Rising To The Challenge

How To Help Your Garden Weather Climate Change.

- Lee Ann Bramwell

If there was ever a time when I didn’t take global warming seriously, it’s long gone. Summer temperatures which make it too hot to sunbathe have convinced me that climate change is well underway and the only good news is that the Partner has finally succumbed to the idea of a swimming pool. It’s probably taken him as long as global warming has been a buzz word but hey, all good things come to those who pester.

In the meantime, though, we’ve been trying to protect our garden from 40º heat and upskill ourselves on what to expect in the future. Do we chuck out our subtropical plants and grow drought-tolerant stuff with grey leaves? Or are we going to be inundated, in which case bog plants may be the answer. Hopefully, the swimming pool won’t overflow.

Obviously, it won’t be the same for everyone and there’s differing research about the likely outcomes.

For starters, though, there’s a general overview of regional issues in New Zealand on the Ministry for the Environment website. Briefly, they include: