With the summer holidays now underway, what better way to make the most of the next few weeks by having a garden picnic in the comfort of your own garden. Having a lovely, traditional picnic party at home is a laid-back style of al fresco dining and an excellent time to have a lunchtime or evening get-together with family & friends, plus embrace the summer weather.
How to Create a Picnic-Perfect Setting
Having a picnic in the garden is a great way to entertain your family & friends during the summer holidays. Our selection of attractive & durable corner garden sofa sets and sofa & armchair garden furniture sets will give you and your guests a great deal of comfort - perfect for relaxing outdoors on those warm, summer days. Our casual dining gas fire pit sets are a must if you want to keep your party going when the sun goes down and will keep everyone nice & cosy.
You and your guests can also dine in style with our picnic tables, such as the stylish and modern Kettler Elba Teak and Aluminium Rectangular Picnic Grande Set (2.4m x 1.1m) - perfect for all outdoor social occasions.
With rattan garden furniture, you will be able to conjure up a lovely garden picnic area in your garden. You can add a splash of colour to your garden sofa set with our range of chic scatter cushions. We also sell a fantastic range of colourful and stylish garden parasols that create plenty of shade and privacy over your seating area as you enjoy your picnic. For extra seating, you may like our garden egg chairs or swing seats that everyone can comfortably relax in as the party goes on.
Picnic Food Ideas
Food is the most essential part of a outdoor picnic party and there are loads of different styles you can create to make your picnic party a success. From summery salads to delicious sandwiches and classic pies, we have put together some picnic food ideas to help you take your party to the next level and for you & your guests to enjoy in the great outdoors.
- Potato Salad: Give your spuds a makeover with your own unique dressing, such as an Italian-style olive oil dressing consisting of basil, Parmesan, and sundried tomatoes to create the perfect picnic side dish.
- Quiches: Quiches are an absolute classic at picnics - they are easy to make and can be served hot or cold. A quiche lorraine is a popular choice, consisting of a flaky pastry base stuffed with smoky Gruyère cheese, cream, and bacon.
- Sandwiches: An obvious essential, there are loads of tasty picnic-perfect sandwich creations you can make using delicious summer produce from thick club sandwiches full of veg to smooth coronation chicken and refreshing tuna salad. Use flavours that your guests will love or try something new by putting your own twist on a classic. Serve your sandwiches with some savoury snacks and/or nutritious salads.
- Fruit: Very adaptable at picnics, you can buy your favourite summer fruits at your local supermarkets to make some fabulously sweet dishes. Create a refreshing fruit salad or capture the perfectly fresh summer fruit flavours with a berry trifle.
- Pies: An absolute showstopper and the perfect centrepiece, what better way to surprise your guests with a magnificent pie. Fill your golden filo, shortcrust, and/or puff pastry pies with delicious fillings, such as creamy chicken & mushroom, rich steak & red wine, and even samosas. Or if you are looking for veggie pie ideas, spinach & feta and lentil & spinach are great summery fillings.
- Burgers & Hot Dogs: Always a hit during the summer, burgers & hot dogs are guaranteed to be a hit at your garden picnic and you can cook them up on one of our BBQs or Outdoor Kitchens.
- Dips: If you are not planning on having a lot of food at your next picnic party, dips are quick and easy to make. You can buy various ones from your local supermarket or you can make your own. Examples of some great flavours are hummus, tzatziki, and chickpea & red pepper; all of which can be served with crisps, carrots, and cucumber.
- Pizza: Pizza is great picnic food because it is perfect finger food and made for sharing, which can be cooked in a matter of minutes with the portable Draco Grills Gas Fired Pizza Oven.
Keep Guests Entertained with Garden Games
After the picnic party is over, playing garden games are a great way to keep the party going and keep everyone entertained. Whether playing in large groups or teams, we have chosen 5 great garden games for everyone to enjoy this summer from classic family games to games that adults & kids up and about.
- Croquet:A British classic loved by adults, croquet is the epitome of any garden party. It requires up to 6 players and is a great lawn game to play during the warm summer months in gardens of all sizes and will test your skills, plus bring a lot of enjoyment.
- Swingball:This is a high-energy ball game, which can be played anywhere in the garden and will get kids up off their seats & their competitive hats on.
- Card Games:Gather around your garden furniture set with your guests playing a classic card game like Snap, Whist, or even Poker.
