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? Paul James shares suggestions for a delightful garden party; he says you'll need at least two days to prepare your garden and landscape, so set that time aside in the planning stages of the party.

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. If you like that fresh-cut look, you can mow the lawn the day before the party but don't mow the day of the party, because that will stir up all kinds of dust and pollen. There's nothing worse than allergy-prone guests sneezing and sniffling around your food.

Fluff the mulch in your beds or spread some new mulch here and there. It's one of the least expensive and easiest ways to enhance the look of your landscape and your guests will almost surely notice.

Deep soak the entire landscape — trees, turf, flower and vegetable gardens — anything and everything that grows. This will help the plants look their very best the day of the party and you won't have to worry about guests getting their feet muddy and possibly tracking mud into your house after they tour the landscape.

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

24 Hours Before:

It's time to shop for food and beverages and get as much work in the kitchen done as possible. Toward the end of the day, get the party area nice and clean. If your party will be on the patio, position potted plants where you want them and check your cooking equipment to make sure it's in good working order. Make sure that you've got plenty of charcoal or propane on hand if you'll be grilling.

Make sure you've got plenty of seating for your guests and don't limit placement to the patio area. Guests will want to stroll around your property — stopping here and there — to admire the views so place benches or chairs at garden spots that provide the best views. Also, 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 here and there to create a special ambiance.

The Day of the Party:

If you live in an area where bugs (especially flies and mosquitoes) can ruin a party faster than you can say entomology, there are many effective ways to deal with them. 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. You can also fire up an outdoor chimney or chimenea to keep bugs at bay, because most bugs don't like smoke any more than they like wind.

Three Hours Before:

Gather some of your favorite cut flowers and create one or more large floral arrangements or several small ones — perhaps one for each guest. When cutting garden flowers, place them in a bucket filled with water immediately after cutting to keep them looking fresh as long as possible.

One Hour Before:

As things begin heating up in the kitchen and outdoors, take time to tackle the last of the landscape chores. Use an old Japanese trick and 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.

Finally, it's time to ice the beverages and fire up the grill. For a garden party, the perfect ice chest is a wheelbarrow; fill it with ice and add your favorite canned or bottled beverages.