British garden must haves now include a bee hotel, robot lawn mower and fire pit

Summer houses, veg patches, fire pits, bee hotels - and robot lawn mowers - are now the must haves for Brits' outdoor spaces.

A poll, of 2,000 people with a garden, revealed what’s hot - and what's not - in the nation's back yards.

Out are space-taking garages, and in are full-blown water fountains - or a pub beer garden vibe.

The research discovered what our spaces look like - with the average garden being 23.5 metres long - and home to as many as 13 different species of plant.

It comes as 57 per cent don’t use their outdoor spaces as much as they should.

While nearly half (47 per cent) consider it important to use their space for outdoor dining, a third (34 per cent) said they would host more get togethers if they had a nicer garden.

The research was commissioned by SharkNinja, which is looking to give Brits the confidence to make the most of their outdoor spaces and fire up the grills, by hosting free pop-ups across the UK throughout July and August

Tracey Scully, UK managing director at the appliance brand, said: “With our research showing people aren’t using their outdoor spaces as much as they should, we want to give people the chance to see how they can easily transform their garden into a hosting hotspot through small, simple changes.

“Adding a cooking station to encourage al fresco dining is a great way to get people out into their gardens.”

The garden overview also found 44 per cent of respondents grow their own fruit and veg at home.

A further 15 per cent worry their outdoor space isn’t as nice as everyone else’s, with nearly nine in 10 (87 per cent) consider it important to have an appealing outside space at their home.

But a third admit (34 per cent) they would host more get-togethers over summer if they had a nicer garden, according to the OnePoll.com figures.

To help elevate our outdoor spaces, SharkNinja has teamed up with award winning interior designer, journalist and home stylist, Anouska Lancaster, to give her expert tips on how simple changes can help transform our outdoor spaces into a hosting haven this summer.

GARDEN TIPS FROM ANOUSKA LANCASTER:

Introduce playful colour - Outdoor spaces allow us to be braver and more experimental with colour and pattern. Go for uplifting colours like yellow, green or pink that will uplift your garden.
If you’re nervous of going too bold, introduce an accent colour with soft furnishings.

Create a low-level seating area with comfy seating - Extend your home by creating a room outside with comfy, informal seating for lounging. Use an outdoor rug to cover up a tired decking or anchor a sunny spot in the garden, and then build your new ‘room’ around it.

Get that pub garden feeling at home - Why dine out when you can create pub grub in your outdoor space this summer? Using grills and smokers makes al fresco dining so easy, even for the most amateur chef like me.

Go big on tablescaping - Don’t be scared to go large with your furniture and accessories, even in a small space.