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Britons in favour of outdoor living
August 26, 2011
A new survey has revealed the wide array of activities that Britons perform in their gardens.
Britons are keen to enjoy a Mediterranean lifestyle and use their gardens for a variety of purposes, according to new research from HSBC.
The bank surveyed 1,000 adults and found that 54 per cent like to eat in their garden.
The most popular use for gardens is relaxing (76 per cent), followed by drying laundry (63 per cent).
Nearly half of respondents enjoy gardening itself, while 33 per cent use their outdoor space to produce their own fruit or vegetables.
Other uses for gardens include sunbathing, entertaining friends and attracting birds and wildlife.
Stuart Beattie, HSBC's head of lending, said: "Given our notoriously unreliable weather, it is perhaps surprising that we are using our gardens for such traditionally European pastimes such as alfresco dining, entertaining guests and even sunbathing."
Mr Beattie pointed out that hosting a dinner party in the garden offers a "cost-effective" alternative to spending money in bars and restaurants at a time when many people are looking to save money.
The survey follows recent research, also from HSBC, which revealed that 55 to 64-year-olds are the most likely to grow their own vegetables (31 per cent) or have a herb garden (28 per cent).
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