The year of
OPINION
RESILIENCE
Mark Straver explains why 2024 will be focused on futureproofing in garden design, with resilience being a key theme at this year’s RHS Chelsea too
Y
ou only need to speak to the plant growers to know that climate change is real. Being a third generation nurseryman, I've worked outside and monitored the weather every day for the last 40 years, and have seen first-hand how our climate has changed over that time by simply looking at what the plants around me are doing. As an example, when I first started working in nurseries aged 16, the Cornus alba would always lose its leaves in September with the first frost. By the time Bonfire Night arrived, it would be so bitterly cold we would go and watch the fireworks with hot jacket potatoes in our pockets! Nowadays, the first frost doesn't arrive until at least mid-November. Driving to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show every year in the third week of May, I used to look forward to seeing wisteria in full bloom, growing gloriously up the walls of the city's buildings. In recent years, I only get to see the last petals falling from the branches when I make that journey. At Hortus Loci, we're very aware of the ever-prevailing shifts in our climate and the impact it has on our gardens, so we’re excited to see that resilience is one of the key themes many designers are focusing on at the RHS flower shows in 2024. The great British weather is as unpredictable as it's ever been, but it has also
become more extreme. Our weather is also becoming either predominantly warm, pouring with rain, or both. We now watch the weather forecast with trepidation every week, because these extreme weather events we’re seeing more and more of are having a big impact on our business. When we had prolonged dry conditions in the summer of 2022 we had to purchase additional water by the lorry load, which prompted us to install three extra underground rainwater tanks to assist with rainwater harvesting (ensuring we’re self-sufficient for six months of the year, and partially sufficient for another three). But we're still lucky – in Barcelona, as I write this, it has not rained since November 2022. Watering plants there is now illegal, and Spanish nurseries are classifying their products based on the water each plant requires. When it comes to finding solutions, gardens that feature resilient plants will be key, as picking one weather extreme to address in a planting scheme doesn't work in our climate. For example, with temperatures beginning to reach over 30°C every summer, designers started incorporating droughtresistant Mediterranean plants into their gardens. But in 2022, we experienced a rare two-week cold snap, with some areas hitting -10°C in December, and all the Mediterranean plants perished.
When considering the way forward in addressing weather extremes over a prolonged period, we look to the tree growers for guidance
As nurserymen, it's our job to provide garden designers with high-quality plants that last, and we know that the answers to these problems can often be right in front of our eyes. When considering the way forward in addressing weather extremes over a prolonged period, we look to the tree growers for guidance. The trees growing in their nurseries have endured all types of weather extremes over several decades, so the growers know which high-tolerance species to focus on, and which less-resilient species to phase out. As part of our long-term strategy, we're taking a leaf out of the tree growers' book by propagating and growing plants with high resilience. We notice which plants are thriving and increase the number of varieties. Many of the fabulous garden designers we are working with are choosing resilience as a key theme for the RHS shows in 2024, which we're very excited to see! RHS Chelsea 2024 is set to be our biggest show yet, and we look forward to sharing more updates about the gardens we are supplying in the coming months.
MARK STR AVER Mark Straver is a thirdgeneration nurseryman based in Hampshire and has worked with plants since the age of 16. He is joint owner and director at Hortus Loci, which he founded with Robin Wallis in 2011. He’s known in the gardening world for his ability to source the best wholesale plants internationally, using his extensive knowledge, connections, and experience in the industry. hortusloci.co.uk
THE OCTAVIA HILL GARDEN BY BLUE DIAMOND WITH THE NATIONAL TRUST, DESIGNED BY ANN-MARIE POWELL
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Pro Landscaper | February 2024
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