Al-fresco summer trends

Hot summer days mean gardens and outdoor space really come into their own. But what are this year’s al fresco must-haves? The Prime Purchase team take a look at what buyers are looking for.

Well-stocked outdoor kitchens and padel rather than tennis, says Paddy Pritchard-Gordon, who covers the Eastern counties, including Cambridge, Suffolk and Norfolk: “Outdoor kitchens have really taken off, particularly since Covid, when we got used to gathering outside as much as possible. Also, the fact that our summers are generally getting warmer and more reliable means you can get much more use out of them. People are also building amazing pool houses, which are well-equipped, so they don’t spend all their time trudging back to the kitchen for something they’ve forgotten. I have heard of a few padel courts being put in at home, especially by the older generation who perhaps struggle to keep up on the tennis court. Padel courts have the advantage of being smaller than a tennis court and normally always doubles, so it’s a sociable activity.”

Wildflower meadows to run alongside formal gardens, says James Watts, who covers West Berkshire and Hampshire: “There is less emphasis on the formal when it comes to gardens. Yes, a bit of formal garden is desirable where you can sit and entertain, but a manageable size, not too big, with some nice planting around the edges. And then the rest can run a little wilder. I’ve seen some lovely examples of wildflower meadows with walkways cut through it as we become more aware of biodiversity and places for all the little bugs to live. A wild swimming pond rather than a chlorinated pool with plastic cover is another example of this. I’m also seeing more outdoor dog washing: the other day I saw a beautiful example of this with an old stone animal trough which had been mounted and was almost waist-height, with a hot and cold tap over the top.”

In London, head of office Guy Meacock says warmer summers mean it’s all about access to some outside space: “Once upon a time we might only have needed air conditioning for two weeks a year but now that is just not true. We are looking at six to eight weeks at the thick end of 30 degrees so the importance of outside space is ever greater. The pandemic was also a big driver of that as people sought their own front door and more outside space. There is also an appreciation of outer prime areas where you get more space for your money – so moving from Mayfair to Marylebone, Chelsea to Fulham and Fulham or Clapham to Wimbledon. London clients want a bigger garden but perhaps not a full leap out to the countryside. Being close to one of London’s many parks is of such value, such as the communal gardens in Notting Hill; clients love these because they get to look at and use these wonderful gardens but don’t have to maintain them.”

In the southwest, Fred Cook says it’s all about good entertaining spaces and good watering systems: “Outdoor space that is genuinely connected, with a lovely terrace, pizza oven, and a barbecue linked to the kitchen, so it’s easy to grab any bits you need, are all the rage. In the past, the doors of the drawing room opened onto the garden; now everyone lives in their kitchens and wants the outdoor space to be an extension of that. Good watering systems in flower beds are also worth the investment and more often than not, hosepipe bans don't prohibit the use of fixed irrigation systems connected directly to the property's main water supply. Clients love the fact that there is no watering to do so they can sit and relax instead.”

Astroturf may have been a popular alternative to grass in the city but Alex Oliver, who covers north London, says that is no longer the case: “Astroturf is completely out. At the Chelsea Flower Show, it was clear that formal, prescriptive gardens are giving way to a softer, more natural feel. It is not so much about roses and tight borders but a lot more thought for nature, and if you are lucky enough to have a bigger garden, even a small beehive.”

Finally, managing director Charlie Wells swears by Cedric, his robotic mower: “Robots will change your life. Before we had a robotic mower, by the time we got to Thursday, I would have massive anxiety that I hadn’t mowed the lawn but Cedric mows every night whatever the weather. We have a basic model but now you can get much more advanced ones which put stripes on your lawn. They aren’t cheap but in two years it has paid for itself, once you factor in the cost of the ride-on, diesel and the three hours it used to take me every week. Now all I have to do is tidy the edges with a strimmer maybe once a fortnight. I went to a house this year where the automatic watering system had cost three quarters of a million pounds. We put a leaky hosepipe all the way round our terrace and buried it in the flowerbeds to do all our watering; it needn’t cost a fortune – I would say £350 to do five flowerbeds around the house.”