6 days ago
Leeds drought garden flourishes as heatwave continues
A garden in Leeds designed to require minimal or zero watering is "flourishing" in the recent heatwaves, according to its levels at reservoirs in Yorkshire are at a historic August low and the region's water company introduced a hosepipe ban in Sand Garden, which is planted with cacti and other species which require no water, was introduced at York Gate Gardens in Adel in 2023 and manager Jack Ogg said it had "never looked better".The gardens were originally created by the Spencer family and were bequeathed to the Gardeners' Royal Benevolent Society, now known as Perennial, in 1994.
"If there was ever a year that proved the Sand Garden's worth, it would be this year," Mr Ogg the gardens are technically exempt from the hosepipe ban, he said they had tried not to use any mains water on the one-acre instead rely on a borehole at the bottom of the car park, which was installed four years ago, to water the nursery and plant Mr Ogg said many of the standard plants in the garden were "showing the signs of stress, wilting in the heat of the day, flowering earlier and growing shorter than usual".
In contrast, the Sand Garden had "never looked better", he said."All the plants have adapted to the harsher conditions 2025 has thrown at them, surviving only on the meagre rations mother nature has given them, no supplementary watering necessary," he garden is based not on soil but a combination of sand and grit."We've some really interesting plants in here interspersed with tender cactuses," he said."We plant them out in April, it's a painful job but it gives an amazing desert effect."In addition to the Sand Garden, Mr Ogg said they had changed the plants they put in two large pots at the entrance to the gardens."We've put aloes and aeoniums and created a succulent display that only needs watering every two weeks or so."
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
