RHS calls for government to guarantee gardens in new homes

Report shows that artificial grass covers an area more than six times the size of the City of London and that 42% of domestic garden space is paved over

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has called on the government to legislate for greater provision of gardens in its housebuilding programme.

The RHS inaugural report, The State of Gardening, takes an in-depth look at gardening’s impact on UK health, communities, the economy and the environment. It has estimated that there are 19 million trees in Great Britain’s domestic gardens with 50.5 million across all cultivated green space – six times more than London’s entire urban forest.

However, it also found that artificial grass covers an area more than six times the size of the City of London and that 42% of domestic garden space is paved over, reducing gardens’ potential to cool, capture pollution, support biodiversity, carbon sequestration and storage, and restricting rainwater absorption by the soil and exacerbating flooding.

The RHS is calling for policymakers to guarantee ‘space to grow’ in all housing and urban planning; local councils to ensure diversity in tree planting, prioritising those species that will respond best to climate change; and for developers to design gardens with water channelling, capture and storage facilities to help future-proof them. 

Clare Matterson, Director General at the RHS, said: “For too long, the reach, impact and potential of gardens has been largely overlooked. That there isn’t equality in access to growing space in the UK reinforces the need to shore up garden provision in the 1.5 million new homes promised by the government this parliament.” 

“Gardens also help buffer the effects of heat, flooding and pollution, supporting both environmental and public health. Yet, access is not equal…”

Dr Janie Corley is a Research Fellow with the Lothian Birth Cohorts at the University of Edinburgh, studying the links between lifestyle, environment and healthy ageing.

She said: “The RHS report highlights just how valuable gardens are – not only for the environment but also for our health. Our research shows that people who spend more time in their gardens, and who garden frequently, tend to have better cognitive, physical and emotional health in later life.

“Gardens also help buffer the effects of heat, flooding and pollution, supporting both environmental and public health. Yet, access is not equal: many people, particularly in urban areas, lack any garden space. 

“As we build new homes, gardens – private, shared, or community – should be treated as essential infrastructure, not a luxury.”

Her thoughts were echoed by Dr Emily O’Donnell, Associate Professor and Course Director for the MSc in Global Environmental Sustainability at Nottingham University. Dr O’Donnell said: “Cultivated garden spaces are hugely important. For some people, these may be the only green spaces that they interact with on a regular basis. 

“Gardens deliver a range of benefits to the environment, from managing surface water and flood risk to providing space for pollinator species. Gardens with trees can also play a significant role in cooling the local environment through the provision of shade during hot weather."

O'Donnell added that the key to delivering these environmental and social benefits is designing gardens to be multifunctional. "Where space in cities is at a premium our gardens should maximise provision of environmental benefits while being attractive spaces for relaxation, play and social engagement. 

“Gardens should be included as part of all new housing developments and alternatives to paving over gardens, e.g. for parking, should be explored by policy makers and incentives offered to support this more resilient approach.”