10 Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining

 

A set of eight GoVino stemless wine glasses that are shatterproof and recyclable. Note the thumbprint for easy swirling. $29.90, amazon.com.

Modeled after French washing drums from the village of Vence, these planters give texture to an outdoor space. The small is $63.96; the large, $79.96. At williams-sonoma.com.

Seeing Double cocktail napkins with pink zebras, $36 for four, mintwoodhome.com.

Scalamandre zebra-striped melamine salad plates couldn’t be classier. They’re top-rack dishwasher safe, too. $24.50 for a set of four, frontgate.com.

The sleek-looking tabletop VitalGrill Gourmet Wood BBQ is made for small, urban spaces. $297, vitalgrill.com.

Constructed of polyethylene, the Frank Gehry Left Twist cube is weatherproof and practically indestructible. Use as an ottoman or coffee table for a playful splash of architecture outdoors. $250, dwr.com.

Scout’s indoor/outdoor Captain Hooked mat is machine washable and has a non-skid neoprene rubber backing. 36-by-23 inches. $48, scoutbags.com.

Turtles, crabs and octopuses adorn functional melamine salad plates. Bring ’em to the beach. $32.50 for a set of four, pottery barn.com.

Take this 40-inch copper fire pit wherever the party is. Use it all year. $399, frontgate.com.

An outdoor classic, LL Bean’s Adirondack chairs spell summer. $229, llbean.com.

THE FAHRENHEIT IS RISING, the air is soft and after a winter spent inside, what we most want to do is enjoy the breeze and compensate for a whopper of a Vitamin D deficit.

The warm weather coincides with all sorts of celebrations, including graduations, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Flag Day, you get the picture. ‘Tis the season to invite friends and family over to eat, drink and make merry.

What makes the partying easier is that practically everything you enjoy inside has been re-engineered and designed for outdoor use. Formerly drab melamine plates now come in fun as well as sophisticated patterns that can be put in the dishwasher (top rack only, please). Plastic wineglasses with thumbprints look much like the high-end glass ones. Unlike the drugstore variety, you won’t be embarrassed to use them when company comes.  Outdoor rugs and planters with a vintage design add a cozy touch;  molded plastic seating looks and feels nothing like those old aluminum lawn chairs with webbing.

10 Ideas for Outdoor Entertaining…visit http://t.co/9GNnrJCFbL for great #govino glassware ideas. https://t.co/TqPpmIzkNj

— govino (@govino) May 7, 2015

Whether you’re entertaining on an expansive patio, roof deck or even a teeny-tiny city balcony, we’ve put together a shopping list of suggestions for making the most of the great outdoors.

–Janet Kelly