The worst and best garden trends of all time, according to poll

Fake grass and coniferous trees fail to inspire

(Getty/iStock)

The best and worst garden trends of all time have been revealed – with bird feeders and vegetable patches among the good, and gnomes and fake grass among the bad.

A poll found water features, summer houses and decking were also viewed favourably among gardeners, as were herb gardens, living walls and outdoor kitchens.

But they were not enamoured with hot tubs, trampolines or wind chimes – nor fences painted with orange wood stain, or coniferous trees.

Commissioned by Draper Tools, the poll of 2,000 adults who own a garden found 83 per cent believed they had "impeccable taste" when it came to their outdoor space.

Kev Smith, head of marketing at Draper Tools, said: “The research goes to show just how passionate we are about our gardens - clearly those polled have pretty strong opinions on what works and what doesn’t.”

“However gardens are a very personal thing and what is right for one person isn’t necessarily right for another, so if you’re happy with your garden then that’s all that matters.

“But it’s certainly fascinating – and a bit of fun – to find out what people are keen on and what they’re not quite so fond of.”

The study also found planters resembling old shoes, faux bicycle planters or metal wall ornaments resembling birds, animals or butterflies, were all considered to be bad trends – as well as artificial topiary balls, sonic animal repellers and patio heaters.

However, some fashions divided the nation’s gardeners – including the staple of 1990s gardening TV shows, decking, which falls into both the good and bad categories.

Wildlife-enticing garden trends such as hedgehog homes, meadow areas and bumblebee nest boxes fall safely into the good trends list.

As do tree houses, lanterns and pond areas, with sustainable trends such as composting proving popular too.

It was also found that around one-quarter of gardeners said they made a concerted effort to keep up to date with the latest trends in the world of gardening.

Over the course of a typical 12-month period, those polled will spend a total of 86 hours working away on their beloved gardens – the equivalent of three days and 14 hours.

SWNS