A garden designed for parties - includes related article on outdoor garden decoration accessories - tips on how to design backyard gardens

Sunset, June, 1999 by Peter O. Whiteley

This small backyard has everything for entertaining: seating, lighting, a barbecue, and more

"It's almost like being in a room," says Cia Foreman of the outdoor dining area she designed on one side of her 30- by 50-foot rear garden in Palo Alto. A patio floor paved with Connecticut blue stone defines the area, and finishing touches - sculptural, freestanding lighting columns, a built-in barbecue, and an antique metal baker's rack against one wall that substitutes for a buffet table - serve her well for entertaining.

To accentuate the roomlike feeling, Foreman covered two of the sections of fence that hug the dining area with the same siding as the house, then painted the back one soft lavender and the side one gray to match the house. Copper-and-glass light fixtures mounted near the tops of 6-by-6 redwood posts function like wall sconces to bathe the patio in soft light. (Channels routed in the posts accommodate the electrical lines.)

But this small remodeled garden offers more than its dining patio for summer entertaining. At the heart of the garden is an elevated planter, with a fountain and a vine-covered trellis; it's edged on two sides by a wide seat wall. At night, light fixtures hidden in the planter splash the fountain, background foliage, and fence with light.

At the other end of the garden, an outdoor sitting area containing two comfortable chairs is backed by a generous lattice-covered screen.

THE PLANTS

Golden coreopsis, blue delphinium, daylilies, species geraniums, penstemons, and lamb's ears (Stachys) mix with blue Salvia farinacea and violas in the stucco-clad planter. Morning glory (Ipomoea) and polyanthus jasmine cling to the trellis behind the fountain, and scented herbs - lavenders and thyme - grow close to the sitting area with spiky New Zealand flax as accent.

7 must-haves for outdoor entertaining

* Comfortable seating for everyone. Built-in seating or seat walls can supplement garden furniture for large groups and keep the garden from looking cluttered.

* Serving or buffet surfaces. These can be portable (carts or side tables) or built-in countertops.

* Barbecue, cooktop, pizza oven, or built-in wok.

* Easy access to the kitchen (even just a pass-through window). Also, good traffic flow from house to garden and within and around outdoor living spaces.

* Bug control. Burn citrus candles to help keep a variety of bugs at bay, and keep ponds stocked with mosquito fish. For yellow jackets (daytime nuisances, mostly), try traps from your nursery or garden center; hang them at least 5 yards downwind of a barbecue or picnic table, waist-high or lower. Cover food, especially meat and sweet drinks, on a buffet table.

* Umbrellas or other shademakers for afternoon parties in hot climates. (They add visual interest too.)

* Outdoor lighting for evening parties.

7 magic-makers

* Portable lighting. Candles, luminarias, miniature white lights strung between trees or posts, or white paper lanterns dangling from trees can supplement built-in lighting and take a patio from ordinary to spectacular.

* Water. A trickling fountain or a glazed pot containing a single water lily adds magic. Or float summer blossoms in a birdbath.

* Fragrance. Perfumed flowers are enchanting on warm summer nights. Plant some of these in pots: Bouvardia longiflora, citrus, gardenia, Jasminum nitidum, plumeria. Put the pots on the edge of the deck or patio where their fragrance can be enjoyed.

* Colorful pillows. It's best if they're covered with outdoor fabrics. Scatter them on garden benches or seat walls.

* Outdoor speakers. Play your favorite tunes - soft classical guitar, bossa nova, or Hawaiian slack key, anyone? All of these are especially soothing outdoors on balmy evenings.

* Fireplace. Or it could be a portable firepit (gas, or wood-burning, fitted with a spark-arresting top).

* Outdoor bouquets. Fill terra-cotta wine coolers or colorful painted buckets with bunches of cut flowers to dress up a patio or buffet table.