While the British have a worldwide reputation for being green-fingered, they appear to be lacking in basic gardening knowledge, a new survey suggests.

Almost half (49%) of more than 2000 adult respondents did not know what secateurs were, according to the Great Outdoors IQ Test carried out on behalf of Grono.co.uk, a leading UK supplier of artificial lawns.

More than a third (37%) could not identify a trowel when quizzed on common items of gardening equipment, while 42% were unable to identify a garden hoe.

A quarter (28%) were not sure what a trellis would be used for…but just before you give up all hope for the future of UK gardening, take comfort in the fact that only 18% of people were unable to identify a rake as a common gardening tool.

The survey reports that 44% were unsure what a propagator would be used for, which on the surface sounds like challenging news for the seed industry.

No wonder, perhaps, that 46% of those surveyed said they now employed a gardener to look after the outdoors!

James Gilmartin, spokesperson at Grono.co.uk, said: “The nation's outdoor IQ is not what it once was, with the research highlighting that some common gardening terms are no longer general knowledge. This also correlates with a move towards easier-to-maintain outdoor spaces and more people turning to professional help with their gardens.”

Unsurprisingly, the older generations, those aged (65+) scored above the UK average for all gardening terms.

Bristol residents (followed by Oxford) were able to identify the highest number of common gardening terms and tools, while the population of Wolverhampton was the poorest at identifying items of gardening equipment.

Gilmartin continued: “Turning our hands to simple DIY and gardening tasks will help boost the nation's outdoor knowledge, while encouraging children to spend time outdoors will mean that there isn't a generation gap between the young and old age groups when it comes to gardening know-how.”

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