Brian Minter: Gardening expert details effects of climate change on centuries-old garden

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For the past many years, the UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), the B.C. Society of Landscape Architects and other generous sponsors have invited prominent landscape professionals to present seminars giving new insight in the field of design or to share background on the historical preservation of iconic gardens.

This years’ guest lecturer was Dea Fischer, who is the current horticultural adviser and former senior gardener for the British National Trust’s property the Oxburgh Estate in Norfolk, England.

Fischer’s presentation focused on how our current climate changes have modified the ways in which the maintenance of the 15th-century Oxburgh estate is managed. Of the estate’s 4,000 acres, about 200 acres are now cared for by minimal staff and volunteers.

She pointed out that, while overall average rainfall and temperatures haven’t changed significantly, the extremes within these parameters have been concerning. During the summer, they now experience far longer periods of drought and previously unheard-of temperatures in the 37 to 40 C range. In winter, they have been subjected to new record-setting cold temperatures down to -20 C.

While most gardens would simply change planting schemes to accommodate these new realities, the National Trust Heritage Gardens have a strict mandate. Oxburgh is essentially a living museum, welcoming over 100,000 visitors each year, and they must maintain their existing plants or varieties extremely close to them.

When asked about the relevance of keeping these historical plantings in place