What can gardeners do?

Do:

• Make long-term plantings of trees, shrubs and hedges that are drought tolerant.
• Plant long-term shelter to protect the garden from stormier weather.
• Improve soil with grit, gravel and organic matter to ensure drainage and nutrients; additional drainage may have to be installed before planting long-term plants.
• Build water collection and disposal measures into new hard landscaping, greenhouses and sheds.
• Invest in water features and ponds - they will benefit wildlife and will be appreciated in hotter, drier summers.

Don’t:

• Make long-term plantings in areas liable to flood.
• Clear established vegetation from slopes, but work new plants into existing growth.
• Devote extensive areas to plants that suffer in wet winters and summer droughts - including lawns on dry soil.
• Remove long-established trees and shrubs - these often have extensive root systems that can withstand drought and protect soil from erosion.