Host a garden party

Showing your garden off to friends is quite possibly the best payoff for the months you spend working to make it look just right. Why not throw a party and let them "ooh" and "aah" at the fruits of your labor? Here's a one-stop guide to throwing a rager among the radishes.

48 Hours Before the Party:

• Get your landscape ready. Mow the lawn so the grass doesn't have that just-got-a-haircut look the day of the party. Run your string trimmer, too, and tidy up the place.

• Fluff the mulch in your beds or spread new mulch here and there.

• Deep-soak the entire landscape.

• Empty garden carts, watering cans, potted-plant saucers and any other containers that hold water. Eliminating standing water cuts down on mosquitoes.

24 Hours Before:

• Clean up the party area. If your party will be on the patio, position potted plants and check your cooking equipment to make sure it's in good working order.

• Make sure you've got plenty of seating. Place plenty of trash receptacles on and around the patio to keep clutter and cleanup to a minimum.

• Consider stringing some lights or placing candles to create ambience.

The Day of the Party:

• Deal with the bugs. Citronella candles or torches filled with citronella oil work great. Giant incense sticks with pleasant, pest-deterring scents are also effective. Consider using giant incense coils that burn for hours or days; they look great when suspended from a tree limb.

• Use a fan to keep bugs away; flies and mosquitoes don't like windy conditions, and it's also a nice way to keep your guests cool.

Three Hours Before:

• Gather some of your favorite cut flowers and create one or more large floral arrangements or several small ones.

• Lightly water the areas guests will see as they arrive; it's a fabulous way to make your garden beds look more inviting. Also, hose down paved areas to cool them down a bit and reduce the glare.