UK Gardeners Urged to Take Part in 2008/09 Winter Hardiness Plant Survey

7th August, 2009

Britain’s gardeners are growing more tropical and exotic plants such as palms and bananas as the winters have got milder over the past decade and there has been a renewed interest in these kinds of plants.

However, the 2008/2009 winter for many parts of the country was one of the coldest for 20 years. The travel chaos that ensued is well documented, but up until now the effect of the adverse weather on the nation’s garden plants has not been fully recorded.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is asking people to take part in a nationwide online survey to help map how the weather affected the UK’s plants. It is only now that the full extent of damage can be recorded as plants grow again with the warmer weather.

The survey is divided into two groups: a list of ‘indicator’ plants such as Dahlia and Cistus that the RHS Botany team suspect will be affected, and other, possibly more unusual, plants in people’s gardens that have been damaged.

Gardeners need to name their plants, how old they are and describe the degree of level damage sustained e.g. (i) killed; (ii) cut to the ground; (iii) cut back (loss of leaves, twigs or small branches); (iv) uninjured. They will also need to state where the plant was located, e.g. against a house wall or fully out in the open, and also the amount of protection it was given, e.g. protected by a layer of mulch or left to the elements.

There is also an optional section for more detailed information particularly on the temperature during the period 1st December 2008 to 28 February 2009. Dr. John David, RHS Head of Botany says: “ We are already aware that some unexpected plants have survived this winter and results of the survey will tell us much more about which plants can be grown reliably in British gardens, even through a harsh winter.”
The information will not only enable the RHS map the extent of damage across the country, but allow the UK’s leading gardening charity to advise gardeners how to best protect their plants during future inclement weather.

The results will be collated for publication in 2010.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/climate/winterhardiness.asp