Near Future Garden Plant List
The plants chosen for NFG were drought tolerant to reveal just one possible extreme weather scenario of the future as climate change affects our gardens. This is not to suggest that drought is likely to be the only future scenario for UK gardens but extreme conditions are likely to prevail. The overall aim is to encourage gardeners to think carefully about their plant selection and how they might design their gardens both now and in the future.
The weather affects everything that grows and plants are having to adapt to shifting seasons and unpredictable weather ranging from extreme drought to monsoon rainfall. The UK growing season has actually lengthened on average by 29 days in the past ten years according to the Met Office bringing challenges and opportunities to UK gardeners.
The aim of NFG was to highlight that water is key to the effects of climate change on our gardens. We need to adapt our planting to cope with extremes of this valuable resource – either too much or too little – and select plants based on their resilience to coping with such extremes.
The plants listed include a range of shrubs, grasses, perennials and ground cover that can survive drought as well as provide interest and shape in the garden. A few of these drought tolerant plants provide flowers but the main aim is to inspire gardeners to look at plants from their resilience to cope and not just because they deliver flowers.
Importance of Soil in a changing climate
As the climate shifts and soils become challenged by extreme weather, it is important to pay attention to the quality of the quality of our soils and also help to preserve the environment.
Many gardeners have used peat based composts to boost plant growth. Peat, like oil, is a finite resource, meaning that it will run out if we continue to use. In the UK peat is our largest ground store of carbon that help keep CO2 emissions from the atmosphere. Its imperative that we protect our natural peat bogland.
Near Future Garden used peat free soil mixed with enriched Carbon Gold biochar to grow most of the plants on the garden. Carbon Gold is the world’s leading biochar company, making and using enriched biochar by transforming waste biomass into a valuable resource that reduces atmospheric carbon, improves soil health and boosts plant growth.
What is enriched biochar?
Enriched biochar is a highly porous, high carbon form of charcoal used to improve soil nutrition, growing conditions and soil structure.
How does it help the environment?
One tonne of carbon locked away in Carbon Gold enriched biochar represents three tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent being removed from the atmosphere. This helps reduce the ‘greenhouse’ affect that is affecting our changing climate.
How does it benefit the soil and plants?
Thanks to its microscopic honeycomb-like structure, biochar provides the perfect habitat for beneficial soil microorganisms, such as mycorrhizal fungi and actinomycetes bacteria, to flourish. Biochar also acts like a sponge, significantly improving the water-holding capacity of soil or compost, lessening the risk of drying out and reducing the frequency of irrigation.
How long does it last?
Unlike the soil improvers, enriched biochar does not decompose and will stay in your soil almost indefinitely, enhancing and improving the natural health and fertility of your soil for decades to come.