A new tool could help gardeners move away from thirsty English classics to drought-resistant plants

Planning for changing conditions

Prof Sam Brockington, a curator at Cambridge University Botanic Garden, said earlier generations could rely more confidently on what had grown before. He said the tool could help identify plants in the UK that are struggling, allowing gardeners to remove them gradually from their collections.

Testing and future access

Professional gardeners were invited on Monday to trial the tool and give feedback. There is no confirmed release timeline, but Alistair Griffiths, the RHS’s director of science, said the long-term aim is to make it available to the wider gardening public.

Griffiths said soil type is not currently included. Kim Shrosbree, secretary of the Epsom Garden Society, said it would be useful to account for the different conditions faced by gardeners on chalk and clay.

Advice tailored to gardens

Drought remains declared in most of England, and rolling summer heatwaves scorched gardens and parks. Juliet Sargeant, a garden designer, said location-specific advice matters more as growing conditions change. She said gardeners increasingly need to consider individual plants and their own gardens rather than relying on general guidance.

Brockington said the tool could assess how plants respond not only to warmer temperatures but also to more changeable weather. Clive Boase of the charity Climate Change Gardening welcomed it, saying people wanted information to help their gardens cope with climate change.

Changing familiar preferences

Boase said changing established garden styles can be difficult for people, who may be attached to a cultural aesthetic. He said gardeners would need support as they make those changes.