Throw great summertime parties in your backyard

by Jen

Instead of making a list of fun things to do for US Independence Day, I thought I’d offer something more global: some tips for making warm weather backyard get-togethers memorable.

Keeping it cool & weather-proof

Backyard get-togethers are awesome, except when it’s sticky hot. The best ways to create a tolerably cool backyard involve providing shade trees, awnings, a pool, etc. If those options aren’t practical for you, here are a few quick and relatively cheap ways to keep your guests comfortable.

Misting fans. For around $100, you can get a fan that stands outside, hooked up to your garden hose, and sprays a fine mist that cools off 650 square feet.
Or try a $30 misting system with no fan – just six nozzles on a line which you string across the area. They dispense mist to provide evaporative cooling. Requires a little more set up and may be less effective than the first option, but could actually be a better set up for dry hot areas, depending on the temps you have to deal with.
And would we leave you without a DIY version? Air conditioning with a big bucket of ice water, a hose and a fan.
Patio umbrellas can cost as little as $40 each if you shop around. This is great for small get togethers.
You can rent 10×10 foot canopies for about $90/day… or buy one for about $10 more. Spring for one with mosquito netting to help repel bugs.
Build your own outdoor canopy. That links gives you very simple instructions, but if you have trees it might be even easier to string something together.
Remember to plan around RAIN. If you’re planning a party more than a few days in advance, rain’s always a possibility. If you’ve got lots of overhangs for them to gather under, you’re fine. If not, be prepared to rent a canopy at the last minute or have a room inside the house ready for them to come in.
Remember WIND. Make sure your tables, umbrellas and decor items are all firmly held down. You don’t want stuff blowing around if you should happen to get stiff breezes on the day of your party.

Bug Control

Keeping bugs away is always a challenge, especially if you want to avoid using chemicals that could hurt children, pets or grass and plants.The problem is, every supposed repellent is controversial. Straight Dope claims DEET is the most effective safe repellent, then suggests catnip as the only worthwhile plant alternative – and then the USDA says vaguely that catnip isn’t as effective as DEET. And KookyKat, who sells catnip oils and stands to make money from an effective catnip-based repellent, claims they catnip doesn’t work as an insect repellent! So where do you go to get the “straight dope”?

The problem with DEET – even if you’re convinced it’s safe – is that it’s meant to be applied to skin. So unless you want to tackle your guests and slather it on, it’s not much help in creating a moqsuito-free backyard. Fortunately, there are natural solutions that have at least some limited effect – enough to make your party go a little smoother.

Keep your lawn trimmed and dry. Standing water and tall grass or weeds attract insects, particularly mosquitoes.
Clean eaves troughs and anything else that might let water stand.
A firepit, tiki torches and citronella candles. Smoke and flame seem to repel insects at least somewhat. Don’t overdo it – you don’t want to heat up your backyard more than necessary.
There’s some evidence that oil of eucalyptus repels mosqitoes for two hours. Put a few drops on strips of cloth and hang the strips around the backyard. You can make this part of the decor.
There are several plants you can put around that put off scents which may make it harder for insects to zero in on human targets. Basil, sage, rosemary – any aromatic herb. You can throw a few sprigs onto the barbecue coals after dinner for added protection.
Some people report that “bug lights” (yellow lightbulbs) help.
Bug Whackers – those ultraviolet lights that zap bugs who come too close – apparently kill more “friendly” bugs than enemy bugs, so over time they make the problem worse.

Grilling / Barbecuing Tips

Keep it simple. Some people try to get fancy with barbecues and end up failing at overly ambitious projects. What’s more impressive than a well-cooked dinner?
Chef2Chef has a great page that tells you how to pick meat, how to tell if it’s done without cutting into it.
The New York health department has some great safety guidelines – cooking temperatures, cleaning and food prep safety, etc.
Cooking Cache has a lot of the same tips, but gets into more detail with some of them. NOTE: the tip that says to toss some mesquite, hickory or other woodchips over the coals should be followed with caution. Mesquite tastes great to many people, but to the rest it tastes like nasty smoked cough syrup – that’s why it was a brief fad in restaurants 10-15 years ago, then went away. If you’re going to use an aromatic wood, at least warn your guests.
Get your recipes at Barbecue Smoker Recipes. They’re designed for barbecues but work equally well in smokers.
All Recipes has another batch for you.
…and Cooking Cache. NOTE: when you click the individual recipes, it can take you out of the barbecue category. Open them in a new window/tab or click the “back” button in your browser to return to the list.
Angie’s Realm has only a handful of recipes, but they’re good ones. Also chech her Fourth of July page for additional recipes.

Other random tips

Rope lights are awesome for cheap, effective, beautiful outdoor lighting. Get some through Amazon or at a local drugstore (check the seasonal section) or party supply store. They come in lots of colors, don’t use much electricity, and you can position them almost anywhere. Line walkways to help avoid stumbles, string them around table edges or along the top of a canopy. If you can position them so they reflect off a pool (if you have one) that can increase the overall light and look very cool.
If you don’t want people to bring their own bottles or side dishes, say so when you invite them. Some people will anyway because they think it’s good manners, but what you want to avoid here is someone feeling guilty because they didn’t bring anything when others did. By being clear up front, you can easily reassure them you weren’t looking for them to bring anything but themselves.
Consider setting up a buffet table. This can keep the party more organized and make it easier to clean up. Also, guests don’t have to wonder if they’ve sampled everything, since it’s all on the table and not scattered around.
Plan to serve appetizers while the meat’s cooking. This one may sound obvious, but some people skip this step. Some of your guests will probably be starving when they arrive (intentionally, so they can really enjoy the food). And if there’s alcohol, people are likely to start drinking with or without food, which means you may have drunk guests on your hands before you’ve even grilled the meat.
You may want to make activities available to your guests – horseshoes, croquet or a pool. This is especially good if you’re going to have teens and young adults who may get bored just chit-chatting and eating.
If you have a pool, establish safety rules! If you have small children coming or guests you don’t trust to behave, you might want to make the pool off-limits. If you do plan on letting guests use the pool and that includes small kids, it wouldn’t hurt to designate a couple of willing non-drinkers to keep an eye out just in case a child falls in (it happens). You’ll also need to provide a place for people to change.
Bathrooms! Coat/purse stashing! Your guests are going to need a place to dump their coats and/or purses, and also a bathroom to use. For a small gathering of friends, this is no big deal. But if you’ve got people coming that you don’t know, consider using a lockable bedroom for the coat/purse stashing, to which only you and your co-hosts have the key. That way people feel secure that no one’s getting into the room where their stuff is without supervision.
Parking! Your guests will need somewhere to park. If you don’t have lots of easy parking available, warn them and suggest carpooling. If you want to be really fancy, you could hire limos to pick everyone up and take them home later for less than you might think. This is a nice touch if people are going to be drinking, too. If you have plenty of places for people to park, you may want to put up signs or tell them in advance exactly where to park so no one ends up getting a ticket for misreading a street parking sign or ends up parking in your yard.