The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Kew Gardens, Giardini Botanici Villa Taranto, Claude Monet Giverny Garden, Jardin Majorelle – just a small selection of the many outstanding gardens from around the world. These majestic grounds showcase perfect topiary, trees, plants, and flowers, the beauty of which can put you in a state of relaxation as you become at one with nature. However, these magnificent public gardens do all suffer from one major drawback… the public! Now, don’t get me wrong, I am sure there are some lovely people in the world, but there are just … so many of them. Crowds can really affect the tranquility of a garden, especially if you want to, you know, catch the sun au natural. The solution? Private gardens... and here are some of my favourites:
Unlike the way that your most pretentious friend pronounces Porsche ‘por sha’, Portia’s Garden has no pretension whatsoever. Immaculately presented, beautiful statues and a balcony to admire it from. Perfect.
Outdoor space in the heart of Copenhagen. Bliss. Whether you hop into one of the hammocks or fire up the barbeque you’ll never, ever want to leave Everland. Ever.
Named after the Danish word for happiness, Lykke is a home that will not fail to put a smile on your face. Open up the doors and the exterior will bring joy too. Small and bijou describes this garden perfectly. Everything you need for dining al fresco and enjoying the sun. Lykke? No. Lovve!
Clapham, of course home to Clapham Common, a huge grassy area for South Londoners to enjoy. The problem here though, is the word common. On a hot day it's wildly busy. The Songbird however is situated just around the corner and has its own private sanctuary. Clapham not-so-common.
A bathtub in the garden? Quirky. Very quirky. Although this particular tub isn’t for a relaxing soak under the stars, instead it is used as an unorthodox method to showcase plants. The rest of this garden follows suit and is a wonderfully wacky London retreat. Don’t forget to close the (Easton) Gate on your way out!
Take a good look Behind The Scenes, and experience utmost privacy in Wandsworth. Large opening doors head out into this perfectly manicured garden that is completely enclosed and hidden from the outside world. Perfect for sunbathing, entertaining, or an Instagram photoshoot with lots of exaggerated laughter.
A huge garden that is as good for family fun as it is for entertaining. Whether the kids are kicking a ball around or the adults are swigging wine and debating politics and religion (seriously folks, these topics never end well - I suggest that you discuss music and food for safety) this garden is picture perfect.
With more plants, trees and leaves then you could shake a stick at (and there are plenty of sticks on hand), you will not be short of oxygen in this green wonderland. So sit back, relax and forget about the busy city for a while.
A lounge with only 3 walls… and one huge opening into your own luxury garden. Indoor-outdoor flow is off the unmatched with this one. Everything you need for a relaxing stay, however it should be noted that I cannot guarantee nymphs of any description.
What is better than a house with a garden in London? A house with two gardens in London! A Change in Time has not one, but two places to chill out in the open air. The balcony above features artificial turf and looks down on the real thing below. With so much space to relax, you might not get a lot done in this house.
When most people hear ‘fairy tale’ in relation to a garden they instantly conjure up images of pixies prancing around waving their wands to achieve some sort of sorcery. Well, I can’t be sure exactly who waved their wand in this Southwark garden, but trust me, whoever it was definitely performed some magic.
For those that are overly obsessive about wonderfully groomed spaces, symmetry and perfectly kempt gardens - I have got something special for you. No need for an ostentatious, huge outdoor area here. It turns out that *good things really do come in small packages.
*great things
It will come as no surprise that somewhere called Paradise Forest is, well, a forest paradise, but this garden is so much more. For starters, just look at the size of it! Enough room to have an outdoor dinner party, relax and play games… still not enough for you? How about an outhouse to read your favourite book in? My words can’t do this one justice. Click for more photos of this epic space.
