While buildings have been the leading focus for adapting to climate change, according to a study conducted by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), British gardens will have to adapt to climate changes in order to thrive in the future.

If the weather becomes more erratic as predicted then it means that there will be stronger storms, heavier downpours, an increase in temperature (with as much as 5C in some areas) and more intense heatwaves. While all of these conditions will cause potential damage to plants and may even erode soil, the weather condition of utmost concern is the rain as there are some areas that will be at risk of flooding due to an excessive amount and other areas in threat of drought due to a decreased amount of precipitation.

image © Landscaping Installations by Horticultural Alliance, Inc.

While there is an uncertainty in the erratic weather conditions, longer growing seasons are on the horizon. This means that plants will need to cope with sudden changes in conditions. So instead of having traditional garden designs that feature immaculate, well-watered lawns, changes in plant species and soil types may have to be made in the near future.

Some plants that are currently being considered include aloe and eucalyptus for the areas that will have a lack of rain, and robust plants like buddleia and clematis for the areas that are expected to receive heavier rainfalls.

In addition to changing the plants to be more versatile for the weather conditions, individuals in some areas will also have to use synthetic grass if they want to have the appearance of a well manicured lawn under conditions of a drought.

image © Mercy West Hospital Project by Skyland USA

Whether synthetic grass is added to the property or not, ultimately traditional gardens will be transforming in the years ahead. With these changes, however, comes opportunities for new plants and designs that wouldn't have been able to thrive under previous weather conditions. So even though climate change is definitely an issue when it comes to gardens, it won't be able to prevent you from continuing to have a garden.

Interested in designing a climate adaptable garden? Search "landscape" on CADdetails.com to view products that you can use in your project.