Halophytes – the answer to drought?
As an ecologist, I love exploring salt marshes and shingle banks where conditions are truly extreme for plant and animal alike. Its here that you find sea kale, thrift, yellow …
Winners and losers in the climate change garden and some surprises
After a summer of high temperatures and little rain, gardening magazines, blogs and posts are full of recommendations for drought-tolerant plants. But are drought tolerant plants the answer? Looking around …
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Coping with a hosepipe ban
Here are a few top tips to help get you through the current drought especially in those areas where you can’t use your hose pipe Prioritise the areas of the …
Flowering times and global warming
We have all seen flowers appearing earlier than ever – daffodils in December, magnolia in February – but now the extent of the change has been revealed by a new …
Growing salvias
Salvias are generally drought resistant, long flowering and many have scented foliage, plus they are great for attracting pollinators too. They are the perfect option for a hot, dry border …
It’s going to rain this week!
This blog was published on 4 June 2019 and a similar pattern has emerged in 2020, except this time the months of March, April and May have been hot and …
My garden’s been flooded, what can I do?
A garden or allotment can look a complete mess after surging floodwaters have passed through. It wouldn’t be so bad if it was just rainwater, but most flood water carries …
Urban creep increases the risk of flooding
Far too many people have experienced local flooding in recent months caused by extreme weather. One problem is surface water – with so many hard surfaces in urban areas, it …
Saving seeds of resilience part 2
For those of you who are more experience seed savers, Sally has written a thought-provoking article on saving seed. To save seed or not to save seed? I can hear …
Climate change gardening at RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival
The environment, climate change, water and plastic waste were common themes running through this year’s show gardens. Having just written a book on climate change gardening, I was keen to …
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