33 Latest Gardening Industry Statistics & Facts UK (2024)

Gardens can be relaxing spaces to spend time, grow plants and flowers, and enjoy the beautiful British weather. These UK gardening industry statistics & facts tell a fascinating tale of us being a nation of gardeners!

UK Gardening Industry Statistics & Facts

1. 87% of British homes have a garden, equalling around 23 million outdoor spaces. (Garden Patch)
2. In 2021, Brits spent an astounding £18.6 billion on gardens, making the average money paid by a single adult £690. (Statista)
3. On garden plants, the estimated spend is £1.4 billion. (Garden Retail Market Analysis Report)
4. Brits spend the most each year on new garden furniture. (Statista)
5. The ornamental horticulture and landscaping industries are behind around 570,000 jobs in the UK. (Horticultural Trades Associates)
6. Spending money on garden goods, tools and plants was highest in the 65-74 year age group, who spent an average of £3.80 per week. (Statista)
7. An attractive garden could add 20% to a home’s value, and 60% of house buyers want a garden when looking for a new home. (Foxton)
8. Some estimates suggest that 8 million square metres of fake grass get sold each year in the UK. (Garden Patch)
9. The median UK garden size is 188 square metres; however, you can find more extensive gardens in Scotland, where these lush, green spaces can be over 700 square metres. (ONS)
10. Gardens aren’t as common in the bigger cities, and 1 in 5 Londoners don’t have a garden. (ONS)

Gardeners, gardens and their use

11. Around 27 million Brits enjoy gardening, with women making up 57% of garden enthusiasts. (Garden Patch)
12. The over 55s (51.4%) are the most likely group to tend a garden, with 16-24-year olds the least likely (31.2%). (Statista)
13. The average gardener spends two hours a week tending to their gardens, with time spent in a garden dropping during the cooler months. (Garden Patch)
14. Every year, the average Brit spends 15 hours mowing the law, 13 hours weeding, 8 hours painting sheds and fences and a whopping 45 hours watering plants. (BillyOh)
15. 52% of Brits use their garden to feed or watch wildlife, and 38% use the space to grow fruit, veg, or herbs. (Horticultural Trades Associates)
16. In 2021, having a vegetable patch (28%) and garden gnomes (15%) were the most popular garden trends, with 5% even looking to add an outdoor rug to their garden. (Statista)
17. 25% of gardeners get their inspiration from television programmes. (Horticultural Trades Associates)
18. 49% of Brits have roses in their gardens (YouGov)
19. When voting for their favourite flowers, lilies and tulips came second and third behind roses. (Monarch Airlines)

The benefits and downsides of gardens

20. 84% of British adults think gardening improves their overall health and well-being. (YouGov)
21. 94% believe gardens and other green spaces benefit the environment. (YouGov)
22. Not everyone thinks gardens are just a place of serenity; 1 in 10 people claim they find gardening stressful. (Lakeland Furniture)
23. Around 300,000 people hurt themselves seriously attending their gardens every year, with 110,000 of those being little children. (RoSPA)
24. The most common accidents gardeners have are cuts and falls. (RoSPA)
25. 1 in 7 gardens will have theft every year, with bike thefts being the most common reason thieves might visit your garden. (Crime Prevention Website)
26. Thieves are not the only headache for gardeners; there are an estimated 20,000 slugs per garden in the UK! (Top Soil Shop)

British gardens: history and the future

27. Letchworth Garden City, designed around the ideas of Ebenezer Howard, is Britain and the world’s first garden city. (Wikipedia)
28. College Garden at Westminster Abbey is England’s oldest surviving garden, having cultivated plants and flowers for over 900 years. (Burleydam Garden Centre)
29. Levens Hall Topiary Gardens in Kendall are the oldest topiary garden in the world. (The Guinness Book of World Records)
30. The Stewarts are believed to be the first nursery to open a garden centre in Britain. (Dorset Council)
31. 75% of UK primary schools offer gardening as an extra-curricular activity. (YouGov)
32. The average budget given to schools for gardening projects is 33p per pupil. (YouGov)
33. Our devotion to gardens shows in how 28% of Brits live within a five-minute walk of a public park, and 72% live fewer than 15 minutes away. (ONS)