Selina Lake's Garden Style is full of inspiration and practical styling advice for making the most of your outdoor space, proving you can create the perfect oasis whatever you've got to work with. We've compiled a list of subtle accessories and statement-making pieces that you can use to channel one of the many enviable looks featured in the book. For this illuminated garden, Selina has plucked her dreamy dinner party setting straight from the pages of a fairy tale, and it's the kind of space we'd love showing off to friends after the sun sets.
Neon Lighting
Selina's Style Tip: Neon is a popular choice for statement lighting and now companies like Love Inc. are making LED outdoor versions. Here I used a pink neon heart to create a fashion led scheme for an outdoor table. I centred the neon heart on the table, as I like the way it casts a warm pink glow, and used painterly plates by Royal Doulton.
You can make your own bold statement with neon lighting or signage, like this heart (£205) or star (£75), both from LoveInc.
Plants & Flowers
Fill your table with various plants, flowers and herbs, whether it's fragrant lavender (£7) from Ikea, or small glass vases of singular stems and berries (£3.99), by The Flower Studio at Not On The Highstreet.
Candles & Lanterns
Dot brightly coloured, taper candles around the table, or opt for tea-lights in Glass Hurricanes like these from West Elm (from £9.95). If you're feeling crafty, follow Selina's lead and make your own hanging lanterns for added drama:
For these lanterns, you’ll need 18 - or 20 - gauge craft wire, wire cutters, a clean glass/Mason jar and some pompom trim. I used Ball preserving jars because the embossed logo creates a pretty candlelit pattern. Wrap a length of wire around the neck of the jar as tightly as you can and twist the ends together securely. Snip off the end of the wire. Add a handle by attaching a longer length of wire to the wire on one side of the neck. Loop it over to the opposite point and twist to secure. Wrap the pompom trim around the neck of the jar, tie the two ends together and snip the excess. Place a tea light in the jar, light it and you’re all set for a pretty display when the sun goes down.
Tableware
Plates and glasses splattered with paint, and in mismatched shapes and sizes are a great fit for this whimsical theme: blue paint plates by Royal Doulton (£9) or white and gold dinner plates by Anthropologie (£24), both available at John Lewis, are ideal.
Fairy Lights
Fairy lights are a readily-available, and often cheap, accessory that adds some subtle luminescence to tables, trellises and fencing, making your garden styling that bit more magical. These carnival solar lights from (£21.99) will give you a soft glow, or try something more dainty like some green-cabled LED's that you can use to decorate trees and plants (£10.99), both from Lights4Fun.
You can find more styling inspiration in Selina Lake's Garden Style.