Garden parties on warm summer evenings are a pleasure to look forward to. Here are 10 easy ways to decorate your outdoor space with light without breaking the budget.



1) Illuminate driveways, paths, stairs, pool decks, and dark corners with paper bag lanterns made from tealights and brown paper lunch bags. Place few rocks inside each lantern as anchors.



2) Make a small investment in easy-to-install solar path lighting. There is no wiring of any kind and the light fixture can be moved around as needed (around $30 each).



3) Place citronella candles and tiki torches around seating areas to deter insects. Make sure they are not too close to the food, as the smell can overpower flavors.



4) Lace decorative paper Chinese lanterns, or inexpensive multi-colored, themed, or bright white sting lights through railings, patio umbrellas, and pergolas.



5) Place cand... [more]

Fall has to be the most perfect time for an outdoor get together. Invite a few friends over and celebrate. Just like when you entertain indoors, entertaining outdoors requires some sprucing up as well. Take an objective walk through your garden area and decide where you want everyone to gather.
Pick a focal point as your backdrop and you're ready to begin.
Pull out the tallest or widest spreading weeds
Clip out dead branches (be sure to save any larger dead shrub or tree branches and "plant" them in a bucket with sand or gravel, spray paint it and add fun lights - voila! a decoration)
Remove any dead plants
Prune and dead head those plants with spent blooms
Add a few well placed splashes of color (such as newly planted containers, mums that you just found at the farmer's market or sunflowers in tall containers or baskets will make a huge difference and they can cover up any imperfections)
If you can't find fresh cut sunflowers, pick up some si... [more]

Most people use traditional canopies to shelter their garden parties or barbeques against the burning sun or light summer rain. But did you ever consider using a screen house instead? You will have a bit less of an "outside feeling", but it can solve some of the greatest problems you face when having a garden party.

What a screen house can do for your garden party that a canopy can't:

Much better wind protection
Much better protection against rain
Much better protection against insects


Screen house benefit #1: Much better wind protection
On windy days, your guests might easily get cold when using a canopy, especially when the weather is not so hot, or when you party till late in the night and the evening gets chilly. In a screen house, you will be safe from the wind. No uncomfortable freezing. No plates or glasses being blown over either, and no sand blowing into your food.

Screen house benefit #2: Much... [more]