Kent


<p>It&#8217;s peak summer season. So we asked local, luxury landscape garden expert and founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://langdalelandscapes.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Langdale Landscapes</a>,&nbsp;Nik Edser, for his thoughts on how to make the most of our outdoor spaces when the temperature rises.</p>



<p>With 25 years’ experience and an ever-growing word-of-mouth client base, Nik has built a solid reputation for excellence, attention to detail and overseeing every single element of his team’s projects from start to finish.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Regularly designing and constructing gardens in the Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells area, Nik and his team will also travel throughout the rest of Kent and surrounding counties.&nbsp;<strong>Here’s Nik’s TOP 5 TRENDS FOR SUMMER PROOFING YOUR GARDEN</strong>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-1-shady-lady">1. Shady lady</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1188" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Outdoor-garden-shade-featre.jpg" alt="outdoor seating area in shade of tree" class="wp-image-89136" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Outdoor-garden-shade-featre.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Outdoor-garden-shade-featre-800x634.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Outdoor-garden-shade-featre-1000x792.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Outdoor-garden-shade-featre-400x317.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Outdoor-garden-shade-featre-768x608.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Outdoor-garden-shade-featre-663x525.jpg 663w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Reclining on a sun lounger is all well and good, but for those long, hot summer days, you also want to create some shade too. What about a relaxing space under a natural canopy &#8211; like a tree &#8211; where you can read and relax?</p>



<p>Nik says: &#8216;Creating lovely areas in the garden that take advantage of shade is becoming a must, given the recent high temperatures we have been having in the summer months. We always try to include spaces in our design for this exact purpose, because there is nothing like sitting under a large shady tree on a hot summer day.&#8217;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">2. Trade up the BBQ</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/BBQ3.jpg" alt="Langdale Landscapes outdoor kitchen BBQ area" class="wp-image-89134" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/BBQ3.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/BBQ3-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/BBQ3-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/BBQ3-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/BBQ3-768x513.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/BBQ3-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Take your summer entertaining to the next level with an outdoor fitted kitchen. Who wants to be stuck in the kitchen preparing food for guests, while they bask in the sunshine? An al fresco kitchen transports your entire prep, cooking and serving system into the heart of your garden.</p>



<p>Nik says: &#8216;Dining outside is so lovely and nothing beats this country in the sunshine! This is becoming a must have for a lot of our projects now as people are looking for great spaces to cook and entertain outside. If these areas are designed well &#8211; to be both social and practical &#8211; then they become fantastic places to hang out with friends and family in the summer and often all year round in fact.&#8217;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">3. Pergolas are perfect</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pergola.jpg" alt="Langdale Landscapes outdoor pergola design" class="wp-image-89137" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pergola.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pergola-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pergola-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pergola-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pergola-768x513.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pergola-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>From a full on cover that creates a canopy to protect you from the elements (while you can still enjoy close contact with nature), to an open air structure that frames your space and gives your garden character &#8211; pergolas are big news.</p>



<p>Nik says: &#8216;Pergolas are a huge part of our projects and we use them regularly to create lovely areas to sit and relax along with the added advantage of providing screening from over-looking neighbours, for example. They are a great place for training climbers up or for just hanging fairy lights on, we use a variety of different styles and the choice is huge &#8211; from metal to wood &#8211; and the whole outdoor covered areas is becoming a massive market.&#8217;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">4. Reduce your lawn</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Lawn-reduce-1-1000x666.jpg" alt="Langdale Landscapes outdoor design area" class="wp-image-89135" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Lawn-reduce-1-1000x666.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Lawn-reduce-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Lawn-reduce-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Lawn-reduce-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Lawn-reduce-1-788x525.jpg 788w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Lawn-reduce-1.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>To enjoy gardening without a huge drain on your time and effort, try low-maintenance options like incorporating additional hardscape designs, which can not only reduce the lawn area, but also add a decorative element. When combined with an automated&nbsp;irrigation system&nbsp;or synthetic turf, this can significantly lessen the time needed for lawn care.</p>



<p>Nik says: &#8216;Reducing the lawn area so you have some great entertaining spaces all year long is always met with resistance when we suggest it &#8211; but most people come round to the idea. Whilst having lawn is seen as a must for most English gardens, there is a great deal of the year when it&#8217;s not very useable. So by making it sit within the proportions of the garden we always try to make the hardscape areas very useable and as designated areas for dining or lounging.&#8217;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">5. Install a pool</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pool-5.jpg" alt="Langdale Landscapes outdoor swimming pool design" class="wp-image-89138" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pool-5.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pool-5-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pool-5-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pool-5-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pool-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/Pool-5-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>If your budget allows &#8211; what better way to cool off? Swimming pools have always been popular but following the pandemic and the recent run of summers they are increasingly becoming a major part of a lot of garden designs. If that&#8217;s a stretch too far &#8211; what about an outdoor shower?</p>



<p>Nik says: &#8216;In recent years we have moved swimming pools closer to the house and fully integrated them into amazing lounging and entertaining areas so they really deliver that &#8216;wow&#8217; factor. When the mercury rises, having an inviting pool too jump into makes you the most popular person to know. Plus, if that is incorporated with an incredible design that includes outdoor entertaining areas and pool houses then that really does give the ultimate outdoor living experience.&#8217;</p>



<p><em>All images, (except image 1) are from&nbsp;<a href="https://langdalelandscapes.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Langdale Landscapes</a>&nbsp;projects.</em></p>


How to summer proof your garden design

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