Kim Stoddart outlines easy ways to help enable us to garden productively whatever the weather
I have to remind myself sometimes that when I first started writing and teaching about a climate change resilient approach to gardening (more than a decade ago), we were living in very different times. The on-the-ground impact of our warming planet wasn’t yet being felt (in the UK at least), and the perception of what (if believed) climate change might mean was very far removed from the reality we are experiencing now. It was commonly thought that we were in for a more attractive Mediterranean climate, with warmer summer weather, so there was nothing to worry about, and in fact wouldn’t that be really, rather nice.
At talks I did for gardening clubs I would pull out examples of the changes taking place as a way of convincing many of what was happening and what was to come. In my first book, co-authored with Sally Morgan in 2019, we listed examples as a way of setting the scene before outlining the solutions. In the past few years the examples have started rolling in on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis as everything has become more extreme and unpredictable.
This is why it’s no longer just about the on-the-ground solutions for our gardens, it’s also about how we as individuals and humans learn to adapt, connect, think on our feet and figure out how to cope with it all. There is no one-size-fits-all approach looking forwards. There are a myriad of geographical variations, but also it’s very much about the way we garden, not just what we grow. Natural systems can help us build resilience in ourselves as much as our precious outdoor spaces, and localised community-spirited support and knowledge will be key. We are always stronger together.
Protect plants from the ground up
Always start with the soil and treat it well. It is the heart, the soul, the foundation of a more resilient future for us all. Healthy soil, which is not dug over but well-composted and mulched and maintained organically (without the use of chemicals) is much more likely to be alive. It will be packed full of the most amazing soil life which can help feed and water plants through their roots. It will also have an improved soil structure, thus enabling your garden to better handle extremes of weather, and so much more besides.
We really are at the proverbial tip of the iceberg in terms of our understanding of natural soil systems and how they can work. On the most basic level, the better your soil, the better chance plants have of standing firm against, and being able to cope, with climatic extremes. The ground will be better equipped to hold onto and retain water during drought, and better able to cope with an excess of water during an especially wet period. There is no quick fix, and an area prone to flooding will require further intervention, but there is an awful lot to marve
