Choosing the best garden water butt – our advice

Choosing the best garden water butt – our advice

Choosing the best garden water butt

Choosing the best garden water butt

Our advice on why you need a water butt, and which water butt to choose

We live in a mild, rainy climate in Britain, so water shortages are not really high on our radar. But as recent summers and unseasonal dry spells have proved, hosepipe bans and the need to conserve water are likely to become more of a thing.

So, we’d all do well to think how to keep our gardens green without just turning on the taps.

The answer is a good old-fashioned one – a garden water butt connected to the guttering of your house, garden room or shed. Even without the prospect of hosepipe bans, they’re a good idea for anyone with a garden:

  • If you’ve got a water meter, a garden water butt will save you money
  • Water butts are good for the environment – even in a country where water is plentiful, the processes involved in getting clean water to our taps use a lot of energy resources
  • Your plants will thank you – rainwater is free from chlorine and treating agents found in tap water

But with some garden water butts stretching into £1000-plus territory, your wallet won’t necessarily thank you if you make a rash purchase. So, when it comes to choosing the best garden water butt, here’s our guide to making an informed and cost effective decision.

Your rainwater butt options

There’s a huge range to choose from when it comes to picking the right rainwater butt. Water capacities can range from 100 to 1000+ litres, and even more with some multi-tank systems. You can choose from simple plastic garden water butts to terracotta designs with fancy brass taps and built-in planters. Here’s a look at some of your choices for the best garden water butts.

Cheap garden water butts

Cheap garden water butt

Your cheapest and simplest option is going to be a plastic barrel-style garden water butt. For £25 to £40, you’ll get a durable tank with roughly 200-litre capacity and a built-in plastic tap. They’re not especially pretty, but they’ll get the job done just fine.

Garden centres and DIY shops sell a good choice of rainwater butts, and some councils sell a limited range too. You’ll also find some good examples of budget-friendly water butts online at Evengreener.com and B&Q.

Things you may want to check, even if your budget is very tight, include whether:

Slimline water butts

Slimline garden water butt

If city-living has left you with a small plot and you’re tight on space, there are plenty of slimline water butts with unobtrusive designs. They’ll fit well into tight corners or restricted spaces, albeit at the cost of having smaller capacity. You’ll find some of the best garden water butts with a slimline design at Water Butts Direct and Homebase.

Rustic garden water butts

Oak barrel effect water butt

A plastic rainwater butt may look out of place by an old country cottage or in a rustic-style garden design. But don’t worry – a wooden (or ‘wood-effect’) water butt will blend in nicely. Smaller oak barrel style designs or huge 500-litre tanks are both functional and elegant.

A tree trunk water butt

You can even find garden water butts disguised as tree trunks. However, if you do want a water tank that looks like a sawn-off tree, expect to pay more – certainly upwards of £75, going all the way up to the hundreds.

Getting fancier – stone and terracotta water butts

Antique amphora garden water butts

Here you were, thinking you’d never describe a garden water butt as classy – especially after looking at the fake tree trunk versions.  Some of the best garden water butts have an antique-style or stone effect look, with a choice including terracotta, granite, sandstone – many with a distinctly Mediterranean style.

You’ll find tasteful brass taps galore, vase and amphora styles, and the option to have planters and bird baths on top of the butt. Prices can be hefty, and you’ll need to watch out for the cost of extras like downpipes and fittings (see the section below on installing a garden water butt). But they can be a distinctive or complementary part of a garden design, in which case the cost will be worth it.

Multi-tank garden water butts

Multi tank water butts

Blessed (or cursed) with a huge plot? If you go through lots of water or just fancy the peace of mind from having more storage, single garden water butts are no match for multi-tank systems. You have a choice here of hundreds or thousands of litres capacity. And you don’t have to spend a fortune.

A basic twin set of rainwater butts offers 700 litres of capacity with special filters for getting rid of gutter debris. Also exceptional value is a triple tank system for under £150 that stores 1050 litres of rainwater.

Alternatively, it can work out cheaper or more flexible to buy individual butts of your choice and use a connector to make a DIY multi-tank system.

Installing a garden water butt

 

With any garden water butt, big or small, plastic or rustic, you need to work out how you’re going to gather rainwater.

