A survey by garden and conservatory furniture retailer, Alfresia, has found that more than one in four homes no longer have a real grass lawn in the back or front garden as a low maintenance outdoor space suitable for entertaining grows in popularity.

Some 67 per cent of adults cite a lack of time to maintain a lawn is the main reason for not having one and this has led to a larger number of homes now installing AstroTurf or another form of artificial lawn -  one in 10 to be exact.

Lawns are being replaced by alternative outdoor living areas. The research found that garden owners now prefer decking (57 per cent) patio space (55 per cent), sheds (52 per cent) and other garden rooms or summer houses (20 per cent), in a bid to maximise on living space.

One in five of those with a shed say it’s used for non-traditional purposes.

The survey said 71 per cent of homeowners believed having a lawn was a burden and they would prefer not to have one at all.

Alfresia marketing manager Craig Corbett said: "As a time-poor nation, we’re constantly looking for ways to maintain our homes and outdoor space, with minimum effort and minimum cost.

"Maintaining a lawn can take a lot of work. There’s mowing, fertilizing and not forgetting the task of watering it when it hasn’t rained for a few days - taking up time that Brits don’t have.

"Of course, having a patio or decking fitted in the garden often means sacrificing some, if not all of the lawn space. These garden fixtures are becoming increasingly common, and this combined with the fact that adults in the UK don’t feel the same way about their lawns as they used to, it’s no surprise that lawns have shrunk nearly 50 per cent over the past 10 years."