Top 5 garden trends to elevate your outdoor living

From Ibiza-inspired chill-out zones to pergola framing – here’s the top trends that elevate your green retreat to the next level

With spring on the horizon, it’s time to turn our attention to embracing outdoor living. A well-designed garden room can elevate our whole home experience – and make a darn fine entertaining space or place to unwind. They can be created in gardens of all shapes and sizes.

So what should be top of your list to elevate your green retreat? We asked local, luxury landscape garden expert and founder of Langdale Landscapes, Nik Edser, for his thoughts.

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. 

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. Here’s Nik’s TOP 5 TRENDS FOR SUMMER 2023.

1. BEACH CLUB CORNER

Langdale Landscapes sunken garden design

Ibiza vibes chill-out corners – created for chatting, drinking and relaxing – are big news. Say what you like about Love Island – if there’s one thing that series has got right – it’s the outdoor design. Who doesn’t love a chat around a firepit? Create your own Balearic island-inspired space – from sofa areas for sundowners to sunken gardens.

Nik says: ‘Outdoor fire pits have seen a massive rise in popularity as they extend the evenings and create a relaxing and social atmosphere as the sun goes down.’

2. OUTDOOR COOKING SPACE

Outdoor dining kitchen Langdale Landscapes design

Time to say hasta luego to your rusty old BBQ! Take your summer entertaining to the next level with an outdoor fitted kitchen. After all we love our open air dining spaces and 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.

Nik says: ‘An outdoor kitchen can be as simple or extravagant as you want and we design a lot of them in to our gardens. It’s a great way to create a beautiful, focal space to enjoy with friends.’

3. PERGOLA FRAMING

Langdale landscapes garden design pergola

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, pergolas are big news. Choose a design that allows you to enjoy the outdoors while remaining comfortable and sheltered from wind, rain and bright sun – or a hybrid system (like the rotating canopy pictured above) that opens up, giving you flexibility.

Nik says: ‘Outdoor structures are a massive part of our projects as it gives a fantastic place to sit and relax. They provide shade during the heat of the day and then a place to sit with friends in the evening as the temperature drops.’

4. KITCHEN GARDENS

Langdale landscapes kitchen garden design

We all want to add a little more sustainability into our lives – so who fancies upping your veg patch game? Nothing beats the satisfaction of eating your own tomatoes straight from the vine or a freshly picked sweetcorn cob warmed by the sun. Growing your own is good for you in so many ways – from the mindfulness it brings from nurturing your crops to the healthier option of growing things organically.

Nik says: ‘Veg areas can be a great space for all the family to get involved, they tend to be raised beds so they are easy to tend to and the choice of materials is huge.’

5. POOL PARTIES

Langdale Landscapes pool garden design

Yes, a swimming pool is a wonderful luxury – but there’s no doubt it also increases the value of the property too. And if you’re going to invest – then do it in style. Whether it’s semi-covered dining areas or an indoor-outdoor home bar – a good designer will encourage you to think about the space around your pool so that it becomes the perfect place to unwind and entertain.

Nik says: ‘Pools have always been a big part of our designs and that increased further during the pandemic. A pool, and its surrounds, creates an amazing space to enjoy and can totally tie together a garden. They really are the No.1 lifestyle choice!’

All images are from Langdale Landscapes projects.

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