Our Wonderful Gardens

The magic of gardens

Perhaps we have all been looking at our gardens recently, small or large, and have a vision to make something more of our outside space and bring it to life. The gardens and the grounds in which our homes are set have always been an important part of the overall picture. A focal point can be like a painting in a house and catch your eye whatever the size of plot. Pots can also bring colour and interest to a smaller space while they are easy to care for, and of course the ever favourite veg patch is becoming more desirable.

Potager gardens

Having spent years looking at houses, a potager is a great idea and can be achieved in even a small garden. People often say to me they would like to grow their own food at home but a veg plot would look out of place; the answer is a potager. A potager, derived from the French word for a kitchen garden is a space in the garden in which to grow vegetables, set aside from the more formal planted and lawn garden areas. A potager traditionally included vegetables, herbs and flowers all intermingled and originates from Medieval times when the country houses in France had rather less formal gardens than the grand chateaux.

Preserving older gardens

Be careful in old gardens as they are full of special trees, plants and shrubs and some could be as old as the house, so do ensure that you keep those memories alive from past owners who placed them there so that you can enjoy this special sanctuary as the previous owners would have done. A garden should be idyllic and peaceful, and our ever-changing world makes us appreciate this important part of our home now more than ever.

Will your garden efforts be rewarded in the future if you sell?

Property owners and landlords placing their homes on the market are being told to show off gardens in marketing photos as house-hunters search for outside space as an increasing priority.
Photographs of kitchens or large reception rooms had previously been considered key to attracting the attention of browsers; now the garden is more important than ever and rooms which open out onto gardens, such as conservatories and garden rooms, a prized feature. The big question is will it add value, and I believe it will.

Lockdown has changed the priorities of buyers and renters as their number one concerns are now outside space, working from home and the need to enjoy fresh air on a daily basis. It is not a coincidence that the government allowed garden centres to open before almost any other retail outlet.

Finding homes with gardens

In my work over the past 30 years, I have been privileged to see some of the best gardens which West Sussex has to offer. If you would like help finding a new home with a wonderful garden sanctuary, please call me on 07776 452128 or email me on jh@propertyacquisitions.co.uk

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.” Enjoy Gardening