The Drought Garden

A bright and sunny city garden with a theme of drought-tolerant planting, inspired by the 40th anniversary of one of the most famous droughts (1976) and Beth Chatto’s wonderful gravel garden. It is also designed with the ever-increasing prospect of global warming in mind.

The garden is a sunny refuge from city life. A seating area is reached by crossing either of two small bridges over a dried river bed framed by olive trees. Many of the plants have been chosen to attract wildlife, particularly bees and butterflies, with the addition of a beehive, log piles and rocks to provide safe havens for them.