Grapevines Not Grass In British Gardens?

Most people are familiar with the prediction of longer, hotter summers as an inevitable result of climate change and global warming and, indeed, some people might welcome the prospect with visions of enjoying the outdoors more, but such a change in our weather could have serious consequences for the beloved British garden.

Everything from hedges to plants, trees and the traditional British lawn will face a battle for survival if water becomes scarcer, summers become drier and winters become wetter.

A wealth of information has already been published on the subject and there's plenty of advice for gardeners who want to keep a colourful and flourishing garden throughout these changing times. For example, if you grow delphiniums and lupins, you will already know that they need moisture retentive soil and do not enjoy drier weather. Therefore you might want to consider planting flowers that are more drought tolerant. Growing fruit should become easier too in warmer weather and it might not be long before we see garden centres stocking more exotic fruit trees, even grapevines and palm trees.

Serious about growing grapevines in Britain? Find out how to grow them courtesy of this BBC Gardening page.

But what about grassed lawns? Many people are already concerned about having to use pesticides to keep their lawns looking green but warmer, drier summers and wetter winters will make lawn maintenance even more difficult. An artificial lawn may well be the answer - you'll save on water and pesticides and yellowed grass in summer will be a thing of the past. Wetter winters too will be much more bearable knowing that mud from the lawn won't find its way into the house. Take a look at this recent installation of an artificial lawn for a customer in Cheshire (as shown in the photograph).

Amongst the sources of information on global warming and gardening are:
The Royal Horticultural Society's report - Gardening in the Global Greenhouse

The Met Office's dedicated section on Climate Change

Changing Climate and King Crabs In Antarctica

Two items of news in the last week have once again highlighted how our climate is changing due to global warming.

February 2008 has so far seen much milder day temperatures in the UK than is normal for the time of year. Newspapers have carried stories referring to "hottest February 12 ever" with the Met Office officially confirming that the temperature recorded in Trawsgoed Wales was 18.2 °C - around double what it would normally be. Indeed, this winter in the UK has had hardly any prolonged cold spells and according to the Met Office's Head of Climate Change, Derrick Ryall, we can expect the same each winter from now on.

The earth’s oceans too are warming up and this week concerns have been raised about how the whole ecosystem of Antarctica could be under threat because of this. Apparently, king crabs are poised to invade the shallower waters of the area as they become less cold and if this happens then the soft-bodied and thin-shelled creatures that have lived there for millions of years could be at risk.

Evidence of global warming and the threat it poses not only to our lives but to the earth as a whole seems to be around every corner. The need for us all to act more responsibly in the everyday choices we make is crucial. That’s why it’s heart-warming to know that many people in Britain have resolved this year to ‘become greener’ and improve their lifestyle as reported in a recent Sky Real Lives Survey - see our recent blog posting “New Year Resolution For A Better Lifestyle: Artificial Grass”.