Some smaller butts collect water by having no lid, but these are far from ideal as their surface area is not enough to gather a significant amount of rainfall (and the open lid allows for water loss by evaporation). Instead, most water butts attach to the downpipe from your gutters (be it home, summer house or shed) and gather the rainfall that the whole roof collects. Even a small 2m x 2m roof can collect over 3000 litres a year with average UK rainfall.

The best garden water butts come with a kit for you to connect the tank to the pipe. However, there could be complications. Most will work only for certain sizes of downpipe, and not for cast iron ones, so you may need to buy a different connector kit. You may also want to look at diverter kits, which take away excess water.

For step-by-step guides to installing a garden water butt properly, there are plenty of guides online.

What else you’ll need

Universal water butt stand

Filling up buckets or watering cans from a tap a few inches from the ground can range from tricky to impossible. The best garden water butts come with stands included, but with others it will be an optional extra, to be factored into your cost calculations.

There are also universal stands, but it’s still important to double-check if the stand is compatible with your tank size and weight.

Garden water butt maintenance

Water butt freshener

Keeping your water butt well covered will help to stop debris falling in, and reduce slime and algae forming. It will also avoid the water being used as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

The best garden water butts come with secure lids, but even then you need to prevent algae and slime, so a splash of non-toxic rainwater treatment a few times a year will keep your water nice and clean.

There is a small risk of nasty Legionella bacteria breeding; you can fix this with an annual emptying and deep cleanse. Placing the water butt in the shade or painting it white (to reflect heat) can also help.

Although water butts are most likely fill up in autumn and winter, it is advisable to keep an eye out for extreme cold spells. If located in an exposed spot, or should persistent sub zero temperatures be forecast, it’s best to temporarily insulate the tank (and connecting pipe) or empty the butt altogether to stop the water from freezing and splitting the plastic.

Some people also use garden water butts to gather ‘grey’ water from baths, basins and the kitchen, but keeping this water clean and fresh will take a bit more work than simple rainwater. You also have the issue of the water containing detergents. There’s advice on re-using grey water available here.

Now’s the time…

When it comes to choosing the best garden water butt spring and early summer are the perfect time to get onto this. You’ll have a few damp weeks to collect rain before the summer and you’ll be well prepared if we get another ‘barbecue summer’ this year.

And if you do already have a water butt, it’s a good time to spring-clean it and make sure you’re all geared up to use it effectively and safely this summer.

Native British trees – what you should (and shouldn’t) plant in your garden

Native British trees – what you should (and shouldn’t) plant in your garden

Native British trees - What you should (and shouldn't) plant in your garden

Native British trees

What you should (and shouldn’t) plant in your garden

When picking out plants and trees for your garden, it’s easy to bypass native British trees and be seduced by exotic species. You go to a famous garden and see wonderful designs based on themes from Japanese formal gardens to Alpine meadows. However impressive they are, don’t let them blind you to the advantages of native British trees and plants.

Adding native species to your own garden can bring some real practical benefits, including:

  • improving soil quality
  • reducing erosion
  • better drainage
  • attracting wildlife to your garden
  • cutting down on maintenance

So whether you want to give the local wildlife a helping hand, or just improve the view from your summer house, let’s look at some native British trees in a little more detail. We’ll also offer some practical tips for choosing the right native trees for your garden, and advise why you shouldn’t plant certain species.

Why plant native British trees?

Silver Birch

Strong roots and lower maintenance: It’s an obvious point when you think about it, but native British trees have evolved to flourish here. They’ve spent centuries adapting to the local climate and conditions, and are likely to grow strong roots. This in turn means soil is less likely to be washed away when the UK weather is at its wettest.

The fact they’re adapted to our climate means they need less protection against the British seasons – whether they bring sun, rain or frost. So that’s less work for you.

Improved soil condition: It is not commonly known, but some native British trees (mentioned below) actually have the ability to improve the soil around their roots. They help feed the plants around them and enrich poor quality soil (which is a big benefit if your garden soil is full of building rubble).

Wildlife: Again, it’s obvious once it’s pointed out, but native British wildlife and native British trees have evolved to live together. Native trees will provide homes, shelter and sustenance for native species of birds, small mammals, including hedgehogs, insects and other wildlife.

According to the RSPB, which has a really useful blog on planting a wildlife garden, native species of holly and hawthorn are especially wildlife friendly.

What exactly is a native British tree?

