All hail to the glorious garden

After a month of counting, the garden only just came out on top as our readers' favourite spot at home with the sofa coming in a close second. 23 per cent of participants who took the poll loved their gardens the most, compared to 21 per cent of people who liked their sofas best overall.

The kitchen came third, with 15 per cent of people favouring culinary space over anything else followed by the bookshelf (complete with books!) with 10 per cent of participants going for that choice. The living room and study came equal fifth in the poll with just 5 per cent each of the vote going to them and finally the bathroom had 4 per cent of the vote for being considered the best place to relax.

How many kinds of sweet flowers grow?

So the 'English Country Garden syndrome' is still alive and kicking and it's something to be proud of. After all, a well tended garden is a great place to be especially at this time of year with the weather being so nice and the Met office predicting a summer of Mediterranean temperatures. More evidence to suggest that we're all much more green-fingered nowadays is that our records show a 10 per cent increase in demand for gardening work year on year - a much more marked rise than any other home improvement project - which creates a perfect illustration of how an increasing number of us are indulging in the greener side of life. Furthermore, with the current economic situation, it's been said that more people will be opting to make the most of the British summer instead of going away;having a well-tended garden is part and parcel of that.

Cheap and full of choice

The great thing about gardening is that it's relatively cheap, there's almost infinitesimal choice and numerous effects you can achieve; textures, colours and aromas can all work together to create a haven of tranquillity suited to your individual tastes. Even if you're planning on doing some hard landscaping and getting in a garden designer, the costs of such a project can be a lot less compared to other major works like building an extension and you can go as 'low maintenance' as you like with decking and patios if you're not into the maintenance levels of a greener garden. However it's worth considering the recent study done by the Association of the Advancement of Science that found people who live near trees and greenery live longer and are healthier so you might not want to be tempted to cut back on the tree factor too much.

Totally garden-less?

If however like me, you don't have a garden, making use of the surrounding parks and commons is just as good during the summer days and there's always our beloved friend the sofa to make the most of when the English summer lives up to its reputation and it rains! (Not, of course, that I'm bitter).

Sophie Griffiths, Content Editor.