British gardeners shelling out £7.7bn a year

According to a study from banking group HSBC, greenhouse and gardening enthusiasts spend an average of £297 every year on the upkeep of their greenery.

This includes £82 on new garden furniture, £73 on plants and flowers, £71 on landscaping and £70 on general maintenance, the report revealed.

Meanwhile, the biggest bits of expenditure were named as a shed at an average of £1,340, a greenhouse at £1,310 and a barbeque at £512.

Two-thirds of people in the UK like to maintain their gardens themselves, compared with three per cent who pay a regular gardener.

However, despite this level of expenditure, Brits use their outside space for just under a third of the year, or 120 days on average.

“The garden adds another dimension to a house,” said Julian Tatlock of Julian Tatlock Garden Design. “People have started to see their garden as an integral part of their living space which they enjoy spending time in, whether it’s for relaxation, entertaining or tending their own home grown produce.”