Hazel

We’re not going to get into intense levels of scientific detail here, but it’s basically one that started growing ‘naturally’ in the British Isles from the Ice Age onwards.

Some quintessentially British-sounding trees, such as apple, cedar and chestnut, are actually foreign imports, and not ‘native’ at all (though some may fall into the category of ‘naturalised’).

If you’re looking for a true native, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)’s top five recommendations are:

  • field maple
  • silver birch
  • hazel
  • holly
  • rowan

But before you baulk about that being a limited choice, don’t worry: there are many more native British trees to choose from. And you certainly won’t have to miss out on colour or interest.

Planting native British trees in smaller gardens

Holly

If your space is limited, you want to look at trees that will peak at 5-8 metres when they’re fully mature. The RHS can be your guide here, with a good list of suggestions including some varieties of maple, hawthorn and blackthorn. The latter have really attractive white blossom and purple berries, which can be used to make sloe gin (though check that the variety you choose has edible berries).

Crab apples are another one to look at for smaller gardens (and larger ones too). They can thrive in many different soil types, and have beautiful pollen-rich, white blossom. Though you’ll certainly not want to eat a crab apple raw off the tree (far too sour), they’re brilliant for jellies and chutneys.

Also great for your store cupboard is elder. Admittedly, it’s not an especially attractive tree, but elderflowers make wonderful cordial (and it’s easy to make) and berries can be used for wine-making, among other things. Full height is around 6m, so again it’s feasible for a small garden. However, if this is going to be your only tree, opt for something more attractive…

…like a holly tree. As well as being glossy and green all year round, and great for Christmas decorations, they’re extremely wildlife-friendly. They grow best in the shade, where toads and hedgehogs often hibernate in the deep leaf litter beneath the plant.

Other good native species include yew or box, which can be kept clipped back to a manageable level and used as shrubs rather than full-blown trees.

For a full list of native British trees and shrubs suitable for smaller gardens, take a look at this rather inspiring RHS guide.

Another good thing to read if you have a small garden is this article in Garden Design Journal on the best smaller trees. Not all its ideas are native species, but it will certainly convince you that every garden needs its own tree.

Buying native British trees for larger gardens

Oak - A classical native British tree

For those with more space, we’d still recommend all the native softwood trees we mentioned above. They can hold their own in any garden, and you can also use them for hedging or windbreaks. Planted in combination, they’ll support a whole array of wildlife.

But with more space, you have other choices too, including large hardwood trees. If it’s a ‘proper’ tree you’re after, you could look at an English oak, which could eventually reach around 30-35 metres.

If you live in the North of England or Scotland, your soil may be well suited to a the wych elm. These can reach 40 metres in height and hold the claim of being the only elm truly native to Britain. Caterpillars and birds especially are attracted to them.

For something prettier and slightly smaller (though still reaching up to 20 metres), consider a wild cherry tree, with beautiful purple bark and crimson cherries. The nectar and pollen-rich blossom is perfect for insects, but if you want the blossom to last more than a few hours or days, plant the tree somewhere sheltered from the worst of the winds.

The rowan (or mountain ash) is a good native British tree for medium-sized gardens, as it’s relatively slender and should stall at about 15 metres. Its berries turn a lovely orange-pinky colour in the summer, and are great recipe ingredients (they’re also very popular with thrushes and redwings). Traditionally, rowan trees were thought to ward off witches, so that could be another attraction.

Alder (which is known for loving poor and/or boggy sites) is a fast growing native British tree, but it also fixes nitrogen into the soil around its roots. This process is highly beneficial to nearby trees and plants, most of which are dependent on nitrogen for growth. Likewise, downy birch and silver birch both draw up nutrients from deep within the soil, again to the benefit of neighboring vegetation. Alder and birch trees effectively nourish and support the plants around them.

Again, the RHS guidance on native species are your friend and guide here, with a detailed list of trees and shrubs for larger gardens.

Another excellent source of information and inspiration is the Woodland Trust. Its website has user-friendly guides on how and where to plant native British trees and shrubs, and taking care of them once they’ve grown.

Why you shouldn’t plant some native British trees

There are plenty of benefits from planting native species in your garden, but do be aware of some of the pitfalls too.

It’s definitely worth remembering that, with the larger hardwood trees especially, they’re not a quick fix. Hardwood trees such as oak, beech and elm can take decades to reach maturity, and may need plenty of TLC and protection in the early years.

