Something we've seen shift across 50 years of working in Surrey gardens: planting windows have moved.
Spring comes earlier. Lawns that never needed watering now brown through July and August. Plants we'd never have considered for Surrey 20 years ago — Mediterranean evergreens, ornamental grasses from warmer climates — are now reliable choices.
This isn't just our impression. Met Office data confirms it:
— Spring temperatures in the south-east have risen 2.1°C above 1970 levels
— Days above 30°C have more than tripled since the 1960s
— The growing season has extended by approximately 29 days
— In July 2022, RHS Wisley — just down the road from our Woking base — recorded 39.3°C
The headline isn't simply "hotter." It's more volatile. Wetter winters, drier summers, and both extremes intensifying.
The winter of 2023–24 was the wettest on record for England and Wales. The 2022 drought saw the Thames region receive just 46% of average summer rainfall.
This changes what grows, what drains, what survives, and what thrives in your garden.
We're not doom-saying. We're designing honestly for the conditions that exist now, not the ones we remember. That's what 50 years of experience teaches you — adapt to what the ground is telling you.
Full article on our Hub: montrose-landscapes.com/greens-and-blooms/post/gardening-changing-climate-surrey
📍 Woking, Surrey
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