PARTY TIME IN THE GARDEN

MAKING THE GARDEN LOOK GOOD FOR A PARTY.

Some people will go to incredible lengths to host a successful party. It is crucial for the inside of the building to be well laid out to accommodate the guests and of course food and drink need to be plentiful. It doesn’t end there though because more and more people are realising that their outdoor space is equally important to make the party go with a bang. Barbeque areas are fine but they can be a bit restrictive and smoky. Here are some of the interesting, strange and sometimes very expensive things that some of us do in preparation for the big day.

A couple wanted to hold a Tuscan-style pasta party at their home, but found that their lawn had been ravaged by a prolonged drought. Their solution was to sprinkle €2,000 of fragrant potpourri on the three-quarter-acre lawn, leaving just enough space for walkways to the candlelit bistro tables. Their initial idea was to go for the plastic flowers but thought that this was a better idea. Everything ended up on the compost heap afterwards

DEALING WITH DRY LAWNS

A drought-riddled lawn, not in Inishowen, I might add, was brightened up in a flash by one person’s ingenuity. A couple in the midlands sprayed their lawn with green vegetable dye. They were desperate to distract attention from wilting shrubs so they attached Christmas lights to the branches.
A little theatrical illusion helped to fix one small back garden. I know someone who uses a tent with fake windows that are actually photographs of rose gardens. The scenes are silk-screened onto the tent. The effect is made all the more mystical when the fog machine is brought out.
Colin Cowie, who specialises in organising elaborate extravaganzas for the rich and famous, says his clients are so fussy they don't want even a small patch of dead grass marring the view. He once re-sodded an entire 100-acre estate for a party at a cost of €60,000. He stresses that although green dye might be OK, spraying actual green paint may damage the plants.

FAKE FLOWERS

Other party planners haul in fake silk flowers and topiaries to enliven withered lawns. The cost is about €200 for a simple border around the garden and obviously a lot more for the whole area
In some areas around the country, especially in the cities some people actually want to host a party with a brown lawn in hot dry spells. One woman in London refuses to disguise her fried lawn, because in her area, not watering is considered the height of environmentally correct chic. "It's the ultimate status symbol," she says. "A brown lawn is a badge of honour."

THE ULTIMATE TALKING POINT

If all of this trouble isn’t enough for you and you want something totally different, why not include some messages on the lawn. If you watch sport on the telly, you will no doubt be aware of the advertising that is appearing on the grass. There are two different methods. The first is to dye the grass with your desired logo or message. The outline can be drawn on first and then it can be coloured in. The second, more expensive is to get the image or message and cut it out of the lawn, leaving the area bare. Then you need Astro turf, that is the plastic grass that fetches off all of your skin on the knees if you are unlucky enough to fall over on it. You can now get this in many glorious colours. Fit the Astro turf into the lawn for a permanent display. There could be a lot of money made out of this venture; especially for advertising I am amazed that someone around Inishowen hasn’t come up with the idea yet. I think that at a party it could be as popular as bouncy castles!

Horticultural.