Front gardens are getting greener as plant-loving Britons break with the trend for paving and gravel, a survey found.
Twice as many people now say the area in front of their home is entirely planted up, compared with five years ago, according to a poll for the Royal Horticultural Society.
If replicated countrywide, almost 40 square miles of plants, trees and grass has been created since 2015.
The RHS say that front gardens can improve mental and physical health, help wildlife, conserve rain water, improve air quality and cool cities during summer. Front gardens also create kerb appeal for prospective buyers.
The Royal Horticultural Society said it hopes a surge in interest during the pandemic can help fill gardens with plants. Nearly half of people with gardens said they spent more time in it during the spring lockdown and more than a quarter bought more plants.
