Plants and pollinators co-exist in harmony,

 Gardening for the Future

A plot that embraces sustainability and recycled materials will become a balanced haven where people, plants and pollinators live in harmony, and each year helps in the fight against climate change, with British gardens increasingly affected by extreme weather, whether it’s cutting down trees and hedges, hot, dry summers bringing drought or hot, wet winters leading to flooding.

As a result, gardeners are increasingly realising that they have a big part to play in sustainability. This includes not only conserving water, but also using peat-free soil, making compost and mulch, adopting organic gardening practices and even recycling hard landscaping materials or repurposing salvaged materials for gardenalia. Plants are at the heart of this complex matrix, and now there is a lot of focus, especially on the types of non-resilient ones

A. Recycled water

While memories of the 2024-2025 winter – one of the wettest on record – are still fresh, it’s easy to forget past droughts and their impact on water resources, which led to pipeline blockages across the country. Home gardens create a huge amount of green space in cities and the country, so even small changes made by gardeners have a big impact.

Top of the list is reducing reliance on main irrigation sprinklers (which provide around 900 litres of water per hour) by using a watering can that is filled with rainwater that is pumped from the roof to a water tank.

Rainwater is easily collected by converting downpipes from the roofs of houses, garages, summer houses and greenhouses into plastic water pipes, recycled wooden barrels or galvanized water tanks. For ease of use, opt for water tanks that sit on a stand or bricks, with a drain at the base, and make sure the tank is covered to prevent algae growth. Less useful, decorative-style plastic

B. Reclaimed elements

While it has become increasingly fashionable to find ways to reclaim, recover, and reuse yesterday’s trash, it is a good idea because it supports the environment and reduces waste destined for landfills. Many discarded items fit beautifully into a garden setting, especially for use as landscaping materials. Reclaimed bricks and tiles, which have already been weathered over time, are much easier on the eye than their newly made counterparts. Use them to create edging, paths, or bug hotels.

C. Recycled pots

Old copper containers, food cans, or buckets make eye-catching plant pots, if drainage holes are first drilled into the base. Wooden boxes make versatile and inexpensive garden containers, and you can often get your hands on some old wine crates, fruit crates, or other boxes in a variety of shapes for free. Most come with a natural finish, but can be painted to coordinate with other woodwork. To prevent rotting, the wood should be treated with an environmentally friendly preservative before installing the plastic liner.

D. Sustainable Planting

Focus on non-slip, drought-tolerant plants that emphasize easy-to-sow plants such as spurge, feather grass, poppies, alchemilla, chives, love-in-a-mist, mullein, and oregano. These ‘incidentals’ return unhindered and require little maintenance other than removing unwanted seedlings in the spring and removing any plants that are past their prime later in the season. Feed sparingly with a homemade compost or organic fertilizer. Overfeeding encourages tall, spindly plants that lean in hot weather and absorb more than their fair share of water.

1. Eryngium olivierianum

The thorny, long-lived herbaceous perennial Eryngium oliviarium 'Joes Aijking' (sea holly), with its silvery, steel-blue flowers, thrives in light, dry, sandy soil. If picked before they are fully open, they make beautiful dried flowers.

2. Papaver somniferum

The prolific self-seeder Papaver somniferum (opium poppy) produces wide-open flowers in shades of purple, red, pink, purple, white or almost black. The petals droop, which dry into beautiful seed pods.

3. Allium schoenoprasum

Allium schoenoprasum (common onion plant) has leaves with a delicious onion flavor and can be used as a path edging or as a companion plant to deter pests. The pretty purple flowers, beloved by bees, fade beautifully to a papery white

4. Alchemilla mollis

The self-seeding perennial Alchemilla mollis (ladies’ mantle) has bright, frothy green flowers and apple-green, fan-shaped leaves They hold water droplets that look like silver flakes. It’s a very easy-going plant, and will cope well in sun or shade.

5. French Marigold

Dedeheades patula flowers from June through fall if deadheaded regularly. Plant as a container or bedding plant to add color to vegetables or use as an organic way to deter pests like aphids.

6. Nigella Damascena

A few Nigella Damascena (love-in-the-mist) seeds scattered throughout the season will ensure this pretty annual returns each year. With pale-blue flowers and feathery leaves, the plant leaves behind beautiful dry seed heads.