When summer comes around people start thinking of warm, sunny evenings and barbecues in the garden. If you do plan to have a barbecue then you'll want to make sure that you have some decent outdoor furniture so that people can sit down to eat their food. Nowadays people tend to spend more time in their gardens if the weather is good and there is no excuse for a couple of tired, white plastic chairs when there is so much more to choose from.

It is always a good idea to include a bench when you are buying outdoor furniture because it gives some extra seating. You can get some really decent sets of garden furniture at one of the online shopping centres and have it delivered to your door in good time for the barbecue. If you decide to buy wooden furniture then make sure that the wood has been properly treated or it could swell if the weather is damp.

While a bistro table and a couple of chairs might look attractive, you may want a bigger table and better seating for a barbecue. Some people like the kind of outdoor furniture that wouldn't look out of place inside the house but a lot depends on what sort of budget you have to play with. You can get padded benches and chairs that look good and at the end of the evening you just remove the cushions and take them inside in case of a summer shower.

If you plan on having a lot of people to your barbecue then you may want to get an extending table and some extra chairs so that more people can sit down to eat if they want to. If you want something simple then why not go for a reinforced glass topped table and some mesh chairs. The chairs are quite comfortable to sit in and are a change from tired old plastic or hard wood or metal.

You may want to consider some wrought iron design as they will often have an attractive appearance and will stand up to being left outside in bad weather. Most sets of garden furniture consist of a table and three or four chairs but it is possible to get some larger sets if that is what you want. The key to a successful barbecue party is to plan everything ahead of time. If you plan on cooking for a large number of people then you may want to invest in a new barbecue so that you can cook more food together.

There are some great outlets on the internet and many of them sell outdoor furniture, often at a cheaper price than on the high street because they don't have the same kind of overheads. You can take your time shopping online so you can make sure that you have a good look around to see what styles and designs are available before you buy. Make sure that you set a budget before you start preparing for the barbecue season with outdoor furniture.