty of gas. How’s the fridge doing? Clean it out if you must and get it running so it’s good and cold for when guests arrive. Clear off your benchtops and make sure they’re properly cleaned so food can be prepared on them before going on the grill.
Really, all it comes down to is having a bit of time to run around and get all the essentials done. Sometimes we get so busy that these simple steps can be easy to forget. Follow these tips and you’ll be ready for a gathering your guests will remember.
