At Lazy Susan, we believe your outdoor table should do more than just seat guests — it should reflect the beauty of your garden and the joy of entertaining outdoors.
Whether you’re hosting a casual summer lunch for just the household or a special celebration with friends and family, decorating your outdoor table with fresh plants, fragrant herbs, and seasonal flowers can instantly elevate your outdoor space.
Here’s how to transform your outdoor table into a stylish, nature-inspired focal point, straight from the garden furniture experts at Lazy Magazine:
1. Let Your Garden & Patio Dining Area Set the Scene

Think of your garden table as a blank canvas and your garden as a colour palette. A patio table, whether a 2-seater or 10-seater, gives you the space to be creative, so take inspiration from the natural beauty around you. Whether it's lavender, peonies, rosemary, or a climbing ivy, these natural elements can help shape your colour scheme and decorative style. Grounding your table decor in your garden’s character ensures it feels harmonious, relaxed, and uniquely yours.
2. Build a Living Outdoor Table Centrepiece with Plants & Herbs

Create a centrepiece that’s as practical as it is beautiful. Try grouping small rustic metal or terracotta pots filled with aromatic herbs like thyme, mint, and basil along the centre of your garden table. Not only do they look and smell wonderful — they’re edible too. Alternatively, gather garden-fresh flowers into decorative vases or jars. Opt for a low-profile arrangement that encourages easy conversation across the table. If your garden is full of colour, pick a few bold blooms like dahlias or roses and mix in greenery for a relaxed, handpicked effect.
3. Add Texture to your Outdoor Furniture with Natural Linens & Organic Touches

Layer your garden tabletop with materials that enhance the garden aesthetic. Think linen runners, jute placemats, or rustic napkin rings made from twine. Cloth napkins wrapped around a sprig of rosemary or tied with a ribbon and a small flower instantly feel personal and will elevate your alfresco dining space. Wooden serving boards, decorative bowls, and hand-glazed jugs also add a tactile, natural feel that complements the lushness of your garden surroundings.
4. Illuminate the Evening with Garden-Inspired Ambience & Outdoor Lighting

As the sun goes down, your lighting should step up and gently illuminate your outdoor table setting and wider outdoor space. String lights overhead, lanterns with LED candles, or solar-powered lamps placed around the garden table all help create a warm, inviting glow. Intertwine fairy lights through your herb pots or trailing ivy for a magical, whimsical touch. Citronella candles in vintage-style plant pots are perfect for building an atmosphere and keeping summer bugs at bay.
5. Style Each Al Fresco Dining Place Setting with Garden Charm

Add personality to your place settings with garden-themed accents. Use mini pots as place card holders, or tie a seed packet to each napkin as a thoughtful guest favour. Tuck fresh herbs like sage or oregano into the setting for colour and fragrance. For extra flair, use colourful outdoor glassware or floral-patterned dishes that echo the greenery and blooms around you.
6. Use Height to Create Visual Interest

Avoid a flat-looking garden table by playing with different heights. Elevate plants and vases on rustic crates or cake stands to create depth and drama. This works especially well on our larger 10+ seater tables, where layering brings balance to the alfresco dining space. Just make sure any centrepieces are low enough not to obstruct your guests’ view of each other or interrupt the flow of conversation.
7. Coordinate with Your Garden Furniture

A coordinated garden table set makes styling your patio so much easier. Lazy Susan’s furniture is designed with flexibility and aesthetics in mind, so your garden chairs, table, parasols, cushions, etc, will always complement your decor choices. When your outdoor furniture and your garden-inspired table decor work in harmony, the overall effect feels polished yet effortless, perfect for entertaining and building an inviting atmosphere.
8. Stay Stylish but Practical

Style doesn’t have to sacrifice comfort. Keep guests shaded with a parasol, drape throws on chair backs for chilly evenings, position a fire pit, and place coolers or drinks stations nearby to free up table space. Choose sturdy outdoor tableware like bamboo or melamine that’s durable but still stylish. Plan: if wind or rain is a possibility, choose placemats instead of tablecloths and secure any lightweight items. Even in summer, a backup plan is a must — whether that means moving indoors or setting up a pop-up gazebo.

Final thoughts from Lazy Susan for your outdoor space…
A well-prepared garden table with carefully selected garden table decor is a confident host’s best friend. Decorating your outdoor table with garden-fresh elements isn’t just visually stunning — it brings a whole new dimension to your gathering.
Fragrant herbs, colourful blooms, and lush greenery add not only beauty but also scent, texture, and a connection to nature that’s hard to replicate with shop-bought décor. It’s an invitation for guests to slow down, take in their surroundings, and enjoy the simple pleasures of outdoor dining.
From terracotta pots brimming with rosemary to jars of cut garden flowers or a sprig of lavender tied around napkins, these small but thoughtful touches can completely transform your table. They help you create a relaxed, garden-lovers paradise — one that feels personal, seasonal, and effortlessly stylish.
But remember, hosting a memorable garden meal doesn’t require extravagance or perfection. What matters most is care, creativity, and creating a space that feels considered and welcoming. A well-laid table shouldn’t just serve food — it should tell a story about your garden, your style, and the people you’ve gathered around it.
Our top tips to take your outdoor table to the next level:
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Use edible flowers or herbs like nasturtiums, mint, or basil to garnish dishes and drinks for a beautiful (and tasty) detail.
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Match your table décor with your garden's mood — a soft pastel palette for a cottage garden, or vibrant tones for a more contemporary space.
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Add texture with layering: think charger plates, napkins, and small decorative elements like seed packets or mini bouquets at each place setting.
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Create zones for serving and socialising by placing drinks stations or snack platters at different ends of the table or nearby surfaces.
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Keep bees and butterflies in mind — using pollinator-friendly plants in your décor to support local wildlife and add movement and charm to your table setup.
With Lazy Susan’s beautifully designed outdoor furniture as your foundation, all you need is a handful of garden-grown details and a touch of creativity to make every gathering feel special.
So whether you’re planning a sun-soaked brunch or a dinner under the stars, let your table reflect the beauty of your garden — and enjoy the moments that bloom around it.
Love this guide? Don’t forget to share your garden table decor!
Tag us on Instagram or Facebook using @LazySusanFurniture, or upload your outdoor table styling photos to our Do Some Good campaign — we’d love to see how you bring the garden to the table!
Further Reading:
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Best Garden Tableware and Flatware for Summer
A well-set table allows for organised placement of food, utensils, and condiments, making it easier for guests to serve themselves and ensuring everything they need is within easy reach. -
How to Arrange Your Garden Furniture for the Perfect Party
The summer party season is just around the corner — and here at Lazy Magazine, we can hardly believe it’s already spring. It doesn’t seem like five minutes since we were writing our Merry Christmas posts!