The perfect sultry summer evening in your garden

How to get your garden ready for those sultry summer evenings

What could be better than a long, sultry summer evening spent in the garden with family and friends until dusk finally falls? The good news is that warm evenings are here again. To add to the sun, socialising and summer tunes, a few extra ingredients will make your summer evenings even more fun. We want to share our favourites with you:

Favourite 1: Lights and a crackling camp fire

No sultry summer evening is complete without pretty lights, an outdoor fireplace or a crackling camp fire in a gorgeous fire pit. From a relaxed evening in your hammock to chatting over drinks and nibbles, fairy lights and lanterns are essential.

Favourite 2: The desert garden trend

Here at Bakker, we all agree that the desert garden trend is ideal for sultry summer evenings. We are big fans of the magical atmosphere of One Thousand and One Nights: from beautiful mosaics and windlights to lanterns and fountains. Use gorgeous, low benches topped with colourful, shimmering cushions to create a cosy corner in your garden and you'll never want to sleep again.

Favourite 3: Lovely summery plants

You can't have a summer garden without roses — not only are they easy to grow, but the range of colours, fragrances, shapes and sizes will also create an immediate summer vibe. Ornamental grasses are another of our favourites. Hearing the wind blow through the ornamental grasses on a quiet, sultry, summer evening will transport you to the peace of the desert. The pampas grass 'Evita' is one of the most attractive ornamental grasses, with white plumes that will make your garden feel even more cosy.

Favourite 4: Barbecuing home-grown vegetables

You can't have a sultry summer evening without a barbecue, so why not have fun by doing things completely differently. How about barbecuing vegetables you grew yourself? There's nothing better and tastier than a delicious snack from your own vegetable garden: grilled tomatoes, chilli peppers or even a fresh cucumber tossed in your salad. There are so many options! Growing your own vegetables isn't difficult at all, so it's high time to set up your own vegetable garden.

Favourite 5: Water

And we're not talking about water for you, even though it's obviously a good idea to make sure that you drink enough on warm evenings. It's just as important for your plants, so give them some extra water when the weather gets warmer. But remember that too much water is not good either! Our tips?

• Tip 1: Spray plants in the open ground thoroughly once or twice a week.

• Tip 2: Water plants in pots and hanging baskets a little every day (and up to twice a day in hot weather).