Beat-the-weather gardening

Help your outdoor space flourish – come rain or shine

- CHRIS MORLEY

All change

Climate change means we have to protect our gardens from unpredictable and often crazy weather. Summers can be desert-dry, with hosepipe bans popping up even in northern areas. But we can also suffer torrential downpours, wild temperature fluctuations and mild winters that trick plants into early growth - only to be caught by late frosts. The good news is that there are ways to help plants and green spaces cope.

Rain busting 

Torrents of rain can cause flash floods, damage plants and wash away soil. Capturing water is key, so use water butts to collect as much as you can - your plants will thank you for this during dry spells.

Another solution is to replace hard roofs on sheds and garden buildings with absorbent (and pretty) green roofs covered in succulents or grasses. Or why not create a rain garden? This is an ornamental shallow bed that can soak up water diverted from a downpipe via a rill. Plant it with perennials that don't mind temporary waterlogging, such as purple loosestrife, penstemon and meadowsweet.