More and more people appear to be keen on investing in upgrading their green space into a decadent and luxurious setting, a new study has revealed.
Carried out by Lloyds TSB, it was noted that the average garden on the other side of the Atlantic in the UK is now worth an estimated £2,000 ($3,000).
Although the global financial climate remains uncertain and the cost of living is rising as a direct result, households still appear to be willing to invest thousands into transforming their outdoor space into a luxury haven.
An estimated £894 is spent on luxury furniture items and decorations for outdoors – and somewhere in the region of 85 per cent of the population have some form of space outside their home.
Keen gardeners may wish to give some thought to investing in a greenhouse, as these items enable the individual to keep at work on their favourite pastime throughout the year – no matter what the season and regardless of the unpredictabilities of the weather.
Indeed, author of the Winter Vegetables and Vegetable Course gardening books Charles Dowding recently wrote in a blogpost for the BBC Gardening website that some plants do much better in such controlled conditions.
He singled out winter salad leaves as a great choice – particularly for those who want to grow a little something for the kitchen into the colder winter months. The expert noted that the plants typically seeded in September, as this gives them plenty of time to harvest in the middle of winter.
Presenter of the Love Your Garden magazine television show Frances Tophill stated: “It is positive that we are valuing our outdoor spaces more.”
She expressed concern that the traditional image of what a garden space can be is not lost, but expressed interest in the results of the Lloyds TSB study.
“We don’t often get a chance to peek over the garden fence of the nation, but as homeowners become too time-poor for gardening, features like decking, summer houses and leisure items have moved into prime position in our back gardens,” she remarked.
“It is a great idea to make our gardens more social and manageable,” the expert continued, adding: “We really are a nation of outdoor-lovers who take pride in our gardens – especially if we are choosing to cook and entertain outside in the winter months.”
Ms Tophill advised thinking about incorporating plants into decking design to give the garden a distinctive character amid all the luxury.
