Well, here’s a rant.
We are having a drought here in the UK, and unusually high temperatures. Three days of mega heat caused widespread panic – if we are to believe the ever shock hungry media.
Of course, all this is brand new, due to nasty humankind,- though the longest rainless period in recent years occurred in the summer of 1995 when the rains stayed away for 42 days at Margate in Kent, while the longest such drought on record extended to 73 days at Mile End in east London during spring 1893.
The meadow is a bit dry. Good for hay making?
And it’s true that I watch the forecasts and the garden anxiously in this current dearth of rain.
But what annoys me is the sudden rush of articles about planting our gardens for drought. A few headlines:
Drought-Tolerant Plants to Grow – Gardeners World
Drought Tolerant Plants | Planting for Droughts – The RSPB
Best drought tolerant plants: 21 choices for hot, dry areas
Drought-tolerant planting: 10 beautiful plants in dry spells
And so on…
Lawns bounce back with the first deluge.
Now, you have to wonder, how many people are rushing outside (in the heat), digging up their entire gardens (as if) and replanting to whole lot with drought happy plants?
Or dig up their precious lawn?
Ready for next year’s torrential rain and floods?
A bit of rain at ours..
Which itself will be greeted in turn with a host of articles about what to plant to tolerate high rainfall. Rain Garden, anyone?
Will Plants Recover From Rain Damage?
Wet Weather And Plants – Will Too Much Rain Kill Plants?
Followed no doubt by
Hardy plants for cold, exposed gardens
Just how many times will people happily replant their entire gardens to accommodate changing weather?
In the UK, being an island, we experience a maritime climate = see here.
We are unlikely to be swallowed up by the near continent, in spite of recent efforts.
Planting any plant in a drought is a highly dubious and risky activity. If you can get a spade into the hard dry soil.
And most of all – the British treat their plants like pets. If a plant looks a bit poorly they demand help from Gardeners’ Question Time, the RHS or the advice columns of newspapers and magazines in a desperate attempt to keep the plant alive. They are never going to dig up their gardens to meet the demands of the current weather event.
OK, I know there’s a hint in that caption. I’m off to make hay when the sun shines.
Great idea!
Oh, that our drought in New England lasts one more week. After 6 weeks of insufferably hot, dry weather, we are packing up and heading for the Cape Cod beaches. Weather forecast: 3 days of rain!!!!!!!!
Great decision there!
Here in California where we have extensive drought experience, yes, the answer to “What to plant in a drought?” is indeed “Nothing.” It’s exactly the wrong time to plant anything.
Come to UK. Some showers maybe next week!
Ah, but here in California there’s Summer which comes with no rain unless the SW monsoons break through, and then it’s random and spotty. And then there’s drought – meaning we got significantly less of our meager rain budget than expected. Putting forth these kinds of weather-reactive articles seems to **finally** be convincing people that maybe we do need to cut back on outside water use (it’s all irrigation here), that we can still have an attractive garden without soaking it every morning in hundreds of gallons of a limited precious resource. Drought may be temporary here, but these posts/articles do help in the long-term.
I can see how different your garden world must be. I can’t imagine that you talk obsessively about the weather like the British either!
I believe we are slowly going to have to change what we plant, especially here in California. I also believe this isn’t a naturally occurring weather change.
Change in the UK and you’ll cause mega flooding, mark my words….
I caught a bit of an interview with experts on NPR about how to get water to Arizona, Colorado and other areas in the dry southwest.
Some people wanted to know why we couldn’t pipe it from flooding areas in the midwest. All the experts said was too expensive. Umm, it’s also really messing with mother nature and could have major negative consequences.
Now and then -when we have a drought, people begin to talk of pipping more of our Welsh water to drier parts. Not one of my favourite projects!
It irks me that 90% of advice on gardening in a changing climate is How To Save Water. The other 10% is How To Plant A Rain Garden. Where’s the advice on How To Grow A Thriving Garden In What Is Mud For Nine Months Of The Year And Brick The Other Three?
Exactly.
Exactly my thought!
Summer rains have been perfectly spaced this year (a very rare occurrence)
Hoping we can send some over to you from the east coast of Virginia.
Well, we do often get your weather — eventually! I’m looking forward to that lot!
Oh, believe me, Anne, I constantly think of the possibility of drought here in Kansas! Sometimes the native plants have their positive moments!
I think you are worse off than we are? I hope your garden writers reflect reality !