Garden parties are the ideal way to entertain once warm weather rolls in. You don’t have to worry about cleaning the house, your guests will have more room to spread out and your garden provides a beautiful setting with its own built-in décor. Garden parties aren’t all about ladies in hats drinking tea – they can be casual and eclectic, giving you lots of room for creativity in setting the tables and choosing a budget-friendly menu. Here’s a checklist for planning an eco-friendly garden party to remember.

Creative Eco Décor: There’s something magical about gathering with friends in a garden decorated with seasonal blooms, colorful table linens and recycled accents.  Scour thrift stores and flea markets for tablecloths, runners, napkins and other table linens as well as vintage bird cages, which look amazing filled with flowers or candles.

Place tables and chairs in a space that makes the best use of the natural beauty of your outdoor area, and cut some flowers to place in vases or pots on the tables. Painted aluminum cans make lovely containers for floral arrangements and can be customized to match your color scheme.

A potted herb at each place setting can act as a place card with the addition of popsicle sticks, and double as favors. They also fill the seating area with the mouth-watering aroma of mint, basil, lemongrass and thyme. Don’t buy new pots for them – stick them in glass jars, tin cans or even assorted garage sale finds like teacups.

Low-Impact Lighting: Soy candles in glass jars provide a romantic ambiance as the sun sets, especially when strung from tree branches with a little wire. If your party will be continuing after nightfall, you’ll need to augment your candles with additional lighting. Solar string lights offer subtle, glowing illumination and since they aren’t tethered to a power outlet, they can be placed virtually anywhere. If you want to hang them in a shady spot, like a tree branch overhanging a seating area, just place the solar panel in a sunny spot to charge and then move the lights to your desired spot.

Reusable or Biodegradable Tableware: Mismatched tableware is fun and quirky, and perfect for the casual vibe of a spring garden party. So, use what you have and borrow the rest from friends and family if you can. Secondhand stores are also a great source of everything from sparkling glass goblets to serving utensils.

If you just don’t want to bring glass and ceramic tableware out into your garden, there are some eco-friendly options. Preserve Tableware is made from 100% recycled plastic, can be used dozens of times and can be recycled when you’re done with it, so it never ends up in a landfill. Single-use biodegradable and/or compostable disposable cups, plates, bowls and utensils like those made by Arrow Tableware decompose within 180 days in soil or landfills, or within 15 days in water.

Local, Organic Food & Drinks: Serve organic beer and wine, like Frey Syrah and Mothership Wit Organic Wheat Beer, or choose your own ‘signature cocktail’ for the evening – something summery and refreshing like the Cucumber Cocktail, a fizzy sparkling wine and vodka confection in a spring green hue.

A garden party menu should be fresh, light and indicative of the season.  The most budget-friendly option would be to make it a potluck, but you can still provide the entire meal yourself without breaking the bank. Hit your nearest farmer’s market for great prices on local produce and use it as the basis of your spread.

Take advantage of fresh spring artichokes to create this creamy dip with pita chips as an appetizer, or serve a first course of artichoke, fennel and crispy prosciutto salad. Morel mushrooms and fava beans are also in season and delicious with ricotta and baguette slices. New potato salad with fresh dill pairs up beautifully with California asparagus sandwiches, which can easily be made vegetarian and can be as simple or complex as you like.

Top it all off with angel food cake adorned with fresh strawberries and whipped cream – you can ‘cheat’ and buy the cake pre-made at your local organic supermarket to save some time, and it will still be fabulous.

>> Check out "Bring Back Potlucks! Eat Well While Saving You (and Your Friends) Cash" for more green gathering ideas!