10 Ways I Have Adapted My (small) Garden to Cope With Climate Change

Climate change, whether you want to hear it or not, is here. Each year we are seeing more extreme weathers, such as longer periods of drought followed by big downpours that the ground can’t cope with. Earlier springs leading to confused wildlife, sudden heatwaves that none of us can stand because our homes aren’t cut out for it and garden plants left struggling to cope. It may sound all doom and gloom but we do have one thing going for us – we are very adaptable, and now is the time to be changing, improving and working WITH our changing climate in order to still be able to enjoy our outdoors space whilst giving plants, flowers and wildlife a fighting chance. Here is how I have learnt to adapt my small garden over these last few changeable years.

1. Adding Water

All gardens can benefit from the addition of water but those that are small and quickly overheat will probably benefit the most. As somebody who lives in a relatively new house (16 years), you can imagine how small my outdoor space is – the compromise we made for the home we needed. On top of being small, we have 2 brick walls which only increase the heat during the spring/summer months. At certain times of the year, our patio area can become unbearable but with the addition of a planter pond, we have managed to cool the air here just a little bit, making it more pleasant and of course relaxing to sit near. On top of the cooling properties water brings, we have also seen an increase in insect activity, birds visting for a drink or quick wash, plus the plants around it absolutely thrive.

When we saw the results of having this type of pond, we quickly set to work on creating a simple, small wildlife pond in one of our flowers beds and it has since become the favourite hangout spot for insects, bugs and wildlife. We have seen frogs, birds, hedgehogs and flying insects all drawn to this little bit of water – a haven for them on a hot day and a joy for us to sit back and watch. No matter what size your garden (or even balcony) is, a pond can most definitely be made and it WILL make a difference.

2. Wall Coverage

As I mentioned above, walls in a garden absorb and trap heat making the space feel much hotter than it may actually be. One way to tackle this problem is to grow some greenery up it. Climbers such as Ivy, Passionflower, Jasmine, Clematis and Roses are great options for covering walls and all will help to cool the space whilst providing food and shelter for wildlife. We have a gorgeous Boston Ivy on our back wall which comes to life in the Spring and by summer gives us full green coverage. During the autumn it changes to oranges and reds and then dies back. I love it, I would say the only drawback is that it isn’t giving us year round enjoyment.

On our other wall, we have a homemade pallet planter,a metal flower planter, pots on the top filled with flowers and plants and a raised planter that holds an arch that we tend to grow runner beans across. All of these help to break up the brickwork, bring colour and interest as well as cool the area whilst helping our pollinators. Simple yet effective.

3. Shade

Shade is important for you, for wildlife and for lowering the temperature in the environment on and around your land. Even in a small garden you can plant bushes, shrubs, small trees etc. All of which will play an important role. We currently have a Black Elder (Black Lace) which is supposed to be a bush but it has grown and developed so much over the years that it is now basically a tree. It drops it’s leaves during the winter but by spring it begins to grow and bush out again and come summer it is bursting with Elderflowers providing beauty, food, shelter and shade.

4. Lawn Improvement

If you own a new or newish build, you’ll most likely quickly find issues with your lawn. This is because the developers don’t prepare the soil for turf, they basically just chuck a bit over the top of rubble, lay the grass and hope for the best. When we moved in, the house had been built for around 3 years and had, had a previous owner yet the lawn was still suffering. It was dry, patchy, thin and looked ready to give up. The easiest option for many people is to lay plastic grass (I refuse to call it artificial, I think that almost excuses it. It’s plastic). Plastic grass in a small, hot garden that’s only going to get hotter is a quick fix with negative knock on effects. First of all, the plastic heats up in the sun and adds to our rising temperatures. Secondly, it will not sustain any life above or below ground and thirdly, it will leech microplastics into the soil and waterways. Even with our tricky small lawn, I knew I couldn’t go to plastic. There were other options I considered such as clover but we decided to give the existing grass a fighting chance. This meant top soil, new turf in places, feed, reseeding the areas that required it and not over mowing or cutting too low when we did. I would also say that the condition of our grass significantly improved once we introduced more plants, our Black Elder tree and the wildlife pond. Shade, moisture, cooler air, increased wildlife and insects have all had a positive impact.

5. Water Butt

With longer periods without rainfall becoming more common, a water butt is a great addition to your garden. We chose a slimline one because we are limited on space and even though we do run out of water from it at times, it at least helps us to save on tap water as and when it can. Rainwater is also much more beneficial for your plants’ health.

6. Water Sealing Steps

After losing many flowers and plants to the heat last year, I’ve taken another step to try and tackle the issues of climate change – sealing water in. I have started to add alpine gravel to window boxes, the pallet planter and some pots to help to prevent the soil from being dried out so quickly and to help seal that moisture in. It’s only been a week or so, but as we are in the middle of a heatwave, I can already see that this tactic is working well. No more droopy flowers or frazzled plants and I haven’t had to water as much as I previously did. A win both for saving water and plant saving.

7. Home Composting

We have been home composting for a number of years now and I love it because it reduces the waste in my normal household bin that would go off to landfill/incineration (food waste contributes to climate change creating around 8-10% of the world’s carbon emissions), it means I don’t need a garden waste collection and it also means I get good quality, peat free compost to use around my garden as and when I need it. Putting waste to good use is a big step in the fight against climate change.

8. Wild Areas

Allowing some areas of your garden to go wild helps with biodiversity, water drainage and soil quality. Think about sowing wildflower seeds, providing bug houses, letting the “weeds” grow (they are just wildflowers really), leaving out a pile of twigs or logs and avoid mowing the grass. We have done all of this around the bottom of our tree and by the back wall, an area that has plenty of nooks and crannies for bugs and insects, that attracts birds and is out of the way of our activity. You could also think about taking part in No Mow May and don’t forget to feed the birds and hedgehogs that visit.

9. Planting for Pollinators

When I bought my house, I knew absolutely nothing about gardening and after a few years of failed flowers, realising that as pretty as seasonals are, they don’t last and finding that new build ground is rubbish, I decided it was time to learn what would work. With all gardens, you have to workout what will grow in the conditions you have but I have found that hardy perennials such as Alpines, Lavender, Honeysuckle, Salvia, Californian Lilac, Palace Purple, Bergenia, Hosta and Eysimum do really well in our small, compact garden and they are perfect for pollinators. By planting for the space you have and for our declining pollinators you will be helping to protect and support the numbers we have. We need these guys.

10. Pots, Pots, Pots

When you have a small outdoor space or a space that gets too hot, pots are a saviour if you want your garden to bloom. I have come to rely on pots for plants, flowers and even growing my own fruit and veg. They give me the extra room I need to grow all I want which is beneficial both for us and the insects/bugs/pollinators we want to attract. Another great thing about utilising pots in your garden is that you can easily move them around. You can give them sun or shade when they need it, protect them during the winter and also change up the look as and when you like.

I nearly added an 11th heading here which would have been growing my own fruit and veg but to be honest, I don’t manage this all year round, I have had a lot of fails with it and my garden is so small that I can’t grow enough to make a significant impact on climate change i.e. have enough so we don’t have to rely on as much from the shops (food being imported comes with a big carbon footprint).

Having said that, if you want to have a go definitely go for it. I love having a go, trying new things each year, seeing what works and what doesn’t, being able to pick strawberries, broad beans, rocket, radishes and so on from the back garden in the summer. It’s a (very) small step but one day, I may finally get the garden of my dreams and be able to do so much more.

Is there anything else you would add that you have done in your garden to adapt it to climate change?

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