"over the past 10 years the number of front gardens with gravel or paving instead of grass has tripled, now making up a quarter of all houses, a survey for the RHS shows.
There's an environmental cost. Paving increases the risk of flash flooding - instead of grass and soil soaking up moisture, it runs straight off paving and overwhelms drainage systems. TV makeover programmes have been partly blamed for the decline in gardens by encouraging people to replace greenery with patios.
"If vegetation is lost from our streets there is less to regulate urban temperatures," explains Rebecca Matthews Joyce, principal environmental adviser at the RHS. "Hard surfaces absorb heat in the day and release it at night, making it hot and difficult to sleep."
There are other environmental issues too. Apart from offering privacy, trees and plants absorb dust and provide a place for birds to nest and insects to feed.
Most people don't want to lose their front garden but are being forced to use it for other purposes, says Paul Gilmour, a horticultural researcher on BBC Two programme Gardeners' World. People need a storage area for their waste and recycling bins. They also need parking.
Read full article: BBC
Views: 91
Replies