New research shows Welsh residents lead the way when it comes to time spent gardening.
The nationwide survey of 2000 people found Wales is the UK’s most dedicated region when it comes to gardening, with residents spending more than one day a month (27 hours) tending to their outdoor spaces, equating to a third more time gardening than the UK average of 17 hours. Cardiff was identified as the most green fingered city with locals spending a full day (24 hours) gardening each month.
Despite being home to Kent, the so-called ‘Garden of England’, the South East was revealed to be one of the areas where people spend the least time gardening (15 hours), alongside Yorkshire and The Humber (15 hours), North West (14 hours) and East of England (13 hours).
Time spent gardening by region (hours per month):
- Wales – 27
- Northern Ireland – 22
- Greater London – 21
- West Midlands – 20
- North East – 18
- South West – 18
- East Midlands – 17
- Scotland – 17
- South East – 15
- Yorkshire and The Humber – 15
- North West – 14
- East of England – 13
The research was commissioned by savings platform Raisin to uncover the similarities between the nation’s savings and gardening habits. Gardeners mirror effective savers in many ways, for example both require patience and a long term strategy to see the full benefits. This research set out to understand how much savers and gardeners do have in common and what can be learnt from either skillset.
In fact, when asked about the top traits to make a successful saver or gardener, being calm, organised and adaptable, were some of the top qualities identified by respondents for both. Almost three-quarters (71%) agreed it is important to carry out research before making garden or savings decisions.
While time spent gardening was high, researching what savings account to open was slightly lower, at 16 hours on average across the UK. All regions were revealed to spend 20 hours or less researching savings options, 35% less time than Welsh people are spending on their gardens and over half (54%) admitting they spend less than two hours researching.
Kevin Mountford, co-founder and personal finance expert at Raisin, said: “While at first savings and gardening might not appear very similar, there are many elements to gardening that translate to saving. It’s not just about personality traits like being calm, organised and adaptable – it is about the long game. In both cases, taking time up front to research your options based on your specific situation can see you make great rewards down the line. For example, with savings specifically, if you have the cash available, putting it into an ISA or Fixed rate bond could see you benefit from competitive returns on your investment over time.”
Time spent researching savings options by region (hours per month):
- East Midlands – 20
- South East – 19
- Scotland – 18
- North East – 17
- Wales – 17
- West Midlands – 16
- South West – 16
- East of England -16
- North West – 14
- Northern Ireland – 14
- Greater London – 13
- Yorkshire and The Humber – 10
Kevin continued: “It isn’t just about the similarities we see between savers and gardeners. A well-maintained garden can have a direct benefit to your overall wealth, adding up to 20% to the market value of your home. So, taking a leaf out of the Welsh books, could see you sow the seeds to a successful increase in your home’s value.”
Gardening expert and author, Simon Akeroyd, added his advice on how to maximise the value of the garden: “If you’re looking for ways to get greenfingered in the garden there are lots of things you can do that can have many benefits for all the household. For example, you could consider brightening up your flowerbeds with perennials, slow-growing shrubs, and small trees. These often require less effort than annual plants and focusing directly on the soil, rather than small containers and hanging baskets means you won’t have to spend time watering them everyday, particularly in drier periods. Mulching over any bare areas of the soil will keep the garden more manageable and make it look neater and less hard work, as well as reducing the need for weeding and watering.
“Or you could grow your own strawberries (These are perennials – Perennial plants are defined by their ability to live for multiple years, returning each season after dying back in the winter.) This can be both rewarding and money saving, a small pack can cost a couple of pounds, growing them at home can give you bumper crops at a fraction of the price.”
To learn more about the parallels between nurturing a garden and building healthy saving habits and tips to help you succeed in both, visit: www.raisin.co.uk/grow-your-savings
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