It is a tool often associated with Old Father Time, the Grim Reaper and in recent years the handsome topless male star of Poldark.
But next year the scythe is expected to become one of the must-have items for Britain’s gardeners.
It is an environmentally-friendly alternative to a polluting lawnmower for eco-conscious gardeners wanting to cut a lawn that has been allowed to grow too long, or to trim back a wildflower meadow.
The prediction is among several issued today by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) about the gardening trends in its annual forecast of how and what the nation’s 30 million gardeners will be growing in 2022.
The predictions are based on enquiries from the RHS’s half-a-million members and the informed views of its in-house experts.
After a couple of dark years, the RHS forecasts the return of plants with strong colours, particularly oranges, purples and yellows.
Next year the scythe is expected to become one of the must-have items for Britain’s gardeners
