A new report from the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has revealed the immense value of the UK’s 22 million domestic gardens, highlighting their critical role in supporting national health, climate resilience, biodiversity, and economic growth.
Published in September 2025, The Value of Gardens brings together extensive research showing that gardens cover an area equivalent to 20% the size of Wales and account for nearly 30% of urban land in Great Britain. With the UK government planning to build 1.5 million new homes by 2030, the HTA urges policymakers to prioritise garden space in future developments.
The report finds that gardens are not just leisure spaces, used by 30 million people for relaxation, growing food, and entertaining, but also vital green infrastructure. Trees and lawns in domestic gardens help cool urban areas, reduce flood risk, and remove air pollutants. In London, gardens reduce temperatures by an average of 0.24°C, while grass absorbs up to 99% of rainfall, significantly lowering surface runoff.
The benefits of a garden
Health benefits are equally compelling. Eight in ten UK adults say gardens improve their physical health, and 85% report mental wellbeing gains. Gardening burns calories, boosts vitamin D, and is increasingly prescribed by health professionals to combat stress and dementia. Daily gardening has been linked to a 36% lower risk of developing dementia in older adults.
Economically, gardens underpin a thriving horticulture sector. In 2024, UK households spent £9 billion on garden products and a further £6 billion on landscaping services. Garden centres attracted 203 million visits, 13 times more than Premier League football matches. The HTA’s modelling shows that including 200sqm gardens in the planned new homes could generate £64 billion in consumer spending over the next century.
However, the report warns of threats to green space. Nearly a quarter of UK adults plan to pave over parts of their gardens in the next five years, risking the loss of 8% of total private green space, an area equivalent to a quarter of London.
To safeguard these benefits, the HTA calls for a Government Office for Green Spaces, a minimum garden density of 29.5% in new developments, and reforms to planning and water resilience policies. “We’re at a moment of truth,” the report concludes, “where decisions made now will shape the health, wealth and wellbeing of future generations.”
To download the report, click here.
