Climate Resilient Gardening
Planning a garden that can withstand changing weather patterns is crucial, especially in the Metro Vancouver area, where temperatures will increase by 3°C by the 2050s. The region typically experiences mild winters, rainy springs, and warm, dry summers. However, with a predicted doubling in summer days above 25°C and a 45% increase in growing degree days, it is important to make gardens more resilient.
Linda Gilkeson is an accomplished academic, writer, and instructor for the BC master gardener program who gives fantastic advice about local gardening and climate change. We have adapted some of her advice with other advice from bcfarmsandfood.com to help you navigate gardening in the changing climate of the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
Plant Selection
To create a garden that can adapt to changing weather conditions, choosing plants more likely to survive the unusual winter cold and summer heat is best. Instead of using plants at the edge of their range, choose a larger range to buffer the effect of climate change. It is also advisable to overwinter plants, as they tend to grow faster and survive poor weather and pests better than spring-sown seedlings. Growing several varieties of each crop is also important, as there are notable differences in their tolerance for heat, drought, frost, and adverse conditions.
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All of these plants can be found at the seed library, helping you to start your own climate-resilient garden:
Heat/Drought Resistant
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Prairie Coneflower
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Quinoa
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Dwarf purple Alyssum
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Gillia
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Quaking Grass
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Primrose
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Self heal/heal all/ prunella
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Lavender
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Bright spark formula
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Black sesame
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Selvatica arugula
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East Coast wildflower blend
Cold Resistant
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Ching Chiang Shanghai Pac Choi
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Mei Qing Choi
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Red Russian organic kale
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Komatsuna Green mustard
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Vit corn salad mache
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Chives
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Ailsa Craig sweet onion
Seed Saving
If you find that some strains of the same plant fare better than others in harsher weather, saving their seeds will enable you to create a specialized, resilient seed library. This seed library would be particularly suited to your backyard, not just Vancouver. We have a special seed-saving page if you would like to learn more. Seed saving is also the only way to preserve species if their preferred climate disappears. You may have heard of seed vaults before, like the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which preserves seed specimens worldwide. Seed vaults work to preserve genetic food security across the globe, as even one single seed in the vault can be used to grow many more. Saving seeds with climate-resilient traits is a great way of genetically preserving species by allowing them to adapt to the climate on a more individual level.
Droughts
As climate change brings about severe weather conditions like droughts and heat waves, it's essential to prepare for it. Water your plants in the early morning or late afternoon when temperatures are cooler, and collect household wastewater or rainwater to water your garden or trees. In Vancouver, even a small roof area can collect a surprising amount of rainwater, as there is no predicted shortage of winter rainfall.
Grass can go dormant in summer without water, so deep-rooted lawns are better equipped to handle drought. To promote deep roots, set your mower to cut grass at 6-9 cm height, avoid irrigation, and leave grass clippings on the lawn to nourish your lawn. If you want a lawn alternative, you can choose drought-resistant plants in the seed library to reduce water usage and maintain a vibrant garden. Mixing wildflowers into your lawn can add drought resistance.
Regenerative Gardening
Regenerative gardening aims to improve soil health and the local ecosystem by working with nature. Instead of tilling or clearing garden beds during winter, you can switch to no-till gardening techniques, which help prevent disturbing the soil's vital microorganisms and carbon-storing capacity or just apply a simple mulch layer. Mulching maintains soil temperature, reduces evaporation and nutrient loss, enriches the soil, and restrains weed growth. Including native and non-native plants in your garden can increase its resilience to climate change. Choose plants that suit your local climate, preserve biodiversity, and provide habitats for wildlife like birds and pollinators. You can gather the seeds of native perennial berries found in British Columbia during your hikes and grow them in your garden. Regenerative gardening can be key for climate resiliency in your garden as it can regenerate the ecosystem your garden contains. Ecosystems are naturally resilient if the system is stable enough; regenerative gardening can restabilize a system that may have been disturbed.