With larger trees, you’ll want to be very wary of roots, how far they grow, and the distance from your (and your neighbours) property. You should plant them well away from walls and buildings, and also check if any pipes or cables run underneath your garden. Although beneficial to the soil and wildlife, willow and alder are bad culprits for damaging old foundations and pipes, so you probably shouldn’t plant these trees in smaller gardens.

Finally, whilst berries of native British trees such as yew and holly are wonderful for various forms of wildlife to eat, they’re not so good for human consumption. Ideally you shouldn’t plant them if you have children who are still at the stage of eating anything that looks like it may be a sweet.

If we’ve not convinced you to plant one or more native British trees in your garden, the Woodland Trust website has an online shop where you can buy single trees or handy mixes/packs. There’s everything from a special pollinator tree pack to the ‘Scottish mix’.

Shed and garden fence sprayer – electric, cordless or manual?

Shed and garden fence sprayer – electric, cordless or manual?

Using a garden fence sprayer

Colder months and cooler temperatures call for garden winter-proofing – not just plants and shrubs, but sheds, summer houses, garden rooms, decking and fences too.

In fact, if any timber garden building goes too long without paint or wood preservatives, damp and rot can creep in all too easily. Even the densest timber and highest-quality build structure can be affected.

GardenLife know painting and wood-treatment is not the most exciting of tasks, but it really is worth doing. It can extend the life of a summer house, garden shed, decking or fence by years. So, to help relieve some of that workload, we’re taking a look at some mechanical help, in the form of various types of garden fence sprayer.

Why use a garden fence sprayer?

Electric, cordless or manual pump garden fence sprayer?

Variously called “pressure sprayers”, “paint sprayers”, “spray guns” or “pump sprayers”, these labour saving devices are made by the likes of Ronseal, Cuprinol, Wagner and B&Q.

In a nutshell, using a shed and garden fence sprayer to apply preservative or paint is far quicker than a brush. You’re also more likely to get better, more even coverage. This in turn will protect the timber more effectively. Many garden fence sprayers have adjustable spray nozzles and speed controls, so you can control how much preservative or paint is used, and easily get into tight corners or small gaps.

You do need to be aware of the need to clean your shed and garden fence sprayer, as well as health and safety precautions, but we’ll guide you through those shortly.

Different power sources for garden fence sprayers

There are three distinct categories of shed and garden fence sprayer: corded, cordless and manual. So we’re going to look at the different types, with their pros and cons, and also mention some of the popular models on the market for each type. Of course, there are many other models available too – but the examples below (and their reviews) will give you a guide to what to look out for if you’re considering other models.

Mains-powered electrical garden fence sprayers

The advantages of electrical sprayers are obvious – as with anything from vacuum cleaners to radios, there’s no faffing about with replacing or recharging batteries, and they’re efficient in terms of power consumption.

Then again, there’s also an obvious disadvantage – namely, the cable. The fact it may not reach to the end of your garden, and the impossibility of finding an extension lead when you need one.

Wagner Electric Garden Shed & Fence Sprayer

Wagner shed and garden fence sprayer

At £69.99, this one is a little pricey but it’s versatile and gets mainly 5 star reviews. It has an adjustable spray jet so you can tailor it to the size of panelling you’re working with, and the amount of paint you want to use. The tank is housed separately and can stand on the ground or be carried around with a shoulder strap; its capacity is definitely on the smaller side though at 1.4l, so bear that in mind and be prepared for regular refills

Cordless garden fence sprayers

Cordless shed and garden fence sprayer are generally designed to be versatile and easily portable. They offer the speed and coverage of electric-powered models, without the issue of having a cable dragging round behind you.

But instead you have the battery issue – some are rechargeable and can be used anywhere, but charge times can be long and running times short. Others have traditional batteries, but then you have to keep on buying batteries.

Ronseal Precision Finish Fence Paint Sprayer

Ronseal shed and garden fence sprayer

At £32 this ticks the boxes on versatility – there are different power and nozzle settings for control, speed and accuracy. The tank itself is a generous 5 litres, but the cord attaching the nozzle is quite short so it’s not idea for some garden or fence layouts.

Reviews are mixed – there are plenty of 5 star reviews from users saying how it saved them hours or days compared to using a brush, but other reviews complain of clogging.

