The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has unveiled a comprehensive strategy to protect Britain’s gardens from the growing threat of water shortages, calling it a “new normal” for gardening. With climate change wreaking havoc on traditional gardening practices, the charity is shifting its focus to sustainable water use, aiming to ensure that gardens across the country can survive future droughts.
Urgency in the Face of Climate Extremes
Following record-breaking heatwaves and the driest spring in 132 years, the RHS is urging gardeners to adapt to what it calls a “new normal,” where water is no longer an abundant resource but a valuable commodity. The strategy is set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing climate that is bringing more frequent and intense droughts, particularly in the UK, where water-intensive English gardens have traditionally flourished.
The RHS is now emphasizing water capture and storage as a critical component of future gardening practices. The organization has committed millions to upgrading infrastructure at its five flagship gardens—Wisley, Hyde Hall, Rosemoor, Harlow Carr, and Bridgewater—with the goal of achieving “water neutrality” by 2030. This ambitious target, once viewed as a stretch, has become an urgent necessity in light of escalating climate challenges.
Practical Measures and Innovations
To support this shift, the RHS has outlined several key measures to conserve water and reduce dependence on public water supplies:
- Hollow Tining and Mulching: Techniques to improve soil aeration and moisture retention, preventing water runoff and ensuring that plants absorb what they need.
- Rain Gardens: Specially designed garden depressions to capture and filter rainwater, allowing it to seep slowly into the ground rather than being lost to drains.
- Grey-Water Recycling: A controversial but necessary measure to reuse household water—such as from baths and washing machines—for irrigation, a practice already common in water-scarce countries like Kenya.
These efforts reflect the RHS’s commitment to achieving water self-sufficiency. However, this strategy comes with challenges, particularly in a country where such water-saving practices have not been widely adopted.
The organization’s response also echoes the struggles faced by farmers in regions like Kenya, where water shortages have long been a reality. Kenyan farmers in arid regions such as Kitui and Turkana have been using similar water-saving techniques for generations, an experience now being mirrored in the UK’s response to the climate crisis.
RHS leaders note that the instability of the global climate is causing unpredictable water cycles, including severe droughts followed by flooding, making traditional gardening methods increasingly obsolete. The charity is urging gardeners to reassess their plant choices and adapt to a new landscape that may no longer support once-familiar species in the hotter, drier conditions that lie ahead.
In its call to action, the RHS is not just focused on technical solutions; it is demanding a broader cultural shift in how gardeners approach their water use. This includes embracing new, more resilient garden designs and installing large-scale water storage systems. The traditional vision of the English garden, long celebrated for its lushness, is being reimagined as a more water-conscious, survival-oriented landscape. In the face of this evolving climate crisis, the message is clear: adaptation is no longer optional—it’s essential for survival.
