Wakehurst, which promotes itself as “Kew Gardens’ wild garden in the country,” has taken decisive measures to future-proof its 535 acres in Sussex in response to rapidly rising temperatures.
One year after planting 12 million seeds, 110 distinct plant species, and more than 50,000 living plants on six acres of land to build a new American prairie grassland, the results are on show.
Iain Parkinson, head of landscape and horticulture at Wakehurst, “The purpose of the prairie was to consider the future, and this summer is a great example of what we believe the future will be like, which is significantly hotter and drier.”
“At Wakehurst, we want to construct landscapes that are more adaptable to the changing environment, as opposed to the typical style of gardening, which requires a great deal of irrigation, weeding, and mulching.
“These are landscapes comprised of living plants that intertwine and form a community of plants that will adapt to the environment and, rather than merely surviving in summers like this, will thrive since they are more accustomed to these conditions.”
Larry Weaner, an American gardening expert with experience restoring prairie grasslands in the United States, has served as a consultant on Wakehurst’s largest project during the past decade.
Even though the plants, such as small bluestem grass, pale purple coneflowers, and rough blazing stars, are naturally adapted to warmer climates, Parkinson reported that the dry summer had already hindered progress.
The development of living plant communities can take up to five years, according to him. We are now in our third year… We expected to see a bit more diversity this year, but we believe the extremely hot and dry conditions have delayed some germination.
“It’s not that these seeds won’t germinate, but they are dormant due to the extremely dry conditions. This indicates that either the seed has not germinated or it has germinated and the seedlings are alive, but they have not received enough water to bloom above ground.
“We are not very concerned, but it will take several years to achieve equilibrium. However, it already looks breathtaking.”
Pioneer plants, such as black-eyed Susans, have already emerged, blanketing the countryside in a blaze of yellow blossoms. Over time, these plants will decline and grasses will begin to grow.
However, Wakehurst’s gardening crew already sees the American prairie experiment as an opportunity to learn how the United Kingdom can adapt to drier, hotter summers.
Parkinson stated, “Significant changes are occurring at Wakehurst because we cannot deny that climate change is occurring.” “We must take action and do research, which will guide our future judgments.
“These [prairies] are resilient landscapes that we are constructing, and we believe that this is how everyone in the United Kingdom will have to garden in the future. We cannot rely on irrigation to keep everything alive; we will have to alter our gardening practices and consider a wider variety of plants.
Certain trees, such as those with shallow roots, are more susceptible than others, and several of our collections are struggling. Not only are we experiencing hotter summers, but also wetter, warmer, and windier winters. It is not an easy task.”
