With summer thankfully on its way you will no longer be confined to entertaining indoors.  Read my top tips on how to entertain outdoors:

Shelter – Rain can ruin an outdoor party, taking simple precautionary steps means that should the heavens open a down poor will not dampen the spirits of your guests. Depending on your budget and size of garden there are a range of products available to shelter your guests from the weather. Permanent garden gazebos are at the most expensive end of the scale whilst sails and parasols are far cheaper. A gazebo not only offers shelter from the weather but also provides a stunning focal point in your garden; parasols on the other hand are far cheaper and can be moved to different locations in your garden. Garden Sails are far more contemporary and will add a modern twist to your garden whilst still keeping costs down.

Decking Area – If you regularly entertain outdoors building a decking area is a great idea. A deck acts as an outdoor dining room. Not only does it help you to protect your lawn but offers a relaxed sophisticated space in your garden for you and your friends to sit and chill out.

Seating – When planning an outdoor party you must always ensure you have enough seating. At Jacks Garden Store you will find a wide range of furniture sets that can sit anywhere from 2 – 12 people around. For larger parties you may want to rent further seating or ask close friends and family to bring their own where possible. A garden arbour can offer a special secluded seating area for private conversations after dinner. There is a wide range of arbours available at Jacks Garden Store.

Food – A successful dinner party does not require over the top cuisine, just simple quality food that can be shared and enjoyed by all. A BBQ can help you to produce really tasty food at relative ease. Try to plan and prepare as much in advance so you can enjoy the time with your guests and not spend most of the evening hidden in the kitchen.

Cushions and Table Cloths – Brightly coloured cushions and table cloths can brighten up even the oldest of outdoor furniture sets.

Plates and Crockery – Use plastic cups, plates, knives and forks to reduce the chance of breakages. There are some really funky crockery sets not available that will look beautiful on your table outdoors.

Centrepiece – Create a stunning table centre piece simply with a glass bowl filled with water and fresh flower heads floating on the top.

Lighting – Fairy lights and lanterns hung in your trees will add a truly magical feel to your garden.

Music – Is a must to get you in the party mood.

Heat – Patio heaters or fire pits are great heat providers which allow you to stay outdoors for longer.

Visit Jacks Garden Store for more great entertaining ideas and products.

Good luck

Gardener Jack!

Having a decking area in your garden can make it feel larger, look better and create a wonderful social area for you and your family to enjoy. This guide will show you how easy it is to transform your garden by installing a deck area.

There are two options for installing a deck, the first is to do it yourself and the second is to hire a professional team to do the work for you. I am predicting that as you are ready this article you fall into the first category. Well if you are planning to install the decked area yourself (and there is nothing to stop you!) be prepared for quite a lot of hard work. Make sure that you already have some DIY experience and a few free Saturdays!

Choosing the right decking kit

Decking kits can vary greatly in price depending on the size and quality of wood you buy. I would always recommend looking for a kit that has been pre-treated so that you do not need to varnish the deck once you have it installed.

Things to consider before you buy:

• Which area of your garden you want to deck – Is this area overlooked?  Does it get the sun? Is it sheltered from the wind? Can you see yourself happily entertaining in this spot?
• What furniture are you planning to put on your decked area – Will the area be large enough to seat your family and friends? Will your furniture set fit onto the decked area?
• Is the location free of obstacles – Such as trees, plants and large rocks?

Jacks top tip: When considering the location of your decked area spend time in the morning and evening identifying where the sun shines the most in your garden. Sunny areas are ideal locations for a decked area.

Once you have decided on the size and location of your decking area check out Jack’s garden store where you will find a wide range of decking kits available. Each will come with their own assembly instructions to help you on your way. You can choose from simple decking kits that will quietly blend into your garden or opt for creating more of a feature and focal point with a pergola kit or balustrade. Again these options are easy to assemble and will come with their own instructions.

Construction
As mentioned above most decking kits come with their own instructions that contain simple step by step guides on how to erect each decking kit. If you are planning to deck over an area with grass in your garden I would recommend removing the grass and covering the area with a weed barrier to prevent grass and weeds growing up through your decked area.  You will also need to ensure that the area has good drainage so your deck does not become flooded at any point.

Good luck

Gardener Jack!

Now that you have planned your deck and know exactly where things are going and that you have all the right materials for the job, lets look at walking you through the main steps to completing your first DIY Decking Project.

If you have not read my guide on pre-installation preparation .. read this garden decking checklist

Ok .. here we go ..

Allow a few clear days to complete this project. Home DIY projects take longer than you think

Budget
For deck boards, joists, ledgers and noggins allow around £10 per 3.6m (12ft)

Clear the site and markout
Get rid of any remaining vegetation and mark the area out with pegs and some string. Make sure it is square. Try not to let any slope be more severe than 1:120. Thats a 1cm drop for every 120cm along the length

Level and compact the surface
Lay down some black plastic sheeting and cover with some gravel. This will prevent vegetation from growing underneath and up through your decking at a later stage.

