Britain's shared garden problem: Why so many are left unused

Brits do love their garden. For most, it's a place to switch off, enjoy our fresh lawn or artificial grass and just be at one with nature. But as our new survey has found out, for many it can also be a place that fuels anxiety, makes us uncomfortable and never gets used as a result. This is the reality for Brits who have a shared garden space.

And unfortunately, this means that hectares of green space all over the UK are not being fully utilised.

But is having a shared garden space really an issue, or is this a uniquely British problem? The shared garden experience in Britain

In the UK, 6% of people share a garden with others, that’s 4,169,220 people when using the Office for National Statistics most recent population estimate.

On paper, this sounds great: over 4 million people getting access to their own green space, even if it is shared. 

But no, it's not all a bunch of roses, as our survey found out:

• 45% of people with shared gardens would rather use a public park than their own garden

• 51% feel overlooked when using their shared garden

• 43% feel awkward using the space

• Two in five (41%) say they will not use their shared garden this summer

• 47% say they have never seen their neighbours use the garden

• 34% are unsure who is responsible for maintaining the space

If 41% of people with shared gardens avoid using them this summer, then that is nearly 2 million (1,709,380) people across the UK missing out simply because they feel uncomfortable around their neighbours.

Why are we not using our shared gardens

What appears to be making Brits reluctant to use their garden are issues around privacy and potential conflict and awkwardness.

Nobody likes to be overlooked and that’s exactly what our respondents said (51%), while nearly half (43%) also described the experience of using a shared garden as awkward. And we get it, there is no rule book to how to navigate using a shared garden space. Should you create a rota? Can it be used at the same time? Can you invite guests? It's a minefield to navigate.

Uncertainty around what's acceptable creates a kind of social limbo where nobody feels fully comfortable claiming ownership of the space. And even though 47% of our respondents reported saying they hadn't seen their neighbour using the garden, it seems we aren’t either. Leaving it discarded by both parties.

At the heart of this is also a desire to avoid conflict, a uniquely British trait. You see there is a little known phenomena, that when our private lives become visible and audible within shared residential environments, it can cause conflict between people. This was shown to be the case in a study titled the “Public Intimacy in Neighbour Relationships and Complaints” which looked at this specifically. So what do we do? We avoid it entirely.

Who should maintain a shared garden

Gardens don't maintain themselves and if you want a place that's inviting, then regular care and attention must be paid to keep it looking its best. 

But with a shared garden, who does what?

This was a big issue for our respondents. A third said they do not know who is responsible for maintaining their shared garden, which can quickly lead to neglect.

What tends to happen when parties aren’t clear, is nobody will maintain it, or one resident takes on the burden leading to animosity and bubbling resentment, especially if large sums of money are involved in maintaining the space.

It could also explain why some people would rather visit a public park (45%) than use their shared garden. I mean, if you don't use it, how can you be expected to maintain and pay for its maintenance, right?

If this is a serious concern then it’s worth checking your official documentation, whether that be a tenancy agreement if you’re renting or title deeds if you are an owner. If things have got so bad that there is a dispute, then you should contact your local council for advice.

Tips on how to get the most out of your shared garden

These findings show that shared gardens are not serving us in the way they should.

But we’re on a mission to help space starved Brits get the most out of their homes and gardens, so with that being said, our gardening expert James Higgins has provided 5 quick tips and suggestions to approach your neighbours with to get you all signing from the same hymn sheet.

Try this:

1. Set clear expectations around maintenance and use

Sounds simple, but the best place to start is by having an open discussion with all affected parties where you can agree upon who is expected to pay for certain maintenance and how that maintenance gets carried out. To make sure there is a record of this you should take notes of what was agreed verbally and send it over email or WhatsApp so that everyone has a record of it for reference.

2. Work together to create a well-designed layout that balances openness with privacy

Being overlooked and privacy were the biggest blockers to using a shared garden, so work with your neighbours to zone and treat any areas of the garden that are too open, that way you can create a space that works for everyone and if you’re lucky you might have a space that can be zoned in such a way that it can be used by multiple parties at any one time.

3. Maintain transparent and active communication between all residents

Set up a WhatsApp group between everyone affected, this makes it far easier to keep communications open and fluid, as well as being a good record of what was said and agreed.

4. Create a rota if required to take out any guess work

By creating a simple rota pattern that determines who can have access to the shared garden at any one time you can take all the guess work out of knowing whether you can or can’t use the space, or if you’ll be interrupted by unwanted guests.

5. Define what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour

Probably the most important thing to define is what each party sees as being acceptable behaviour. Noise levels and parties are often the offenders here, so agree on what times noise levels should be kept to a minimum. Other things to consider include the use of paddling pools on grass, ball games that can knock over plants and flowers and if pets should be allowed access.

Following the above tips should help get all the awkward stuff out the way, so you and your neighbours can get prepping for a spring and summer full of fun in your own back yards.

So kick back and enjoy the space that you all so deserve, a garden is a luxury that we don’t all get to benefit from, so make the most of it while you can.