As climate change continues to reshape the British landscape, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has revealed that rising temperatures and drier summers will affect gardens across the UK—everywhere except Manchester. Thanks to the city’s famously wet climate, RHS Bridgewater in Salford is set to become a refuge for tree species struggling to survive in the south of England.
The RHS has been modeling how climate change will impact its gardens over the coming decades, predicting conditions until 2075. For most of the UK, the outlook shows increasingly extreme summer heat and drought. But in Greater Manchester, known for its persistent rain, the climate is expected to remain stable, creating an opportunity for species that thrive in cooler, wetter conditions.
RHS Bridgewater: A New Haven for Traditional British Trees
Some of the UK’s most iconic trees, such as oaks, beeches, and birches, are showing signs of distress due to hotter, drier conditions in southern England. As a result, these species may soon find a new home in RHS Bridgewater’s upcoming arboretum, a botanical garden designed to preserve a wide range of species.
“Species that have been part of the British landscape for centuries are now struggling in southern regions,” said Jon Webster, curator of RHS Rosemoor in Devon. “Bridgewater is emerging as an ideal sanctuary for these trees.”
While other RHS gardens, like Rosemoor, Hyde Hall in Essex, and Wisley in Surrey, are seeing increased dryness, Bridgewater’s reliable rainfall makes it uniquely suited to hosting species that can no longer thrive in the warmer south.
Adapting to Changing Conditions
Gardeners across the UK are already feeling the effects of climate change. Despite a cooler-than-usual summer this year, sales of water butts, greenhouse blinds, and shades have surged. Hartley Botanic, a prominent greenhouse manufacturer, reported a 30% increase in sales of greenhouse blinds. Other suppliers like Marshalls Garden and Enviroblinds have seen a similar spike in demand, while major retailer B&Q noted a rise in searches for water conservation products like parasols, mulch, and bark chippings.
The UK’s summer weather may have seemed gloomy, but rainfall levels were actually 5% below average, according to the Met Office. It’s a trend that is pushing both domestic gardeners and major horticultural organizations to rethink their strategies.
At RHS Rosemoor, a new reservoir is being created using an old canal and lime kiln to help conserve water. Similarly, Wisley has developed a rainwater-fed lake, and both gardens are adopting innovative solutions like gator bags, which slowly drip-feed water to young trees, reducing evaporation and soil dryness.
“We’re increasingly seeing trees become stag-headed, with their upper branches dying off,” Webster explained. “Birches, especially Himalayan birches, are defoliating earlier than they should due to the heat.” In contrast, exotic species like Magnolia grandiflora, native to the southern U.S., are now flourishing in gardens such as Wisley.
A Constantly Evolving Landscape
As the climate continues to shift, the RHS is reevaluating its plant collections. The organization has already relocated 130 varieties of rhubarb, along with collections of gooseberries and rhododendrons, from the drier south to Bridgewater. New arboretums are also planned for both Bridgewater and Hyde Hall, representing significant events for the RHS, which hasn’t planted an arboretum in over two decades.
The changes aren’t just impacting traditional plants. At RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate, the rising summer temperatures have transformed the alpine house, once home to cool-weather species, into a thriving environment for cacti and succulents.
“We’re constantly adapting,” said Webster. “And that should be the same for domestic gardeners as well. The key is learning to evolve with the changing climate.”
As British gardeners look to the future, Manchester’s rainy reputation may just become its saving grace, offering a cool and damp refuge for plant species that might otherwise disappear from the UK’s landscape.
