Covid garden socialising and warmth

[Spring2021]

We live in a 1930’s semi and have a fairly decent sized but not massive square ish garden. Our patio area is south facing and gets the sun on a morning/early afternoon but thats about it (due to neighbour one sides garage, extremely large trees from the garden that backs onto ours and the other adjoining neighbours high fence and massive new extension) so it gets quite chilly
afternoon/early evening.

Just wondering about meeting and socialising more in the garden as would be nice and safer with covid. I didn’t really fancy a fire pit as they give off such a bad smell and think other heaters may be bad for the environment (although we wouldn’t be entertaining often) or may get knocked over we have a dog with a big waggy tail. Ideas welcome.

We thought about creating a new patio area on the left side of our garden but the cost is quite prohibitive and we would have to dismantle and move our large garden shed (which works like a small garage) and the top of the garden attracts a lot of flies due to neighbour that backs onto us trees and bushes. If we had a patio area midway down the garden on the left (but the fence that side is quite low so we would have little privacy).

So it seems like our only option is stick with the patio we have and think of some way of keeping warm (not blankets as washing, drying and storing thick blankets for 6-8 people would be a pain).

Fleece blankets are surprisingly warm for their thickness and dry quickly.

Or people can bring their own.

How about an open sided gazebo, it might not keep too much warmth in, but it would make the area feel more cosy.
I’d agree fleece blankets are light and easily washed.

We have little hot water bottles that we originally bought for camping and last weekend gave them out when it got chilly and asked our guests to wrap up warm and bring their own blanket. Offered hot drinks as well as alcohol including mulled wine and hot chocolate with a dash of rum. Managed to stay out until midnight but I was glad to get into my warm bed afterwards! We do have a patio heater but it's next to useless to be honest. We have used the fire pit in the past but everything end up stinking of smoke.

We have an infrared outdoor heater (so it finds and directs its heat to people) which I really recommend if you can spare the £200 or so for it. Yes, it’s shit for the environment.

Otherwise ask people to bring blankets / coats. And provide lots of booze.

I've got one of these

https://theoodie.co.uk/products/navy-oodie?currency=GBP&variant=29761433698382&utmmedium=cpc&utmmsource=google&utmcampaign=Google%20Shopping&ggnetwork=u&gproductchannel=online&ggadid=445348691652&gacctid=313-331-4382&ggkeyword=&gadtype=&ggkeywordid=pla-675478810523&gifcreative=&ggadgroupid=102754777399&gcampaign=Shopping+%7C+Oodie&ggproductid=shopifyGBB404816307822229761433698382&ggmerchantid=238639077&gpartition=675478810523&ggcampaignid=10432327670&gifproduct=product&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9oC0ubb27wIVAp7tCh0C4g-hEAQYBCABEgKOJPDD_BwE

Its more to encourage people to stay outside rather than them being too cold and wanting to go inside. MIL in particular who would be visiting for the day with DSIL
and her partner. She has been talking about coming up to visit us and wanting to see us all outside but won’t wear a particularly warm coat or extra layers (no way would she wear a oodie or similar), may use a blanket will moan she is cold then everyone would end up indoors before very long.

Hot water bottles are also good.

We have a fire pit and it doesn’t really smell, or smoke. I think dry wood is the key.

It kicks out lots of heat. The dog has managed to singe his fur on it though! I was mollycoddling the dog around it, and my husband was ensuring me that the dog would move away if he got to hot. He didn’t!

Fingers crossed it won't be for too long (meeting indoors in a couple of months). So by the time a big remodelling project was done, the need might have gone.

I'd go for a combination of fleecy blankets and hot water bottles. Also see if you need any form of wind break, and do remember to put cushions or fleeces on the chairs too - feels v snug and nothing worse than a cold bum.