Gardening is good – and does good

Gardening is often described as a hobby, but the Royal Horticultural Society’s first ever State of Gardening Report 2025 confirms something much bigger. For the first time, the true scale and impact of gardening across the UK has been measured, and the results are striking.

According to the report, 41 million people now garden at least once a month. Collectively, UK gardens contribute £38 billion to GDP, support 722,000 jobs, cover 4.6 per cent of the country’s land area, store 158 million tonnes of carbon, and provide habitats for more than half of Britain’s butterflies, amphibians and reptiles, and 40 per cent of bird and mammal species.

That is serious impact from the nation’s back gardens.

A green engine for health and the economy

The RHS describes gardening as a “green economic engine”, and the data backs this up. Environmental horticulture is now worth more than the aerospace industry, spanning growers, landscapers, garden centres and tourism. By 2030, the sector could reach £51.2 billion and support 763,000 jobs.

The benefits go well beyond economics. Seventy-seven per cent of gardeners say gardening improves their mental health, while NHS wellbeing gardens show measurable improvements in staff morale and patient recovery. Gardens are increasingly recognised as part of a national wellbeing strategy, offering nature’s own form of preventative medicine.

Why this matters for your garden

At Flourish we see these findings play out on the ground every day. Whether we are refreshing a border or redesigning an entire landscape, biodiversity and sustainability are built into every decision. In practice that means:

• Native and climate-resilient planting to attract pollinators and support wildlife
• Peat-free compost and soil improvement for long-term carbon health
• Rainwater harvesting and water-wise design, inspired by the RHS Mains to Rains campaign
• Habitat-rich features such as bird boxes, bee hotels and mixed hedging to create natural corridors

The aim is simple: landscapes that look beautiful and do good, for people, pollinators and the planet. Our planting design and installation service is where most of this thinking lives in our work, and our Flourish Sun Planner helps homeowners make the same informed choices about plant placement in their own gardens.

“Space to grow” – a right for everyone

One of the strongest messages in the report is that everyone should have “space to grow”. Yet 8.5 million people still have no access to a garden of their own. Community gardens are helping to bridge that gap, offering connection, wellbeing and practical skills for people of all ages.

As Craig Davis, who holds a BSc (Hons) in Horticulture and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture (MCIHort), puts it:

“The RHS data finally quantifies what many of us see daily: gardens are not luxuries, they are essential green infrastructure. Every planting choice we make at Flourish contributes to the nation’s health, wildlife and carbon balance.”

Looking ahead

The RHS is calling for gardening to be embedded across health, education, housing and climate policy. That seems right to us. Every Flourish project is a small step towards that greener future, one garden at a time.

If you would like to create a landscape that supports biodiversity, reduces maintenance and improves wellbeing, please get in touch to discuss your ideas.

Because gardening is not just good. It does good.