A survey by garden and conservatory furniture etailer, Alfresia.co.uk, has found that more than 1 in 4 homes no longer have a real grass lawn in the back or front garden as a low maintenance outdoor space suitable for entertaining grows in popularity.
67% of adults cite a lack of time to maintain a lawn is the main reason for not having one and this has led to a large number of homes now installing AstroTurf or another form of artificial lawn - 1 in 10 to be exact.
Lawns are being replaced by alternative outdoor living areas. The research found that Brits now prefer decking (57%) patio space (55%), sheds (52%) and other garden rooms or summer houses (20%), in a bid to maximise on living space.
1 in 5 of those with a shed say it’s used for non-traditional purposes suggesting the Amazing Spaces ‘shed of the year’ competition has inspired the nation.
Traditionally, a well-kept lawn was something of a status symbol in suburban areas, and a priority for the majority of households, with green-fingered Brits often spending weekends weeding the grass and preening the edges in an attempt to maintain their blades of glory.
Now, 71% of homeowners say they believe having a lawn is a burden and they would prefer not to have one at all.
Craig Corbett, marketing manager at Alfresia.co.uk, said: “As a time-poor nation, we’re constantly looking for ways to maintain our homes and outdoor space, with minimum effort and minimum cost. Maintaining a lawn can take a lot of work. There’s mowing, fertilizing and not forgetting the task of watering it when it hasn’t rained for a few days - taking up time that Brits don’t have.
Of course, having a patio or decking fitted in the garden often means sacrificing some, if not all of the lawn space. These garden fixtures are becoming increasingly common, and this combined with the fact that adults in the UK don’t feel the same way about their lawns as they used to, it’s no surprise that lawns have shrunk nearly 50% over the past 10 years.”
