More Britons use gardens to grow food

HSBC has surveyed 2,000 adults and found that one-third have started to eat food that they have grown themselves.

This appears to be in direct response to news that the average family food shop has risen by £260 a year.

One in three Britons has a fruit tree in the garden, while 27 per cent admitted to having a vegetable patch.

Head of savings at HSBC Bruno Genovese believes austerity measures, as well as an increasing demand for organic items, has led to the spiralling popularity of cultivating food.

“It is no surprise that items associated with self-sufficiency such as fruit trees and vegetable patches rate highly on the list of features Britons want in their ideal garden,” he commented.

Another gardening-based study conducted by the bank showed that Britons spend £7.7 billion on the upkeep of their outside areas each year