Garden Grabbing

It seems our gardens are shrinking, and or disappearing at an alarming rate, 30,000 gardens were concreted over last year ready for new houses to be built.

Small houses with large gardens are being sold over to developers to squeeze in as many houses as they can often with disproportionate sized gardens, all in the name of profit. Is it that home owners have forgotten the importance and pleasure of a garden or is it a case of all modern houses have the same sort of garden to offer therefore dumbing down the importance of external space?

Gardening is reported to be the UK’s number one hobby, if that’s the case then why are we accepting smaller gardens with less plants and more hard landscaping?

Gardens and gardening have huge plus points for everyone. They can provide a great social area, inviting friends, neighbours round for cooking, chatting and entertaining. Spend the weekend de-stressing in the garden, pottering around losing yourself in the garden is the best free therapy I know. The whole family can get involved, children learn all aspects of science, oxygenating ponds, germination,pollination, composting and wildlife habitats, they will also know where vegetables and fruits come from if you choose to grow them. The whole family can get all the physical exercise they need whilst breathing in fresh air – better than any gym I know!

Our gardens, our ‘outside living room’ have to grow, giving us all a green space to view and use, providing habitats for wildlife and improving our surrounding environment. An all important environment for future generations, think 25 years ahead, we will be living in an urban jungle without trees, birds singing or colour to lift our moods.

Above all gardens are part of our English Heritage, a heritage we should be holding on too encouraging our younger generation to embrace and enhance.