Make the most of your outside space

It’s that time of year again where the sun is shining, the nights are lighter and the mood in Britain changes from winter blues to summer optimism. If you’re renting or thinking about renting a property with a garden, patio or even a simple balcony, now’s the time to think about how to I best plan your green space. With shows like the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, you can get some serious inspiration on how to spruce up the outside space in your London pad.

City sights and plant delights

Many of London’s renters live in apartments in new developments or converted buildings that don’t have private gardens, especially if you’re on a higher floor. Whether you’re living on the eighth floor at a property in Beaufort Park, Colindale, a penthouse apartment at Imperial Wharf , Fulham, or one of London’s other modern developments, fear not as you can turn your private balcony into your own mini amazon. Take in those scenic views of the city or outside area with a wide-ranging collection of plants to add life and character to your property. Balconies usually lead off the reception room, so it’s best to do something that flows effortlessly between the two. Think about colour; if your front room is neutrally decorated, add some red and yellow plants to offset the natural tone.

Sit back and relax

Now you have all those pretty plants on your balcony or terrace, think about purchasing a table and a couple of chairs to truly enjoy your new surroundings. Keep your outside space size in mind, as you don’t want your furniture to take over the whole balcony. Low snack tables work well as they can be folded and put away. You can pick one up relatively inexpensively, with the majority costing around £30.

Who needs a supermarket?

Your balcony doesn’t just have to be a pretty outside space. Many Londoners are using them as mini allotments, growing vegetables and fruit. In fact, companies are seeing a boom in sales as indoor allotment sets fly off the shelves, allowing us to grow those juicy tomatoes, delicious herbs or tasty berries. The E14 postcode is seeing a particular boom with Dockland dwellers showing a real penchant for home-grown produce.

Keep it mean, keep it clean

For those of you lucky enough to have a ground floor apartment, you can really get into the gardening groove. These apartments often come with their own private patios; a little haven of green space. . As the weather heats up and the BBQ invitations become more frequent, no one wants to mingle on an overgrown lawn with lots of dead weeds. Mow your lawn regularly to keep it fresh-looking; you may even want to be creative and include some patterns to jazz things up a little.

Blend your garden into its surroundings

You may want to base your garden designs on the area you live in, depending on what type of area it is. Highgate and Hampstead are particularly leafy and have access to over 790 acres of woodland, meadows and trails on Hampstead Heath. You can get some inspiration on the Heath or by walking around the cobbled streets which usually have some scenic flower decorations. Other areas such as Ealing and Kew incorporate their leafy surroundings in developments such as Dickens Yard and Kew Bridge, so even if you don’t have a huge outside space, you can still enjoy the communal gardens decorated with pretty flower arrangements.

Inspiration

No matter what type of outside space you have, you may want some inspiration to help you create your own garden delights. The RHS Chelsea Flower show runs for five days between the 19th and the 23rd May, and is a good place to start. Presented by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and located in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea. It features avant-garde show gardens, designed by the top names in the gardening world, as well as new varieties of plants. The quality on show has often seen it referred to as the world’s greatest flower show.

I want my outside space

Having an outside space is a necessity for many people in London, young and old, looking for a rental property. If you’d like us to help you find somewhere that has great outside space, whether it’s a balcony with spectacular views or a traditional English garden, browse our listings pages or drop us an email to us and we’d be happy to help.