RHS green energy at Hampton Court

Great to hear that the RHS is creating a major Garden Energy feature, the first of its kind in the UK, to illustrate the impact of climate change on the garden, from 1950 to 2050, and how to ameliorate its effects.

dsc00960The RHS commissioned Sarah Eberle to create the design at the 2009 Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (7th – 12th July 2009) as part of the RHS drive to get everyone to consider the environment and make a difference in their outside space.

In zone one the RHS and Met Office feature takes visitors on a garden journey spanning 100 years. As time passes plants too tender to survive the 1950s winter are introduced, lawns decrease as water becomes scarcer, and by 2050 a dry garden shows the extreme effect climate change could have.

In the next zone three wind turbines tower over bio fuels, ground source heat pumps and solar power initiatives to demonstrate the role that green energy could play in the garden in future. Here there is willow and hazel coppicing for bio-mass fuels, water management schemes and energy-supporting crops. Other ideas to be more environmentally responsible are porous paving and new energy conserving insulation, including sheep’s fleece on buildings and everything you want to know about green roofs.

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The third zone is a garden setting where a ‘grow your own’ plot includes wormeries, composting, bird-feeding and bee-keeping. Information about RHS research aims to help gardeners be more sustainable, avoid contributing to climate change and to reduce its effects.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Learning/Publications/pubs/garden0609/HamptonCourt.htm

This post was written by:

- who has written 872 posts on My Climate Change Garden.

I am not an experienced gardener - more of an enthusiastic amateur who learns by trial and error and who is keen to "manage" the effects of shifting weather patterns on my garden. Writing this blog is my passion and it has evolved over 12 years to inspire engagement with climate change outside our back doors, in our personal gardens and green spaces. My mission is to fertilise and expand this platform to grow a community of global gardeners communicating about the effects of climate change on our plants and exploring how each individual can make small changes in our lives to become more sustainable. The future of our gardens and #OurPlanet is in our hands - please plant your own seeds for our collective sustainable future.

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