It’s that time of year when everything moves outside. The sun is shining, your skin is tanning, and family and friends can’t wait to come over for a garden party. But with all the extra hustle and bustle that organising a garden party can bring, a key component can be forgotten about – the garden! Having a pleasant garden to host from is vital in keeping everyone happy, warm, and entertained, but often we don’t realise what needs to be done, or even what can be done to improve our outside spaces. Luckily, Ernest Doe is on hand to guide you through the key steps to make your garden parties the talk of the town.

As with the preparation of the food, most of the hard work has to be done before the guests arrive. Whilst tasks such as washing patio or decking areas may seem daunting, modern machines can make light work of them. The Kärcher K4 Compact Pressure Washer is ideal for use around the home, from external walls to patios, and allows you to switch between a low-pressure detergent application and high-pressure wash jet, meaning you get an effective clean every time.

Once the cleaning is done, it’s time to focus on your lawn. A quick cut can work wonders for the look of your garden, but it is important to get an efficient lawn mower to provide an even cut. For a quality mower with great manoeuvrability and a powerful motor for smooth and quiet operation, we suggest the Hayter Envoy 36 Electric Mower, which is now on offer in our online store.

For the finishing touches to your lawn, use a strimmer around the edges to keep everything looking tidy, and an effective weed killer to remove nasty looking weeds from you garden. Our Honda 425LE Petrol Strimmer offers improved power delivery to the cutting area and is perfect for high-speed work, meaning you have more time to focus on the rest of the garden. The 425LE is also currently on offer at £298, saving you a massive £80 on the RRP. We recommend Weedol 5L Pathclear Weed Killer to eliminate existing weeds and prevent the growth of new weeds for up to 3 months.

The centrepiece of any garden party is, of course, the BBQ. Nothing brings family and friends together quite as much as sizzling food fresh off the grill. Make sure you’ve defrosted the meat beforehand, and maybe experiment with marinades to add more flavour to your meats. At Ernest Doe, we only sell gas BBQs because we believe they give the best result: cooking the food evenly is so much easier, and this allows the delicious flavours to be brought out. So whether you’re looking for a petite, portable BBQ, or looking for an impressive outdoor kitchen, we’re sure to have you covered.

To really get your family and friends talking, why not consider some of our garden party accessories? These cool, colourful, LED tall drinking glasses have lights that turn off when the glass is empty – meaning you’ll know when your guests are in need of a refill! To keep those cans and bottles ice cold, consider using the Lifestyle Electric Stainless Steel Drinks Cooler. It has a massive 57-litre capacity and can be used both indoors and outdoors, meaning it is always convenient for your guests.

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