Futurepump is delighted to be included in a show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show titled “The Garden of the Future” – designed by Butler & Parker and sponsored by the Gates Foundation.
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is an annual world famous design and horticulture show in London, UK. It’s long been known for show-stopping garden designs, new plant varieties and innovative products, and more recently has been morphing into a showcase for sustainability.
About the garden
Set in the near future in the UK, the theme of this garden is all about supporting communities, farmers and gardeners to adapt their growing spaces with the changing climate. Using clever design, appropriate plant selection and highlighting innovative solutions to a warming, more extreme climate.
But perhaps the future is closer than we hoped…it feels like the timing for this garden couldn’t be better. With a blocking weather system hanging out over the UK for much of April and May we’re having what’s predicted to be the sunniest, warmest and driest spring on record.
And it’s caught a lot of growers in the UK off guard – with gardens, allotments and farms needing to be irrigated a lot earlier than usual.
With water companies already watching reservoir levels (which have already dropped lower than in the last drought period of 2022), it is clear that extremes of weather are becoming more common and we cannot continue growing as we’re used to.
One of the prominent questions raised by The Garden of the Future is “what can the UK learn from those living on the frontline of climate change?”.
Why is Futurepump part of the garden?
With over a decade working directly with farmers across Africa and Asia who have already been at the mercy of evasive rainy seasons and sudden downpours ruining decimating whole crops, our solar irrigation pumps are designed to support farmers in these situations.
Solar irrigation, coupled with rainwater harvesting, well considered plot design, and strategic plant selection is just one example of how different technologies and growing techniques can come together for increased resilience.
Working together for the future
We talk a lot about agriculture, however, taking the UK as an example, it’s just not all about farmers, in the UK there are over 1.2 million acres of land in private gardens alone. Everyone who has access to land has the opportunity to boost biodiversity and work with the changing climate.
What are the top tips for growing with climate change?
Planting for warmer conditions
Globally, the last ten years have all been in the ‘Top Ten’ warmest years on record (World Meteorological Organization). In every country it’s hard to ignore this trend of warmer weather. Because of this, we cannot expect to be able to grow crops in exactly the same way as in previous years.
There is a lot of research being undertaken around climate-resilient crops, with many cereal, pea and bean varieties being developed to improve tolerance to heat, drought and diseases. These innovative crops are likely to become more common in farms globally.
There are techniques that can be used to increase a plot’s resilience to heat – stepping away from monoculture (growing a single crop) and harnessing more of a bio-diverse approach is essential too.
If possible, it is a good idea to provide shade for sensitive plants and seedlings especially from the midday sun. When designing your plot it is a good idea to incorporate areas of shade or companion plant taller plants next to ones which prefer shade (e.g. tomatoes to the south of salad leaves). By learning more about the specific needs of your crops, you can use this to your advantage to produce more.
Growing in extreme weather conditions
Periods of drought, followed by sudden heavy rainfall are becoming far more common. This aqueous feast and famine plays havoc with crops and the effect can be even more pronounced at different times of the growing season.
Seeds struggle to germinate without consistent damp, seedlings are at serious risk of being washed away if heavy rain occurs before their roots are developed. Then drought again causes problems in the development of fruits, vegetables and flowers as in a panic response the plant is more likely to go to seed.
Similar to growing in warmer conditions, climate-resilient plants are likely to play a huge part on farms in the future, but once again they are only a part of the solution.
In extreme conditions, perennial plants (ones that grow year after year) become our friends. With more developed, larger and stronger root systems, these plants are able to search for water further down in the soil making them more tolerant to top layers of soil drying out.
They also respond well to mulching, the best technique is to water the plant and add a layer of organic matter over this water to lock in the moisture and prevent evaporation. Watering in this way means you can get away with less frequent irrigation, and precious water can be reserved for annuals.
Soil structure also plays an important part in the conservation of water – for more tips on how to improve your soil structure you can read our blog on this topic.
Sudden rainfall after a drought can also cause flash flooding, a soil structure which can absorb more of this water is critical in preventing the loss of topsoil and fertilisers. We’ve got more tips on making the most of the changing weather on your farm here.
How solar irrigation is part of the solution
If you’re lucky enough to have a consistent water source (such as a shallow well or stream), or have the capacity to harvest rainwater, then using this water to irrigate your plants is essential to improve the quality and quantity of produce.
Irrigation is about having the ability to provide water to your crops when they need it. With extremes in weather, you can no longer afford to wait for the rain to give your plants what they need. A solar irrigation pump simply uses the sun’s energy to move water from the source to the field.
At Futurepump, we are experts in irrigation pumps for small-scale farming. We’ve worked with thousands of farmers to perfect a pump that is robust and reliable enough to work tirelessly throughout a drought period to keep your crops growing strong.
All our solar water pumps come with a toolkit and a full 10-year warranty. This means ten whole years of worry-free irrigation, with no fuel costs, low labour input and easy maintenance! We sell our solar pumps through trusted distributors in over 22 countries (and counting), and there are finance options available in some locations. Find your nearest distributor for more details.
