Hannah Phillips Garden Design

As a nation we are developing a rather polar relationship with water: Too much in the Winter, too little in the Summer.

We lament both (with good reason if you've ever seen how much damage flood water can do to the average home) but, aside from the odd water butt here and there to tide us over a particularly hot Summer, that’s about as far as it usually goes (yes, I know I'm generalising!)

It's a unfortunate reality that the water companies responsible for managing our water supplies have not created the capacity required to cope with modern run off levels created by:

• Increased development - less permeable ground for water to infiltrate and re-enter the water cycle
• A legacy of rain water run off entering drains and sewer systems at volumes they were not designed for
• Climate change creating extremes of heat and drought, then rainfall that drains and compromised soils are less able to deal with

You don't have to look very far to see that our current system of rain water management is broken. 

As a nation we need to change our attitude towards it and see it as an opportunity rather than a problem and, it can start with how we manage rain and run off in our own gardens and outdoor spaces.

The best thing is, these kinds of sustainable, climate resilient, rain water management solutions can be attractive features in their own right as well as creating beautiful, biodiverse habitats for local wildlife or, fun, interactive opportunities for learning and play. 

All it takes is a bit of imagination, understanding and design.

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Making it rain.... (Or, at least, allowing us to enjoy it more when it does)...

Things we can do:

• Keeping impermeable surfaces to a minimum - allowing water the opportunity to soak back into the ground, replenishing ground water and aquifers.
• Creating rain gardens that allow run off to be captured and slowed, allowing it to be returned to the ground while increasing habitat and biodiversity.
• Bioswales, wetlands and ponds can also do this while creating attractive features in their own right.
• Choose the right plants for the situation - those which don't need irrigation or, can cope with periodic flooding.
• Catch and collect water for future use.

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RainVentures.co.uk was created to help schools, educational settings and residential home owners understand and create designs for attractive, climate resilient and sustainable outdoor spaces.

If you're interested in hearing more about how sustainable garden design can help in your project, email studio@hpgardendesign.co.uk or complete the form on the RainVentures.co.uk page.