Elegy for the Darkness
Sun-Conscious Garden Design: Adapting to Climate Change
In the face of climate change, a sun-conscious garden design is more important than ever. This approach, as outlined by the author, focuses on creating a resilient, sustainable, and biodiverse garden that can withstand the challenges of a changing climate.
The author's initial design, however, overlooked one crucial aspect: the placement of sun and shade in the garden. This oversight was particularly evident in the garden shed, which became unbearably hot during the first summer due to the lack of shade.
To rectify this, the author transformed the thin wooden walls of the garden shed into trellises for climbing plants. Vine, garden honeysuckle, and a climbing rose now climb up these trellises, providing a pleasant scent and shade during the summer months. A young plum tree is also growing in front of the terrace, which, once grown, will provide additional shade from the scorching heat.
The author's plan is to have the plum tree provide both shade and fruit, improving the garden conditions. The cherry tree, previously in a shady spot, is now next to the vegetable beds, receiving full sun. The apple tree, on the other hand, is now rooted on the lawn where the author would like to lie in the shade.
The garden, spanning 260 square meters, is designed as an allotment garden, considering factors like plant size, ecological benefits, and path layout. To make the garden more sun-conscious, the author has prioritised native, drought-tolerant perennials with deep roots for carbon capture and soil improvement. These plants are also ideal for reducing water use and enhancing carbon storage.
In addition, the author has avoided invasive species that may disrupt local ecosystems under increased CO2 or shifting climates. Instead, native trees, shrubs, and ground covers have been incorporated to create a robust, biodiverse ecosystem able to handle heat, drought, or excessive rain.
The garden is divided into multiple "rooms" or zones that capture sunlight in different amounts, creating multifunctional spaces that align with shifting sun patterns and climate conditions. For instance, sunny terraces and shady nooks have been integrated to maximize comfort and reduce water stress.
Modern landscape design integrates ecological responsibility and resilience by balancing aesthetics with sustainability goals, such as wildlife support and carbon footprint reduction. Using green infrastructure like green roofs, natural protections for trees, and microhabitat creation enhances garden function and contributes positively to the urban climate.
In summary, an effective sun-conscious garden in times of climate change should use native, drought-tolerant perennials with deep roots for carbon capture and soil improvement, avoid invasive species, design multiple garden "rooms" or zones responding to sun exposure and multifunctional use, and incorporate ecological design principles balancing beauty, functionality, and climate resilience. This approach supports sustainability, biodiversity, and enhanced garden performance under future climate scenarios.
Last year, Hamburg experienced an unusually long stretch of sunshine, with the sun shining for 265 hours in an August, which is an increase from the usual 201 hours. This underscores the importance of sun-conscious garden design in adapting to climate change. The trellises, providing shadows on the cooler wooden planks of the shed and a pleasant scent through their flowers in the summer, are a testament to the author's commitment to this approach.
- The author's sun-conscious garden design, focusing on native, drought-tolerant perennials with deep roots, is a strategy to adapt to climate change in environmental-science, as these plants capture carbon and improve soil, while reducing water use and enhancing carbon storage.
- Incorporating green infrastructure, such as green roofs and natural protections for trees, not only enhances the garden's function but also contributes positively to the urban climate and reduces the carbon footprint, making it a sustainable choice for both home-and-garden and lifestyle.
- The author's decision to grow a young plum tree in front of the terrace and climbers on the garden shed's trellises is an example of how science can be integrated into daily life, as these plants provide shade, fruit, and a pleasant scent, contributing to the resilience and biodiversity of the garden, reflecting the author's commitment to climate-change adaptation in the lifestyle and home-and-garden sectors.
