Analysis in 2023 estimated the average English garden space to be 255m2. Most new homes are sold with a newly turfed lawn, required to be minimum of 30m2 of amenity space. Most garden areas are thankfully bigger, but the Turfgrass Growers Association (TGA) estimates that the average size of a new-build lawn is just 55m2.
In addition, the TGA says that homebuilders are squeezing budgets so much, that landscapers are forced to do minimal preparation on, what are often small, enclosed garden plots, with poor drainage and reduced light from high fences. The low landscaping budget forces landscapers to use the cheapest turf available (often containing plastic net), which inevitably results in a substandard lawn. Apart from having a poor quality product, the TGA worry that this could put people off natural grass and encourage less sustainable alternatives such as hard landscaping or artificial grass.
The TGA wants to lawn budgets increased by £100-£150 for the typical 55m2 lawn to ensure better quality turf and ground preparation to standard. “The average price of a new home in the UK is reportedly £422,000, and even if that figure is skewered by some high-end homes, and premium locations, there should be enough in a developer’s margin to cover the additional cost. Even if the developer won’t pay, at least offer the new homeowner the option of a premium quality job at a fair additional cost,” states the TGA.
Developers are also urged to ensure ground workers save the very best soil on site, to be reintroduced into gardens, and that soil is not contaminated with subsoil when excavated. There should be no excuse for bricks, tiles and other building materials to contaminate new gardens.
Formed in 1995, the TGA comprises some 50 companies that are collectively responsible for producing approximately 70%t of the cultivated turf grown in the British Isles. The association is actively working to ban plastic net in turf by October 2026 and have started that in the meantime, any turf containing plastic net will not meet TGA specification.
