Coping with Climate Change – garden survival!

by Mike Paice, Insight Manager

It’s not hard to see climate change impacting our gardens. Around Milton Keynes where I live, for example, we went from a 30° heatwave and drought conditions to 15° with high winds and flooding within the space of a few days in September. These unpredictable and extreme conditions are being felt all over the UK. And our gardens are suffering.

As a member of the OU Gardening Club, I found the most recent talk by external speaker Nigel Start (Nigel@thestarts.plus.com), who has 40 years of being self-sufficient from his own garden, fascinating. Nigel shared some practical ways we can help our gardens. Here are a few. Some are more obvious than others:

Coping with drought

Improve soil humus levels – Dig in manure and compost, thick layer of mulch (7-10cm) with bark or straw which can decompose and add humus back in but also protects soil and microbes from direct sunlight
Water butts and tanks to capture and store water for irrigation (essential if on a water meter too)
Permeable surfaces like gravel rather than paving so water is captured in your soil and reduces flood risks

Plant choices – the likely winners

Perennials over annuals. Annuals need a lot of watering. Examples of good choices are Sedum, Salvia, Primula, Lavender, Grasses, Ferns Hardy Geraniums – many of these plants have many varieties!
Use potted plants sparingly as they have to be watered
Pick deep-rooted species, eg Roses, Philadelphus, Tamarix
Bulbs – they develop roots and tend to need little care
Drought-tolerant species – thick leaved or glossy/waxy leaved plants, grey leaved plants. Eg Eucalyptus
Evergreens – eg ivy, holly, Ewe, Mistletoe, Camelia, Rhododendron, Potentilla
Plant in the Autumn (Sep to Nov) so roots can develop in the wetter winter. Spring planting of shrubs and trees in particular are increasingly failing.

The likely losers