text: Lovingly tended gardens with their manicured lawns and neat flowerbeds were once the very essence of Englishness. But these days we are increasingly using outdoor space for the occasional barbecue or to relax in a hot tub rather than for tending flowers, according to researchers. As a result, only a handful of traditional flowers still grow in English country gardens, with the average one usually containing a mere four species – daffodils, crocuses, roses and tulips. These days we are increasingly using outdoor space for the occasional barbecue or to relax in a hot tub rather than for tending flowers, according to researchers (file image) Almost 40 per cent of people, including 66 per cent of those aged 18-29, spend more time sunbathing and having barbecues in their garden than tending it, according to the survey of 1,000 adults by the garden furniture retailer Alfresia.co.uk. Sir Roy Strong, the landscape designer and former director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, told the Sunday Times: ‘British people used to take pride in having neat gardens with lots of flowers. ‘Now they are watching lots of gardening shows on television but doing less gardening themselves.’ Typical of the trend is Chris Penn, a 31-year-old council officer from Newport, Gwent, who said: ‘The main purpose of our garden is as a space to unwind with a glass of wine on a warm evening after work.’ As a result, only a handful of traditional flowers still grow in English country gardens, with the average one usually containing a mere four species – daffodils, crocuses, roses and tulips (file image) It comes after another recent study found that more and more people are digging up their flower beds to make way for hot tubs and outdoor spas. Despite the unpredictable climate, one in ten households has a hot tub in the garden – and the British and Irish Spa and Hot Tub Association has said sales actually increase in years of cold weather. A survey of 2,000 homeowners carried out for Lloyds TSB Insurance found that 10 per cent of respondents owned a hot tub, with the equipment in the average UK garden now worth £1,928. And around 57 per cent of householders surveyed by Lloyds TSB said they use the garden as a place to relax, rather than to cultivate plants.
target: Now outdoor space is more commonly used to store hot tubs, say experts .
  Only traditional flowers still grow in English country gardens as a result .
  Most only contains four species - daffodils, crocuses, roses and tulips .