A patio, a pergola or a deck is a fantastic option for an entertaining area, great for BBQs, parties, morning breakfasts or even reading a book. An open-air option for outdoor entertaining is a paved or tiled courtyard, surrounded by plants and other decorations. Courtyards should not be too small - if they are cramped, they are less enjoyable to be in, and therefore less likely to be used. You can add interest to your courtyard by defining the space with plants, hedges and screens.

 

 

 

If you plan to entertain in the evening, lighting will play an essential role in your outdoor living area. Besides helping people find their way around your yard in the dark, a good selection of lights will create a great atmosphere, can be used to highlight features in your garden and be used as a security device.

At the budget end of the market, candles and garden torches emit a soft and moody light that's great for parties. However, take care if there are children around, as you don't want anyone to be burned or your house to go up in flames.

Uplighting can be used to highlight features such as trees and garden beds, creating focal points and adding a dramatic shadowy effect to your garden. Well lights can be placed directly into your lawn at ground level, leaving no obstructions for visitors to trip over or lawnmowers to destroy.

Lights along paths will increase safety and make walks in the dark far more inviting and manageable, and strings of fairy lights in trees add life and colour to your garden.

Barbecue chefs will need strong lighting so that they can watch over the food. Options include overhead spotlights and downlights. You can also buy grill lights, which sit inside your barbecue.

 

 

 

An outdoor heater allows you to use your outdoor entertaining area all year round. Heaters are fast becoming an essential item for outdoor living, and there are several options, both modern and traditional, for heating your patio, courtyard or barbecue area.

Patio heaters are often seen in restaurants (they're tall, thin and topped with a gas element), and are available for home use. Relatively expensive but very effective, they use radiant heat, which warms people and objects, but not the surrounding atmosphere. Patio heaters are usually powered by gas bottles - that tend to run out at inconvenient moments.

Braziers are basically steel baskets in which some kind of fuel (usually briquettes) is burned to produce heat. In use for centuries, they are cheap to buy and cheap to run, but keep them out of reach of children.

Outdoor fireplaces can be constructed from both iron and clay. The clay version, which originated in Mexico, is commonly called a Chiminea. Outdoor fireplaces are quite expensive to buy initially, but are very cheap to run and are excellent heaters.