Top tips to help you build a climate-resilient garden

As temperatures start to drop, our thoughts turn to wintry wonderlands and snow-capped hilltops.

As summers grow warmer¹ and winters get wetter², the increasingly unpredictable nature of the UK weather is making gardening more challenging than ever.

From hosepipe bans to torrential downpours, these extremes are testing even the most green-fingered among us. Yet it’s still possible to create a climate-resilient garden that not only weathers the storm but adapts to extreme weather patterns.

Easy As Hack

Turn vegetable peelings³ and coffee grounds into compost by mixing them with leaves and other garden waste. Let them decompose in a bin and you’ll have nutrient-rich compost to feed your garden.

What is a climate-resilient garden?

A climate-resilient garden is one that’s designed to withstand and adapt to weather extremes such as scorching heat, prolonged droughts and heavy rainfall.

The way to achieve this is through thoughtful design choices and sustainable solutions that are low-maintenance and kind to the planet. You need a garden that is flexible enough to thrive no matter what Mother Nature throws at it.

It’s also important to remember that our gardens make a difference far beyond our own backyard. They’re part of a much larger ecosystem, where our choices contribute to a wider sustainable future.

Follow these tips to help your outdoor spaces flourish all year round:

Lay the groundwork by evaluating your garden

Whether you’re starting a garden from scratch or refreshing an existing space, the first step to achieving a climate-resilient garden is understanding your site.

Before planting, take the time to observe how sunlight, drainage and wind exposure affect different areas of your garden throughout the seasons. You can either do this yourself or by hiring a professional landscape designer.

Analysing your garden allows you to group plants according to their water and light needs and help it adapt to changing conditions.

Nurture the soil and master composting basics

Healthy soil is the best foundation for a thriving climate-resilient garden. Nurture your soil by adding a compost made from kitchen scraps and garden waste. This helps to enrich it, locking in moisture and essential nutrients to improve its structure. By doing this, you’re making the soil more resistant to depletion and better able to retain water.

You could also apply layers of mulch to the soil to give it a boost and prevent weeds. Use organic mulches like wood shavings, straw or leaves.

Another option to protect soil from depletion is to grow cover crops like clover and grasses. Otherwise known as ‘green manure’, cover crops are specifically grown for soil health rather than harvesting. 

Collect and store rainwater

Conserving water is one of the most important strategies for climate-resilient gardening. A simple way to collect rainwater is by installing a water butt to collect run-off from roofs. Attaching an overflow pipe may also be useful as this can redirect any excess to areas that need it the most, like ponds or thirsty vegetable beds.

The UK has around 150-200 rainy days a year⁴, so there’s ample opportunity to collect and store water.

Drip irrigation systems help to deliver water directly to plant roots, minimising waste. An added benefit is that they can also help to reduce your water bills.

See more water-saving tips for your home and garden

Choose the plants for your garden wisely

Selecting the right plants is essential for creating a climate-resilient garden. Go mainly for plants that are native to your area or are known to be drought-resistant, as these will require less water and care.

If your garden is exposed to strong winds, look for hardy perennials that can tolerate a battering from storms. Ideally, use a layered technique of trees, shrubs and low-growing plants to buffer against weather extremes.

Being diverse with your planting also reduces the risk of pests and diseases, making your garden more robust overall.

Top 5 resilient garden plants⁵

These plants are known for their ability to thrive in both wet and dry conditions, making them ideal for the UK’s unpredictable climate:

1. Lavender – a fragrant, sun-loving shrub that’s highly drought-tolerant. English varieties are well-suited to the UK climate and can cope well with harsh winters.
2. Euphorbia – known for its striking shapes and evergreen foliage, this genus of plant thrives in shady spots.
3. Agapanthus – with blue trumpet-shaped flowerheads, this hardy plant adds a touch of exotic flair to your garden while coping well with drought.
4. Echinacea – commonly known as the coneflower, this tough daisy-like perennial is popular with bees and butterflies.
5. Ornamental grasses – low-maintenance and pest-resistant, varieties like Stipa tenuissima provide excellent texture and movement to gardens.

Encourage wildlife to support biodiversity

A biodiverse garden is naturally more resilient. There are lots of ways you can attract wildlife to your garden, including using climbers on fences and walls, as well as adding plants that produce berries, seeds and nectar. You could also add features such as log piles, ponds or bug hotels.

Your garden acts as an important pitstop for wildlife, allowing it to adapt as climate change reshapes its natural habitats.

Let your grass grow longer before winter

Many gardening experts⁶ recommend letting your grass grow a bit longer before winter, ideally to a height of about 5-8 cm. This creates a cooler layer near the ground, protecting the soil from drying out.

Your final cut of the year should be around late October or early November when temperatures start to drop below 10°C. To prevent waterlogging over autumn, use a garden fork or aeration tool to create holes around 15cm deep to drain rainwater away and keep roots healthy.

These insights can guide your choices and help you build an outdoor space that’s not only attractive to look at but also sustainable over the longer term.

FAQs

How do I know what will thrive in my garden?

Have a wander around your local neighbourhood to see what’s doing well in other people’s gardens. You could also test your soil for type and pH, then research which plants are best suited to it. 

What should I avoid when building a climate-resilient garden?

When building a climate-resilient garden, it’s best to avoid water-hungry plants that aren’t used to UK conditions. And keep concrete surfaces to a minimum as these will prevent water from soaking into the ground, increasing flood risk. Use permeable materials like gravel and bark where possible.

To protect your garden against damage from extreme weather, find out more about Ageas home insurance.

 Sources

1. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news-and-media/media-centre/weather-and-climate-news/2025/summer-2025-is-the-warmest-on-record-for-the-uk

2. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/about/state-of-climate

3. https://www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/composting

4. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/research/library-and-archive/library/publications/factsheets/factsheet_4-climate-of-the-british-isles_2023.pdf

5. https://www.diy.com/ideas--advice/outdoor--garden/lawns-beds--borders/10-best-drought-tolerant-plants-for-your-garden

   https://www.gardensillustrated.com/plants/resilient-plants-best-designer-choose

6. https://www.idealhome.co.uk/garden/garden-advice/Monty-Don-winter-lawn-mowing-advice

   https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/garden/a69107931/stop-mowing-lawn-before-winter/