Plant selection and maintaining plantswith a changing climate in mind

Dr Eleanor Webster, RHS Climate Scientist

eleanorwebster@rhs.org.uk

@_eleanorwebster

Changing Climate

• UK Climate Change Risk Assessment 2017:

• What changes should we expect?

• Spatially variable• Drier, warmer southern areas• Milder, wetter northern areas• Risk of late frosts across all areas• Extreme events

Launching 26th April 2017

Plant Selection

• Drought: Xeriscape gardens –even more heat tolerant than ‘mediterranean style’. E.g. Aloe, Lavandula, Salvia and Yucca

• Milder and wetter: Semi-tropical gardens – strong growing, large leaved plant species. E.g. Bamboos, Brugmansia, Cordyline.

Resilient planting

• Heavy rainstorms: flooding from the coast or rivers

• Wind: a challenge for structures (fences, greenhouses)

• Plant smaller trees with a ‘tighter’ canopy (e.g. Acer pseudoplatanus and Crateagusmonogyna).

• Robust shrubs: Buddleja

• Dry areas temporarily waterlogged – resilient species (e.g. Primula vulgaris)

Garden design

Right plant, right place

Resilient species

Garden design

Thank you

Dr Eleanor Webster, RHS Climate Scientist

eleanorwebster@rhs.org.uk

@_eleanorwebster