Getting Your Backyard Ready for Entertaining

May 7, 2013 by jciriello 9 Comments

A few weeks ago I hosted a small ladies gathering in my backyard as a baby sprinkle (as opposed to a “shower”). It was a warm April weekend and a great opportunity to spruce up the backyard for Spring & Summer. We spent 4+ weeks re-landscaping our front and backyards last summer and only enjoyed the end result for a month or two post re-design. The new plants from last summer have matured a bit, the bougainvillea is back in bloom and the jasmine smells delicious. Here are a few pics of what the seating / dining area of our yard looks like.

Teak is expensive but the best option for an outdoor wood table because of the natural oil found in teak. To protect it, try to keep it covered all week and in the winter, when the table is not in use. Much easier than sanding and sealing the table every year. Also be careful to select solid teak and not “other” wood that has been just treated with teak oil. If you see a large teak table priced under $1,000, it’s probably not solid teak and may warp over time.

A few design recommendations if you like this look … don’t buy an outdoor table with matching chairs. Our yard has a “paved” area in gray concrete so I wanted some color against the wood table. I found these awesome yellow chairs at Pier 1 and bought a couple of two-sided cushions for the end chairs. The cushion is floral on one side and striped on the other (my husband prefers the stripes)

We have bright turqouise lanterns against the posts of the pergola (hard to see in these pics) so I picked out these turquoise tissue-paper pom poms on-line. They are made by Martha Stewart. After seeing how simple it is to make them myself, I could see going the DIY route next time but these pom poms lasted several weeks outside … until it rained 😦

Lastly – if you have a pergola or something that can accommodate a shade cloth, it’s a great way to diffuse light and block harsh sunlight without using a solid canopy. I found a shade cloth on-line that was installed on top of the pergola by our landscaping guys. It makes our seating area so much more useful.

To view more of my backyard inspiration, check out my Pinterest board here.

Chairs – Pier 1 (stacking chair and larger chair). Table – Pottery Barn. Pom Poms – Martha Stewart. Tablecloth – gift from friend. Flowers – White hydrangeas and irises. Inexpensive outdoor furniture covers can be found here.  We paid a little more for a large table cover from Pottery Barn.

Linking up with Style Sessions, Rolled Up Pretty, any My Thrifty Chic