While the mild sun and the crisp evening air play their part, you can add a hundred charming touches to dress up your outdoor spaces this season

Winter's arrived and with it the promise of outdoor breakfasts, brunches, barbeques and bashes. Most of us in Pune are fortunate enough to have a little place in the sun that we can call our own. Whether you have a rolling lawn, a pocket garden, a little strip of backyard, a patio, a terrace, or even a little sit-out, you can enjoy winter in so many ways. You can entertain in style, or set up a small, cozy and intimate meal, or simply sit there, toasting your toes and doing absolutely nothing! There are so many ways to outfit and ornament your outdoor spaces to provide the perfect background for some terrific and memorable meals.

Garden furniture and accessories bring that special outdoorsy look, and encourage you to use open spaces a lot more. The inviting curve of a patio chair, the solid beauty of a garden bench, the comfort of cane, the elegance of wrought iron, the curious charm of a stone frog, the appeal of a small bird bath, a cheerful cluster of potted plants, some strategically placed lights and candles, and wonderful food - you just can't go wrong, as long as you keep your imagination going and know how to put it together.

Furniture and fixtures
Look for a good blend of style and comfort. While everything looks great in glossy catalogues and magazines, do take a moment to figure out what you'll be actually using the furniture for, and what look you want to go with. Go in for recliner chairs and hammocks for relaxation, sturdy tables and chairs for outdoor dining and folding chairs for extra visitors. Climate is a crucial consideration too: sun bleaches and weakens, rain and humidity swell wood, and excess wind tumbles lightweight pieces. Teak is especially durable used outdoors due to its tight grain and high oil content. Cane and wicker is best on enclosed patios or verandahs as it is prone to weathering. Wrought iron is subject to rusting and requires maintenance. Today you do get weather-resistant finishes, but also do remember that wrought iron furniture is not easy to move around or put away. Heavy-duty aluminium is the best metal for outdoors. Plastics are lightweight, economical and functional and are easily cleaned with soap and water. You could also go delightfully desi and throw a few khatiyas around too. At The Home Store (THS) you can pick up gazebos, garden umbrellas, cane patio sets, and metal furniture combined with frosted glass. Pankaj Tewari, Manager, Store Operations, says that the furniture is both durable and weather resistant.

Accents and accessories
Little statues, garden gnomes and figurines, sundials, birdbaths and birdfeeders make great decoration. Peeking through the foliage and blossoms, or prominently displayed, stone, wood, ceramic or iron accessories look simply stunning. One place where you can pick up some really attractive garden sculptures is a store called Bliss tucked away in a bylane of Koregaon Park. Mandhir Rai's repertoire consists of wall murals, ceramic frogs and turtles, stone ducks, chimpanzees, mermaids and the like. He also has some rather pretty resin sculptures. THS too offers an interesting assortment of garden accessories - check out their stepping stones in the shape of maple leaves, butterflies and sunflowers. Planters, or potholders, in wood, terracotta or metal, bring their own distinctive charm to a garden.

Flowing fountains
Rippling, cascading water always looks and sounds enchanting. From little table-top fountains that capture the tinkling charm of a miniature brook, to the larger, more flamboyant stone fountains and waterfalls, there's a great spectrum to choose from. Mandhir Rai designs and creates water bodies and landscaped water falls. Even a round, concrete tub (available with local potters) looks stunning with a few floating plants, perhaps some floating candles, or a couple of well-fed goldfish!

Lights and lanterns
Strings of festive fairy lights twinkling through the foliage, or twisted around a tree-trunk, set the party mood. Soulflower at Inox has some very pretty fairy lights in different colours. Floodlights, aimed up into the trees, or illuminating flowerbeds and fountains, can create drama in your garden. Wall mounted lamps; post lamps or low stone lamps create a special ambience. Lanterns and torches also add a warm glow at night. THS offers solar lamps, patio lights and tall garden lanterns to choose from. Of course there is nothing like candlelight to bring soft romance to your garden. For tall, garden pillar candles check out D'light on Salunke Vihar Road. Tea light candles dotting the garden also work their own charm. Herbal, scented candles add fragrance and repel insects too.

Sizzling spread
What food do you serve at a garden party? Well, for nights, barbeques are everyone's favourite. The fun of firing up the coals, the aroma of sizzling meat, and the warm glow, all make a terrific combination. If you've got plenty of platters of meat and veggies to barbeque, all you need is a great side-serving of chutney and salad, and a sinful dessert to finish with. If you're doing an outdoors brunch, you can have an array of cold cuts, some nice warm soup and breads, a salad or two. This means you don't have to go in and out of the house heating, warming, or doing any last minute cooking. Or you can call in a south Indian chef who'll custom-make you dosas and appams and idlis and more. Given the terrific weather, a paratha (with lots of makkhan) and chaas brunch, with gajar halwa to seal the deal, is another terrific outdoor option. You could pre-prepare a variety of stuffed parathas and have them tossed on a tava just before they're served.

THS, KPCT Plaza, Survey No 16/1, Shivarkar Marg, Opp. Parmar Nagar, Fatima Nagar, Wanawadi, Pune - 40, Phone: 26820635
D'light, Shop G-21, Ground Floor, Super Mall, Salunke Vihar Road, Wanawadi, Pune- 40, Phone: 56208915.
Soulflower, Inox, Bund Garden Road, Pune-1, Phone: 98220 27567/33311323.
Bliss, 1 Winterberry Purple, Opp. Wellington Mews, Next to Great Punjab Restaurant,
Koregaon Park, Pune - 1, Phone: 56244598/9822027646.

Ritika Ramtri Kumar