THE PERFECT OUTDOOR GARDEN PARTY
The backyard can be the elegant setting for your next dinner gathering.

The night sky provides a romantic backdrop
for a party that lasts into the evening hours.
String lights create a twinkling canopy, and
candles add a warm glow to the table.

The final fork is in place beside a setting of your finest china. Tall candlesticks are lit, and water is poured into cut-crystal glasses before the salad is served. This elegant dinner isn’t set in your dining room, but instead in your backyard, showing off your groomed lawn and tended garden.

Moving a dinner party to the great outdoors doesn’t necessitate a less formal presentation. With the help of your favorite entertaining accessories, your yard will be transformed into an elegant backdrop.

But first you have to throw out conventional thinking about outdoor entertaining—as well as those plastic plates and checkered tablecloths. This isn’t your backyard barbecue.

The dinner should be set in the most picturesque location possible, so several days before the party, survey the yard to find the best spot for the party. It could be near a blooming hydrangea or under a flowering tree, but avoid setting the table near a border full of spent tulips and other early-blooming bulbs. Fill in sparse areas that haven’t bloomed with colorful pots of annuals. If your party is timed for the evening hours, add white flowers, which will glow as the sun sets and the moon rises. And consider the colors of the garden when selecting accessories—you can’t compete with Mother Nature.

Take time to smell the flowers, as scent plays an important role in your choice of setting. Be sure not to compost the week before the party, as the smell will linger and compete with your meal. Fragrant spots—near a peony bush or a climbing sweet pea—will add the lightest perfume. And encircle the table with pots of herbs like mint, basil and thyme for appetizing scents.

Lighting plays a critical role, so in the days leading up to the party, look at your selected site for lighting hints to see if the sun will set in someone’s eyes or if a canopy of trees darkens the yard to pitch-black. Add an umbrella to shade early-evening light and twinkle lights to a tree to illuminate the meal as it unfolds.

Since a folding table may be the most convenient and portable option, choose tablecloths in lightweight linens that drape onto the ground paired with chair covers or pretty cushions to dress up ordinary folding chairs.

Finally, unlike your house, where entertaining areas are defined as the dinning room or living room, the yard is a source of endless possibilities. Select one area for cocktails and another for dinner to give guests a variety of places to socialize and capture views of your budding garden.

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