Is the quarter-acre dream behind us? A recent nationwide survey on backyards has found lawns are shrinking, BBQs still reign supreme and one region is the most likely to get naked in their garden.

The results of the Great New Zealand Backyard Survey were released this week, with over 8019 people taking part in the research by online home improvement store Trade Tested.

The survey found New Zealand’s backyard and lawns are shrinking in size, but the dream of a quarter-acre section is still alive in the national consciousness.

Aucklanders are more likely to want a lawn that is 'smooth like a golf green' than anywhere else in the country. Photo/ Supplied.

Results showed 58.3% of respondents said their current backyard was smaller than the one they grew up with in childhood. However, despite the declining trend in space, 62.1% of Kiwis would choose a larger backyard over a larger house.

One in 10 people grew up with a backyard that was “just enough for a clothesline”.

For Northland resident Steve Cameron, who lives on 8ha north of Whangārei, his home is fully off-grid, solar powered and he loves the freedom and size of his backyard.

The survey found Northland was the “naked capital” of New Zealand, with 35.3% of residents admitting to baring it all in their backyards.

Cameron said this wasn’t surprising as there was “lots of open space” and the weather was typically sunnier than further south.

“We’re less bothered by fashion than people in the city.”

A nationwide Trade Tested survey has found the size of Kiwis lawns are shrinking. Photo/ Supplied

The tidiness of Kiwi lawns also differs across the country, with only 3.2% of Kiwis embracing the “jungle” look of their lawn while 29.1% of Aucklanders want a lawn “smooth like a golf green”, significantly higher than the national average.

The BBQ is still the undisputed king of the Kiwi backyard, with 82.4% of respondents rating it as a top source of happiness.

Debate around housing intensification in Auckland shows that despite a lack of affordable housing, residents also have concerns about loss of space due to townhouse or urban developments, with the Government recently slashing Auckland Council’s new plan changes to a minimum of 1.4 million homes.

Backyards are still highly valued by Kiwis with 62.1% opting to choose a larger backyard over a larger house.

Kiwis are known to have green thumbs but 58.4% of those surveyed took this a step further by admitting they enjoyed chatting with their plants, and 46.8% even claimed their plants would actually “talk back”.

Lemon and limes were crowned the nation’s dream tree for their backyard with the kōwhai outshining the pōhutukawa as the top pick for a native tree.

An unexpected result from the survey was that 18-34-year-olds had more love for garden gnomes than any other generation. There could be a nostalgic comeback in sight for the pointy-hatted garden dwellers among younger generations in New Zealand.

It was the same age group of 18-34-year-olds that also admitted they were the most likely to enjoy “watching the neighbours”. They rated the hobby nearly twice as high on the happiness scale as those aged 55+.