Garden furniture that lets you entertain in style As with all living spaces, get the basics right and you're halfway there. The first job is to create shelter for those brief interludes when the sun gets too hot or, more likely, the heavens open and the wind picks up her skirt. A pergola will provide lovely dappled shade but not much protection from driving rain, while a gazebo or summerhouse will keep your sausages dry but can feel more like sitting inside on a sunny day. Cheap and chic - The BillyOh Summerhouse range starts at £239.49 from Garden Buildings Direct (0800 169 6016).These cheap-as-chips summerhouses can be transformed into chic sheds with a couple of tins of paint and a few metres of ticking. Big spender - Elegant iron gazebos from Room in the Garden (01730 816881) are perfect for candlelit summer evenings. You can also buy canvas liners to create a completely waterproof and windproof dining space. The Grand version costs £8,500. Freestanding cover If you don't want a permanent structure, there are some nifty options for free-standing shelter. Shade sails or canopies make a dramatic statement and provide effective cover against sun and light showers. Get professional advice when it comes to fixing large canvases - they need to be under constant tension. Nothing kills a party sooner than a guest being whipped overboard by a flapping sail. Look for sails with quick- release hooks so you can abandon ship if the gusts get too strong. Cheap and chic - You have to love Ikea's ((08453 583 363) optimism. Their Dyning canopy (4.15m x 3.6m/13.5ft x 11.8ft) costs £25, is water repellent, provides good UV protection and is designed to "protect yourself and your loved ones from the scorching British heat." Fingers crossed . Big spender - For a complete, ready-to-use 5m x 5m (16.5ft x 16.5ft) premade square shade sail structure - which includes steel poles, fixings and sail shade - prices start at £1,740 from Shaded Nation (0845 299 4929). Useful for a pool or regularly used area. Ultimate umbrellas For the best of the rest you can't beat a good old-fashioned garden umbrella. Large cantilevered parasols sit at the side of your table and won't interrupt the conversation, while smaller brollies are ideal for intimate tables for two. Have some fun with the fabrics: raffia parasols will give you a hit of tropical kitsch, while bold candy stripes create instant beach hut chic. Zesty block colours such as hot pink or citrus add bright pops of colour to your garden. Or play it cool with blacks, whites or neutral shades. Cheap and chic - For high-end design at a high street price you can't beat the oriental-inspired Skyler parasol, £120, from Habitat (0844 499 4686). It's showerproof, and you can crank and tilt it to face the sun. Big spender - The swishiest, silliest, loveliest of garden umbrellas has to be the Frou Frou Parasol by Sywawa, £1,713 at Made in Design (020 7692 4001). Suitable seating Most outdoor entertaining revolves around the principle of a dining table and chairs. The choices are myriad, from the comfort of woven rattan armchairs to the Riviera chic of metal bistro seats. If you plan to leave your chairs and tables outside they need to be tough - the British climate is punishing on most materials. Teak is hard-wearing and popular, but unless you want orphaned orang-utans on your conscience it should be FSC-certified from sustainable forests. Metal and wirework seating are daintier, and work well in small spaces. Wicker rattan suites, complete with cushions and chair pads, are the ultimate in outdoor dining comfort. If the forecast is favourable there's no reason why you shouldn't drag a battered armchair or salvaged pew out into the garden. The boundary between house and garden furniture is becoming blurred. Last year we heaved the kitchen table and sofa outside, lit an old wood-burning brazier and spent a convivial evening huddled together around the flames. Just don't do what we did and get so squiffy that you forget to bring the soft furnishings back indoors again before the dew set in. Cheap and chic - Nectarine is the hot catwalk colour this season and the three-piece Bistro set in orange from Wilkinson (08456 080807) is only £80 - cheaper than a handbag and a darned sight more comfy to sit on. Big spender - The Barlow Tyrie high dining chairs and table from £549 at Posh Garden Furniture (01460 200354) are a joy, as you sit as high as a bar stool and let your legs dangle. Perfect for compact courtyards and roof terraces. Cooking up a storm We live in the wilds of North Yorkshire and every year I anticipate those treasured moments when friends and family gather in our garden to cook and eat. Most of the fun is getting the fire started and there's a real sense of achievement when you've finally cooked a feast using little more than a metal pot and a handful of twigs. For those of you who want a meal ready in less than an hour, however, a gas barbecue is quick, easy and won't leave scorch marks on your lawn. Cheap and chic - The Feast Set by The Glam Camping Company (0845 869 8960), £130, includes a tripod, grill and cooking pot. Recreate a halcyon camping trip without leaving your back garden. Big spender - The Avalon BBQ, £2,249.99 from Calor (0800 626626) has all the bells and whistles you need for a major cook-off - four stainless-steel burners, an electric rotisserie and warming rack . Well illuminated I have been to outdoor parties where the lighting consists of the host sporadically waving his arm to set off his light sensor. If you want to create a more relaxed ambience, combine permanent fixtures and movable accents. Wall-mounted fishing lights and ground-level uplighters will create a useful glow. Add twinkle with solar sparkly lights or group clusters of storm lanterns to create low pools of light. For intimate soirées, tea lights and jam-jar candles add intimate dots of illumination and, if you use citronella or lavender wax, they will keep the bugs away too. Cheap and chic - B&Q's Silver Bird string lights, £16.98, have white LED lights and green wire, making them ideal for invisibly stringing through trees and bushes (0845 609 6688; diy.com). Big spender - An outdoor standard lamp takes the concept of an outdoor living room to the next level. An elegant option is the LEDS.C4 Moonlight outdoor urban grey floor lamp, £346.09 from KES Lighting (02476 317022). Accessories To add the finishing touches to your outdoor space, think as you would if you were decorating your living room: soften hard surfaces with throws and cushions; add form and interest with sculpture and planters; and introduce colour with dining accessories such as drinks buckets, serving bowls and glassware. Keep everything relaxed, though, and don't spend too much - there's something about outdoor parties that brings out the clutz in all of us. Cheap and chic - The Riso chair pads from Ikea (08453 583363) are ideal for softening hard seats and benches. At £3 each, buy bucket loads and fling them casually around your seating area. Big spender - The Tiana outdoor fabric range from Designers Guild (£52 per metre, Kingdom Interiors, 01684 291037) is woven from 100 per cent polypropylene so it's completely showerproof and perfect for garden and poolside soft furnishings. Hen and Hammock (01844 217060) Inspiring, eco-friendly products. Chic Alfresco (020 7183 1881). Quirky outside decor such as beanbags. Garden Trading (0845 608 4448) Traditional, enamel-clad ideas for garden furniture. Made in Design (020 7692 4001). Cutting-edge outdoor furniture, lighting and accessories. A retail success last year thanks to their excellent outdoor furniture. Budget conscious but chic garden furniture. Outdoor Chic (0844 335 8854). Everything for a posh outdoor party. Affordable, designer-led garden furniture and picnic ware. Reader offer: two books by Sally Coulthard are available from Telegraph Books (0844 871 1514): 'Shed Chic' (Jacqui Small, £25) at £23 + £1.35 p&p, and 'Gardenalia' (Jacqui Small, £30) at £26 + £1.35 p&p