Household spring clean their gardens more often than the inside of their homes, a new report by JD Williams reveals.

The traditional top to bottom dust down of the house at this time of year is dying out to be replaced by a freshening up of the patio, lawn and flower beds. 

Instead of donning the rubber gloves and arming ourselves with dusters and cleaners we prefer to spend time sprucing up the look of the outside of the property. 

Fewer than one in five home dwellers (19%) say they deep clean underneath and behind furniture, wash curtains and declutter cupboards when Spring comes round out compared with seven in ten (72%) of those with gardens who look to remove the signs of winter.

More say they care how the patio looks than worry about the cleanliness of their kitchen (52-48%), the report shows. This is reflected in top buys over the last month as people look to replace garden furniture, BBQ’s and lawnmowers.

Two thirds of those questioned for the study plan to spend more of their spare time relaxing in the garden this summer than inside the home and more also claim they will cook from scratch on the BBQ than on the kitchen oven (53-47%), though nearly all admit that this is dependent on the weather.

The study which coincides with National Gardening Month found that as well as outdoor living becoming increasingly popular there has been a growth of interest in the garden itself as we look to care more about the environment.

One in four (24%) of those withgardens said they were growing produce rather than buying from the supermarket. Studies have previously shown that this cuts the household grocery budget by an average £268 a year. Nearly nine out of ten (88%) believes an attractive garden increases the value of their property.

One in five (21%) say they are adding to their green credentials by planting flowers and shrubs that attracted wildlife.

A consequence of this trend towards patio and backyard living found that 51% of adults feel less stressed and 61% less depressed.

Half say they felt fitter after a workout of pulling weeds and doing general maintenance which is the equivalent of shedding an estimated 200-400 calorie an hour.

Suzi Burns from JD Williams said: “We have got used to outdoor living over the past couple of years which at the same time has led to an increase in interest in the garden. Not only does it engage the body it uplifts the spirit and improves our physical fitness and mental health as well as, in some cases, helping the bank balance.

“We have seen sales of outdoor products growing steadily and this time of year always sees a spurt in demand. It is clear that there is a change a change of lifestyle happening in the UK and why not, being in the garden is more satisfying the vacuuming the house.”

For further details (in an infographic) on why gardening is good for you, visit: https://www.jdwilliams.co.uk/shop/page/benefits-of-gardening/show.action