Very hardy. Will survive climate change.

This week the RHS Chelsea flower Show comes to [London] town.? For a few days the UK papers and the BBC will be running pieces on how sustainable the show is, the trials and tribulations behind creating the garden masterpieces, the new and award-winning cultivars, etc.? I’ll definitely be tuning in. ??Since I’ve had a bit more time on my hands recently I’ve discovered an unexpected enjoyment in gardening and even undertook my own mini-garden project.? This was not altogether a success.

“The Project” started in February, during the 6th wettest winter on record here in the UK.? My first task: digging drainage channels so the excessive stagnant water has somewhere to go.? It took a whole weekend and for days, no weeks after, as it continued to rain, I would walk to the end of the garden and admire my handiwork of simply draining excess water away from the garden. ?[There is somewhere for it to go, don’t worry!]

Next, foundations were dug to extend the patio and deal with the wet and boggy corner that we’ve lived with since moving in.? This had the effect of creating a shallow but square mini pool where we could watch the water rise and fall such was the extent of the rain on London heavy clay soil.?

Finally, by Easter the hardscaping was all done, the water bogging had largely drained away and so it came to planting.? I opted for a wildflower border – trendy - but more importantly “easy”.? Seeds were scattered and I was hoping for an abundance of green shoots in a couple of weeks.? Early signs were promising. But then it rained again.? A lot.? The shoots flooded and died.? Picking myself up I put all my hope into the scented night stock along the other border that were doing well.? However, rain provides the ideal conditions for slugs to move around and feed on soft, tender plants. I woke one morning to witness the carnage.?

(The UK also suffered with one of the lowest number of sunshine hours on record in April which clearly didn’t help either).?

After another trip to the local garden centre and multiple hours of research into which plants like part sun / part shade and will survive heavy rain one day and blistering sun the next (which does wonders for heavy clay soil), I sought plants with growing conditions described as “Very hardy, will survive climate change”. That descriptor doesn't yet exist but may well be needed in the future.?

The point of this piece is not to tell you about my gardening woes.? Adaptation and Resilience has shot to the top of the sustainability agenda this year.? A number of peers on this platform (@Louie Woodall, @David Carlin, etc) have done an excellent job summarising all the new guides which have been released.

And while I don’t want to downplay the seriousness of this issue, I know it can be a bit tricky to engage with it.? Indeed, switching to renewable energy is fairly well understood, pressurised irrigation systems less so.

My own experience of the last few months has tested my resilience and I have had to constantly adapt my garden plans with what is possible.? Again not to trivialise at all: I recognise that my gardening failures will not endanger my life or my livelihood (my mental state perhaps).? But by starting small and looking at your own garden, or balcony, or favourite natural environment, and thinking about how it's changed over the last few years [due to climate change] is something we can all do.? We must then move quickly to act.? All the guides on the market won’t change those impacts that are “baked in” but if they can stimulate capital flows to help those impacted, I’m all for it.? ?

As I watch coverage of Chelsea I’ll be trying to take some tips and learn techniques on how my own garden can survive and thrive in the years to come.? I’ll definitely need it.? London is apparently woefully underprepared for climate change.?

But I’ll also be thinking about what I might be able to do to help those who’s lives and livelihoods will be severely impacted by climate change.? Guides are a starting point; we need some action.