Next week the greatest and greenest will be camped out in west London for Chelsea Flower Show, a kind of gardening mecca which has existed in some form or other for more than 100 years.
Some of them will return to their own gardens ready to do radical things with weeds and wildflowers – a growing trend at Chelsea, according to our resident expert George Hudson – while others will simply be grateful for their own sliver of green space.
A recent report by Knight Frank found that London flats with a private garden are worth 12 per cent more than those without.
And the very luckiest among us will inherit not a six foot bramble patch but something that’s already been ‘done’, whether by a Chelsea gold medallist or a particularly green-fingered former resident.
Here are 10 of the best gardens on the market now (but you’ll have to buy the house too).
Borough, SE1
£5 million
This renovated Georgian townhouse, moments from Borough Market, is split over five floors. There are five bedrooms and three bathrooms, but the big draw is the vast garden designed by Chelsea gold winners Garden Club London, with its views to the Shard.
Circa London, 020 3137 7877
Peckham, SE15
£2.42 million
This three-bedroom period home has a lush 120 foot garden by Rebecca Heard of Fineline Garden Design, who was enlisted to create a ‘Victorian collector’s garden of ferns’. The outdoor space also includes a plumbed-in garden studio.
Inigo, 020 3687 3071
Muswell Hill, N10
£825,000
An attractive three-bedroom semi close to good schools, with a converted loft room, period features and a landscaped, low-maintenance garden. There are two bathroooms upstairs, plus a guest WC on the ground floor.
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, 020 3856 3748
Old Street, EC1
£2.35 million
This remarkable apartment, formerly a gallery, occupies the ground and lower ground floors of a converted warehouse in the Moorfields Conservation Area. Glazed sliding doors open on to a slick patio planted with palms and climbing vines.
The Modern House, 020 3795 5920
Stockwell, SW9
£750,000
This two bedroom maisonette is well-placed for quick access into Stockwell, Brixton and Clapham North. It features good-size rooms and direct access to a private walled garden with built-in planters and mature trees.
Marsh & Parsons, 020 7733 4595
De Beauvoir, N1
£3.45 million
A grand four-bedroom Victorian home on the Hackney Islington border with a 24 foot long principal bedroom. The garden, which connects to the house via an unusual glass extension, was designed by Chelsea stalwart Darren Hawkes.
Savills, 020 7354 6327
Chelsea, SW3
£10.25 million
A Chelsea townhouse with over 4,000 square feet of living space, including six bedrooms and staff accommodation. The huge garden, which features a swimming pool and a 16th century listed wall, was designed by Chelsea gold medallist Jane Brockbank.
Tedworth, 020 7352 0535
Streatham, SW16
£750,000
This spacious split-level apartment opposite Streatham Common comes with three bedrooms, two receptions and a share of the freehold – plus sole access to a vast landscaped garden with deck and built-in seating.
Jacksons, 020 8677 9900
Finchley, N3
£650,000
A two-bedroom ground floor flat, minutes from the Northern line at Finchley Central, with a share of the freehold, basement for storage and a structured 80 foot garden. It’s only a few minutes’ to the Dollis Valley Greenwalk.
Kinleigh, Folkard & Hayward, 020 3835 2714
Hornsey, N8
£1.65 million
This four-bedroom maisonette occupies the lower two floors of an-end-of terrace period home on the border with Highgate. Dual aspect bi-fold doors connect the kitchen diner with the 80 foot garden, with its patio, deck and lawn.
