The RHS Garden for a Green Future, RHS Hampton Court 2021
RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival · July 2021 · For the RHS
The RHS Garden for a Green Future was designed by Jamie Butterworth for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, 6th to 11th July 2021. It showed how a garden can work with a changing climate rather than against it, using drought-tolerant planting on raised mounds, dry riverbeds that carry winter rain, and wildflower meadow in place of lawn.
At a glance
Show: RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2021
Dates: 6th to 11th July 2021
Garden: RHS Garden for a Green Future
Designer: Jamie Butterworth
For: the Royal Horticultural Society
Theme: adapting gardens to climate change
Expert input: RHS scientists, on water, peat-free growing and plant choice
The idea: adapt, don't fight
UK gardens are facing hotter, drier summers and wetter winters. The RHS asked how a garden could be designed for that future, and the answer Jamie gave was to work with the weather rather than against it. As he put it, "We need to adapt to the changes happening in our climate rather than fight against them."
The garden drew on the knowledge of RHS scientists on water sustainability, peat-free growing and choosing plants suited to a changing climate, turning research into something visitors could walk through.
How the garden worked
Raised mounds for drought-tolerant perennials and meadow mixes, which need sharp drainage, with moisture-loving plants lower down.
Dry rivers that stay dry for most of the summer but carry winter flood water towards a central pool.
A central pool with cantilevered decking, where water collects and can be enjoyed.
Meadow instead of lawn: low-maintenance, biodiverse and with no need for summer watering.
Dense planting with seating set into it, so the plants shade their own soil and the garden is lived in rather than looked at.
The planting
Trees were chosen for resilience, including copper beech (Fagus sylvatica Atropurpurea Group), multi-stemmed river birch (Betula nigra) and white willow (Salix alba). Beneath them, drought-tolerant perennials and meadow mixes covered the high ground, while wet-tolerant and marginal plants filled the low, damp areas near the water. The principle is simple and works in any garden: put each plant where the water suits it.
Jamie's role
Jamie Butterworth designed the garden for the RHS. Its emphasis on peat-free growing and resilient planting reflects the same approach he takes at Form Plants, his peat-free nursery in Surrey.
Ideas to borrow for your own garden
Map where water sits in your garden after heavy rain. Plant drought-lovers on the high, free-draining ground and moisture-lovers in the low spots.
Swap part of the lawn for meadow or long grass. It needs far less watering and mowing, and supports more wildlife.
Slow winter rain down. A gravel channel or rain garden lets water soak in rather than run off.
Plant densely. Close planting shades the soil, holds moisture and leaves less room for weeds.
Grow peat-free. Peat bogs store huge amounts of carbon, and peat-free composts now perform very well.
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the RHS Garden for a Green Future?
Jamie Butterworth, for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2021.
How do you make a garden climate resilient?
Match plants to where water sits: drought-tolerant plants high and dry, moisture-lovers low and wet. Swap some lawn for meadow, and let winter rain soak in rather than run off.
Which trees suit a changing climate?
The garden used copper beech, river birch and white willow, chosen for resilience to both dry spells and wet ground.
Can a meadow replace a lawn?
Yes. A wildflower or long-grass meadow needs far less water and mowing than a lawn and supports far more wildlife.
Planting for drier summers and wetter winters
Want a garden that copes with a changing climate? Find out about planting design and consultations or see all projects.
Sources: Gardeningetc · The Gardeners' Company
