On what must be the coldest day of the year Minal Gardening Club met in the village hall for a Rainwater Planter workshop run by Ark (Action for the River Kennet) and Wendy Allen, garden designer specialising in rainwater gardens and organised by Milly Carmichael. We learned about changing rainfall patterns in the Marlborough area and the changes being caused by climate change – peak rainfall events sometimes followed by periods of drought. The increasingly heavy rainfall creates flash flooding problems in our village and Marlborough High Street.
One of the key messages is that we cannot control the amount of rain that falls on our roofs but we can control what happens to that rain to avoid it overwhelming the drains and causing problems in the south side of the village. In the afternoon we braved the -5 wind chill to build our first rainwater planter. The process of building the rainwater planter was very interesting with layers to absorb heavy rainfall and ensure plants survive dry periods and overflow drainage where it is needed. Finally we planted, with advice from Wendy Allen, plants that can withstand heavy rain and periods of drought. The planter will fill out quickly and it is hoped that we can create more planters to frame the village hall and do our bit for climate change.
For more information about rainwater gardens go to
UK Rain Garden Guide free download: www.raingardens.info
Slow The Flow Calderdale: https://slowtheflow.net/you-can-slow-the-flow-at-home/
To attend a rainwater workshop or learn how to do more in your garden, contact Charlotte Hitchmough: charlotte@riverkennet.org
Wendy Allen: rain@wendyallendesigns.co.uk