By Garden Designer Tony Woods. As our world changes, the need to take care of our most precious resource is greater than ever. Weather is increasingly unpredictable, with drier summers and wetter winters.
This garden discovers how small changes can care for water while still enabling gardensto thrive. It is designed to embrace sustainability and inspire visitors to care about water. Visitors will see how they can encourage biodiversity, reduce water use and prevent flooding, at home, in schools and community spaces, through plants thatneed less water, permeable paving, and explore how wildflower meadows can provide a habitat in your home.
It encourages conserving water by collecting rainfall or selecting drought-friendly plants, gardeners can help to ensure there’s enough water to go around in the future, and demonstrates how gardeners can be more sustainable and responsible by reducing their water usage.
A central Rainfall Pavilion will show the essential cycle of water that we all rely on to live and grow while aThames On Tap water bar will offer free refills of waterto visitors.Thames Water are building a better future for their customers, their region and the planet, and so this garden asks visitors to consider how they use water, the world’s most precious resource.
The garden encourages a ‘less is more’ approach andwill demonstrate three main planting areas including drought tolerant, moisture tolerant and planting to encourage wildlife.The garden will have ‘teaching beds’ where children can learn abouthow fruit and vegetables are grown and their dependence on watering. Key plants include Eryngium giganteum, Agave americana, Sedum spathulifolium, Echinacea pallidaand Crambe maritima.