Summer is finally here! Long, lazy days stretch ahead, full of warmth and possibility. As the evenings get longer, the temptation grows to spend every minute outside, to free yourself from your desk and gather family and friends together in the balmy dusk. There’s no better way to do this than to throw an impromptu barbecue, and in keeping with the lazy spirit of summer, here’s a few tips to help you throw one in your own garden with minimal fuss.

Take the stress out of food preparation by telling each guest to bring a different, specific food item. This takes the pressure to be inventive off your guests, and prevents the dreaded ‘twenty packets of rolls and no meat’ scenario that has long plagued unplanned grilling get-togethers.

For music, you could spend hours curating the perfect playlist, which evokes not only a sultry summer evening but also accurately represents your own unique personality. Or, you could head over to 8tracks.com, where someone has already done the hard work for you. Just type in a theme – such as ‘summer’, ‘barbecue’, or ‘chillout’ – and 8tracks will present you with a variety of playlists on that theme. There’s bound to be something that fits your needs exactly, and you’ll probably impress your guests with your cutting edge tastes.

Now you’ve got the food and music sorted, you want to make sure you can enjoy your party long after sundown. Electricpoint’s outdoor lighting range has got you covered, with outdoor lamps to suit every garden and budget. For a gentle underfoot glow that’s still bright enough to see your burger by, why not try Aurora Walkover Lights? These slim, stainless steel lights are easy to install into your garden decking. What’s more, as they’re powered by LED bulbs they’ll have minimal impact on both the environment and your electricity bill.

A simpler, but still effective light solution are Forum Single Spike Lights. Easy to install (just plunge them into the soil) they can be used all over the garden for a pretty constellation effect, or for spotlighting key areas. They’re also weather resistant so will light your garden long after summer’s drawn to a close.

For the finishing touch, fill old wine bottles with wildflowers and scatter them around. This adds a pop of colour even if your outdoor space is more tatty back yard than Tatton Park. Once all that’s sorted, there’s nothing left to do but get out and enjoy the sunshine! What are you waiting for?