A warm summer evening; the last streaks of red have yet to fade from the sky; you are feeling well-fed and nicely mellowed as you relax in your garden after a lovely meal eaten outdoors with a glass of chilled white wine. . .

All of a sudden - OW! Crash, tinkle, tinkle...

A rogue splinter from your ancient rickety garden chair has found its way into your nether regions; you leap up in pain, knocking the wobbly plastic table over and sending the remains of your alfresco feast flying.

As you remove the offending shard of wood from your rear end a thought occurs to you: maybe it's time to take another look at the garden furniture...

If all the predicitons are right and long hot summers are going to become more of a feature of life in this country it's worth investing in the best quality furniture that you can afford.

Teak is a long-lasting option while designs that take their inspiration from the natural world such as wicker and rattan are very popular now too.

As the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living become more blurred, covered outdoor beds, hammocks, felt sofas or even rugs on the grass can be loaded up with big and bright cushions, while a parasol will give the area that Eastern feel.

Though there are some excellent choices of ready-made sets of garden furniture on the market it can be just as effective to pick standout items for specific areas of the garden and make them focal points.

If you are entertaining guests something as simple as sweeping and cleaning up the

patio goes a long way to making it visually appealing.

Then to really brighten the place up place a few pots of flowers in and around the garden furniture, to give it that fresh look.

Once you've got the garden seating arrangements sorted don't spoil it with some tacky tableware!

You don't need to resort to flimsy, disposable paper tablecloths and a faded selection of wobbly plastic cups.

Just because you're eating outside doesn't mean that you have to slum it. You're quite likely to linger longer over a meal on a lovely evening anyway so let your table setting make it an occasion - whatever the occasion!

There's a brilliant selection of well-designed picnic and patio tableware on the high street made in materials like melamine - so it's both durable (child proof) and inexpensive.

If you use a little imagination you can combine some fun new pieces with your existing china - but the older the better. The great joy of alfresco eating is its relaxed informality.

When the sun finally does set it needn't be time to go indoors. Here are three simple and effective ways to shed a little light on the matter: table lighting, hanging lights, and ground or stake lights.

Candlelight or a lantern with a wick is by far the nicest - and certainly the most romantic - lighting for the table.

Of course, it will need protection from the wind but candle holders are cheap, cheerful and everywhere - with a pretty flickering flame inside even a jam jar can look good.

If you've got a problem with mosquitoes dot a few citronella candles in a ring around the patio or dining area - but place a little way away as they have quite a strong scent.

For hanging lights, the options are limited only by your imagination. You can find decorative lights in every shape and style, from hot chilli peppers to classic tiny white lights. There are also a variety of lanterns, including multi-coloured Chinese lanterns, which create a festive, vintage mood.

Tiki torches, planted in a curve across a lawn, can create a magical pathway or set candles in wind-resistant holders along an existing path to provide lighting close to the ground.

And if you're lucky enough to have water in your garden, whether it's a pond, a birdbath, a swimming pool (or even a moat), you can launch a handful of floating candles onto the water; the flickering flames will be doubled when they are reflected in the water's surface.

Simple pleasures – simply perfect!