Millennials have spent twice as much money on their gardens during lockdown than other people

Millennials have spent nearly twice as much money on their garden during lockdown, compared to the rest of the population, a survey suggests.

Those aged between 25 to 39 say they have spent, on average, £213 per person on their outdoor space since mid-March.

This is compared with £125 across all age groups in the UK.

The survey of 2,000 people, conducted by LV General Insurance in June, also found people who have been furloughed have spent more money on their garden than the average person.

People who have been furloughed on the government scheme (which pays up to 80 per cent of their wages), estimate they have paid £189 on garden supplies or equipment (across all age groups).

Millennials were the most likely age group in the survey to say that spending money on their garden was improving their overall wellbeing, with 45 per cent agreeing with this statement.

This is compared to a general 39 per cent across all age groups.

A much higher percentage (74 per cent) of people said they have changed the way they used their garden during lockdown; with some adding new features like a barbecue or children’s play equipment like padding pools and swings.

This has been particularly prominent for families unable to access playgrounds and outside play areas who didn’t previously use the garden for that purpose.

A fifth (20 per cent) of millennials say they have bought, or intend to buy, a BBQ.

Garden furniture and plants have also been added as people have been spending more time at home; 32 per cent have spent more time relaxing in their garden.

But people haven’t just been relaxing outside – 30 per cent of those surveyed said they have also used the garden for working from home.

And more than a quarter (26 per cent) have been spending more time than usual making adjustments or sorting their outside space.

Across the survey, people estimated the contents of their garden are now worth £1,282 on average, ranging from £2,203 typically in London to around £817 in Scotland.

An Office for National Statistics survey from May found that one in eight Britons did not have access to a private or shared garden during the coronavirus lockdown.

This rises to more than one in five households in London (21 per cent), easily the highest across the UK (the next highest is Scotland at 13 per cent of households).

In England, black people are nearly four times as likely as white people to have no access to outdoor space at home, whether private or shared.

Access to public parks is more evenly distributed with people with minority ethnic groups almost as likely as white people to say their local greenspaces are within “easy walking distance” (86 per cent compared to 88 per cent of white people).