The emergency RHS plans protecting its gardens from threat of water droughts: ‘Adapting to the new normal’
RHS moves to safeguard gardens as water shortages loom
- The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced emergency measures to safeguard its gardens from the escalating threat of water shortages.
- The environmental charity will prioritise investment in water capture and management projects throughout 2026, in response to last year's severe droughts and increasingly erratic weather patterns.
- Planned projects for 2026 include increasing water storage in tanks and lakes, installing ebb and flow benches and investing in rain garden installations across its five prominent English gardens.
- The RHS is also encouraging home gardeners to adopt similar preparatory measures this winter and spring, such as soil preparation techniques and maximising rainwater capture.
- This initiative marks a broader shift in the organisation's approach to climate change, focusing more on adapting to its growing impacts rather than solely mitigating emissions.