Lay your foundations.
You may want to use old paving slabs for the foundation points. If you do not have anything handy, then make up some concrete and make support pads of around 30cm x 30cm and these should ideally be 45cm deep into the ground. Do not space your support points more than 6′ or 1.8m apart

Lay your decking joists
Once the concrete foundations have set, lay your ledger and joists on top of these. Be sure to use a spirit level as you go, making sure the decking is level and sloping off if you so desire. Position your joists at 40cm intervals and fix using 75mm screws. Noggins (the support beams running at right angles between the joists) must be 40cm apart. Ensure your ledger (this will be load bearing) is spaced slightly away from the wall to allow for ventilation and drainage.

Lay your decking boards
Fit at right angles to the joists. This adds strength to the foundation. Make sure the decking boards and joists are not bowing or sagging under your weight. If they are, do not move on until you have stabilised the foundation. It is important you do not start the next section until you are 100% happy with what you have done so far. If you need to fix a wobbly joist or cut down a deck board that is slightly bigger than you want it .. do it now or it will frustrate you for ever more each time you walk across it

Spacing & Fixing
Try and stagger any breaks in the boards as this will look a lot better. Use stainless steel countersunk crews or specially made decking screws (usually 50mm) on each board. Galvanised nails can also be used but I wouldn’t recommend them for longevity. Predrill pilot holes for screws to avoid splitting the wood. Try and keep a 3-5mm gap all the way around. 3mm is about the width of a 50mm long nail. Good idea to use this as a guide.

Treatment & Finishing
Using your chosen wood treatment and finishing style, pay particular attention to areas of decking that have been freshly cut. This is where most wood rot will start and needs to be covered well.

Other Tips
# Make sure your deck is at least 6″ below your DPC (Damp proof Course)
# Slightly slope the deck away from any walls or the house
# Lay your decking in a sunny spot
# Make sure your furniture fits the area you are decking
# If boards need joining .. make sure they meet above a joist
# Use an extra deck board or fascia to cover the end cuts
# If using nails, blunt the ends to avoid splitting the wood

Well thats it .. voila .. your first attempt at diy decking.

I hope this has been useful and you enjoy yourself. Love to see some pictures of what you’ve been upto if you have a chance to send them in to us.

Happy Gardening .. Gardener Jack

Your garden is an extension of your home, giving you and your family hours and hours of entertainment every year. Whether you are into al-fresco dining, looking for an alternative to paving slabs or just want a flat area for your garden furniture, wooden garden decking is a flexible way to achieve an outdoor living room/kitchen/dining room combo and can quite easily be installed by the keen DIYer.

There are several things to consider before getting into DIY decking though, to ensure that the decking you end up with is fit for purpose and gives you many years of enjoyment.

What do you intend doing on the wood decking?

Sounds like a stupid question but probably the most pertinent one. Depending on your intention, there will be several other factors to consider. You may be planning a small decked area within a city courtyard or planning a 20m run across the back of your house for you and your 4 children. Either way, size and overall dimensions must be considered and written down .. a simple pencil and paper will help get your ideas down

Consider the height at which the new wooden decking level will be. How will this attach to the house? If at all? Is the decking going to lead muddy feet into your beautiful living room? Do you need a gazebo or awning to cover your seating area? How big does this need to be? Keep scribbling with your pen and paper .. there is no right or wrong answer

Does there need to be any steps up or down? How will these be safe? Will small children or elderly relatives be able to navigate them successfully?

Safety for you and your family

Always ensure you use appropriate materials for the job and if you have concerns, consult a professional tradesman. It’s not worth taking the risk and getting it wrong. Ensure the use of proper decking screws and anti-slip deck boards. Remember that wooden deck boards will rot unless they are pressure treated .. make sure the joists, supports and framing are all made from pressure treated material also.

Garden Decking Materials

There are so many options now available for decking materials. However, the vast majority of home decking systems are built of softwood with a ribbed topside to prevent slipping. This is mainly due to cost as it does work out to be the cheapest overall. Hardwoods are becoming more popular, species such as oak and eucalyptus can be sourced locally if you seek out a specialist.

However, you may wish to consider different types of wood, recycled materials or even thermally treated wood that is more environmentally friendly.

Decking Designs / Decking Kits

If this is your first attempt at decking you may want to start off with a simple rectangular area. However, if you are feeling adventurous there is simply no limit to what you can achieve in your garden with decking .. it really is personal choice. Check out garden and home magazines for inspiration of use google image search for some ideas also. I’ve never found a good site for listing different decking designs .. please comment below if you find any web links that others may find useful.

Hopefully, you should now have a good idea in your mind where, what and how you are going to start your next garden decking project.

I have separately listed my walkthrough guide to installing wooden decking on a separate page. Otherwise, this one would have started getting too long

Hope this has been some help .. Gardener Jack

Happy Gardening