The return of the front garden!
As new research reveals we’re less likely to pave over our front gardens these days, we explore what’s behind the change and how you can make the most of yours
Whether you have a sprawling drive, or a space only big enough for the bins, our front gardens are the shop windows to our home. So it’s wonderful to hear that, after decades of many gardens being paved over to accommodate rising car ownership, this sea of grey concrete is finally turning green.
Back in 2015, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) reported that a quarter of all front gardens in Britain had been paved or gravelled. However, the most recent figures show that since then plant cover in front gardens has increased by almost 40 square miles – that’s an area 70 times the size of London’s Hyde Park. Meanwhile, more than one million UK front gardens now contain nothing but greenery. These results come on the back of a five-year RHS campaign to promote
Many people used the time spent at home to green up this overlooked space
the importance of front gardens. But it seems the biggest change has actually come about in the last year. After all, with more time at home, it’s no surprise that the RHS saw a 57 per cent rise in visits to its gardening advice pages as millions of people fell back in love with gardening.
Front gardens that were, perhaps, only used to park the car before now took on a new meaning – transformed overnight into the place where we clapped for carers, spoke to our neighbours, or delivered supplies to family and friends. Some people set up community libraries or offered free seeds to passers-by to lift spirits.
Suddenly, making the most of your front garden mattered again. Accompanied by a strong urge to help wildlife and the planet, many used the time spent at home to green up this overlooked space once more.
After all, the benefits of a great front garden are tremendous, not just for ourselves, but for nature. Creating a green space, however small,
instantly gives local wildlife a lift. We’ve all heard the statistics about the diminishing numbers of butterflies, hedgehogs and birdlife, but creating a little oasis can give them a real helping hand.
Then there’s a huge environmental benefit. Paved drives force rainwater to run off into the local drainage system, spelling trouble for our communities after heavy rain. But having even just a tiny bit of soil or grass in your front garden can help mitigate that flooding risk, as well as removing pollution from the air and even cooling cities in hot months. Finally, there’s the benefit to us. In a recent study, residents in an economically deprived neighbourhood in Salford received ornamental plants to bring to life previously bare front gardens, after
‘Let’s ride this wave of gardening optimism and fill our gardens with plants’
which the stress levels of residents were measured over four years. The results showed that having even a small amount of green space at the front of our homes could reduce stress by the same amount as eight weekly mindfulness sessions, while 52 per cent of the residents added that their front garden made them happier.
And it’s this joy of front gardens that sparked one Yours reader, Gill Wolfe, to start a campaign celebrating the best front gardens. On her popular Facebook group, she asks members to share photos of their own front gardens or inspiring green spaces in their neighbourhood (search ‘Vanishing
Front Gardens of Britain’ on facebook. com to join).
“I feel very guilty that I’m someone who made my front garden into a driveway. Documenting all the amazing gardens out there is my penance!” says Gill.
“I love to see and share all the creative ways people use their space, even if it’s just a windowbox on a balcony.”
For all this good news about the growing appreciation of front gardens, however, the RHS warns that the campaign to spread the benefits of a green space is far from achieving its aim – around 2.5 million front gardens in Britain still have no greenery at all. RHS director of science Professor Alistair Griffiths explains: “Combined with the increasing threat to parks and green spaces from the growing demand for housing, we know there is still much work to be done.
“Let’s continue to ride this wave of gardening enthusiasm and fill our gardens and homes with plants, no matter how small the space, to feel better for it and give the environment a much-needed boost.”