As with all products that get mixed reviews, you want to apply some common sense to what you read. For example, the reviewer who complained about spray going everywhere on a very windy day should probably blame their own choice of spraying day rather than the product!

Manual shed and garden fence sprayers

Manual sprayers come in cheap, sturdy and versatile. But since they need to be pressurised by hand, they’re not great for anything larger than a few fence panels. As you’d expect, both Ronseal and Cuprinol both have popular models, but the following Spear & Jackson sprayer is difficult to beat.

Spear & Jackson Pressure Sprayer for Wood Stain

Spear and Jackson shed and garden fence sprayer

Cheap and (thanks to its pump mechanism) reliable, it would seem it’s hard to go wrong with this one – the 3 bar pressure level will even discharge a consistent spray for a prolonged period. There’s a 5l tank, easy to clean brass fittings, and it will spray water, weedkiller and chemicals with pH values between 5 and 9 (including water-based wood stain).

With an average of 4 stars from over two thousand reviews, £22.50 represents very good value for money.

Cuprinol pump and brush garden fence sprayer MPSB

Cuprinol shed and garden fence sprayer

It certainly looks peculiar but this Cuprinol fence sprayer has the novel idea of combining a manually charged sprayer and a brush to add finishing touches. The tank is smaller than some others on this list, and the tank and nozzle are all in the same housing so you have to carry everything around together, but reviews are mostly very positive (and also contain some useful tips about how to get the best results) and it’s only £28.

General tips

With all types of shed and garden fence sprayer, you’ll want to think about the following:

  • whether they only work with specific types of preservative or paint (which may limit their use or lock you into expensive products)
  • whether you’ll actually be able to carry them once you’ve filled them up with your treatment product
  • how easy they’ll be to fill, refill and – crucially – clean
  • does the choice of nozzles and length of hose suit you – if you have awkward spaces to reach, are there precision nozzles or extension tubes?
  • if you have large expanses of timber to treat, how large is the tank and how fast is the coverage?
  • always wear safety gear – goggles, a respirator, gloves and overalls

Finally, even where garden fence sprayers have adjustable nozzles, they can sometimes spray erratically. So, if there are any people, pets, garden structures, windows, plants, ponds or washing lines nearby, proceed with caution (or not at all!).

Hygge garden design? The lagom garden concept? Transform your garden in 2018

Hygge garden design? The lagom garden concept? Transform your garden in 2018

Hygge garden design? The lagom garden concept? Transform your garden in 2018

Hygge garden design? The lagom garden concept? Transform your garden in 2018

No, they’re not names of shrubs, but Scandinavian lifestyle trends. Hygge’s probably the best known but forecasters say that lagom, ikigai or even còsagach could well displace it in 2018.

Because each word encompasses a concept that crosses over anything from wellbeing to design, to eating and drinking, to how you spend your free time, they really could transform your life as well as your home or garden.

So, we’ll do a whistle-stop guide to what each concept means, and then we’ll give you ideas for incorporating them into your own garden.

Hygge garden design?

Hygge is Danish, and it’s all about the idea of coziness, conviviality and being comfortable in the moment. It’s opened a way for a range of self-indulgences, from drinking hot chocolate with friends, to homes filled with cashmere throws and a wardrobe to match. Being Scandinavian, there’s a sense of moderation and good taste around it, though – think contentment rather than mad-for-it hedonism.

Hygge is Danish, and it’s all about the idea of coziness

Hygge’s easy to visualise inside a café or country pub, but do you get hygge into a British garden – particularly as the chill winds of winter blast through the gaps in your fence?

Think garden buildings. Natural timber, well-insulated from storms and winds, a snug space away from household chores and the stresses of work – a timber cabin could be the perfect hygge addition to your life.

Claudia timber garden pavilion with that hygge style

A great example of hygge cabins, on an affordable budget, is our Claudia pavilion – with windows on three sides to let in natural light; dense Nordic timber to keep out the chills; and a space that’s cozy without being claustrophobic.

Melanie timber corner summer house

Another perfect retreat is Melanie – a clever shape that fits into a corner in your garden, with light coming in on three sides – but not Arctic-style draughts, thanks to double glazing. It comes in a choice of two sizes, so you can choose how many people who want to get hygge with. The larger version of Melanie (9.6 sq m) has 44mm wall timbers – idea for keep cosy whatever the winter weather.

