Cactus Direct: 2101

Did you know...

• The plants in this garden are drought resistant to show the range of plants that can be grown in an areas of extreme drought. They include a mixture of cacti, succulents and flowering perennials.
• As well as increased temperatures and periods of drought, climate change will bring bouts of high rainful. The garden is multi level so that excess rainwater has somewhere to flow to, finishing in an areas of denser planting that includes species that can cope with both dry conditions and a sudden excess of moisture, like geraniums and geums. 
• Rust coloured fixtures and structures repeat through the garden. They bring a distorted style, used to induce a feeling of unfamiliarity in show visitors and highlight the impact of climate change.

About the Garden

It’s the year 2101 and temperature increases of up to 7 degrees centigrade through climate change have affected the way we live in the UK.

This futuristic dystopian garden imagines how global warming will dramatically change our gardens and how we use them. It raises questions around what our children’s and grandchildren’s day-to-day lives will be like and what they will be able to grow in their gardens.

In 2101, many native plant species are extinct and our gardens resemble the landscapes of Southern California or Mexico, with only drought-tolerant plants surviving. Rows of Echinocactus grusonii have replaced traditional box balls, and Agave salmiana var. ferox and tall Polaskia chichipe are now our traditional shrubs. Drought-resistant plants includes grasses, meadow planting and a range of edible planting, compatible with the warmer, dry climate.

Additional sponsors: Casa Ceramica, Rectory Plants, Knotwood UK, Al Fresco Chef, University Technical College Wigan & Farm Urban.