Flood-proof your garden with these top tips from Chelsea designers
Our gardens have been hit by bad weather in recent months. In the last week, flooding caused by heavy downpours and thunderstorms has caused disruption around the country.
According to the latest figures from the Met Office, in England, the period between October 2022 to March 2024 saw the highest amount of rain for any 18-month period since 1836, when data was first collected.
Rain can play havoc with our outside spaces, causing flooded lawns and water-logged soil that leaves plants in danger of root rot and other diseases. The heaviest rain can flatten plants, as well as cause irreparable damage to spaces that have been lovingly tended.
Worryingly, one in four homes in the UK are at risk of flooding. However, help is at hand: a garden at this year's Chelsea Flower Show demonstrated cost-effective ways to make gardens more flood resilient and exhibit methods to future-proof against extreme weather.
Garden designer Naomi Slade and Dr Ed Barsley, an environmental design expert, created the Flood Resilient Garden.
Wondering how to flood-proof your garden? The garden designers have shared their top tips, no matter how big or small your space:
Choose water-resilient plants
Next time you go to the garden centre, Naomi suggests picking up water-resilient species. "In wetter ground and more inhospitable conditions, larger plants with bigger, stronger root systems will often fare better than smaller varieties," she says. Below are some of her go-to species:
Willow: Look out for cultivars of Salix gracilistyla, such as ‘Mount Aso’ and ‘Melanostachys’, which have colourful fuzzy catkins in spring.
Water mints: These can spread in the open garden but in tricky wet conditions, this could be an asset. Water mint is strong-smelling. whereas water spearmint is subtler.
Astilbe: Growing best in a shady or partially shady spot, this plant will brighten up a darker corner and is an adaptable option for damp areas.
Male fern: Male ferns prefer shade or part shade, so work well for a woodland planting scheme. For sunnier spots, try the royal fern, which can also be grown in shallow water.
Lady’s Smock: Lady's smock thrives in wet meadows and boggy areas and it deals well with sitting in a shallow puddle for long periods, if there is plenty of sunshine.
See what the neighbours are growing
"Flood risk and rainfall vary enormously from region to region, so it is important to understand what you are working with," says Naomi.
Ideally, choose plants that are well adapted to the conditions. "A look over the fences into local gardens is an excellent way to see what thrives near you."
Ensure you have well-draining soil
To improve the quality of soil and avoid plants sitting in wet ground, you can dig in organic matter, such as leaf mould, compost or well-rotted manure, which improves the structure of the soil so that it drains more effectively.
Lean into wet areas
The pair encourage gardeners to "make space for water" and the Chelsea garden exemplifies this with its pond and central swale.
"If there is an area in the garden that is always boggy, digging a pond will give all that rain somewhere to go," says Naomi. She advises planting up the damp soil with marginal plants (those that grow in the shallow water or wet soil around the edge of a pond) to keep things looking "deliberate and attractive".
Protect fussier species with slopes, raised beds and planters
The Chelsea garden used slopes and raised beds to provide drainage for any plants that don't do well in damp ground, such as roses, lavender and fruit trees (there's a large quince tree in the space). Containers can also help protect edibles: Ed suggests placing culinary herbs in planters, away from contaminated water.
Reduce hard landscaping
Too many hard surfaces, such as paving or tarmac, can mean that heavy rainwater has nowhere to go. Ensure you have enough places for rain to soak away in your space. The Flood Resilient Garden had a "patio" made from reclaimed slabs bedded into a permeable base, with gravel in the gaps. This setup means water can drain away without causing damage.
Plant to slow water
Naomi says that dense planting can help with flood-proofing. The likes of shrubs and evergreens planted in abundance can slow the passage of water. These plants also capture rain in their canopies, stopping all the water going into the ground at once.
Harvest the rain for drier times
Extreme weather also comes in the form of heat and drought. For those periods, it helps to have some water on standby, particularly if there is a hosepipe ban. The Chelsea garden had storage tanks, which doubled as ornamental pools. They captured water in wet periods, relieving the burden on sewers and downstream flooding, then came into their own during dry spells.
Consider rain chains
Rain chains can channel water away from a roof and be a decorative feature in their own right. In Ed and Naomi's garden, chains sent water from a pergola into those aforementioned pools. The rain cascades down the chains, adding audio and visual interest as well as providing a practical solution.
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