Round summerhouse for the garden

And then there’s Veronica. With an octagonal design, it is reminiscent of a sauna hut, but the double windows allow in more light – giving you a connection to the outdoors, and making it great for summer use as well as a space to hide away in during winter. Like Claudia, it’s compact, so it won’t eat up too much of your lawn or borders, but with 6.7 sq m of space, you’re still have space to lounge over your fika (Swedish for a coffee with a cake or pastry and preferably a chat as well).

If you want to go full tilt for the sauna vibe, how about a Scandinavian barbecue hut like our Eva design (customer photo just below), with bench seating around the edge, a BBQ grill and smoke extraction hood, and 44mm insulated walls to help keep everyone toasty all year-round?

The lagom garden concept?

Before getting too wholeheartedly into a daily fika habit, it’s worth thinking about lagom, another lifestyle trend for 2018. Lagom is used in many different contexts, from eating to ways of doing business to eating to lifestyle choices, so there’s not one-translation-fits-all. The general idea is “everything in moderation”, avoiding excess in anything from work to play to diet to being too ‘Me, me, me”.

So, how does this translate into garden design and garden buildings? Rather than letting work, commuting or retail consume your 2018, how about finding a garden refuge where you can be healthy, happy and content – whether spending more time with family or friends or taking up a new hobby?

The lagom garden concept

Another element of lagom to incorporate in your garden is the design aesthetic. For example, the classic stripped-back Scandinavian colour palette of chalky matte paint, milky whites, blue-greys, and stone, spiced up with small splashes of dark red, brick or yellow, is very lagom, and would work beautifully with any of these garden buildings – both exterior and interior.

Swedish style garden cabin

We also sell a selection of easy-to-build models whose design is Nordic-influenced. Hedwig is a Quick Fit design inspired by Swedish summer houses – simple, sturdily built, pastoral. Add some red paint on the exterior and you could be in a Scandinavian forest or island.

For a more urban and contemporary aesthetic, take a look at Ly. Spacious (with 10.2 sqm of floor space, or 13.6 sqm of space if you go for the largest model) but still Nordic-influenced in its functionality, comfort and pared-back aesthetic. It makes a great office or workroom – the placement of the windows means you get plenty of light without being on display.

An ikigai garden?

Another trend for 2018 is the Japanese idea of ikigai. This is less about interior design, more about how you live your-life. As with lagom, it’s difficult to find a direct translation, but suggestions range from ‘self-realisation’ to ‘what gets you out of bed in the morning’. It’s about what gives meaning to your life, and according to the Wikipedia guide to ikigai, this could be anything from work to having children to hobbies.

To our minds, there’s no doubt about it: ikigai means having a shed. Or man/woman-den, garden building, workroom – call it what you will. You could use it as creative studio, gym, brewing shed, games room, or a garden office to start the business you’ve long daydreamed about.

The ideal ikigai garden room

A timber cabin like Ines can be perfect here – it’s an elegant design, with clean lines and no over-the-top design details, and we’ve heard of people using it as anything from an extra living room or breakfast room, to a garden gym or yoga retreat. With 44mm walls and double doors that open wide, it can be as snug or airy as you wish.

Getting “còsagach” in your garden?

Our final word for 2018 is còsagach. Announcing it as a lifestyle trend for the year, VisitScotland translated it as snug or sheltered, and encouraged businesses to create environments that “induce a feeling of warmth or cosiness”.

Còsagach

Unfortunately, the choice of còsagach also reminded us of the dangers of adopting hard-to-translate foreign-language words as lifestyle themes. VisitScotland’s advice aroused a backlash from Gaelic speakers who said còsagach in fact means ‘a damp mossy place’ or ‘a wee nook or hole such as very small creatures might live in’ – one person mentioned woodlice.

Not something to aim for when you’re choosing a garden building; best stick with hygge garden design or the lagom garden concept!

Climate change and gardening; dustbowls and downpours

Climate change and gardening; dustbowls and downpours

Climate change and gardening; dustbowls and downpours

What could gardening in a changing climate mean? An end to spring frosts? Palm trees or eucalyptus in your back garden? A green roof on your home or garden building?

They’re just some of the possible effects or opportunities that climate change could bring to you and your garden, according to a new report from the Royal Horticultural Society, called “Gardening in a Changing Climate”. Other possible impacts could include year-round lawn mowing, an increase in weather ‘events’ such as flooding, and an influx of new pests.

