Looking Forward To The Promise Of Summer

According to Ewen McCallum, Chief Meteorologist at the UK's Met Office, a warmer than average summer awaits us here in Britain and rainfall is likely to be near or possibly even below average. In his statement at the end of April Mr. McCallum went on to say:

" We can expect times when temperatures will be above 30 °C, something we hardly saw at all last year."

So it seems that a wet summer as we had to endure last year and the year before here in Britain is not on the cards. Sounds great! If they are right, however, does that really bode well for British gardens?

On the face of it you would think so ... heavy rain can make a mud bath of children's play areas and lawns and seriously restrict the amount of time people are able to spend in their gardens. Fewer barbecues, fewer outdoor parties and celebrations, the list goes on. So a warmer, drier than average summer would appear to be great all round. However, look more deeply and you will find a counter-balance of negatives. If rainfall is lower than average and we get temperatures above 30 °C as the Met Office predicts, then we could face water shortages.

In the past, summer water shortages in Britain have led to hosepipe bans and that is when our gardens and lawns can seriously suffer. A luscious lawn or soft, grassy children's play area becomes hardened, dried out and yellowed - far from ideal when the sun is shining and you and your family want to be outdoors enjoying the garden. The solution? Artificial grass.

With an artificial lawn or artificial play grass area, the colour and texture are consistent come rain or shine so hosepipe bans are immaterial. Moreover, if the Met Office experts get it wrong and it pours with rain this summer, you will be even happier you installed artificial grass because once the sun is out again and everyone else is facing a mud bath when using their lawn, you won't!

So if you have not yet ordered your artificial grass for this summer, think again. It might just be worth working out how much more time you and your family will be able to enjoy the garden, come rain or sunshine!

Useful links for further reading:

The Met Office Summer Forecast for 2009

More about the advantages of artificial grass

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”.