Gardening is good – and does good: what the RHS 2025 report means for UK gardens

Craig Davis
Nov 22, 2025
2 min read

Updated: Jan 16

Gardening is good – and does good: what the RHS 2025 report means for UK gardens

The Royal Horticultural Society has just released its first ever State of Gardening Report 2025 — and it’s a landmark. For the first time, the true scale and impact of gardening across the UK has been measured. The results confirm what we at Flourish see every day: gardening isn’t just a pastime, it’s a national force for good.

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% of the country’s land area – three times the size of our national nature reserves
Store 158 million tonnes of carbon
Provide habitats for over half of Britain’s butterflies, amphibians and reptiles, and 40% of bird and mammal species

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

A green engine for health and the economy

The RHS report calls gardening a “green economic engine” – and rightly so. From growers and landscapers to garden centres and tourism, environmental horticulture is now worth more than the aerospace industry. By 2030 it could reach £51.2 billion and support 763,000 jobs.

But it’s not just about the money. Seventy-seven per cent of gardeners say it improves their mental health, while NHS wellbeing gardens show measurable benefits for staff morale and recovery. Gardens are now recognised as part of a national wellbeing strategy – nature’s own preventative medicine.

Why this matters for your garden

At Flourish, we design and build spaces that reflect these findings in real life. Whether we’re re-planting a border or reshaping a full landscape, we build biodiversity and sustainability into every detail:

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 2 Rains campaign
Habitat-rich features such as bird boxes, bee hotels and mixed hedging for natural corridors

It’s about creating landscapes that look beautiful and do good – for people, pollinators and the planet.

“Space to grow” – a right for everyone

One of the report’s strongest messages 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 bridging that gap, offering connection, wellbeing and skills for all ages.

As Craig Davis (BSc Hons, MCIHort) says:

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

Looking ahead

The RHS wants gardening embedded in health, education, housing and climate policy. We couldn’t agree more. Every Flourish project is a step towards that greener future – one garden at a time.

If you’d like to create a landscape that supports biodiversity, reduces maintenance and improves wellbeing, get in touch with our team to discuss your ideas.

Because gardening isn’t just good. It does good.