Fortunately, the RHS report has ideas for mitigating and adapting to these less welcome consequences of climate change.

North, south, east and west: the new gardening zones

North, south, east and west: the new gardening zones

Exactly what new opportunities and risks you face from climate change depends on where you live. Those in the south and southeast of England will face generally hotter and drier conditions throughout the year, though with occasional heavy rain showers. Further north, the weather will be milder than at present, but also significantly wetter and windier. The west will also see higher rainfall and warmer weather.

So while those in the southeast will be pondering issues around water conservation, and new possibilities around plants suited to arid conditions, those in the north, and also the southwest, will more likely be concerned with managing excess water, through solutions such as green roofs (to minimise run-off) and raised beds (to prevent plants being waterlogged).

Given these new conditions, when it comes to climate change and gardening you may need to rethink some of your approaches to the different parts of your garden, wherever you live.

Climate change and garden lawns

Climate change and garden lawns

Lawns and turf will be particularly vulnerable to dry spells on one the one hand and wet ones on the other. Milder temperatures and higher rainfall in the west will extend the growing season – hence mowing may become necessary year-round (though waterlogging may make this difficult). But in the drier east the struggle to keep grass green may become too much of a chore, and the perfect English sward may become a thing of the past.

The options include converting lawns to borders, raised beds, dry meadows, gravel gardens, or – if you still want to look out on an expanse of green – an artificial lawn. If the latter already seems an attractive alternative to year-round mowing or a parched dust patch, you can see a good selection of artificial lawns on the Homebase website.

Choosing plants for gardening in a changing climate

Choosing plants for gardening in a changing climate

Changing conditions will obviously affect the plants that you can grow and how well they do. Some gardeners will need to find out about drought-friendly plants such as agaves or blanket flowers, and perhaps read the useful article about drought-resistant gardening on the RHS site.

Meanwhile, other gardeners will be best seeking out a different article, about gardening on wet soils, and to gen up on plants that flourish in very wet climates such as hostas.

In addition, plants such as clematis and buddleia that are robust at withstanding wind, rain and whatever else the weather throws at them will become even more beloved to British gardeners than they are now.

One other thing to consider with climate change and gardening is that warmer summers will create prime pest conditions and aid the spread of diseases. It might therefore be useful to look at long-term anti-insect and pest protection solutions, such as planting sunflowers to attract pest eating bugs. There are some good ideas along those lines on the Grow Veg website.

Trees ideal for climate change and gardening

Trees ideal for climate change and gardening

We’ve already mentioned the new opportunities here – from palms to olives to almonds – for those in the drier, hotter south and southeast.
But climate change may also bring more extreme winds, rainfall and other weather events, and warmer temperatures may up the requirements in terms of pruning. According to the RHS report, larger trees in wet soil are more vulnerable to wind-toppling, so smaller tree varieties will look more attractive. It may be time to start investigating the possibilities of small fruit trees or hardy softwood natives.

Gardening in a changing climate means that it is also worth thinking about trees that are able to withstand extremes of hot and cold temperature – the RHS report specifies spruce, Norway maple and Scots pine in this regard.

Do your bit for climate change in the garden

Do your bit for climate change in the garden

Most of us will probably have to adapt our garden plans in future, but we can also do our bit to mitigate climate change by making our gardens more eco-friendly right now.

Little things like using energy-efficient garden power tools and solar lighting; using peat-free compost; installing and using water butts, and avoiding pesticides and fertilisers with a high carbon count can all help to reduce any negative environmental impacts of your garden.

And if you’re thinking about garden design or some home improvements, bear in mind that green roofs and walls can reduce energy usage in homes and other buildings (not to mention providing food and shelter for native birds and insects), and planting trees and shrubs can help to lock up carbon from the atmosphere.

Converting concrete drives to gravel also reduces the chance of localised flooding as water can soak slowly through gravel instead of rushing straight into drains.

Growing your own fruit and veg helps too. A recent study showed that for every kilogram of vegetables you grow yourself, you could be reducing greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 2 kilograms (compared to buying from the supermarket).

For more tips on what climate change may do to your garden, how to adapt to it, and how to avoid your garden making it worse, you can read a summary of the RHS report.

If you want the full 80-page “gardening in a changing climate”, it’s available to download here.

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